- Oshki Wupoowane | The Blanket Fund. Capacity Building Grants. Open in April. This funding stream supports grassroots Indigenous charities, programs, communities, and initiatives (artists and makers) with the potential for significant impact. This grant stream commits to multi-year relationships which increase the capacity, networks, programs, and profile of the partners selected. Grants are awarded on a case-by-case ‘needs’ assessment. There is no minimum dollar amount, but a ceiling of $175,000 per organization annually, for a maximum of four (4) years.
- The Day Scholars Revitalization Fund. The Residential School Day Scholars Class Action Settlement is for Day Scholars who attended an Indian Residential School but did not sleep there at night between the years of 1920-1974 (depending on the school). The fund will grant up to $10,000 to Indigenous Individuals who aim to revitalize their languages and cultures; to promote their heritage and commemoration; to promote their healing and wellness journeys and education and training goals. There are [up to] three granting announcements each year.
- Michif Language Grants (MNBC). Closes March 30, 2025. Michif language revitalization is at a pivotal moment. In support of Aan Michif Piikishkwaytaak: MNBC’s 10-Year Michif Language Revitalization Plan, the Ministry of Culture, Heritage & Language is pleased to offer three grants to fund learning initiatives and activities that promote or celebrate the Michif language in BC: Michif Learning Initiatives Grant (up to $30,000), Michif Language Celebration Grant (up to $10,000), and Michif Language and the Arts Grant (up to $10,000). Learn more by attending the February 11th information session.
- Canada-France Agreement — Museums Assistance Program. (federal gov’t). Closes March 31, 2025. The Canada-France Agreement component of the Museums Assistance Program (MAP) provides funding for joint missions between French and Canadian heritage organizations, to create ties and enhance competencies of museum professionals.
- School Food Infrastructure Grant. Closes April 8, 2025. The United Way BC School Food Infrastructure Grant (SFIG) is designed to enhance the impact of school food programs through improved infrastructure. The SFIG is an open grant call to organizations providing school food programs to purchase, update and share food infrastructure. This funding will support not-for-profit organizations across BC in acquiring equipment for the preparation, processing, storage, and transportation of food. Funded projects must involve collaboration with a school to strengthen an existing program or establish a new one. Grants up to $50,000 available.
- BC Arts Council Grant Programs.
- Arts Impact Grant. Closes April 9, 2025. These grants are responsive and flexible funding for arts and culture organizations and collectives. The intention of the program is to allow applicants to prioritize a specific project or group of related activities that will provide the most meaningful impact to their organization, artistic practice, or to their community. Applications will be assessed in one of three categories: Foundational Impact, Community and Sector Impact, and Artistic and Cultural Impact. Maximum funding amount is $30,000. The request may be up to 100% of the total budget.
- Professional Development. Closes April 10. These grants assist professional artists, cultural practitioners, production and technical personnel, and arts administrators with specific, short-term learning activities intended to advance their practice or career. Activities should lead to clearly articulated learning or career outcomes, goals, or objectives. Maximum request amount is $7,500. You may request a grant amount up to 100% of the eligible expenses.
- Arts Circulation and Touring. Closes April 16, 2025. This grant supports eligible arts and curatorial collectives and individuals with circulation and touring activities both within British Columbia and outside of the province. Grants received in this program are intended to enhance professional and artistic opportunities and exposure of B.C. artists and collectives regionally, nationally, and internationally. Maximum request amount is $25,000. Applicants may request a grant amount up to 100% of the total eligible project budget.
- Scholarship Program. Closes April 30, 2025. This program supports education and training of B.C.’s future generation of artists, arts administrators, and arts and cultural practitioners. B.C. residents enrolled in full-time post-secondary art programs or high school half-day pre-professional dance programs are welcome to apply. Students should be committed to developing their independent artistic and creative practice towards a career in the arts and culture sector. Successful Scholarship applicants will receive payments of $3,000 for each term of full-time study, up to a maximum of $6,000 for 2 terms.
- The BC Arts Council has MANY programs with intakes throughout the year. Please visit their website for information for all opportunities: https://www.bcartscouncil.ca/program.
- Creative BC
- Music Company. Closes April 30, 2025. Opening soon. This program supports the sustainability, growth, and capacity of B.C.’s music companies through investing in business development activities.
