Lauren McCawley is the Farmer Equity Grant Analyst for the California Department of Food and Agriculture. She works with the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) and is the point of contact for the Additional Assistance for Historically Underrepresented Organizations Program.

The intent of the Additional Assistance for Historically Underrepresented Organizations Program is to provide a process through which organizations that have been historically underrepresented in the SCBGP can participate and successfully implement their SCBGP projects. Non-profit organizations and tribal governments that have not previously received SCBGP funding, do not have technical expertise with grant writing, and who work directly in either supporting socially disadvantaged and beginning farmers or providing nutrition education and/or access to specialty crops in underserved communities are eligible to apply for this program. Applicants to this program will complete the same Concept Proposal as all other funding areas and are eligible to receive one-on-one assistance. Concept proposals accepted for advancement under this process will receive assistance from CDFA to develop a full proposal for submission for USDA. The 2024 SCBGP application period is expected to open in late summer 2023. For more information, or to be notified of the release of the 2024 Request for Concept Proposals, please email grants@cdfa.ca.gov.