United Way Grants

United Way BC School’s Out supports the development of healthy, happy, and resilient children between the ages of 6 and 12 across British Columbia. The focus of this initiative is to ensure children are safe, protected, and enjoy healthy and culturally nutritional snacks in the critical afterschool hours, while participating in activities that support them to reach their full potential. Register for our information session on Monday, February 3 at 11 AM to learn more about this grant.

Eligibility:  

The School’s Out 2025/26 grant call is province-wide. Applications will be evaluated based on need and opportunities across the province.

Key Program Site Requirements:  

1. Children aged 6-12 from priority populations (this includes Indigenous, newcomers and refugees, racialized, low-income, or neuro-diverse populations);  
2. Free or offered at a highly subsidized rate for children; 
3. Is operated as a registered program, not a drop-in; 
4. The program site runs at least twice a week per site to ensure regular connection and engagement for the cohort of children, and include a healthy snack; 
5. Must take place in an accessible location or have transportation arranged; 
6. Community collaboration is encouraged – for stream one, preference will be shown for applications that demonstrate clear partnership between the non-profit/agency/society that is implementing the School’s Out program with their local school district; 
7. Program activities and experiences for the kids must focus on 5 core domains: 1) Identity Development, 2) Social & Relational Well-being, 3) Community & Land Stewardship, 4) Health & Wellness, and 5) Skills & Competencies. School’s Out programs must include activities and opportunities relating to these outcome domains to ensure children are developing in all 5 areas.

Total Funding Amount:

• Up to $70,000

Funding Commitments:

If successful, partners are required to meet the following requirements: 

• Reporting: Quarterly and final reports; 
• Implementation and submission of participant surveys to United Way BC
• Attendance of at least one staff member at United Way BC’s School’s Out Community of Practice, which takes place online in November, February, and April. 

Eligible Costs include:

School’s Out funds must be used solely for implementing the after school program including staffing costs, program supplies and food costs as outlined in the project proposal and approved budget.

Ineligible Costs include: 

The funds cannot be used for unrelated projects or the following: 

• Administration costs above the 10% threshold; 
• Capital costs;
• After-school programs outside of BC, daycare (licensed or unlicensed), virtual/online-only programs, or one-on-one tutoring; 
• Apparel and swag costs, e.g. t-shirts, water bottles, and items that require custom logo printing 

We will accept applications for two streams: 

Stream One: Non-Indigenous-led organizations (this can include charitable registered agencies, nonprofits, school districts, BC societies, or grassroots groups); 

Stream Two: Indigenous-led organizations, governing bodies, or communities. This can include Land-based Nations, a band or tribal council, government of a self-governing First Nation or Métis Nation Chartered Community, Society or Association, or not-for-profit, society, or grassroots group.

Important Dates  

• Monday, February 3, 9 AM: Application live.
• Monday, February 3, 11 AM- 12 PM: Information session. Register now.
• Tuesday, March 18, 12 PM: Application deadline. Call for applications is closed.  
• Late April 2025 funding decisions made.

Questions? 

For inquiries, please contact Trisha Dulku, Strategic Initiatives Manager, Community Impact & Investment at trishad@uwbc.ca.  

United Way BC School’s Out Summer is a funding program serving children aged 6-12 facing barriers to enriching summer-time programming. Summer is a particularly challenging time as there is a reduction of services and wrap-around supports available for the whole family. School’s Out Summer focuses on children aged 6-12 from priority populations (Indigenous, Black, racialized, newcomer, refugee, low-income, those with neuro-diversity, or physical disability), offering them access to quality programming that prepares them to return to the classroom in September and mitigates learning loss.

