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Funding and Resources

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Funding

 

Indigenous Priorities Grant. Opens November 15, 2021. Closes November 29, 2021. Flexible one-time grants up to $50,000 for Indigenous-led organizations to support initiatives that encourage community inclusiveness, belonging, and healing. The IPGP is part of Vancouver Foundation’s commitment to Indigenous priorities. IPGP is an Indigenous-led initiative to surface and address critical funding and capacity needs of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

 

Digital Access to Heritage – Museums Assistance Program (Federal Government). Deadline November 1, 2021 and March 1, 2022. The Digital Access to Heritage component of the Museums Assistance Program (MAP) provides funding to heritage organizations to digitize collections, develop digital content and build their capacity in these areas. To obtain application forms, please contact the nearest regional office of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

 

Indigenous Screen Office – new funding programs open now.

  • Development Grant – Deadline November 8, 2021

  • Production Grant – Deadline November 15, 2021.

  • ISO/Netflix Indigenous Production Apprenticeships and Cultural Mentorships Grant – Deadline November 29, 2021

  • Sector Development Partnerships Grants – Accepting applications year round

  • Enhancements Grants for Feature Film Grants & Television Series – Applications accepted year round

 

Mentor-Apprentice Program. Deadline November 17, 2021. The Mentor-Apprentice Program supports one-on-one learning between an adult learner (16 years of age and older) and a fluent speaker. This program is intended for B.C. First Nations individuals learning one of the 34 First Nations languages in B.C. You do not need to be living in your community (on reserve) to be eligible to participate, but you must be living in B.C. The Mentor-Apprentice Program is now offering two program types to better suit different types of language learners. Mentor-Apprentice Program (MAP) – Intensive – This option is intended for language learners who want to actively pass on the language to others, most often through a career as a language educator. MAP participants complete 300 hours of language immersion with a fluent speaker over approximately nine months. Mentor-Apprentice Program: Connections (MAPC) – Flexible – MAPC is for language learners who want to strengthen their connection to their language and who want greater flexibility and minimal reporting requirements. MAPC participants complete 100 hours of language immersion with a fluent speaker over approximately six months. The project term for Map Connections is June 1 - Dec. 15, 2022. To register email: map@fpcc.ca

 

Museum Assistance Program (Federal Government). Deadline November 29, 2021. The Museum Assistance Program is now accepting applications for assistance with ongoing operating costs through the Reopening Fund for Heritage Organizations. This assistance will help heritage organizations that have felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as they reopen and safely welcome back visitors. To be eligible for funding, your organization must be: a not-for-profit organization such as a museum, an archive, or a historic site (including those that operate seasonally and those without full-time staff); an Indigenous organization or official language minority community organization; or, a municipal or university museum with a distinct budget. To be eligible, applicants must also: manage a heritage collection, provide public access through regular hours of operation (including on a part-time or seasonal basis); and, have had annual expenses in 2019 (or your last completed pre-pandemic fiscal year) between $2,000 and $3,000,000. High volume of applications expected. Funding amounts will range from $1,000 to a maximum of $100,000. The amount will be determined by a formula based on your 2019 expenses (or last completed pre-pandemic fiscal year), as supported by financial statements. Applicants are encouraged to apply early as funds are limited.

 

Reopening Fund for Heritage Organizations – Museums Assistance Program. Deadline November 29, 2021. The Government of Canada is implementing the Reopening Fund for Heritage Organizations to help enable the reopening of the heritage sector by supporting organizations that deliver in-person experiences or events, such as museums. Funding will also ensure that heritage institutions are able to contribute to the resilience of their communities as Canada recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. The financial assistance provided under the Reopening Fund may be used to support business operations and activities that allow for the continuous care of heritage collections during the recovery and reopening period. Funding amounts will range from $1,000 to a maximum of $100,000. The amount will be determined by a formula based on your 2019 expenses (or last completed pre-pandemic fiscal year), as supported by financial statements.

 

Community Gaming Grants - Human and Social Services. Deadline November 31, 2020. 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. Local organizations can apply for funding up to $100,000 per year, regional organizations up to $225,000 per year, and province-wide organizations up to $250,000 a year. I’ve understood that communities have had success applying for this funding to support language nests and other language revitalization work.

