Grants and Community Initiatives Program:
Application Process
Vancouver Foundation has a two-stage application process:
The first stage is a Letter of Intent (LOI). This consists of a brief proposal to determine basic suitability. The second stage is submission of a full grant application by a specific date.
Stage One: Letter of Intent
After reviewing Vancouver Foundation's funding guidelines and the appropriate advisory committee's purposes and goals, submit your Letter of Intent online. Please note that Youth Philanthropy,, Youth Homelessness, and Health and Medical Research/Education have their own funding guidelines.
Your Letter on Intent can be submitted at any time during the year and will be reviewed in advance of the next scheduled funding cycle. Click here to see upcoming deadlines.
Your Letter of Intent should contain the following information:
- Introduction to your organization, including your Registered Charitable Business Number
- Statement of the issues or community priorities that the project will address, and how the project was identified as a priority by your organization
- Which other organizations in the community you are working with (as appropriate) or intend to work with on your project
- Concise description of the activities to be undertaken with start up and completion dates
- Start-up and completion dates
- Project budget identifying expenditures and revenue; confirming that at least 50 per cent of potential revenue will be coming from other funding sources
- The amount requested from Vancouver Foundation and where it will be allocated in your expenditures
A Director or Coordinator will review your letter of intent for basic eligibility and fit with Vancouver Foundation priorities and Advisory Committees' purposes and goals.
Staff may contact you if they have additional questions and will notify you of whether you are invited to submit a full grant application
Stage Two: Grant Application
All grant applications are assessed by staff prior to review by the Advisory Committees' members. A Director or Coordinator may phone or meet with you at this stage to review further details of your project. The assessment may also include consultation with other funders and informed people in the local community.
The appropriate Advisory Committee will then consider your application, taking staff assessments and recommendations into account, and make a recommendation to Vancouver Foundation's Board of Directors. You will receive written notification of our Board's decision approximately 12 weeks after the grant application deadline date, along with the terms and conditions of any approved grant.
All submitted materials become the property of Vancouver Foundation and final decisions on all grants rest with the Foundation.
After a Grant Has Been Awarded
Payments will be processed upon receipt of:
- a signed Grant Information Sheet
- written confirmation that all conditions have been met
- written payment request when the project is about to start
Vancouver Foundation expects the following from grant recipients:
- activities will reflect those described in the application form
- approval from the staff contact prior to any alterations in plan
- proper fiscal management
- interim and/or final reports (financial, demonstrating expenditures funded by Vancouver Foundation, and narrative)
- willingness to share project successes and challenges with staff and community
- public recognition of the support received from Vancouver Foundation, with Vancouver Foundation logo and recognition resources.
Foundation staff appreciate the opportunity to make site visits. In some cases, we may ask to highlight your project for use in our communications and publications.
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Grants and Community Initiatives
Funding guidelines
Find out more about eligibility, what we fund, etc.
Application process
Learn about the steps in our application process.
Note: the application steps to apply to Health and Medical Research and Youth Homelessness are different.FAQ
Read our most frequently asked questions.
Application Deadlines
Review Letter of Intent application deadlines.
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Grants Search
Search previous grants in all our funding areas.
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