Grant funding for performing artists, community projects, seniors and more
Eureka, CA. Aug. 31, 2026 – Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 1, the Humboldt Area Foundation + Wild Rivers Community Foundation is accepting applications for several of its grant programs.
Grant opportunities include the Rotary Club of Eureka’s Glyndon ‘Sign’ Smith and Ruth Smith Endowment Fund, the Lynne and Bob Wells Fund for Performing Artists, the Hansen Family Trust, and Aging to Thrive: Empowering Aging Through Community, all of which are open through Thursday, Oct. 15.
Applications for the Peter E. Palmquist Memorial Fund will be accepted until Nov. 15.
Holiday Funding Partnership Grants, which are offered through the North Coast Grantmaking Partnership, are also open for applications through Thursday, Oct. 1.
All applications can be submitted through the Foundation’s Grants Portal, located at hafoundation.org/apply. Details about grant rounds are listed below.
Lynne and Bob Wells Fund for Performing Artists ’26-27
The Lynne & Bob Wells Fund for Performing Artists has been established to provide encouragement and support to adult actors, singers, dancers, comedians and other performing artists in Humboldt County. This grant round is for individuals seeking support in developing artistic work in the performing arts.
Peter E. Palmquist Memorial Fund ’26-27
This grant supports the study of under-researched women photographers internationally, past and present, and under-researched Western American photographers through the Great Depression. Both individual researchers or nonprofit institutions conducting research in these fields may apply.
Rotary Club of Eureka Glyndon ‘Sign’ and Ruth Smith Endowment Fund ’26-27
This grant seeks to support significant projects which benefit the greater Eureka community and provide opportunities to visually recognize and honor Sign and Ruth Smith and their generosity.
Aging to Thrive: Empowering Aging Through Community ’26-27
This grant opportunity supports programs that uplift and enhance the independence and quality of life for seniors in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties. Examples include social programs, food and nutrition programs, health related activities and needs, transportation and access support. Grants are supported by the Senior Citizens Foundation Fund and the Andrew and Bertha Pon Memorial Fund. Recipients will be notified in November 2026.
Holiday Funding Partnership 2026
The Holiday Funding Partnership offers grants of $500 to $2,000 to assist Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity, or Curry County non-profit organizations (public schools, churches, tribal governments, etc.) or qualified fiscal sponsors with holiday assistance programs offered between November 15 and January 1. The Holiday Funding Partnership is supported by the North Coast Grantmaking Partnership which includes the McLean Foundation, Providence Community Health Investment, First 5 Humboldt, Vesper Society, the Patricia D. & William B. Smullin Foundation, College of the Redwoods Foundation, and Humboldt Area Foundation + Wild Rivers Community Foundation.
About HAF+WRCF:
For five decades, the Humboldt Area Foundation — joined by the Wild Rivers Community Foundation in 2004 — has proudly served the counties of Humboldt, Trinity and Del Norte in California, Curry County in Southern Oregon, and the unceded lands of many Indigenous peoples. Today, the Foundation acts as a single entity with a generational vision and decade-long goals of supporting “Racial Equity, Thriving Youth and Families, Healthy Ecosystems and Environments, and a Just Economy and Economic Development.” Since 1972, the Foundation has awarded more than $148.5 million in grants and scholarships from hundreds of charitable funds established by generous individuals, families and businesses in our community. The Foundation also provided countless hours of technical assistance, advocacy, and convening throughout the region.
For more information about HAF+WRCF, visit hafoundation.org or call (707) 442-2993.