Grants for community-building programs available in B.C.
Credit to Author: Canadian Immigrant| Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2019 06:10:35 +0000
Neighbourhood Small Grants Program now open for applications
Have an idea to bring your neighbours together in your community, celebrate diversity and increase a sense of belonging? Neighbourhood Small Grants (NSG) from the Vancouver Foundation are once again available for people who want to make a difference in their neighbourhoods.
Grants of up to $500 are available for a project that aims to bring neighbours together, share skills and knowledge, celebrate diversity, or increase people’s sense of belonging. Ideas funded in the past include talent shows, gardening workshops, community kitchens, drop-in sports nights, cultural exchange nights, potlucks, walking tours, living room art shows, book exchanges and block parties.Projects must be free to attend and participate in and they should be accessible and inclusive of all people.
This program, now in its 20th year, is being offered in more than 20 B.C. communities. In 2019, it is being offered for the first time in Delta, South Surrey, Whistler, Nanaimo and North Island-Mt. Waddington.
The deadline to apply in most cities is April 9, 2019. Please find a full list of participating communities below, along with the local partner organization that administers the grant.
| Community | Partner Organization(s) |
| Abbotsford | City of Abbotsford and Abbotsford Community Foundation |
| Burnaby | Burnaby Neighbourhood House |
| Delta | Delta Community Foundation and City of Delta |
| Maple Ridge | Maple Ridge Parks, Recreation and Culture |
| New Westminster | Family Services of Greater Vancouver New Westminster |
| North Vancouver | North Shore Neighbourhood House |
| West Vancouver | West Vancouver Foundation |
| Richmond | Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives |
| Squamish | Squamish Community Foundation |
| Surrey, North | Oak Avenue Neighbourhood Hub |
| Surrey, South | Alexandra Neighbourhood House |
| Whistler | Community Foundation of Whistler |
| Vancouver | Various — there are six communities in total |
Additional communities open for applications in 2019 with varying deadlines
| Community | Partner Organization(s) | 2019 Granting Cycle |
| Nanaimo | Nanaimo Foundation, Nanaimo Aboriginal Centre, Boys & Girls Club of Vancouver Island | Open until February 28 |
| Victoria | Victoria Foundation, Quadra Village Community Centre | opens on March 1 until April 26 |
| Clayoquot Sound | Clayoquot Biosphere Trust | Open until March 15 |
| North Island | Mt. Waddington Community Food Initiative | Open until March 15 |
| South Okanagan | The Community Foundation of the South Okanagan / Similkameen | Open until March 29 |
| Salt Spring Island | Salt Spring Island Foundation | Opens tentatively on May 1 |
| Parksville | Parksville-Qualicum Foundation | Opens in September |
| UBC, Point Grey, and Musqueam | UTown@UBC | Opens in the fall in September |