 

Pathways to Language Vitality Program (FPCC) Deadline December 6, 2021. Created in response to community feedback, the FPCC Pathways to Language Vitality Program provides funding and support for community-led projects that revitalize First Nations languages in B.C. and help create new fluent speakers. Up to $250,000 in funding is available. New applicants are encouraged to apply. The Pathways program offers three types of funding: Rise, Roots and Grow funding. Rise funding ($15,000 – $100,000) for organizations with up to two prior years of experience receiving FPCC language grants. These applicants are building stewardship practices for long-term language revitalization growth. Roots funding ($100,000 – $175,000) for organizations with up to four years of experience receiving FPCC language grants. These applicants have absorbed the teachings from previous efforts and are nourishing strong roots for long-term community language goals. Grow funding ($175,000 – $250,000) for organizations with 5+ years of experience receiving FPCC language grants. These applicants have established language programs and practices and can steward complex plans with many moving parts to achieve community language revitalization goals. Email info@fpcc.ca for more information.

 

BC First Nation Youth Language Grant Initiative. Open until Funds Exhausted or December 7, 2021. The New Relationship Trust (NRT) recognizes the importance of revitalizing British Columbia (BC) First Nations languages and has identified Youth Language funding as a strategic priority. Preservation and restoration of First Nations languages is integral to cultural identity. NRT will begin to accept completed applications on June 15, 2020 until funds are exhausted. The maximum amount available is $4,000 per First Nations youth language projects.

 

Nation Building Program (New Relationship Trust). Deadline December 7th or until funds are exhausted. The purpose of the Nation Building Program is to provide funding opportunities to First Nations and Tribal Councils in British Columbia to support their nation-building activities according to their self-determined priorities. A project or initiative meant to strengthen the institutional, governance, and community capacities in reclaiming and rebuilding resiliency, self-determination, and sovereignty, within each Nation’s own context is considered an eligible project. Successful applicants (i.e., BC First Nation Community/Organization/Tribal Council) can apply for up to $50,000 for their project(s).

 

Elders Grants. Open Until Funds Exhausted or December 7, 2021. The New Relationship Trust (NRT) Elders Grant Initiative is available to all BC First Nation Elders groups at the community level. Priority will be given to Elders Groups. The maximum amount available is $2,500 per Elders group or First Nation/community/organization.

 

British Columbia History Digitization Program. Deadline December 10, 2021. The goal of the BCHPD is to promote and enhance access to unique British Columbia historical materials by providing financial support for digitization activities. The Learning Centre will provide matching financial contributions for digitization projects to a yearly maximum of $15,000 per applicant. Private or public institutions and agencies are eligible to apply for funding. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, libraries, archives, museums, post-secondary institutions and historical societies. Applications are welcomed from institutions of all sizes. Please only apply for one project per application. Institutions submitting more than one application should rank their submissions in order of priority.

 

FPCC’s Indigenous Arts Grants now Open! We are currently accepting applications from Indigenous artists residing in B.C. for the Indigenous Arts Program and Indigenous Music Initiative:

 

Language Technology Program (FPCC). Deadline January 17, 2022. The Language Technology Program is a combination of the FirstVoices Program and the Digitization Grants Initiative. This program provides up to $180,000 in funding plus equipment and training to support language revitalization using technology. Digitization projects involve converting materials such as audio cassettes, reel-to-reel tapes, VHS tapes, and text documents to a digital format. FirstVoices projects involve using FirstVoices.com to document and share your language. These projects make languages more accessible for those living in and away from the community and preserves knowledge for future generations. Applications for two years of funding are welcome. This program is for First Nations communities, governments, bands and tribal councils and Indigenous organizations located in B.C.

 

Annual Conservation Funding (Coast Funds). Deadline January 21, 2022. The conservation fund is a permanent endowment that supports eligible programs and projects focused on sustaining or enhancing the ecological integrity of the Great Bear Rainforest and Haida Gwaii. Its goals include supporting and enhancing First Nations’ application of traditional ecological and cultural knowledge to the management of ecosystems, protected areas, lands, and resources in the Project Area; Participation in the management of protected areas and ecosystems within the Project Area; Science, research and monitoring of ecosystem function and processes; Collaborative efforts that sustain and enhance the biodiversity, productive capacity and resilience of ecosystems in the Project Area to ensure the sustainability of cultural and traditional resources, such as fish, wildlife, and cedar in perpetuity; and others (see website for details).

