Funding

Kw’umut Lelum Foundation Grants: Open to the 9 Member Nations: Halalt, Lyackson, Málexeł, Penelakut, Qualicum, Snaw-naw-as, Snuneymuxw, Stz’uminus and Ts’uubaa-asatx, and in certain cases the families of the 9 Nations and Post-Secondary Students. Closes November 1, 2025. These grants are guided by Kw’umut Lelum’s core values of Stitumstuxw tun shqwuluwun (self-determination), Xwunuts’amaat uw’ muqwstem (inter-connectedness) and Uy’ ya’tulct ci’cuwatulct (walking hand-in-hand in a good way). These grants are in line with our purpose: to promote the well-being of Indigenous communities by providing scholarships, bursaries, and grants to improve access to education, and to health and wellness programs and activities, including Hul’q’umi’num language camps and courses. 

Museums Assistance Program (federal)

• Indigenous Heritage. Closes November 3, 2025. This program provides funding for projects related to the preservation, management and presentation of Indigenous cultural heritage in Canada. It also seeks to increase public awareness and understanding of the rich and diverse cultures of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities. The program also supports organizations for their staff to participate in professional development and training opportunities including internships to enhance knowledge and skills in these areas. Maximum funding per project is $200,000. Project funding under the Indigenous Heritage component will not normally exceed 70% of eligible expenses. In exceptional circumstances, where need is clearly demonstrated and justified, we can fund up to 100% of eligible expenses per project.
• Collections Management. Closes November 3, 2025. This program provides funding for projects to improve knowledge, skills and practices related to key museum functions. Funding for projects aimed at improving the management of collections or enabling the rematriation/repatriation of Indigenous cultural belongings is up to $50,000. Funding for projects related to sharing of best practices benefitting multiple partners is up to $200,000. Project funding under the Collections Management component will not normally exceed 50% of eligible expenses.
• Access to Heritage. Closes November 3, 3025. This program provides funding to heritage organizations for travelling exhibitions in Canada, and to promote access to heritage across different geographic regions. Eligible projects are related to the organization and circulation of travelling exhibitions which assist heritage organizations in reaching new audiences and reflecting Canada’s diverse cultural and natural heritage. Maximum funding per project is $200,000. Project funding under the Access to Heritage component will not normally exceed 50% of eligible expenses.

BC Arts Council

• Arts Infrastructure Program. Closes November 6, 2025. This program enables eligible organizations to develop and enhance spaces that support the work of B.C.’s arts and culture practitioners. The program aims to support projects that: Catalyze the development of new or existing arts and cultural spaces through acquisition, renovation, or purchase of specialized equipment; Improve physical accessibility to arts and cultural spaces; Enhance access to arts and cultural spaces for underserved communities and underrepresented arts and culture practices; or Strengthen the capacity of the sector to develop, operate, and sustain arts and cultural spaces. Three Categories of funding available: Planning & Consultation (up to $25,000), Capital Improvements (up to $250,000) and Specialized Equipment Acquisition (up to $40,000). 
• Individual Arts Grants: Visual Artists. Closes December 9, 2025. This grant supports professional visual artists, contemporary and traditional craft artists, and independent critics and curators with the creation of specific projects. Grants are available to support the creation of new works. Applications may be made by individuals or on behalf of a collaboration of two or more artists sharing creative control of a project. Maximum grant amount is $15,000. 
• 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.

Indigenous Screen Office

• Marketing, Promotion and Distribution program. Closes November 7, 2025. This program provides funding to Indigenous-owned screen-based companies in the Marketing, Promotion and Distribution of short and feature films, television and web series, and interactive and immersive projects to support accessing markets and audiences. $50,000 for Features and TV Series and $25,000 for Short films, Web series, and Interactive and Immersive projects.
• Interactive and Immersive Program, in partnership with the CMF. Closes December 2, 2025. This program provides funding support to Indigenous screen-based creators for the development and production of Interactive and/or Immersive projects. Applicants to this program may undertake project work in the development and production of high-calibre video​​games, AR/VR/MR works, apps, and immersive and/or interactive projects that include audiovisual content. $50,000 for individuals (including sole proprietors), collectives, companies and councils, communities, or settlements for the development of a project$100,000 for individuals (including sole proprietors), collectives, companies and councils, communities, or settlements for the production of a project. CMF-eligible projects will be able to access higher funding amounts.
• Travel Program. Closes March 31, 2026 or until funds depleted.  This program is intended to support Indigenous screen-based creatives for project related activities or professional development opportunities that require travel, including festival and market attendance, conferences, community engagement, training opportunities, and artistic screen-based collaboration across Canada and internationally. Applicants are eligible for a maximum amount of $4,500.00 per fiscal year. 

