GRANTS & FUNDING

 
 

  • There are several different levels of public funding available to artists and arts, culture and heritage organizations, as well as a wide range of private funding avenues.

    Canadian Government Funding

    Canada Council

    BC Arts Council

    BC Community Gaming Grants

    Canada Summer Jobs

    Department of Canadian Heritage

    Creative Industries

    Creative BC is an independent agency that is responsible for promoting the development of creative industries in BC.

    FACTOR (the Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Records)

    First Peoples' Cultural Council

    Music BC administers the MITAP Travel Assistance Program.

    Corporate Funding

    PNE Arts and Culture Grant Program

    TELUS Community Funds

    RBC

    The Rio Tinto Alcan Canada Fund

    Education, Museums and Heritage

    The BC Museums Association offers awards and bursaries.

    Heritage BC heritage legacy fund.

    By Discipline

    The Actors' Fund of Canada

    The BC Touring Council supports touring performing artists and presenters.

    The Craft Council of British Columbia

    Dancer Transition Resource Centre (DTRC)

    The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation for visual arts.

    By Foundation

    SOCAN Foundation: Black Canadian Music Awards Program

    Access Copyright Foundation supports the creation and dissemination of publishable Canadian works.

    The Commonwealth Foundation awards funding for sustainable development projects.

    The Hamber Foundation provides grants for cultural, educational and charitable purposes.

    The Leon and Thea Koerner Foundation provides funding to non-profit creative organizations and BC students to pursue pre-professional studies in performing or visual arts.

    The McLean Foundationprovides grants in a wide range of areas, including arts, conservation, education, health and welfare.

    The Vancouver Foundation provides funding for innovative projects or for collaborating in groups to solve larger community issues.

  • Read the Instructions. Eligibility, criteria, maximum amounts, deadlines and support materials - go in eyes open.

    Start Early. This includes your budget. Leave time to fully develop the project and make changes.

    Get Feedback. Especially true for first timers! Get a proofreader who knows the ropes.

    Make it Pop! Aim for a compelling core idea that is meaningful and well articulated.

    Be honest about the difference your project will make in the community and strive to make one.

    Be Inclusive. If you are not addressing the diversity that is Canada, you will be at a disadvantage.

    Don't Repeat Yourself. You can't say that again!

    Find Partners. A grant is always stronger when you have contributing organizations and individuals.

    Own Your Timeline. Be specific about the various stages of your process.

    Talk to the Grants Officer. They are your best resource! Developing this relationship is important - but don't blame them if your first attempt is unsuccessful.

    (Bonus Tip: Keep Trying!)


  • The Alliance offers at least one grant-writing workshop every year to help you attain the tools to prepare your own grant applications.


    See our Workshops page for upcoming opportunities.

    For further support & training, check out these other resources:

    ‍ ‍BCITgrant writing courses

    ‍ ‍CARFAC BC workshops

    ‍ ‍Northern Development Initiative Trust grant writing support

    ‍ ‍Langara College courses

    ‍


  • Art Consultants Canada
    A national association of arts consultants, with a directory you can use to find individual consultants in BC. Good if you want to shop around for someone whose expertise matches your project (heritage, public art, fundraising, community arts, etc.).

    Little Dog Creative Consulting
    Services include grant writing, research and planning, arts management, capacity building, and public fundraising.

    Lori Baxter Consulting
    Business management services in the social profit arena, specializing in the arts, culture, and heritage sector. Services range from business planning to governance to municipal cultural planning.

    BAM Inc.
    Specializes in cultural strategy, public art, and festival design, public-realm & placemaking — good if you’re thinking about community-rooted arts programming or partnerships

    Crocus Cultural Strategies
    A consulting firm offering services across project visioning/strategy, cultural programming, budgeting & financial analysis, grant writing and fund development, governance and policy, and community/heritage-site work

SmartGrant

SmartGrant provides a guided grant-search tool designed to help you identify funding for your activities, events, or projects. By selecting from a series of multiple-choice criteria, you can filter through hundreds of grant records to find programs that align with your eligibility and funding requirements.

The result is a customized list of grant and funding opportunities relevant to your creative work. As a BC Alliance partner, SmartGrant offers a 15% discount to BC Alliance members.