Greenest City Grants
The Greenest City Neighbourhood Small Grant (GCNSG) is created to support small-scale, neighbour-led community projects that help advance climate and sustainability goals in Vancouver, B.C.
Overview
Applications for Greenest City Neighbourhood Small Grants are open as of March 2024. Please check your local Vancouver community page for more details.
Resources
- For more information on the priorities we fund for this grant in 2024, watch this video.
- Inspired, but not sure where to start? For more project ideas to green your city, click here.
Who can apply?
Applicants living in Vancouver communities will be able to apply for a Greenest City grant. GC-NSG funds projects that contribute to the City of Vancouver’s climate and sustainability goals.
Eligibility
What’s the difference?
The Greenest City Neighbourhood Small Grants is a partnership between the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Foundation to help Vancouver respond to the challenge of climate change.
This is a special granting stream for projects that contribute to the City of Vancouver’s climate and sustainability goals, such as the Climate Emergency Action Plan and the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. As such, only applicants living in Vancouver communities will be able to apply for a Greenest City grant. Just like our regular Neighbourhood Small Grant, Greenest City grants can be for a maximum of $500.
These goals include:
- Promoting greener forms of transportation
- Making homes and buildings more energy efficient
- Taking care of our forests, wetlands and other natural climate solutions
- Educating about local climate impacts and solutions
- Preparing for future changes to our climate and environment
- Advancing climate equity and justice in disproportionately impacted communities
Get prepared
Know what to expect
Once you’ve decided on an idea, here’s what to expect in the months ahead.
Find one other neighbour to collaborate with you.
Team work makes the dream work! You need a neighbour to be your co-applicant. If they are between the ages of 18-24, be sure to let us know, as youth-led projects are a priority funding area for us.
Write and submit your application together.
Deadlines can vary between communities. Be sure you’ve got the correct one.
Wait for the results.
Volunteers from your community review all applications. This takes between six to eight weeks.
Bring your idea to life.
If your grant is approved, you will go and pick up your cheque from your community coordinator. Then it’s time to start planning, promoting and preparing for the big day!
Get inspired
Green project ideas to get you started
We find these tend to be popular ideas among first-time applicants. They excite neighbours, are easily organized with two people and are low-cost.
Reduce food waste
A fruit tree pick-and-shares puts what’s already in people’s backyards to good use and doesn’t need a lot of extra costs.
Repair every day items
Invite an expert to teach a clothing or household repair workshop that can extend the lives of things we already own.
Reuse what’s already in your closet
Kids always need more clothes. Host a clothing swap and see if a local business or two will sponsor some snacks to fuel the day.
Building a Community Garden in Vancouver
Matt and Carlson set out to create a rooftop garden in their False Creek building. The result? Conversations in common spaces went from “awkward to authentic,” as Carlson says. A garden can be an impactful way to create connections — watch the duo talk about the process from applying for a grant to getting strata approvals.
Eligibility
Applicants living in Vancouver communities will be able to apply for a Greenest City grant.
You may apply for any project that will bring your community together, build community strength and resilience, or tackle social isolation.
Some common types of Neighbourhood Small Grant projects include care package deliveries or teaching people a new skill, but there are also many unique projects that don’t fall into these categories.
Any product, service or event created with the support of a Neighbourhood Small Grant must be offered for free.
You can ask for up to $500 for any Neighbourhood Small Grant program.
You can use the grant to offset any expenses that were needed for the project. This includes products, transportation or services.
You may ask for up to $350 to provide honorariums to anyone who contributes skills or knowledge to your project — including yourself.
For example, if you plan to host an online cooking class and will be teaching it yourself, you may pay yourself an honorarium. If you are inviting a guest to teach it, you may pay them the honorarium instead. You can also use the grant to purchase the ingredients needed for the class as well as a premium subscription with a platform like Zoom to host many attendees in your class.
You may not fundraise for other projects and/or organizations. However, we encourage you to seek donations or gifts in kind from local businesses to help support your project.
Applications are reviewed by volunteer Neighbourhood Grants Committees and final funding allocations will be awarded upon the discretion of each local committee. For more information contact your Community Coordinator.
Anyone who lives in British Columbia can apply. You must find out which NSG community you belong to by visiting the Communities page.
You may not apply on behalf of a business or registered organization, but you may apply on behalf of an informal group (for example, a meetup or shared interest group).
Your project can take place either online or in-person. All in-person events should follow your local public health guidelines.
Your project can take place either online or in-person. All in-person events should follow your local public health guidelines.
If your project requires any permits, such as a city or park board permit, they must be acquired and approved prior to applying for any Neighbourhood Small Grant.
Most projects will not require liability insurance, but bigger projects or events may need them. If you do, you must purchase it ahead of applying for any Neighbourhood Small Grant.
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