Funding Opportunities
Following is a resource of opportunities that could be helpful to heritage organizations.
As a grant writer, it is important that you are well-acquainted with the eligibility and fund description. Please refer to the funder’ websites, or contact the funders directly, for up-to-date information.
The funding sources are arranged in three groups: Corporations, Foundation-Funder, Government.
This is not an exhaustive list of funding sources and Heritage BC does not guarantee the information, which can change from time to time.
Please refer to the Heritage BC Funding Resources page for further information, as well as the webinar on-demand, Grant Writing.
Please feel free to contact us with corrections, updates and other funding sources that are not currently in this list. Heritage BC will endeavour to update the list from time to time, but we will also rely on the input from the list users.
Heritage BC acknowledges the Columbia Basin Trust in preparing the original version of this list.
Air Canada
Description: Supports registered charities that help children, youth and the economic well-being of a community. In some cases they make cash donations, in others they donate promotional tickets.
Applicant Type: Charitable status
Field of Interest: Children & Youth
Aviva Community Fund
Description: Two levels of funding: small ideas under $50,000 and large ideas between $50,000 - $100,000. Project categories include: Community Resilience; Community Health; and, Community Development. Grant selections are initially made by securing votes from project supporters (online voting competition format). Panel of judges will select the final winners.
Applicant Type: Charitable status, Non-Profit Society, School Districts, Business or Individual, Government, First Nations
Field of Interest: Community Development, Culture & Diversity, Children & Youth, Seniors, Indigenous, Arts, Culture & Heritage, Capacity Building
Bank of Montreal
Description: Donates to non-profit organizations that are registered charities. Requests are reviewed by Corporate Donations Committee, which meets on a quarterly basis.
Applicant Type: Charitable status
Field of Interest: Community Development, Culture & Diversity, Children & Youth, Seniors, IndigenousCapacity Building
BC Hydro - Grants for Community Groups
Description: Funding areas: Building the Workforce of Tomorrow; Safety Education; and, Developing Smart Energy Ideas. Broad impact grants of $10,000 for program development and expansion and Grassroots grants of $2,000.
Applicant Type: Non-Profit Society
Field of Interest: Children & Youth
BC Hydro - Home renovation rebates
Description: BC Home Energy offers a free coaching and/or an EnerGuide home evaluation, as well as help to successfully complete projects that will improve your home’s energy efficiency and comfort all year round.
Canada Post Community Foundation for Children
Description: Support for registered charities that promote physical activity and play for children of all abilities and help at-risk youth gain a better understanding of how education is vital to their future.
Applicant Type: Charitable status
Field of Interest: Children & Youth
CIBC
Description: Support for registered charities that provide programing and services for kids, cures and community. Most organizations receive donations of less than $10,000.
Applicant Type: Charitable status
Field of Interest: Community Development, Culture & Diversity, Children & Youth
Columbia Power Corporation - Community Sponsorship Grant
Description: Wide range of support for activities including arts and culture, education, youth-centered projects, recreation activities, health, heritage, environment and First Nations initiatives.
Applicant Type: Charitable status, Non-Profit Society
Field of Interest: Community Development, Culture & Diversity, Children & YouthIndigenous, Arts, Culture & Heritage
Devon Canada
Description: There are three grant programs available to non-profit organizations: Investing in People; Science Giants; Safe and Healthy Communities. Eligibility: non-profit organizations in Alberta and Devon’s commuter communities in British Columbia.
Applicant Type: Non-Profit Society
Field of Interest: Community Development, Culture & Diversity, Children & Youth, Seniors, IndigenousCapacity Building
Farm Credit Canada - Agri-Spirit Fund
Description: Capital grants to enhance rural communities with populations of less than 150,000 (i.e.: hospitals, medical centres, childcare facilities). Donation between $5,000 and $25,000.
Applicant Type: Charitable status, Non-Profit Society, Government, First Nations
Field of Interest: Community Development
Fortis BC
Description: Funding in the following categories: safety, education, environment and aboriginal initiatives. Must be a non-profit organization.
Applicant Type: Non-Profit Society
Field of Interest: Indigenous
Hylcan Foundation
Description: Grant applications are accepted from registered charities fitting the following categories: health and social service, education, arts and animal welfare. Grants range from approximately $1,000-$25,000.
Applicant Type: Charitable status
Field of Interest: Community Development, Culture & Diversity, Children & Youth, Seniors, Indigenous, ARts, Culture & Heritage
IA Financial Group
Description: Supports registered charities that seek to improve people’s quality of life and that foster development in health, education and social services.
Applicant Type: Charitable status
Field of Interest: Community Development
IG Investor Group
Description: Support for community organizations that provide benefit to local communities in these categories: arts and culture, civic causes, education and youth, environment, health, social services, amateur sport and recreation. Funding is also available for community events.
