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Community Investments Office
Learn about the Air District’s Community Investments Office's plan to direct funding to communities that are most impacted by air pollution.
Announcements
Draft Guidelines and Webinar
The Air District’s Local Community Investment Fund program will be launching in early 2026 with millions in grant funding available for Benicia, Richmond, and surrounding communities.
This new grant program reinvests penalty funds back into the communities where air quality violations occurred. Funding will support community-driven solutions that reduce or mitigate air pollution, improve public health, and build economic resilience for a just transition.
The webinar will cover grant eligibility criteria, funding availability, targeted geographies, key deadlines, and will include time for Q&A and comments.
- Date: October 29, 2025
- Time: 5:30 – 7:00 PM (Zoom Link)
Simultaneous language interpretation for this grant webinar can be provided upon request. Contact communityinvestments@baaqmd.gov to request interpretation into Spanish and Chinese by October 23, 2025, at 5:00 PM.
Se puede brindar interpretación simultánea del idioma para este seminario web de la subvención si se solicita. Comuníquese con la Oficina de inversions comunitarias en el communityinvestments@baaqmd.gov para solicitar el servicio de interpretación. Solicite la interpretación de idiomas del seminario web informativo antes de las 5 p.m. del 23 de octubre de 2025 para garantizar la disponibilidad de los intérpretes.
本次资助指南网络研讨会可根据要求提供同声传译服务。
如需申请口译，请联系社区投资办公室 (Community Investments Office) 电子邮箱 communityinvestments@baaqmd.gov。
请在 2025 年 10 月 23 日下午 5:00 前 提出同声传译需求，以确保能够安排口译员。
Local Community Investment Fund Grant Program for Benicia and Richmond
Public Comment on Draft Guidelines
The Community Investments Office seeks feedback on the Draft Guidelines for the Local Community Benefits Fund for Benicia and Richmond and surrounding areas between October 27, 2025 through November 25, 2025 (5:00 PM). Please send all public comments to communityinvestments@baaqmd.gov.
Updated Community Investments Office Timeline
- Guidelines Public Draft Release: October 27, 2025
- Public Comment Period: October 27, 2025 – November 25, 2025 at 5 PM
- Public Webinar on Draft Guidelines: October 29, 2025; 5:30-7 PM
- Grant Application Opens: January – February 2026
- Grant Application Deadline: May 2026
Survey Results
Between March and July 2025, the Community Investments Office held a survey for the entire Bay Area, asking how to direct funding from enforcement actions to grant projects that benefit communities impacted by air pollution. Thank you to everyone who shared input. The results are now available. Your feedback is shaping the program’s priorities and approach.
About the Community Investments Office
In 2024, the Air District Board of Directors approved the Community Benefits Penalty Funds Policy to create an opportunity to direct significant resources back into the communities where air quality violations occurred. This penalty funds policy and related settlement funds have generated over $124 million for local and regional projects. The Air District is working on developing new approaches that actively engage affected communities in fund distribution, ensuring that community needs are prioritized.
The Community Investments Office will oversee the reinvestment of penalty funds into the impacted communities, ensuring that these resources are used to support local projects such as pollution mitigation efforts, community health programs, and the development of green spaces. The goal is to improve environmental quality and public health in areas that have been disproportionately impacted by air pollution.
Learn more about these funds:
Stay Informed
To ensure that the investments are aligned with community needs, staff will actively engage with local leaders, community-based organizations, businesses, and residents. This collaborative approach will involve regular consultations, public meetings, and transparent decision-making processes, ensuring community members have a direct input on how funds are allocated.
Sign up to receive updates on the latest Community Investments Office activities via email notifications.
Penalty Assessments
For more information about agreements to resolve notices of violation, visit the Air District's Penalties and Settlements web page.
Last Updated: 20/10/2025