 

Legacy Fund - Building Communities through Arts and Heritage. 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. Funding 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.

 

History and Heritage Grants in Aid. Applications accepted at any time. The Islands Trust established the History, Heritage and Conservation Grant-In-Aid to fund initiatives that contribute to the conservation of the Islands Trust Area’s history and heritage. Individuals, groups, organizations, First Nations communities or members, or agencies may apply. Successful grant applicants will receive funding for activities or projects that do one or more of the following: Expand knowledge about the history and/or heritage of the Islands Trust Area; Increase public awareness, understanding and/or appreciation of the history and/or heritage of the Islands Trust Area, including cultural heritage and/or contribute to the understanding of Indigenous Peoples on the island; Conserve heritage properties, cultural heritage areas, or preserve and protect archaeological areas or locations. Grant applicants may request funding up to $5,000.

 

B.C. Employer Training Grant Program. Applications are prioritized. The B.C. Employer Training Grant program (ETG) supports skills training to address provincial labour market needs. The program is delivered by the Province of British Columbia and is funded by the Government of Canada through the Workforce Development Agreement (WDA). The goal of the ETG is to help British Columbians access the skills training needed to adapt to the changing requirements of jobs and the labour market while encouraging employer involvement in the training of their employees. Due to high demand for limited funds, applications are prioritized and are not assessed solely on a first come, first served basis. Priority is given to first-time applicants, small businesses, applicants from disadvantaged regions and applicants from industries facing the greatest challenges acquiring skilled workers. There are 6 streams: Covid-19 Impacted Worker Training, Workforce Training, Technical Training, Foundational Training, Employment Transition Training and Persons with Disabilities Training. (It looks like this program might support the needs of communities to train individuals to support language and cultural heritage revitalization work.)

 

B.C. Indigenous Agricultural Development Program. Open until funds are allocated. This two-step program is designed to support your government, community or organization to make informed decisions, access professional business and financial planning services for enterprises in the food and agriculture sector and for food security planning activities, and support skills training and build business management capacity. The program stream for governments, communities and organizations offers Agricultural Opportunities Assessments (Step 1 of the Program) and Financial and Business Planning (Step 2) with services from a Qualified Business Consultant, as well as optional top-up funding to support community engagement during your projects. Each Applicant is only eligible to receive a total of up to $15,000 of funding through the Indigenous Agriculture Development Program during the funding cycle of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (2018-2023), in addition to up to $4,000 of Community Engagement Top-up Funding (up to $2,000 for each Step 1 or 2 project). The maximum funding available for an Agriculture Opportunities Assessment Project (Step 1) is $5,000 (plus the optional top-up funding) and the maximum funding available for a Financial and Business Planning Project (Step 2) is $10,000 (plus the optional top-up funding).

 

Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund. Ongoing. The Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund (IPRF) is an Indigenous-led effort to respond to urgent community needs while taking a long-term view on building community resilience. Any Indigenous-led organization or Indigenous-serving organization working to foster resilience in Inuit, Métis and First Nations communities anywhere in Canada can apply for resiliency funds ranging from $5,000 to $30,000.

 

BC Arts Council Grant Programs. The BC Arts Council has MANY programs with intakes throughout the year. Please visit their website for more information: https://www.bcartscouncil.ca/program

 

Canada Cultural Spaces Fund. No deadline – ongoing. 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.

 

Aboriginal Community-Based Training Partnerships (ACBTP) and Indigenous Skills Training Development Fund (ISTDF). The Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training (AEST) delivers two programs that provide funding to Indigenous communities (Communities) to access skills training and post-secondary education leading to employment, self-employment or further education.

  • Please contact AEST staff to obtain more information on criteria and how to apply. By email: AEST.IndigenousPrograms@gov.bc.ca or by phone: Yavhel 250-216-4701; Delphine 250-516-3159 or Jennifer Ambers 250.415.6797

 

Movable Cultural Property Grants. (Government of Canada). 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.

