Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Grants

Last updated on September 16, 2024

Under the BC Multiculturalism Act, annual multiculturalism and anti-racism grants are offered to registered non-profits and other eligible organizations.

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How the program works

Under the annual multiculturalism and anti-racism grant program, funds are available to support projects that build intercultural interaction, trust and understanding, or projects that challenge racism, hate and systemic barriers. 

For the 2024-25 cycle, the program’s focus is on projects that reduce systemic racism and hate incidents and build capacity in racialized communities. Preference will be given to applications submitted by racialized and marginalized groups.

Applicants seeking funding for festivals or cultural celebrations should email multiculturalism@gov.bc.ca before applying to discuss the potential eligibility of their proposal.

To qualify for a grant, the submitted project must start on or after April 1, 2025, and must conclude by March 31, 2026. 

Program funding

Eligible organizations can apply for grants up to $5,000.

Determine your eligibility

Organizations eligible to apply: 

  • Registered non-profits incorporated and in good standing under the Societies Act [SBC2015], or a British Columbia-based, federally registered charity, also in good standing.
  • Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, or Métis) governments, tribal councils, band councils or organizations.
  • BIPOC-led non-profit society.
  • BIPOC-led non-profit society as a partner.
  • Non-profit society serving a BIPOC disability community.

To be eligible, the organization must have a British Columbia address.

How to use the grant

Eligible grant expenses

Eligible expenses must be direct costs needed to administer the project. Grant recipients ​may spend funding in one or more of the following categories: 

  • Equipment rental, such as: 
    • Lighting, sound and audio-visual
    • Sports equipment
  • Technology related costs, such as: 
    • Online hosting fees
    • Digital content creation
    • Virtual technology requirements
  • ​​Event or workshop materials, such as: 
    • Pens, paper and other tools
  • Fees, such as: 
    • Project coordinator’s fees
    • Facilitators’, artists’ or coaches’ fees
    • Workshop fees
    • Training/educational fees
    • Performance fees
  • Food and beverage, such as: 
    • Food and non-alcoholic beverages for participants and volunteers
  • Honorariums, fees and contract agreements, for: 
    • Indigenous or other cultural elders
    • Facilitators, speakers, artists, coaches, and cultural workers
    • Technicians

Note: For these expenses, conflicts of interest need to be identified in advance.

  • Marketing and communications, such as:
    • Newspaper ads
    • Graphic design fees
  • Transportation costs where transportation is a barrier to participation
  • Venue rental, such as:
    • Any identified programming space
  • Volunteer expenses, such as:
    • T-shirts (for identification purposes only)
    • Refreshments

Ineligible grant expenses 

Applications seeking grant funding to cover expenses in one or more of the following categories will not be considered:

  • Salaries and fees not directly related to delivering the project
  • Fundraising beyond project cost-recovery
  • Capital projects
  • Major equipment purchases
  • Alcohol
  • Recurring business expenses, such as:
    • Rental of office space
    • Utility, telephone, and other recurring expenses

Application requirements

Applications for the 2024-25 cycle are open until October 7, 2024, at 5 PM PST.

Apply Online

If you have any questions or are experiencing problems with the application, contact multiculturalism@gov.bc.ca.

The Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Branch is committed to improving the accessibility of the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Grants program for people with disabilities. Arrangements for verbal applications and ASL translation services are available. To learn more about these services, contact  multiculturalism@gov.bc.ca.

To support your planning process before completing your formal application online, the grant application can be accessed in Word and PDF versions. Please note, however, that only applications submitted using the online application link above will be considered unless arrangements to submit a verbal application have been made.

Reporting requirements

This section is applicable to 2023-24 grant recipients only. You are required to submit a report on how you used the funds and what outcomes were achieved.

The final report asks grant recipients to:

  • Provide a summary of the project, why it was undertaken and what it accomplished (max 300 words)
  • Provide a brief explanation of how the project met the 2023-24 Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Grant program objectives (max 300 words)
  • Provide 2 to 4 bullet points to highlight any significant outcomes that resulted from the project
  • If there were changes to the proposed budget, provide 2 to 4 bullet points about these changes

Submit your final report online

If you have any questions or are experiencing problems with this report, contact multiculturalism@gov.bc.ca.

For more information, please email multiculturalism@gov.bc.ca.