The Opportunity Fund’s purpose is to support opportunities to protect biodiversity in the Islands Trust Area in a timely way.
Created in 2005, the fund enables the Islands Trust Conservancy Board to act quickly to provide small sums of supportive funding to groups working on land protection projects when new conservation opportunities arise.
These small grants support those initial, hard-to-fundraise costs of land protection projects, or help leverage increased donations to an acquisition.
The Opportunity Fund has made a significant difference to conservation. Donors to the Opportunity Fund have helped create a $55,000,000 conservation legacy of on the islands of the Salish Sea. Small grants totalling $125,000 were delivered to our partners at critical times.
If you would like to donate to the Opportunity Fund, please visit our donation page.
Funding Priorities
When evaluating requests the Islands Trust Conservancy Board considers
- the urgency of the request
- potential for protection of our biodiversity priorities and long-term conservation goals as identified in our Regional Conservation Plan.
Funding Guidelines
Read a full description of Opportunity Fund Guidelines.
Use of Funds
In general, the Islands Trust Conservancy Board will consider requests for:
- Acquisition and covenant costs (e.g., baseline, survey, appraisal, legal)
- Land purchase costs, particularly if the grant funds will be used to match donations 1:1
Other types of projects may also be considered at the Board’s discretion.
Applicant Eligibility
Opportunity Fund grants will only be made to registered charities working in the Islands Trust Area to protect natural ecosystems and habitats.
Funding Exemptions
The Board will not provide funding towards
- Purchase of land for more than the appraised value
- Acquisition of properties involved in a development application
- Costs associated with the ongoing management of a protected area
- Costs associated with any organization’s operating costs
Application Process
To apply for an Opportunity Fund grant, submit a letter with the following information:
- Applicant organization (annual budget, staff/volunteers, track record)
- Project history
- Project objectives
- Project partners
- Project timelines
- Project budget and revenues (committed and pending)
- Amount of request
- Which biodiversity priorities the project will benefit and how (identified in the Regional Conservation Plan)
- Project map (if applicable)
- Photos should be included with the letter showing the ecological significance of the property.
Opportunity Fund applications may be submitted by email or by mail to:
Islands Trust Conservancy
200-1627 Fort Street
Victoria, BC V8R 1H8
Application Deadlines
The Islands Trust Conservancy Board will consider Opportunity Fund requests at their Spring and Fall board meetings.
Applications must be received in writing three weeks before the meeting date. Requests of an urgent nature may be considered at other times during the year. Please contact our Strategic Fundraising Specialist early for details.