 

Mental Health & Wellness Funding. The First Nations Health Authority, the Province and Canada have each committed $10 million dollars over two years (2019-2021) to support First Nations communities and Nations to come together to plan, design and deliver initiatives in support of the social determinants of mental health and wellness. The funding approach recognizes that each community and Nation is at a different place on their journey to health and wellness. To learn more and how to apply, visit: https://www.fnha.ca/about/work-with-us/funding-opportunities

 

 

Events

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Ribbon Skirt/Shirt Making and Teachings with Deryl Henderson (MNBC). November 23, 2021.

 

  • Storytelling - The Métis Christmas Mittens with Leah Dorion (MNBC). December 1, 2021.

 

  • Métis Wall Art with Deryl Henderson (MNBC). December 7, 2021

 

 

  • Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022-2032.

 

 

 

Opportunities

 

Take the Anti-Racism Initiatives Experience Survey to share your stories, experiences and thoughts related to data collection about race, ethnicity and other identity factors. The information gathered helps the Province create a vision for how ethnographic data collection could be implemented to build trust and effectively address systemic racism. The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete and is open until November 30, 2021. This new, multilingual public engagement tool was launched on September 9, 2021, led by Rachna Singh, Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives. The survey incorporates advice from partners and organizations representing Indigenous leadership, and advisory committees and organizations led by Black and other racialized community members working with government through the Resilience BC Anti-Racism Network. The Anti-Racism Experience Survey collects feedback on legislation being introduced next year to improve the way B.C. identifies and addresses systemic racism in government policies, programs and services. Anti-racism data legislation is about better identifying where gaps and barriers exist to improve services for B.C. communities. The initiative builds on recommendations made by B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner in the Grandmother Perspective report and In Plain Sight: Addressing Indigenous-specific Racism and Discrimination in B.C. Health Care. It allows the Province to understand the issues, concerns and hopes British Columbians have about anti-racism data collection to create equitable and inclusive services for everyone. A summary of feedback will be available on the survey website after the engagement closes. https://engage.gov.bc.ca/antiracism/data/

 

Take the Métis Languages Survey. Share your knowledge and ideas to guide future language programs and initiatives. MNBC’s Ministry of Culture, Heritage and Language is inviting you to participate in our Métis Languages in BC Vitality Survey. This anonymous survey will gather information on the status of Métis languages in BC, and the language learning resources and initiatives that communities would like to see developed. The survey closing date is November 30th, 11:59pm PST | 12:59am MST. Participants who complete the survey before the deadline will be entered into a draw to win an iPad!

 

First Nations Technology Council Indigenous Leadership in Technology Survey. Take our survey and tell us about your experience with technology, what skills training you’re interested in, and what increased access to technology, jobs, and connectivity could do for your community! Feedback from this survey will support the advancement of Indigenous leadership in the tech and innovation sector in BC. Your input will help us create regional reports that can be used by communities and inform actionable provincial strategies. The information you share is understood as community knowledge which belongs to you, we promise to respect your community knowledge. The Technology Council will store and care for the information you share. Your feedback will remain anonymous and data will not be used for any other purpose.

 

 

Announcements

 

Legislative changes to support First Nations jurisdiction over education. October 25, 2021. First Nations participating in the education jurisdiction initiative in B.C. will soon be able to certify and regulate teachers who work in schools under their jurisdiction. Legislative changes made Oct. 25, 2021, will make it possible for the Province to provide operational support for this new certification and regulation process. Education can and must play a key role in reconciliation and in creating a future of equity and justice for all, said Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Education. These legislative changes are a concrete step forward in implementing the Province’s reconciliation commitments as we commit to advance education outcomes for Indigenous students. Tyrone McNeil, president, First Nations Education Steering Committee, said: We appreciate the opportunity to work with the Province of British Columbia on this groundbreaking initiative. Supporting First Nations in certifying and regulating teachers in their own schools is fundamental to their exercise of jurisdiction. Read the full release: http://www.fnesc.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/1.-News-Release-Legislative-changes-to-support-First-Nations-jurisdiction-over-education-2021EDUC0082-002029.pdf

