Our Grant Partners
Partnering in ly'a'lalqilik (Stewardship)
We are deeply grateful to our grantors and agency partners whose visionary investment powers our mission: preserving indigenous maritime culture, mentoring youth, and protecting our ancestral waters.
National Marine Sanctuary Foundation
We are proud to be selected as a Sanctuary Community Fund grantee by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, the official nonprofit partner of NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
This grant supports our Tomol Culture Ambassadors program within the newly designated Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. Through this grant, MAEC provides traditional maritime education, coastal stewardship practice, and community-led science that connects our youth and elders to our marine sanctuary waters.
California Coastal Commission
We are proud to be a selected recipient of the California Coastal Commission’s WHALE TAIL® Grants Program, which funds projects that connect people to the California Coast and its watersheds through education, stewardship, and outdoor experiences.
Through this grant, Chumash community members receive intensive instruction in traditional tomol (plank canoe) handling and protocols, construct their own wooden oars, and engage in coastal stewardship—graduating as recognized Tomol Maritime Culture Ambassadors for our ancestral waters.
Grant Acknowledgment & Funding Credit:
This project is funded in part by the California Coastal Commission’s WHALE TAIL® Grants Program and the California Ocean Protection Council, supported by California taxpayers who purchase WHALE TAIL® License Plates or donate to the Protect Our Coast and Ocean Fund on their state tax returns.