Heritage Legacy Fund Review

Heritage BC has commissioned the firm Ference & Company Consulting to conduct a review of its well entrenched Heritage Legacy Fund (HLF) program that provides the heritage sector in BC funding and support unique to the sector and increasingly in demand.  Principal, Beth Garner, is leading us through the detailed evaluation with a goal for completion in October 2022. Members, stakeholders, grant recipients, and others will be invited to participate through surveys, questionnaires, and interviews. We encourage you to provide us with the valuable feedback that we look forward to receiving through this process. 

The scope of the project is to perform an outcome review of the Heritage Legacy Fund, since 2010, to ensure continued effectiveness in providing for the needs of the heritage sector. To identify gaps, challenges, opportunities and recommendations for improvement to better align with government’s policy objectives; develop a logic model and a comprehensive evaluation framework to guide the modernization of HLF and its implementation; and develop a template for annual reporting to Heritage Branch on the outputs and outcomes of the HLF. 

The HLF was established as an endowment by the Province of British Columbia in 2003 and is held by the Vancouver Foundation. The fund is a self-sustaining private endowment fund that relies on the donations and bequests of donors.  With the recent deposit of $5 million, the fund’s capital is over $10 million.  

The HLF supports a financial assistance program for Heritage Awareness, Heritage Conservation, and Heritage Planning. Program funds are used for community initiatives that conserve and increase the understanding and appreciation of heritage resources. Heritage resources may include existing heritage buildings, structures, sites, cemeteries, districts, cultural landscapes, or intangible heritage such as language and customs. 

The HLF also supports Indigenous Partnership projects. Program funds are used to support communities and heritage organizations in working towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples through collaboration.

The following are examples of some of the questions to be addressed in the review.

• Reaching out to project participants in a method of community engagement that addresses overall effectiveness of the program.  Is the HLF doing enough to help build capacity in organizations and local government?
• Is the HLF covering the areas it should be, such as heritage and climate action, indigenous support, emergency funding after weather or natural disasters and archeology?
• Is the fund addressing the needs and costs associated with proposed projects; are funding thresholds adequate?
• Should the focus of the grant program remain the conservation of heritage places to the exclusion of other areas or in combination with emerging themes and issues?
• Are we reaching the diversity of applicants that make up the heritage sector or do we need to expand our eligibility requirements?

We will keep you updated on the progress of the review. 

If you have any questions or wish to learn more about the Heritage Legacy Fund,  please visit our Heritage Legacy Fund Page or feel free to contact us at any time.