California Native Grass Association
Celebrating and conserving the ecological richness of California's native grasslands
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Grasslands perform essential services necessary to support life. Grasslands contribute to human well-being and provide benefits that extend to local, regional, and global communities. Grasslands are perhaps the most human-altered terrestrial ecosystem in California. Agriculture, invasion by exotic species, development, and other human-related activities have reduced California native grasslands by 99%. Yet, California’s relict native grasslands are habitat to over 40% of the state’s total native plant species. Grassland birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, pollinators and other animals depend on the resources these plants and spaces provide. More than 73 grassland-associated species are listed by the state & federal Endangered Species Acts: 14 vertebrates and 59 plants, and 14 invertebrates, including 6 butterfly species. This count does not even include native pollinators and other plants and animals experiencing sharp declines without the benefit of a government attention.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Grassland Research Awards for Student Scholarship (GRASS)
CNGA's newest program is GRASS (California Grassland Research Awards for Student Scholarship). Beginning in January 2019, we offer competitive research funds to promote undergraduate and graduate student research focused on understanding, preserving, and restoring California’s native grassland ecosystems in accordance with the CNGA Mission and Goals.
Workshops and Events
CNGA offers an array of workshops, field days and trips related to California's iconic native grasslands. Workshops include:
-Identification and Appreciation of California's Native and Naturalized Grasses
-Grassland Monitoring Methods and Techniques
-Grassland Restoration
-Landscaping with Nature
-Introduction to Grassland Soils
-Pasture Walk: Radical New Grassland Management Ideas
-Planned Grazing: Build Soil, Grassland Health and Profit
Grasslands Journal
Grasslands publishes material of interest to all of our readers, including peer-reviewed scientific research reports, general interest articles, updates on recent events, book reviews, photo essays, workshop news, and more.
Conservation
The California Native Grasslands Association works to conserve grasslands throughout California through advocacy at the grassroots level (no pun intended).
Education
K-12: We offer educational materials for teachers and students grades K-12. We have worksheets on several topics and all except the crossword have detailed instructions and answer keys. We also created a video for grades 3 to 9 called "What Was Here Before?" with teacher instructions and worksheets.
General Population: We provide information on how to enjoy, conserve, and restore grassland ecosystems from your own front yard to large properties.
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Total number of classes offered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Workshops and Events
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
In 2022 we offered 1 in-person workshop and 3 field trips. Virtual classes included 2 on-demand workshops and 8 presentations in our CNGA Student Grass Scholarship Award Winners Speaker Series.
Total number of new organization members
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of people on the organization's email list
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of students who receive scholarship funds and/or tuition assistance
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Young adults
Related Program
Grassland Research Awards for Student Scholarship (GRASS)
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
2019 was the first year of our scholarship program. We had 12 applicants for 2021 and 16 in 2022--all well qualified.
Total dollar amount of scholarship awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Young adults
Related Program
Grassland Research Awards for Student Scholarship (GRASS)
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
CNGA's goals are to see that:
1. Appropriate practices and techniques are used to evaluate, prepare, and plant native grasses and grasslands.
2. Members of the public understand the value of native grasses and grasslands and support the goals of CNGA.
3. Grasslands and other communities of which native grasses are a component are managed to benefit native grasses and associated species.
4. Native grasslands are protected from conversion or degradation.
5. Growers, wholesalers, and consumers of native grass seed and live plants have a clear set of purity, quality, and seed source standards that guide their actions.
6. Scientific research and the results of management are readily available to guide restoration and management of native grasses and grasslands.
7. Sites with restoration potential are planted with native grasses and associated species.
8. Native grasses are used as appropriate in the urban landscape to benefit habitat, aesthetics, and educational values.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
CNGA’s mission is to promote, preserve, and restore the diversity of California's native grasses and grassland ecosystems through education, advocacy, research, and stewardship. Through our programs and workshops we 1) inform landowners and land managers how to restore and maintain grasslands; 2) train those working in the field so that they may train others; 3) encourage and assist a new generation of land managers; and 4) increase the general public's understanding and appreciation of the value of native grassland ecosystems.