 

The Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) is launching its full slate of new funding programs immediately. The new funding will support Indigenous screen-based storytellers through two funding streams: the Story Fund and Sector Development. The Story Fund will support creators in the development and production of Indigenous-made content, as well as enhanced support for post-production, marketing and distribution. The Sector Development component will support projects that increase Indigenous training, participation and representation in all roles across the screen sector. Funding for the programs comes from the 2021 federal budget allocation that ISO received through the Department of Canadian Heritage, of $13 million per year over the next three years, to support screen-based content made by First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. In addition to the new programs, ISO is also announcing the new deadline for the Netflix Apprenticeship and Cultural Mentorship Program, now entering its third year. The ISO also announced the appointment of Kristy Assu as incoming Director of Funding Programs, starting in November. Based in B.C., Kristy is an experienced producer and program manager, most recently with Telus Storyhive and Originals, and the first-ever Haida language feature film, SG̲aawaay Ḵ’uuna (Edge of the Knife).

 

Indigenous communities, local governments and heritage organizations in British Columbia will soon have access to funding for projects that spotlight the Province’s diverse cultural heritage. “It has been 150 years since B.C. joined confederation, but the history of this place stretches back to time immemorial,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Municipal Affairs. “To heal and move forward together, it is important that everyone sees themselves reflected in B.C.’s heritage and cultural programs. This is an opportunity for people to learn more about B.C.’s colonial past and to honour the resilience both Indigenous and non-Indigenous marginalized communities have shown. Let’s reflect on our whole story and what we can do together to make B.C. an even better place for generations to come.” Administered through the First Peoples’ Cultural Foundation and Heritage BC, the new, $30-million 150 Time Immemorial grant program will fund projects that educate people about B.C.’s colonial past, advance reconciliation and promote inclusivity and diversity for the province’s future. Indigenous communities, local governments and not-for-profit heritage organizations with an Indigenous or heritage mandate are eligible to submit applications starting in fall 2021. Read the full news release here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021MUNI0040-001509

 

 

International Decade of Indigenous Languages

 

The Global Task Force for Making a Decade of Action for Indigenous Languages was officially launched by UNESCO with participation of Member States, indigenous peoples’ organizations, three-party United Nations mechanisms, the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

 

 

Federal Indigenous Languages Act: April 6, 2021 Update

 

The Department of Canadian Heritage held the Indigenous Languages Symposium from January 25 to 29, 2021. The theme was Building on Strengths and Successes. The Symposium provided an opportunity for the federal government and Indigenous peoples, as well as other stakeholders, to share best practices and discuss their perspectives. https://www.canada.ca/en/services/culture/canadian-identity-society/languages/indigenous.html

 

 

 

Covid-19 Information

 

 

 

 

 

 

Resources

 

 

 

 

  • Guidelines to Support Working with Elders. FPCC. May 18, 2021. With guidance from Dr. Lorna Wanosts’a7 Williams, FPCC has developed a free resource Working with Elders to support anyone who is interested in engaging with Elders. The guide also includes suggestions about ways to engage with Elders and Knowledge Keepers, even when we are unable to gather during COVID-19 restrictions.

 

  • Language Champions Live! A series of conversations with language champions from around the world - people who are working to strengthen, reclaim, document, and fight for their Indigenous and endangered languages.

 

  • Virtual & at Home Language Revitalization Program Ideas. A new resource from FPCC. During this time, the health and safety of all FPCC program participants, especially our Elders, is important to us. FPCC understands that programs need to be adjusted during this pandemic and we developed this resource to help you modify your program and keep your community safe. This guide provides program ideas and practices to safely continue language revitalization work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual & at Home Language Revitalization Program Ideas includes:

  • Ways to connect with Elders and the community through technology.

  • How to take an inventory of existing audio and video archives.

  • Ways to digitize audio, video, and print materials in your language.

  • How to create new materials to support language learners, such as exercises, lessons and games.

  • Ways to stay connected with your community through social media.

  • How to start a new language revitalization project in your community.

 

  • Indigitization Program Videos: You can now watch our Indigitization Futures Forum videos broken down by speaker - so now you only need about fifteen minutes to learn more about digitization and language preservation.

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