1. The concept of “community capacity building” is the cornerstone of the Foundation’s Responsive Community Grants program. Capacity building occurs when resources, skills, leadership, or expertise in the community is increased.

2. Grant making for community capacity building occurs when proposals:

• Build on the strengths and assets of a community or an organization,
• Include the involvement of diverse groups in the development and implementation of a project,
• Demonstrate clear outcomes,
• Help create and strengthen participation and networks among residents and organizations,
• Provide seed funding for initiatives,
• Respond to a need identified in Vital Signs, or
• Address another community priority.

3. The Foundation will also consider applications for small capital projects or the purchase of equipment or supplies.

4. Grants may be awarded to support general programming or operating costs for eligible organizations.

If you are a national or provincial organization delivering programs on the Sunshine Coast, please describe how a grant from the Foundation would stay on the Coast to benefit local community members.

Fields of Interest

In addition to general Responsive Community Grants, funds are also available to support certain Fields of Interest:

Environmental Grants are available for projects that:

• Protect and preserve the habitat and biodiversity of our fragile and unique Sunshine Coast ecosystems,
• Protect and improve the quality of our air, water, and soil,
• Encourage stewardship of private lands, water, and shorelines, or
• Educate the community about environmental and stewardship issues.

Thanks to the Gibsons Landing Fibre Arts Festival, we have Fibre Arts Grants to support or encourage the creation and public presentation of fibre art (fine art whose material consists of natural or synthetic fabric or yarn or other materials such as wood and generally refers to pieces made by hand).

Thanks to generous donors, each year we offer Choral Music Grants from the Sue Milne Memorial Choral Fund. These grants are available to support choirs and choral groups with expenses related to developing and preparing for performances.

Youth Legacy Fund Grants supports projects or activities that benefit young people, broadly defined.

Field of Interest grants are also offered from endowments that support Health and Wellness, as well as Food and Shelter, Seniors, and Reading & Literacy.

Additional Forms for Submission

Successful applicants who are invited to submit a full Application will be required to complete a Project Budget.

When the time comes to submit your Final Grant Report, you will need to submit a Grant Project Expense Report with your report.

In order to be eligible for a grant from the Sunshine Coast Foundation, the applying organization must:

• be providing services which directly benefit citizens of the Sunshine Coast;
• be a federally registered charity or other qualified donee under the Income Tax Act;
• provide all information required pursuant to the “Letter of Intent” and the “Application Form”; and
• have the ability to carry out the project and report back on how grant funds were spent.

When you have read the Guidelines, Eligibility, Restrictions requirements, and are ready to submit your letter of intent, visit the Foundation’s grants portal.

Responsive Community Grants will not be made for:

• academic research (i.e., research intended for publication only without application to current activities),
• tours or travel outside the community,
• scholarships or bursaries,
• activities of partisan political organizations or religious organizations that serve primarily their membership and/or their direct religious purposes (community programs delivered by religious institutions are eligible),
• general endowments,
• major capital or building fundraising campaigns,
• operating or capital deficits, or
• individuals.

The Foundation will award only one grant per year to each applicant organization except if an applicant is delivering one project through their own organization as well as one or more projects through intermediary organizations without charitable status. When you have read the guidelines, eligibility restrictions, and requirements and are ready to submit your letter of intent, visit the Foundation’s grants portal.

Foundant Technologies has created some video and written tutorials to help you navigate the grants management software used by Sunshine Coast Foundation: