If your grant started in 2026, please select the "2026 Grant Start Date" tab above.
Below are resources to help you with grant management and contract requirements. Please don't hesitate to contact your
Grant Manager at Jessica.Lie@coastal.ca.gov, or the Public
Education Program Manager at Annie.Frankel@coastal.ca.gov with
any questions.
(This page was last updated 04/16/2026.)
Please submit invoices and final reports by email.
DISCLAIMER REGARDING COMMUNICATION WITH THE COMMISSION
Applicants and grantees are notified that all communication to and from the Commission is subject to public release
under the state's Public Records Act (PRA). That communication includes, but is not limited to, messages, documents,
pictures, and financial details listed in spreadsheets. Please avoid using any personal data (home addresses,
personal cell phones, personal emails) in your communications with us. Do not assume your communication or any aspect
of it is confidential. If you have concerns about specific material, please request a phone call from staff.
Invoicing instructions for reimbursement. Please share this document with the people who will be making grant purchases and preparing invoices. This guidance document includes detailed invoicing instructions and our typical reporting requirements.
Invoice Checklist to review before submitting an invoice. This checklist is just for your use and does not need to be submitted with your invoice.
*Please follow up with your Grant Manager if you don't hear back within 2 business days of submitting your invoice.
Invoice Templates and Forms:
Please refer to your signed grant agreement for your specific reporting requirements, found in Exhibit A. If your grant requires progress reports, those dates will be noted there. At any time, during a progress report or otherwise, you can contact your Grant Manager about upcoming events or announcements regarding your grant project for the Coastal Commission to consider promoting on our social media.
A progress report is a brief check-in for you to let us know if your project is on schedule with the
timeline in your grant agreement, or if there are any issues to bring up or changes you may need to request.
You can also share any successes, upcoming events, or photos. Progress reports should not be time-consuming
to prepare. You can submit progress reports through email or have a phone/Zoom conversation (~15 minutes).
Please contact Jessica.Lie@coastal.ca.gov to arrange a progress
report call or if you have any questions about what to include.
Your final grant report is a detailed, written document submitted by email to your Grant Manager at the end of your grant project. You will find a list of questions to answer and things to include in your final report in Exhibit A of your grant agreement. You should review this section before you start your project so that you can be sure to collect the information needed for your report.
Funding credit logo to use on webpages, social media, flyers, booklets, or any other printed or visual materials that will be created as part of the program receiving funding. Funding for our grants program is made possible by sales of the WHALE TAIL® License Plate, donations to the Protect Our Coast and Oceans Fund on the California state tax return, and funds from the State of California. Your grant agreement includes language requiring acknowledgement of support from the Coastal Commission and funding sources, including using the logo where possible, on publicity, outreach, and educational materials prepared as part of the grant project, and when publicizing such work in any media. You will include evidence showing how and where you acknowledged your funding source in your final grant report.
If your grant started in 2024 or 2025, please select the "2024 or 2025 Grant Start Date" tab above.
Below are resources to help you with grant management and contract requirements. Please don't hesitate to contact your
Grant Manager at Jessica.Lie@coastal.ca.gov, or the Public
Education Program Manager at Annie.Frankel@coastal.ca.gov with
any questions.
(This page was last updated 04/16/2026.)
Please submit invoices and final reports by email.
DISCLAIMER REGARDING COMMUNICATION WITH THE COMMISSION
Applicants and grantees are notified that all communication to and from the Commission is subject to public release
under the state's Public Records Act (PRA). That communication includes, but is not limited to, messages, documents,
pictures, and financial details listed in spreadsheets. Please avoid using any personal data (home addresses,
personal cell phones, personal emails) in your communications with us. Do not assume your communication or any aspect
of it is confidential. If you have concerns about specific material, please request a phone call from staff.
Please review the Administrative Requirements for your Whale Tail Grant. Please share this document with the people who will be making grant purchases and preparing invoices. This guidance document includes detailed invoicing instructions, expenses information, and our typical reporting requirements.
Invoice Checklist to review before submitting an invoice. This checklist is just for your use and does not need to be submitted with your invoice.
*Please follow up with your Grant Manager if you don't hear back within 2 business days of submitting your invoice.
You can use our fillable invoice template
or your own invoice format. If the template does not provide enough
lines for your expense items, you can insert additional rows using the Word or Excel version of the template.
If you create your own invoice, be sure that it includes the level of detail required for your Whale Tail Grant.
See Invoice Checklist.
(Note: Any line item changes more than 10% from the grant agreement budget and/or expense items not included in
the grant agreement budget must be approved by the Grant Manager. Please contact Jessica.Lie@coastal.ca.gov
for approvals before preparing your invoice.)
Advance payment guidelines for participation in the advance payment program. The Commission may advance funds to Whale Tail grantees that are non-profit organizations, projects of non-profit fiscal sponsors, and federally recognized Tribes. Please share this document with the people who will be preparing advance payment requests and advanced funds documentation.
Both invoices for reimbursement and advanced funds documentation forms require backup documentation for all expenses except Personnel Expenses and Overhead.
Please refer to your signed grant agreement for your specific reporting requirements, found in Exhibit A. If your grant requires progress reports, those dates will be noted there. If you are participating in our Advance Payment Program, you must submit a progress report with an Advanced Funds Documentation form at least quarterly by January 31, April 30, July 31, and October 31. At any time, during a progress report or otherwise, you can contact your Grant Manager about upcoming events or announcements regarding your grant project for the Coastal Commission to consider promoting on our social media.
A progress report is a brief check-in for you to let us know if your project is on schedule with the
timeline in your grant agreement, or if there are any issues to bring up or changes you may need to request.
You can also share any successes, upcoming events, or photos. Progress reports should not be time-consuming
to prepare. You can submit progress reports through email or have a phone/Zoom conversation (~15 minutes).
Please contact Jessica.Lie@coastal.ca.gov to arrange a progress
report call or if you have any questions about what to include.
Your final grant report is a detailed, written document submitted by email to your Grant Manager at the end of your grant project. You will find a list of questions to answer and things to include in your final report in Exhibit A of your grant agreement. You should review this section before you start your project so that you can be sure to collect the information needed for your report.
Funding credit logos to use on webpages, social media, flyers, booklets, or any other printed or visual materials that will be created as part of the program receiving funding. Funding for this grant cycle is generously provided by the Ocean Protection Council. This grants program is made possible by sales of the WHALE TAIL® License Plate and donations to the Protect Our Coast and Oceans Fund on the California state tax return. Your grant agreement includes language requiring acknowledgement of support from the Coastal Commission and the Ocean Protection Council, including using logos where possible, on publicity, outreach, and educational materials prepared as part of the grant project, and when publicizing such work in any media. You will include evidence showing how and where you acknowledged your funding source in your final grant report.
