Our Grants | Clayoquot Biosphere Trust

Neighbourhood Small Grants
The Neighbourhood Small Grants (NSG) program supports people who want to make our communities better places to live. Our grants range from $50 to $500. A grant is money we give you to help you bring your project to life. You must apply for the grant, but you do not need to pay the money back.

The spring 2023 cycle theme is Green NSG (environment and sustainability-focused projects). The goals of Green NSG are to support strong, vibrant, and united cultures by promoting sustainability, celebrating diversity, and building inclusion. However, if you have an idea that isn't specifically "green," feel free to still apply!

2023 Funding Timeline
Applications open: March 15
Applications close: April 30 (11:59 p.m.)

Funding Priorities

Growing/harvesting and eating local food (Example: gardening or composting workshops, berry harvesting and preservation, canning)
Reducing waste (Example: recycling workshop, clothing swap, beach cleanup)
Celebrating Nuu-chah-nulth ways of stewardship (Example: story sharing, visiting territory and learning place-names, harvesting workshop, language event)
Promoting Biodiversity (Example: workshop on local plants and animals, addressing invasive species (e.g. Scotch Broom), planting pollenator-friendly gardens)
Sharing of environmental practices across generations (Example: youth and elders event team up to create an environmental initiative)
Reducing our carbon footprint (Example: promoting bicycling and carpooling, shopping local)
Youth-led environmental projects (Example: youth-led wildlife survey, nature photojournalism project)
Diversity and Inclusion-focused environmental projects (Example: Queer/Ally Beach Cleanup, event for newcomers to region to build relationship with place by caring for it)

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Watch this video featuring local NSG projects in the Clayoquot Sound region!

Arts & Culture Grant
The CBT Arts & Culture Committee has an annual discretionary budget to fund small projects throughout the region. Projects will be funded up to a maximum of $5,000.

Community Development Grant
The CBT Community Development Committee has an annual discretionary budget to fund small projects throughout the region. Projects will be funded up to a maximum of $5,000.

Research & Environment
The CBT Research & Environment Committee has an annual discretionary budget to fund small projects throughout the region. Projects will be funded up to a maximum of $5,000.

Youth & Education Grant
The CBT Youth & Education Committee has an annual discretionary budget to fund small projects throughout the region. Projects will be funded up to a maximum of $5,000.

Vital Grants
Vital Grants support projects addressing regional priorities and complex challenges that influence sustainability in the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Region by helping to achieve the UN SDGs. These grants of up to $20,000 aim to support meaningful longer-term collaboration between organizations, communities, and cultures.

Biosphere Research Award
The Biosphere Research Award is a grant of $20,000 to support research that advances the local understanding of conservation challenges in our marine and/or terrestrial ecosystems and helps us to prioritize conservation actions within the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Region.

Youth Grants
An initiative of CBT's Youth Advisory Committee, this grant is designed by and decided by youth from the Ucluelet, Tofino, and Nuu-chah-nulth communities. The committee provides support and grants up to $1000 for local ideas, projects, and activities for the benefit of youth who live here.

Nuu-chah-nulth Language Grants
The grassroots Nuu-chah-nulth Language Grants (NLG) support committed language activists from five communities within the Biosphere. The NLG is committed to fostering local leadership and community self-direction in revitalization efforts.

Co-ordinated by Tsimka Martin with direction from the Nuu-chah-nulth Language Committee this grant funds up to $2,000 per year to ONE leader in EACH of the following Nuu-chah-nulth nations: hiškʷiiʔatḥ (Hesquiaht First Nation), ʕaaḥuusʔatḥ (Ahousaht), ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ (Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations), Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ (Ucluelet First Nation), and tukʷaaʔatḥ (Toquaht Nation). Funding is for individuals who are members of a Nation with projects that are committed to language revitalization efforts.

Funding Eligibility

To be eligible, applicants MUST be a member of one or more of the following nations:

hiškʷiiʔatḥ (Hesquiaht First Nation);
ʕaaḥuusʔatḥ (Ahousaht);
ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ (Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations);
Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ (Ucluelet First Nation); and/or
tukʷaaʔatḥ (Toquaht Nation)

Funding Timeline

Grant applications will be open from October 25 to January, 15 2023 with funding disbursed as soon as possible.

Funding Priorities

The NLG will fund language revitalization projects, with the following priorities:

Learning language in one’s own territory (getting learners out on the lands and water for various activities);

Events or exercises designed to support silent speakers;
Getting and giving traditional names;
Finding and sharing family information;
Creative use of language (making new songs, plays or skits in the language with community).

If you have questions or want to talk about your application, please contact Tsimka Martin (Literacy@CoastalCoalition.ca) or Brooke Wood (Brooke@ClayoquotBiosphere.org) or call the CBT office any time at 250-725-2219 (staff can help you make your application over the phone). To apply via our online grant system, click "apply now" below. To apply by email, download this application form, complete it, and email it to Tsimka (Literacy@CoastalCoalition.ca).

The Nuu-chah-nulth language committee is made up of language leaders from each of the 5 Nuu-chah-nulth Nations who this grant serves. This is our pilot year and we are excited to learn from the process as we go! To learn more about the thinking behind these grants, check out the NLG Policy Manual.

If you are interested in applying for this grant, as a teacher or a learner of the language, please follow the directions for applying as a "student" in the "create an account" section. Leave blank the CRA question and the website/organization email question.

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CBT Grants