We offer workshops in plant identification, restoration, soil evaluation, monitoring methods, grazing management, landscaping, and other topics.
We encourage the next generations through K-12 Curriculum and our student research program, Grassland Research Awards for Student Scholarship (GRASS) supporting fieldwork in California grasslands.
We publish a quarterly journal, Grasslands, and promote conservation through grass-roots advocacy.
The CNGA Conservation Committee is committed to advocating for the conservation and restoration of native grassland ecosystems, including conservation of native grassland habitats as a part of the 30 by 30 initiative (protection of 30 percent of the earth’s surface by 2030).
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
CNGA is the only organization working exclusively to conserve and restore California’s grasslands. Most of our work is accomplished by our all-volunteer Board of Directors. We are also supported by dedicated members who volunteer their professional expertise as workshop instructors, in conservation advocacy endeavors, or by submitting articles to our quarterly journal, Grasslands.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
February 19, 1990, twenty public and private organizations responsible for managing grasslands met at the Lockford SCS Plant Materials Center to explore opportunities and "figure out a way to meet challenges which the organizations faced." In the fall of 1991, the California Native Grass Association was founded with the dream to make native grasses available for the restoration of natural communities. Native grasses are now available commercially for restoration projects around the state. But that was only the beginning.
Successful grassland restoration and conservation is a complex goal that depends on many variables, including site evaluation, plant selection, the availability of local genotypes (plants adapted to the specific restoration area), site preparation, installation, weed control, and maintenance.
Since 2014, just over 1,250 persons have attended our training workshops. That is an average of 250 persons per year.
We continue to educate the public on the importance of grassland ecosystems and train land managers through our programs. We offer our workshops around the state and provide information on our website. We provided online workshops in 2020 and 2021, and although we had to reduce the number and type of workshop, we were able to reach a broader geographical audience because of the online venue.
We answer information requests by phone and by email. We award student research scholarships every year to more and more students. In the face of increasing population pressures and climate change and their effects on our environment, encouraging the next generation in preserving and restoring grasslands is more crucial than ever.
The public has become more aware of the importance of grassland ecosystems in supporting human health and well-being. We aim to give them the tools and information they need to focus their conservation efforts.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
CNGA is a non-profit membership organization that brings together diverse interests to promote, preserve, and restore the diversity of California’s native grasses and grassland ecosystems through education, advocacy, research, and stewardship. Members include conservationists, restoration practitioners, naturalists, botanists, resource managers, horticulturalists, agency representatives, farmers, ranchers, homeowners, seed producers, scientists, consultants, students, and native plant enthusiasts.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Paper surveys, Suggestion box/email,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
We expanded our website section on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We are adding much requested webpages on Coastal Prairie Grasslands.
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our board, Our community partners,
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
California Native Grass Association
Board of directorsas of 01/20/2023
JP Marie
University of California, Davis, Putah Creek Riparian Reserve
Term: 2023 - 2023
Kendra Moseley
Ecological Site Regional Specialist, NRCS
Term: 2022 - 2023
Emily Allen
Consultant
Michele Hammond
East Bay Regional Park District
Richard King
Rancher
Billy Krimmel
Restoration Landscaping Company
JP Marie
UC Davis Putah Creek Riparian Preserve
Patrick Reynolds
Hedgerow Farms, Inc.
Jodie Sheffield
Delta Bluegrass Company
Chad Aakre
Westerveldt Ecological Services
Sarah Gaffney
Restoration Ecologist, River Partners
Haven Kiers
Asst. Professor, UC Davis
Leticia Morris
Project Biologist
Julia Michaels
Restoration Ecologist & Designer, Hedgerow Farms
Michelle Halbur
Preserve Ecologist, Pepperwood Foundation
Justin Luong
USDA Postdoctoral Scholar, UC Davis
Kendra Moseley
Ecological Site Regional Specialist, NRCS
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Not applicable -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 03/23/2020GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.