Applicant Type: Non-Profit Society
Field of Interest: Community Development, Culture & Diversity, Children & Youth, Seniors, Indigenous, Arts, Culture & Heritage, Capacity Building
Keg Spirit Foundation
Description: Considers funding requests for both new and established projects. The organization must be a registered charity and relate to children or youth in some way.
Applicant Type: Charitable status
Field of Interest: Children & Youth
Kootenay Savings Credit Union
Description: Awards financial sponsorships and in-kind donations to community groups and registered charities throughout the Kootenays.
Applicant Type: Charitable status, Non-Profit Society
Field of Interest: Community Development, Culture & Diversity, Children & Youth, Seniors, Indigenous, Arts, Culture & Heritage, Capacity Building
Mountain Equipment Coop: Various Granting Programs
Description: Each program has its own grant stream: Access and Activity ($500 - $15,000); Advocacy and Awareness $1,000 - $15,000); Capacity Building $5,000 - $15,000); and, Land Acquisition ($10,000 - $100,000).
Applicant Type: Charitable status, Non-Profit Society, Business or Individual
Field of Interest: Capacity Building
Royal Bank of Canada
Description: (from website) "As a purpose-driven company, creating a positive social impact – not just an economic one – is integral to how we do business. It is fundamental to our philosophy and is at the very heart of our corporate citizenship approach. In 2017, we contributed over $98 million globally to more than 6,700 organizations."
TD Bank Financial Group (TDBFG)
Description: Three funding areas: Education and Financial Literacy; Creating Opportunities for Young People; and Environment. Organizations must be registered charities.
Applicant Type: Charitable status
Field of Interest: Children & Youth
TECK Metals
Description: Focus areas for sponsorships include: health, education, environment, and community.
Applicant Type: Charitable status, Non-Profit Society
Field of Interest: Community Development, Culture & Diversity
Trans Canada: Community Investment Fund
Description: Support to a non-profit, registered charity, association or foundation that generates clear and demonstrable value to communities. Focus areas include: safety, community, and, environment.
Applicant Type: Charitable status, Non-Profit Society
Field of Interest: Community Development
Walmart Canada - Community Grants
Description: Community Giving Grants for non-profit organizations that help community members in need. Grants are valued at $1,000
Applicant Type: Charitable status, Non-Profit Society
Field of Interest: Community Development
Link
Art Starts - Creative Spark Columbia Basin grants
Description: Provides grants up to $1,000 that support artists to engage young people in schools and communities in arts-based projects.
Applicant Type: Business or Individual
Field of Interest: Arts, Culture & Heritage
BC Museums Association
BCMA provides a resource of funding opportunities and oversees several bursaries.
Field of Interest: Museums
Canada Foundation for Innovation
Description: A range of funding programs for leadership, innovation, infrastructure and scholarship programs. Proposals accepted only from eligible institutions (see website). Non-profits, universities, colleges and research hospitals are all eligible if they can prove that they support and conduct research.
Field of Interest: Community Development
Canadian Museum Association Bursary Program
Bursaries assist museum professionals in the following areas: Conference Professional Development; Emerging Professional Development; Mid-Career Professional Development
Commonwealth Foundation
Description: Awards granted for international sustainable development projects that contribute to effective, responsive and accountable governance with civil society participation.
Applicant Type: Charitable status, Non-Profit Society
Field of Interest: Community Development
Columbia Basin Trust
Description: The Columbia Basin Trust manages several heritage funding programs: Community Development Program; Built Heritage Grants; Community Initiatives and Affected Areas Programs; Heritage, Museum and Archive Grants
Columbia Institute
Description: Focus is organizational leadership for inclusive, sustainable communities. The Institute helps build capacity in communities through lifelong learning scholarships and by working with locally elected leaders.
Applicant Type: Business or Individual, Government
Field of Interest: Capacity Building
First People's Cultural Council
Description: Funding to support First Nation's language, arts and culture. Available to communities, organizations, individuals and language groups in two areas: Ars and Language.
Applicant Type: Charitable status, Non-Profit Society, Business or Individual, First Nations
Field of Interest: Culture & Diversity, Indigenous, Arts, Culture & Heritage
Foord Family Foundation
Description: Supports Canadian registered charities whose initiatives improve the quality of life for children and youth.
Applicant Type: Charitable status
Field of Interest: Community Development, Children & Youth
Gainey Foundation
Description: Supports registered charities that offer environmental and/or arts education programs for youth.
Applicant Type: Charitable status
Field of Interest: Children & Youth, Arts, Culture & Heritage
Herb Stovel Fund
The Herb Stovel Scholarship keeps his legacy alive and provides one or more post-secondary students and/or emerging professionals (ages 20-35) in the field of heritage conservation with opportunities to travel, network and enrich their research.
Heritage BC
Description: Supports heritage conservation across BC through education, training and skills development, capacity building in heritage planning and funding through the Heritage Legacy Fund.