Community Gaming Grants. Human and Social Services. Closes November 30, 2025. Organizations within this sector deliver programs that improve the quality of life in a community by supporting the wellbeing of children, youth, families and/or seniors; by addressing equality issues (e.g., gender, LGBTQ2S+, race, etc.); by addressing the unmet needs of under-served groups; or, by providing public outreach and education regarding important social issues. Grants are awarded based on the demonstrated size and scope of an organization’s program delivery and overall community benefit. Up to $125,000 for local organizations and up to $250,000 for regional/provincial organizations. Please note that federal, provincial, regional, municipal, First Nation or other local governments are not eligible for community gaming grants.

Digital Museums Canada

• Digital Museums Canada Digital Projects. Closes December 1, 2025. Apply for an investment of up to $250,000. Develop an online project from the ground up, with the support of a web development agency. Typically, Digital Projects take about 2-3 years to build to achieve your vision and meet web accessibility standards. DMC is centered on digital storytelling. Proposed projects should be developed around telling a story to a specific target audience with a tailored user experience. The story should be structured according to key messages, audience take-aways or themes. Content and collections should be selected to reinforce the chosen narrative.
• Digital Museums Canada Community Stories. Closes December 1, 2025. Apply for an investment of $25,000. Using DMC’s website building platform, focus on content development and digital storytelling. Typically, Community

Equity + Emerging Development. Closes December 3, 2025. This program aims to provide direct and targeted support to emerging and/or equity seeking B.C. filmmakers. Creators can receive a grant of up to $10,000 to cover the cost of bringing together a development team to do research, develop a concept or write a script. The grants are available for a wide range of content including scripted feature length films or series, animated features or series, and documentaries/factual one-offs or series.

New Relationship Trust Grants (First Nations)

• First Nations Guardians and Stewardship Training Initiative. Opens 2025. This program offers 3 funding streams to acknowledge and respect that First Nations have varying levels of structures, capacity, experience and pathways to supporting their Guardians program within their own context and vision. Stream 1: Planning and Capacity for New and Emerging Guardians Programs (up to $50,000). Stream 2: Individual First Nation Community Training for Emerging and Established Guardians and Stewardship Program within one community (Up to $150,000). Stream 3: Regional First Nation Community Training for Emerging and Established Guardians and Stewardship Program for multiple communities (Up to $300,000). 
• Nation Building Grant. December 5, 2025 (or when funds are exhausted). This program provides multi-year funding to BC First Nations and Tribal Councils, supporting self-determined priorities that enhance governance structures, institutional capacity, and community resilience, advancing self-determination and sovereignty. 1-year grant of up to $60,000, or 2-year grant of up to $120,000. One project per Nation or Tribal Council per year (including organizations under the Nation or Tribal Council authority). 

British Columbia History Digitization Program. Closes December 8, 2025. In an effort to bolster BCHDP’s commitment to building capacity and supporting community-based organizations in the preservation and digitization of unique British Columbia content, in this upcoming funding cycle, the program will be prioritizing applications that are led by community-based organizations or that demonstrate strong partnerships with community-based organizations. Prospective applicants are no longer required to be a registered charity or qualified donee listed by the Canada Revenue Agency. In the context of de-colonization and reconciliation, the BC History Digitization Program will consider applications from Indigenous organizations for projects that will not result in public access to the digitized material. Applicants can receive up to $15,000 of matching funds for their projects. Multi-year projects are accepted with each successive year going through the adjudication process.

