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 2026 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.
About the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation:
The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is the leading charitable partner for the National Marine Sanctuary System. The Foundation focuses on conservation, education, and community engagement to protect our nation’s most vital underwater places.
California Coastal Commission
California Coastal Commission We are proud to be a selected recipient of the 2026 California Coastal Commission’s WHALE TAIL® Grants Program
This funding directly powers our intensive coastal and classroom training sessions.
Chumash community members receive hands-on instruction in traditional tomol (plank canoe) handling, construct their own wooden oars, and study traditional maritime protocols—graduating as recognized Tomol Maritime Culture Ambassadors for our coastal homelands.
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.
About the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation:
The California Coastal Commission's WHALE TAIL® Grants fund projects that connect people to the California Coast and its watersheds through education, stewardship, and outdoor experiences. Grant projects can engage people of all ages and can take place anywhere in California.