Applicant Type: Non-Profit Society, School Districts, Government, First Nations
Field of Interest: Arts, Culture & Heritage
Ken and Debbie Rubin Public Interest Advocacy Fund
Description: Provides small grants to novel action projects within Canada that might not otherwise be funded. Areas of interest include: social justice, privacy rights, food safety, civil liberties, public interest research training, innovative youth projects and consumer health and safety issues.
Applicant Type: Charitable status, Non-Profit Society
Field of Interest: Community Development, Children & Youth
Laidlaw Foundation
Description: Funding for programs that promote an inclusive society that values the full engagement of its young people in the civic, social, economic and cultural life of diverse and environmentally healthy communities. A number of funding programs exist such as "pop up funding."
Applicant Type: Non-Profit Society
Field of Interest: Community Development, Children & Youth
Max Bell Foundation
Description: Two types of grants: "Development Grants" for short term (typically 4 month) work that will better position the organization to succeed with larger projects and "Project Grants" to support clearly defined activities. Program areas include: health and wellness, education and the environment.
Applicant Type: Charitable status
Field of Interest: Community Development
McConnell Family Foundation, The J. W.
Description: Grants to registered charities relating to four major challenges: inclusion, sustainability, resilience, and innovation. The Foundation's mandate is to address issues of national significance.
Applicant Type: Charitable status
Field of Interest: Community Development, Culture & Diversity, Children & Youth, Seniors, Indigenous, Capacity Building
McLean Foundation
Description: Grants in a wide range of areas, including arts, conservation, education, health and welfare. It maintains a flexible policy, with particular emphasis on projects showing promise of general social benefit but which may initially lack broad public appeal.
Applicant Type: Charitable status, Non-Profit Society
Field of Interest: Community Development, Arts, Culture & Heritage
National Trust for Canada
Description: National charity that inspires and leads action to save historic places, and promotes the care and wise use of our historic environment. Programs for youth, scholarships and promoting Canada's historic places.
Applicant Type: Non-Profit Society, School Districts, Business or Individual, First Nations
Field of Interest: Arts, Culture & Heritage
Project Change Foundation
Description: Award grants of $1,000, as well as provide free advisory support, to help kick-start projects that contribute to community or the environment. Applications welcome from early-stage community-based organization
Applicant Type: Non-Profit Society
Field of Interest: Community Development, Culture & Diversity, Capacity Building
Recreation Foundation of BC
Description: Funding $1,000 - $6,000 to provide support to not-for-profit groups active in the broad areas of recreation, sports, parks, culture, the environment and education.
Applicant Type: Non-Profit Society
Field of Interest: Culture & Diversity, Children & Youth, Arts, Culture & Heritage
Salamander Foundation
Description: 20-25 grants per year to specific initiatives or projects with clear objectives and measurable outcomes for Arts and Culture and Environment Programs. Must be registered charity.
Applicant Type: Charitable status
Field of Interest: Arts, Culture & Heritage
Victoria Foundation
Field of interest includes arts, culture and heritage. The Victoria Foundation serves the Capital Regional District.
Vancouver Foundation
Description: Grants support thousands of projects every year to help build healthy, vibrant, and livable communities across BC. Field of Interest Grants for arts & culture, education & training, environment & animal welfare, health & social development (up to $75,000). See website for individual grants and their eligibility.
Applicant Type: Charitable status, Non-Profit SocietyBusiness or IndividualFirst Nations
Field of Interest: Community Development, Culture & Diversity, Children & Youth, Arts, Culture & Heritage
Aboriginal Peoples' Program
Description: Managed by Canadian Heritage, the Aboriginal Peoples’ Program promotes Indigenous languages, strengthens cultural identity and increases Indigenous participation in Canadian society.
BC Arts Council
Description: Funding for a range of arts programing for visual and performance arts including touring, youth, arts festivals and professional development.
Applicant Type: Charitable status, Non-Profit Society, School Districts, Business or Individual, First Nations
Field of Interest: Arts, Culture & Heritage
Building Communities through Arts and Heritage
Description: Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage supports community celebrations, such as festivals, events and projects.
Canada Council of the Arts
Description: Funding for Canadian artists and arts organizations. Five different program areas.
Applicant Type: Charitable status, Non-Profit Society, Business or Individual
Field of Interest: Arts, Culture & Heritage
Canada Cultural Investment Fund
Description: Managed by Canadian Heritage, the Canada Cultural Investment Fund encourages private sector investment, partnership and sound business practices to help arts and heritage organizations be better rooted and recognized in their communities.
Canada Cultural Spaces Fund
The Canada Cultural Spaces Fund supports the improvement of physical conditions for artistic creativity and innovation.
Canada Summer Jobs
Canada Summer Jobs in an initiative of Summer Work Experience program that provides wage subsidies to employers to create employment for secondary and post-secondary students.
