Grants

Heritage Legacy Fund

The Heritage Legacy Fund was established in 2003 with an initial $5 million gift from the Province of British Columbia. Since then, the Province has made regular contributions, most recently in 2022, bringing the fund’s total to over $14 million.

Held by the Vancouver Foundation, the Heritage Legacy Fund operates under the trusted advisement of Heritage BC. The fund supports Heritage BC’s operations, heritage awareness initiatives, and a variety of programs, including the Heritage Legacy Fund grant program, which provides modest grants for heritage projects across British Columbia.

The Heritage Legacy Fund ensures the continued development of BC’s heritage sector. Heritage BC remains committed to advocating for the growth of the Heritage Legacy Fund endowment at the Vancouver Foundation to better support the preservation and promotion of BC’s tangible and intangible heritage.

Application Process

Heritage BC accepts applications for Heritage Legacy Fund grants once a year. Eligibility criteria for applicants and projects as well as eligible expenses for each program can be found in the Heritage Legacy Fund Granting Guidelines.

Complete an Eligibility Check

Step to Apply

Interested applicants complete an online eligibility check
Eligible applicants are invited to submit a full application by the specified deadline
Heritage BC intakes and processes all applications
Applications are reviewed by independent assessment panels, organized by program stream
Assessment panels meet to evaluate applications and develop funding recommendations
Heritage BC Board reviews and ratifies the recommendations
All applicants are notified of the outcome

2026 Application Timeline

May 15, 2026 – Eligibility checks begin
June 1, 2026 – Application period begins
June 3, 2026 – Applicant Information Session
- View video recording of the session
- Download presentation slides
July 15, 2026 – Eligibility checks close
July 31, 2026 – Application period closes
August 2026 – Application review
September 2026 – Assessment meetings
October 2026 – Notification and announcement of grant recommendations

Application Resources

Funding Streams

There are currently four streams of funding in the Heritage Legacy Fund:

Heritage Conservation
The Heritage Conservation stream provides grants of up to $50,000, covering up to 50% of eligible project costs for the preservation, rehabilitation, or restoration of the physical fabric of a heritage place, including archaeological sites, that embodies its heritage value.

Heritage Awareness
The Heritage Awareness stream provides grants of up to $10,000, covering up to 50% of eligible project costs for initiatives that research, document, interpret, present, or share community heritage. These projects enhance public understanding of heritage resources, cultural landscapes, and intangible heritage such as oral histories, language, and cultural practices.

Heritage Planning
The Heritage Planning stream provides grants of up to $5,000, covering up to 50% of eligible project costs for projects that develop plans and documents to support heritage conservation and awareness initiatives.

Indigenous Partnership
The Indigenous Partnership stream provides grants of up to $7,500, covering up to 50% of eligible project costs for collaborative initiatives that contribute to reconciliation by supporting the inclusion of Indigenous perspectives, histories, languages, heritage values, and ways of knowing.