First Peoples’ Cultural Council- Language Programs 

• Language Vitality Program.Closes December 10, 2025. This program supports projects from eligible organizations that create fluent speakers, document the languages, and/or develop strategic language revitalization plans. Applicants may apply for one, two or up to three years of funding in a single application, based on the funding category. This program offers four different funding categories:
  • Rise Funding ( up to $50,000 – April 1, 2026–March 31, 2027): funding is offered for a single year. This funding is suitable for smaller teams that are just getting started on their language revitalization journey and have just one or two project areas, or for teams that have limited capacity to take on larger projects.  
  • Roots Funding (up to $120,000 per year for up to 2 years – April 1, 2026–March 31, 2028): Roots funding is offered for up to two years with the potential for continuation for a third year and can include multiple strategies. This funding is suitable for smaller teams that have experience working on language revitalization and are starting to expand into new areas.  
  • Grow Funding (up to $200,000 per year for up to 2 years – April 1, 2026–March 31, 2028): Grow funding is offered for up to two years with the potential for continuation for a third year and can include multiple strategies. This funding is suitable for groups that have begun or are about to begin the process of developing a strategic language plan with their community.  
  • Flourish Funding (up to $300,000 per year for up to 3 years – April 1, 2026–March 31, 2029): Flourish funding is offered for three years and includes a minimum of three strategies. This funding is suitable for well-established teams that have a language plan in place and are actively implementing multiple language revitalization strategies across domains in the community.   
• Cultural Practices Grant. Closes December 12, 2025. This program supports B.C. First Nations in planning, carrying out and documenting community-based cultural practices and events. The project goals affirm identities, foster a sense of belonging, and celebrate the roles, relationships and responsibilities within a community. Grant amounts up to $25,000 available. To support 2026 applicants, we will be hosting an online information webinar on November 20, 2025, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. PT.

First Nations ECE Wage Enhancement. Closes March 31, 2026. Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) staff play an important role in supporting children, families, and the community. This funding was designed to assist licensed and unlicensed programs with recruiting and retaining qualified ELCC staff working in First Nations ELCC programs.

Recordings at Risk. Opening in November. This program is for nonprofit academic, research, or cultural heritage organizations located in the United States and Canada that collect, preserve, and share rare and unique materials with the general public. Applicants may request as little as $10,000 or as much as $60,000 per project. The grant may fund up to 100% of the direct costs of audio or audiovisual digital reformatting services to be provided by an external service provider. In-house digitization projects are not eligible for this program.

Documentary Heritage Communities Program. Postponed. The program objectives are to help local organizationsFootnote1: increase access to, and awareness of their holdings, increase their capacity to keep and preserve Canada’s documentary heritage, Each year, organizations can apply for funding through a call for proposals. Program funding can cover up to 100% of a project’s eligible expenses. Up to $50,000 for 1-year projects, and up to $100,000 for 2-year projects. 

Creative BC. 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.

Connections to Culture grants. Burke Museum. This program facilitates opportunities for artists, researchers, and students to engage in collections-based study with the Northwest Native Art and Plateau collections at the Burke Museum. Through this program, grantees can expand their artistic and cultural knowledge, inspire personal practice, and aid in the transmission of artistic and cultural knowledge throughout communities and across generations. Visiting researcher grants are awarded for a period of 1–3 days of research time, 2 travel days, and any additional days needed for demonstrations or workshops. Grant award includes funding to cover meals, transportation, lodging, and an honorarium. Up to $5,000. 

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

Community Economic Development and Diversification in British Columbia. Accepting applications on an on-going basis. This program supports projects that: attract investment and talent, increase productivity and economic growth, grow new, existing and transitioning sectors, increase the economic participation of British Columbians and respond to changing economic circumstances. Funding varies by project. Typically up to 50% of eligible project costs; in exceptional circumstances, PacifiCan may fund a higher proportion of a project’s costs. 

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.

RBC Community Investments. Applications accepted year-round.  Funding aims to support impactful initiatives across Canada, and value community investment partnerships built on trust and shared commitments. Recognizing that communities and/or projects need support for different purposes at different times, the approach to funding considers ideas and actions at four distinct stages: Seed, Scale, Sustain, Build. Up to $500,000 available per year. 

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.

Innovation Projects that Support Indigenous Languages. Each fiscal year, the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages will invest in a limited number of innovation projects, subject to available budget. These projects will create something new in the Indigenous languages space, and/or significantly improve upon initiatives that already exist, in order to effect real change. As stated in the Commission’s mandate, these innovative projects must be specific to Indigenous languages education and revitalization. There are no deadlines for submission, and the Commission invites project submissions on an ongoing basis. Please note that, as outlined in the Indigenous Languages Act, the Commission is not a funding agency, and is not able to fund Indigenous language programming nor the infrastructure, or capital/operational costs of running an Indigenous language program.