Successful grant applicants will receive modest funding for activities or projects that do one or more of the following:

• Increase public awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the history and heritage of the Islands Trust Area, and/or
• Conserve heritage property, including cultural heritage areas and archaeological sites in the Islands Trust Area

Who Can Apply?

Any non-profit organization or First Nation may apply.

(Exceptions: Islands Trust staff, trustees, and contractors, as well as organizations subject to an open bylaw enforcement action with a confirmed land use bylaw violation for which Islands Trust is seeking compliance, may not apply for this grant-in-aid.)

How Do I Apply?

To apply for this grant-in-aid, applicants must submit a completed History and Heritage Conservation Grant-in-Aid Application Form, which includes sections about:

• Your non-profit organization or First Nation
• The amount of money you are requesting
• The purpose of the grant project
• How the grant money will be used
• How the project will support the Islands Trust preserve and protect mandate and/or reconciliation within the Islands Trust Area

The form is found at the bottom of this webpage.

How Much Money Can I Apply For?

Grant applicants may request funding up to $5,000.
(Most grants are expected to be awarded in the $1,000 – $2,000 range.)

Trust Council has not funded the program for 2023/24.

When is the Application Deadline?

The Islands Trust is not accepting applications for 2023/24. Applications are open until April 30th each year and will be reviewed by Executive Committee once a year in May.  If funds remain after the May allocation, Executive Committee may choose to initiate a second round of applications in the Fall.

All funds must be spent, and a final report summarizing project outcomes must be submitted, by the end of each fiscal year (March 31st).

How are Applications Evaluated?

The Islands Trust Executive Committee will review applications to assess how each proposed project could contribute to the Islands Trust preserve and protect mandate in the areas of history, heritage, Indigenous cultural heritage, and reconciliation. Applications/proposed projects must not incur adverse impacts to registered archaeological sites or potential sites.

Previously Approved Grants-In-Aid

In the 2018-2022 term, the Executive Committee approved the following grants-in-aid:

2022/2023

• $2,000 to siyēye nii ‘u tthu sut’ku’luts | siyēye tun’i ‘utl sqwun’u to support ‘The Water We Call Home’ digital and physical exhibition opening on Galiano Island
• $2,000 to MakeWay Charitable Society – Atl’ ka7tsem/Howe Sound Marine Stewards to support ocean-based cultural research and education activities that will be conducted in partnership with the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation).
• $2,000 to Stqeeye’ Learning Society to support the development of an Indigenous-focused land-based curriculum that will be available to Indigenous students from other school districts.

2019/2020

• $4,500 to Drama Camp Productions to host screenings of the movie Dust n Bones and reconciliation discussions on Salt Spring, Denman and Gabriola Islands, subject to the support of local trustees and affected local trust committees. (on-hold due to COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings)

2018/2019

• $500 to the Saturnina Foundation to hold an event with First Nations on Saturna Island celebrating the new SENĆOŦEN Dictionary

More Information

If you want to learn more about the Islands Trust History & Heritage Conservation Grants-in-Aid and/or Islands Trust’s reconciliation initiatives, please contact:

E: Trust Area Services

T: 1-250-405-5192