Applicant Types: not-for-profit, public and private sector
Canadian Heritage
Canadian Heritage offers a number of funding program including the Canada Cultural Investment Fund and the Museums Assistance Program.
Canadian Heritage-Youth Take Charge Program
The Youth Take Charge Program aims to strengthen youth attachment to Canada through engagement. In this context, youth is defined as individuals between 7 and 30 years of age. Funding thematic areas include history and heritage.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada: inter-action Multiculturalism Grants (National)
Description: Supports the socio-economic integration of individuals and communities and helps them to contribute to building an integrated, socially-cohesive society. Two funding streams: events and programs.
Applicant Type: Non-Profit Society, School DistrictsGovernment, First Nations
Field of Interest: Community Development, Culture & Diversity
Community Action Initiative
Description: Provides grant and training opportunities for community-based organizations across BC to develop and deliver innovative projects that respond to the needs of individuals and families experiencing mental health and/or substance use challenges.
Applicant Type: Charitable status, Non-Profit Society, Business or Individual, Government
Field of Interest: Community Development, Seniors
Community Gaming Grants
Description: Programs must have been in operation for at least 12 months prior to application. To receive a grant, the program must fall into one of the following sectors: arts and culture, sport, environment, public safety, human and social services, and parent advisory councils.
Applicant Type: Non-Profit Society
Field of Interest: Community Development, Children & Youth, Seniors, Indigenous, Arts, Culture & Heritage
Community War Memorial
Description: Community War Memorial funding supports the construction, restoration or expansion of a community war memorial.
Documentary Heritage Community Program
Description: Managed by Canadian Heritage, the Documentary Heritage Community Program ensures that Canada’s continuing memory is documented and accessible to current and future generations by adopting a more collaborative approach with local documentary heritage communities.
Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Description: Provides funding for projects that will help Canadian cities and communities enhance their asset management practices.
Applicant Type: Government
Field of Interest: Capacity Building
Funding for Jobs, Training and Social Development
Description: Funding programs from Employment and Social Development Canada are government grants and contributions that help support jobs, training, and social development. Includes apprenticeship grants.
Applicant Type: Charitable status, Non-Profit Society, School Districts, Business or Individual, Government, First Nations
Field of Interest: Children & Youth
Green Municipal Fund
The Green Municipal Fund responds to evolving municipal sustainability needs and priorities.
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada - Connection grants
Description: $7,000 to $25,000 for events, and up to $50,000 for other outreach activities that facilitate the flow of social sciences and humanities knowledge. Other funding areas include the Talent and Insight Program that supports academic advancement in Social and Humanities research. Applications must be submitted by an eligible Canadian academic institution.
Applicant Type, Non-Profit Society
Field of Interest: Capacity Building
Infrastructure Planning Grant Program
Description: Grants up to $10,000 available to help improve or develop plans that include capital asset management plans, community energy plans, storm water management plans, liquid waste management plans, etc. See website for more info.
Applicant Type: Government
Field of Interest: Community Development
Legacy Fund – Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage
Description: Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage - Legacy Fund component provides funding for community-initiated capital projects, intended for community use. Recipients may receive up to 50 per cent of eligible project expenses up to a maximum of $500,000.
Applicant Type: non-profit organizations; local band councils, tribal councils or other local Aboriginal government and organizations (First Nations, Inuit or Métis);
local governments
Museums Assistance Program
Description: managed by Canadian Heritage, the Museums Assistance Program supports heritage institutions and workers in the preservation and presentation of heritage collections.
National Cost-Sharing Program for Heritage Places
The National Cost-Sharing Program for Heritage Places is open to owners and eligible lessees of national historic sites, heritage lighthouses and heritage railway stations. The Program continues to support the Parks Canada Agency's mandate of protecting and presenting places of national historic significance, and fostering the public's understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of these places in ways that ensure their commemorative integrity for present and future generations.
New Horizons for Seniors (National)
Description: Program provides funding for community-based projects across the country that encourage seniors to continue to play an important role in their community. Calls for applications are issued once or twice a year.
Applicant Type: Non-Profit Society, Business or Individual, Government, First Nations
Field of Interest: Seniors
Rural Dividend
Description: Granting to projects based in communities with 25,000 residents or less. Project categories considered include community capacity building, workforce development, community & economic development and business sector development.
Applicant Type: Non-Profit Society, Government, First Nations
Field of Interest: Community Development, Capacity Building
Support for Interpretation and Translation
Description: The Support for Interpretation and Translation sub-component assists organizations in providing services in both official languages at public events. It also supports the availability of an increased number of documents in both French and English.
Applicant type: not-for-profit
Young Canada Works
Description: Managed by Canada Council, Young Canada Works offers a variety of summer job and internship programs to job seekers and employers.