Ten Billion Reasons to Get Ready: Tips for Navigating California’s Prop 4 Funding
Michael Yaffe has a knack for making a $10 billion ballot measure sound approachable. “Prop 4 is just the name,” he says, “but it’s kind of like a mutual fund. There are about 112 different funding programs in it.”
That’s a lot of doors to knock on. For the cities, counties, water districts, and ports working to protect people from wildfire, flooding, drought, and rising seas, it can feel overwhelming. That’s where Yaffe and his colleague Michelle Little come in.
Yaffe is practice lead for resilience and adaptation planning at BKF, and Little serves as Grants Program Manager. Both support the firm’s government and planning work from Southern California, Yaffe from Huntington Beach and Little from Santa Monica. Yaffe helps communities prepare for wildfire, flooding, drought, extreme heat, and other climate-related risks, while Little brings nearly 20 years of experience helping public agencies secure and manage grant funding. Michelle Little began her career in post-disaster New Orleans and has spent years helping public agencies manage grants and maintain compliance; she is already leveraging this expertise to guide Prop 4 funding recipients through their state award requirements.
California Prop 4 Funding: Why Agencies Should Prepare Now
Why act now? California voters approved Prop 4 in November 2024, and the money is rolling out over roughly a decade, with much of it coming early. “Getting people on board now is mission critical,” Yaffe says. Some grant windows open and close within a month.
Three Tips for Securing Prop 4 Grant Funding
So how can a community land its share? Yaffe and Little’s advice to public agencies is refreshingly practical. First, don’t start from scratch. Many agencies have older grant applications or partly designed projects sitting on a shelf. “Dust them off,” Yaffe says. A project with some engineering already done may be exactly what the state wants. And a “no” isn’t the end. Big grants often go to applicants who learned why they fell short and tried again. That’s the Growth Mindset BKF values, put to work for its clients.
Second, plan for the finish line on day one. Prop 4 money comes with strict rules, often as demanding as federal funding, and communities usually have to contribute a share. “You have to build for the most stringent compliance requirements,” Little says. That commitment to Integrity and Accountability protects communities long after the check arrives.
Third, and most important: ask for help. Little finds California’s state agencies very responsive, and BKF can review a community’s list of planned projects to find the strongest matches.
BKF’s collaborative culture makes that possible. Grants and resilience experts work shoulder to shoulder with planners, engineers and construction specialists, so a community has one partner guiding a project from first idea to ribbon cutting. It reflects the firm’s mission to do great work and delight clients by turning funding into projects that keep people safe.
How BKF Helps Agencies Navigate Prop 4 Funding
The clock is already ticking. Prop 4 dollars are moving now, deadlines can arrive with just weeks of notice, and the communities that prepare early will be first in line. If your agency has a project that could qualify, or isn’t sure where to start, now is the time to talk with BKF’s Prop 4 experts. Connect with Michael Yaffe or Michelle Little today and sign up for BKF’s newsletter to stay ahead of new funding opportunities.
More BKF News:
How California’s 2030 Seismic Deadline Is Reshaping Hospital Campuses