- Domestic Industry Initiatives. Applicants must submit their application at least 10 weeks prior to their event start date. This funding is intended to support business initiatives and events that engage and develop British Columbia’s Creative Sectors – the motion picture, interactive digital media, and magazine and book publishing sectors. Specifically, the program aims to support initiatives that foster and encourage industry development by investing in activities that develop and innovate B.C.’s creative ecosystem such as education and training initiatives, research that measures jobs and opportunity, and industry conferences.
- Aknumustiǂis: Ecological Engagement Through the Seasons 2025. Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Closes May 7, 2025. The five-week hybrid residency will engage 12 visual artists whose artistic practice includes land-based themes, environmental sustainability, Indigenous narratives of the land, and/or use of natural materials. Artists can apply with a personal project to explore, experiment and research, or complete their final project work. The residency features workshops, on-the-land engagement, faculty guidance, knowledge exchange centered on integrating Indigenous ways of knowing into the artistic process and the opportunity to showcase works at Open Studios. This program is geared towards established Indigenous visual artists from regional, national, and global locations. Full scholarships are available.
- See other programs the Banff Centre has open: https://www.banffcentre.ca/programs
- Local Festivals — Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage. (federal gov’t) Closes April 30, 2025. provides funding to local groups for recurring festivals that present the work of local artists, local artisans, local heritage performers or specialists, and local First Nations, Inuit and Métis cultural carriers. This includes the celebration of 2SLGBTQI+ communities and Indigenous cultural celebrations. Applicants may request up to 100% of eligible expenses up to a maximum of $200,000 for festivals that meet all of the requirements. This round of funding is for festivals starting between January 1 and June 30 of the next calendar year (2026).
- Urban Communities Partnering for Reconciliation. Funding permitting, eligible applicants may submit one application between September 1, 2024 and August 31, 2025. This program was created as a multipartner, community-driven approach focused on improving the socio-economic outcomes for urban Indigenous communities in BC, including Inuit, First Nations and Métis populations. Funding is available to support eligible Indigenous organizations and local governments to work together to create opportunities for in-person dialogue and relationship building which can help advance collaborative reconciliation plans, protocols, agreements or future projects.
- Canada Council for the Arts Funding. Creating, Knowing, Sharing: The Arts and Cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples. See Grants and Deadlines: https://canadacouncil.ca/funding/grants/deadlines
- RBC Foundation Funding. RBC Emerging Artists. Applications accepted year-round. Support initiatives that help emerging artists by bridging the gap from academic to professional career.
- Legacy Fund- Building Communities through Arts and Heritage. (Federal Government). Applications accepted on continuous basis. This Department of Canadian Heritage Program 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. unding supports community-initiated capital projects that: commemorate a significant local historical event or pay tribute to a significant local historical personality; mark a 100th anniversary or greater, in increments of 25 years (e.g., 125th, 150th); involve the restoration, renovation, or transformation of existing buildings or exterior spaces with local community significance that are intended for community use; encourage arts and heritage activities in the local community that are intended for and accessible to the general public.
- Canada Cultural Spaces Fund. (Federal Government). No deadline- on-going. The Canada Cultural Spaces Fund (CCSF) supports the improvement of physical conditions for arts, heritage, culture and creative innovation. The Fund supports renovation and construction projects, the acquisition of specialized equipment and feasibility studies related to cultural spaces. The CCSF annual grants and contributions budget is $54 million for the period 2018-2028.
- National Creation Fund. No Deadline. The National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund invests up to $3 million a year in the development of 15 to 20 compelling and ambitious new Canadian works in theatre, dance, music and inter-disciplinary performing arts. Fuelled entirely by donors, the Fund provides Canadian artists with the additional time, space and resources they need to create great work. The Fund invests in both new work, and in promising productions that need additional development after their initial run to produce stronger, more polished work that will be remounted and toured across Canada and around the world.
- Movable Cultural Property Grants. (Federal Government). No Deadline. Movable Cultural Property Grants help designated organizations acquire cultural property of outstanding significance and national importance to Canada, as outlined in the Cultural Property Export and Import Act. Designated organizations are located in Canada and demonstrate the ability to ensure the long-term preservation of cultural property. Grants can be used to purchase cultural property: for which an export permit has been denied; or that is important to Canada’s national heritage and available for purchase outside the country.
- The Going Home Fund. This fund facilitates the return or long-term loan of culturally significant materials to Indigenous cultural entities worldwide. The application form is for use by Indigenous communities seeking support. Eligible expenses include insurance, packaging, shipping, and other costs associated with the return. You may request funding for the return of multiple items from the same institution. The Going Home Fund Advisory Council meets on or around the 15th day of each month to review requests and make awards.
