At their December meeting, the Real Estate Foundation of BC’s Board of Governors approved $1,109,011 in grants for 13 projects. This funding will support applied research, education, and policy analysis on topics like green building retrofits, natural asset management, and Indigenous-led land use planning.

To date, REFBC has awarded over $90 million in grants to non-profit organizations working to strengthen BC communities and protect our shared land and water.

Winter 2019 grants are listed in alphabetical order, below.

The Arts in Action Society will create tools and templates for homeowners who are considering transferring their property to a non-profit housing provider. ($20,000)

The Canada Green Building Council will conduct research and release reports on (1) the market and employment impacts of green buildings and (2) costs and benefits in different low-carbon building retrofit scenarios. ($150,000)

The Force of Nature Society will work with local governments, NGOs, and industry groups on a program and draft legislation to allow homeowners to borrow funds for home energy upgrades and repay through their property taxes. ($20,000)

Generation Squeeze will develop a toolkit (case studies, lessons learned) to help local governments considering regulations on short-term rental accommodations. ($20,000)

The Green Bricks Education Society will deliver interactive classroom workshops on freshwater sustainability to grade four students in the Lower Mainland and the Okanagan. ($9,135)

The Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC will help local governments to adopt ecological accounting processes for managing and maintaining natural assets (creeks, wetlands, forests). ($120,000)

The Public Health Association of BC will work with community food organizations to host dialogues on urban farming, share knowledge, and recommend policy improvements to the provincial government. ($50,000)

The Sierra Club of BC Foundation will support Indigenous and municipal governments to lead on conservation planning and public education to protect old-growth rainforests on Vancouver Island. ($195,000)

Skeena Knowledge Trust will educate stewardship organizations on how to use the Skeena Maps Portal and Skeena Salmon Data Centre to support their work and involvement in land use decision-making. ($49,520)

SkeenaWild Conservation Trust will support Indigenous communities in northwestern BC to develop and implement land use plans that sustain ecosystems, cultural resources, and local economies. ($225,000)

The Southern Gulf Islands Community Resources Centre will work with W̱SÁNEĆ people, local governments, and civil society organizations to develop and deliver a climate action education program rooted in current climate science and W̱SÁNEĆ knowledge. ($68,000)

Waterlution will deliver an immersive six-day leadership development lab for future water leaders to develop knowledge, skills, and solutions to tackle water challenges. ($50,000)

Xeni Gwet’in First Nation, one of six Tsihlqot’in nations, will assess the state of the Chilko watershed, create a vision for watershed health, and recommend policies and actions to improve watershed governance. ($132,356)

 

Looking for project funding?

Our next General Grants application cycle will open in February and close on March 3, 2020.

Our next Real Estate Industry Grants cycle will open in fall 2020.

For information on eligibility and funding priorities, visit refbc.com/grants or email our team at grants@refbc.com to tell us about your project.