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Grants for community groups

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Applications open April 1, to May 31, 2026
Description

The 2026 Community Grants application opens April 1. Submit your application by May 31, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PST.

Funding for non-profit organizations and registered charities

We support B.C. non-profit organizations and registered charities working to strengthen communities across the province. Through our community grants program, we fund programs that build the STEM workforce of tomorrow, advance safety education, and help communities take meaningful action to protect and restore the environment.

New for 2026

We’ve updated our program to better align funding with our focus areas. We now award grants by focus area and funding amount: 

  • $2,500 for Safety education workshops and training  
  • $5,000 for STEM & trades workforce development 
  • $5,000 for Sustainability and environmental initiatives

Community grant focus areas

To qualify, your program must align with one of our three focus areas. Each focus area has a specific funding level and is designed to support programs that make a meaningful difference in communities across B.C. 

STEM workforce of tomorrow

We invest in programs that build a strong, inclusive energy workforce and prepare the next generation of problem solvers for B.C.’s future. 

Grant amount Program examples
$5,000 grant

We may prioritize programs that: 

  • Address skill gaps and expand access to STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) and trades training  
  • Engage youth, women, and underrepresented groups  
  • Align with future workforce needs in B.C.’s energy sector

Eligible programs may include:

  • Accessible STEM learning opportunities for K-12 (e.g., after-school programs, summer camps, or mentorship programs)  
  • Trades exploration or work-integrated learning  
  • Career awareness programs in energy, technology, engineering, or technical fields  

 

Safety education

We support organizations that strengthen community safety through public-safety education and emergency-preparedness initiatives. Our goal is to help foster safer, more resilient communities across B.C.

Grant amount Program examples
$2,500 grant 

We may prioritize programs that:

  • Promote electrical, water, or emergency preparedness safety awareness
  • Provide hands-on training that strengthens community readiness
  • Assist youth, rural or remote communities, or groups facing barriers to accessing safety resources
  • Align with community resilience, safety capacity, or emergency-preparedness needs

Eligible programs may include:

  • Water safety campaigns or awareness initiatives
  • Emergency response and preparedness workshops
  • Natural-disaster readiness and resilience programs
  • Skills-based safety training delivered through community workshops

 

Sustainable future

We support organizations taking meaningful environmental action across B.C. Our goal is to empower communities to protect the environment, reduce impacts of climate change, and build a more resilient future.

Grant amount Program examples
$5,000 grant

We may prioritize programs that:

  • Promote environmental education 
  • Strengthen energy efficiency, carbon reduction, or climate action efforts
  • Advance land and water stewardship practices  
  • Protect and restore species at risk, salmon populations, and local ecosystems
  • Show measurable environmental impact and long-term community benefit

Eligible programs may include:

  • Environmental education, climate resiliency workshops, or energy efficiency education programs
  • Land and water stewardship activities (e.g., wetland restoration, stream rehabilitation)
  • Species-at-risk protection initiatives; habitat enhancement, monitoring, and community led conservation projects (e.g., salmon watershed monitoring)

 

Eligibility

Who can apply?

You must be a Canadian non-profit or registered Canadian charity with an operating base in B.C. Registered Canadian charities must provide their Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) registered charitable number. 

We don’t fund individuals, political parties, advocacy and special interest groups, religious or sectarian programs. 

What are the eligibility requirements?

To be eligible, your organization must: 

1. Align with a focus area  

Your program must help strengthen community resilience by supporting one of the following: 

  • STEM workforce of tomorrow
  • Safety education
  • Sustainable future   

2. Deliver community impact  

Your program should: 

  • Address a pressing or important issue 
  • Be ready to implement
  • Create meaningful, measurable benefits

3. Show organizational capacity

You’ll need to show: 

  • Financial stability 
  • Strong leadership and governance 
  • Sufficient staff or volunteer resources 
  • A diversified funding model (not solely reliant on BC Hydro) 

4. Commit to storytelling 

If we fund your program, you must be willing to share stories, testimonials, and photos that showcase community impact.

5. Meet the program timeline

Funded activities must take place within one year of receiving funding.

We’ll email a post-project outcomes survey to successful applicants in January 2027. Submit the completed survey by December 31, 2027.

Please note only one program per organization per year can receive funding under this program. Meeting eligibility requirements doesn’t guarantee funding.

What we don’t fund

Ineligible organizations 

  • Organizations without an operating base in B.C. 
  • Political parties, candidates, advocacy, or special-interest groups 
  • Organizations that discriminate based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation
  • Health related organizations
  • Individuals or individual pursuits

Ineligible requests or program types

  • Religious or sectarian programs
  • Sports teams, tournaments, or equipment
  • School equipment purchases not tied to eligible program delivery
  • Scholarships, bursaries, or endowments
  • Requests benefitting only an individual (e.g., individual training, personal equipment)
  • Research projects, academic studies or feasibility studies
  • Capital projects (e.g., construction, renovations, or infrastructure upgrades)

Ineligible expenses

  • Requests for full program funding (we don’t cover 100% of program costs)   
  • Salaries, wages, or stipends   
  • Ongoing operating costs (e.g., rent, utilities, insurance)   
  • Costs incurred before applying   
  • Travel-related expenses (e.g., transportation, meals, accommodations)   
  • Advertising or media underwriting (e.g., TV, film, or video production)  
  • High-value or infrastructure type equipment or buildings (e.g., sheds, solar panels, water bottle-filling stations, greenhouses, irrigation systems, HVAC systems)

Ineligible events and fundraising initiatives

  • Event sponsorships (e.g., galas, golf tournaments, festivals)
  • Fundraising events (e.g., school fundraisers, third-party campaigns, equipment drives)

Ineligible in-kind requests

We don’t provide in-kind donations or services, including:

  • Prizing, giveaways, or gift baskets 
  • Electrical connections, deferred electricity, or free electricity
  • Electric vehicle charging
  • Fleet vehicles
  • Used computers, poles, or scrap metal

View full eligibility criteria [PDF, 152 KB]

How to apply

Step 1 – Select a focus area

Select the focus area that best aligns with your program: STEM workforce of tomorrow, Safety education, or Sustainable future.

Step 2 – Review eligibility

Make sure you review all eligibility requirements and criteria to ensure your program qualifies before you apply.

Step 3 – Apply online

Submit your application through our online portal, available April 1, 2026.
 

How we review applications

After the intake closes, allow up to four months for application review, processing, and fund disbursement. If we need additional information, we may extend the timeline. 

Plan your project schedule to align with the funding approval and payment dates.

We notify all applicants of funding decisions by email.

We assess applications based on relevance, community impact, sustainability, involvement, accountability, and organizational profile. View full review criteria [PDF, 152 KB].
 

Program timeline overview

Date Description
April 1, to May 31, 2026 Applications open - submit your application by May 31 at 11:59 p.m. PST
June to August 2026 We review your application
August 2026 We notify you of our funding decisions
August to September 2026 We issue grant payments to approved applicants
January 2027 We’ll send you the post-program outcomes survey link
September 2027 Complete your program activities
December 31, 2027 Submit your post-program outcomes survey

 

Contact us

If you have questions about the Community Grants program, please email us.