Love for our beaches is part of LA's identity. Share that love through a donation to the Protect Our Coast and Oceans Fund on your California tax form.

October 15th is the deadline for Los Angeles County residents to file their taxes (and it's the late-filing deadline for everyone else). Before you sign the CA tax form, pause in the Voluntary Contributions section and add a few dollars to line 424, the Protect Our Coast and Oceans Fund. Your donation goes back to your community through grants to clean up shorelines, restore habitat, expand beach access, and provide educational experiences. Every dollar makes a difference!

“It’s really transformative what we’re able to do now that we have funding. We’re able to remove bigger barriers for youth to experience joy and safety in the ocean.”

-Giselle Carrillo, Los Courage Camps

Recent LA County grants made possible by your donations include:

Los Courage Camps, for summer surf camps to provide free recreation, ocean education, and environmental stewardship for Los Angeles youth.

Mujeres de la Tierra, for water health education and a beach field trip as part of the Vamos a la Playa program for LA families.

Heal the Bay, for LA County's Adopt-A-Beach program and Coastal Cleanup Day event, helping tens of thousands of people a year clean up beaches and inland waterways, and for buses for school field trips to the beach.

Already did your taxes? You can donate at any time by check or you can buy a Whale Tail License Plate.

Where is the "Voluntary Contributions" section? On California Tax Form 540 and 540 NR you'll find the Voluntary Contributions on Side 4. On Form 540 2EZ they are on Side 3.

If you use Turbo Tax, there is a page that asks "Donate to a California Special Fund?" Click "Yes" and a page with the list of funds will come up. Halfway down the list find the PROTECT OUR COAST AND OCEANS FUND and enter your donation in the box. If you use H&R Block software, you will come to a page that says "Tell us about these last items to finish your California return." Check the box next to "I want to contribute to a California Fund" and a page with a list of funds will come up. Find the PROTECT OUR COAST AND OCEANS FUND and enter your donation in the box.

Is my donation tax deductible? Yes, your donation will be deductible on your 2025 federal tax return (if you itemize deductions).

Heal the Bay at Whittier Narrows for Coastal Cleanup Day

Thank you for your support!

Como Donar - El Fondo para Proteger Nuestras Costas y Océanos

Public Education Program | California Coastal Commission