School’s Out Summer program activities and curriculum must align with the following five core outcome domains and demonstrate how they will include the three priorities:  

1. Social and Emotional Development (this includes the development of emotional regulation, and better coping and resiliency strategies)  

a. Priority one: Preparing children for return to the classroom in September (this can include gradual routine adjustment, being organized for success, empowering independence, celebrating achievements);  

2. Connectedness (this includes access to non-familial  role models and consistency of engagement in summer programming)  

a. Priority two: Family engagement (this can include opportunities for families to convene and celebrate their child’s experience or the inclusion of wrap-around supports – like healthy food and nutrition, English language learning, care products, mental health supports – available for the families while the child is attending the program);  

3. Interests and Competencies (this includes the opportunity for new experiences, activities, and the development of new life skills)  

a. Priority three: Mitigating learning loss (this can include literacy and numeracy learning opportunities that help close the achievement gap);  

4. Health and Well-Being (this includes physical, mental, and nutritional);  

5. Service to community (this includes opportunities for the children to engage the community, connect with locally, and build empathy by volunteering or participating in service projects such as neighborhood clean ups).  

Proposals must include a clear family engagement component and demonstrate how the whole family unit is supported in a community of care. 

Total Funding Amount:

• Programs operating at 4 weeks or less will be eligible to apply for up to $30,000.
  
• Program operating at 5-8 weeks will be eligible to apply for up to $50,000.  

Successful applicants must commit to:  

• Sending a representative to attend the virtual School’s Out Summer program evaluation walk-through in May 2025; 

• Sending a representative to attend the in-person School’s Out Summer Kickoff event in early June 2025;  

• A mid-program visit to the program;  

• One interim report;  

• One final report;  

• Implementing United Way BC School’s Out Summer participant evaluations and submitting results back to United Way BC by the end of the program.  

Ineligible costs include:  

• Overnight camps;  

• Organization costs outside of the 10% administration fee;  

• Capital costs.  

There will be two funding streams for School’s Out Summer 2025:  

• Stream one: Community organizations (including registered and non-registered charitable agencies, non-profits, societies); 

• Stream two: Indigenous-led organizations and Land-based Nations (including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities) 

Stream one: Community Organizations (including registered and non-registered charitable agencies, non-profits, societies) – Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley only  

• Stream one applicants are encouraged to use the Word document template to develop their application for a School’s Out Summer application ahead of submitting via the online Salesforce Portal.  
   

Preference will be given to applications that demonstrate:  

• Alignment with United Way BC’s goal of addressing inequity for Indigenous, Black, racialized, newcomer, and refugee communities (this can include providing culturally informed summer program activities and demonstrated organizational connection to the communities which the applicant seeks to serve);  

• Clear demonstration of how the five core outcome domains and three School’s Out Summer priorities are being met/integrated;  

• Community integration and partnership: Programs should be strongly embedded in and with the community (this can include agreements for in-kind program space, collaboration with school districts, corporate partners, or municipalities);  

• Involve youth engagement &/or leadership in the program;  

• Clear access to wrap-around supports for the child and the whole family (eg: healthy food and nutrition, English language learning, care products, mental health supports, etc.)  

Stream two: Indigenous-led organizations and Land-based Nations (including First Nations Métis, and Inuit communities) – Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley only  

Please apply through the “School’s Out Summer Indigenous-led 2025” grant stream.  

• Stream two applicants have the option of submitting either a written program proposal and supporting documents via Salesforce or an audio or video recording proposal. Applicants are encouraged to use the Word document template to help develop their proposal for a School’s Out Summer program. Audio or video applications can be submitted via email to mayag@uwbc.ca.  

Preference will be given to applications that demonstrate:  

• Clear demonstration of how the five core outcome domains and three School’s Out Summer priorities are being met/integrated;  

• Connections to Indigenous cultures and traditions that builds capacity, confidence, and motivation for children to be secure in their identity;  

• Involve youth engagement &/or leadership in the program.  

Want more information on how to apply for this grant? Watch our helpful information session. If you are applying for Stream one, this template can be useful. If you are applying for Stream two, this template can be useful. Please note: you must apply online by submitting all responses online.

Important Dates:  

• Monday, December 9, 2024: Information Session and Call for Applications is live.  

• Tuesday, January 21, 2025 at 12PM noon: Application deadline. Call for applications is closed.  

• March 31, 2025: Decisions are reached and communicated to applicants.  

• June 1st – August 31, 2025: Funding period for the program (with Interim Report due mid-way through program delivery).  

• May 30, 2025: School’s Out Summer evaluation walkthrough (virtual) 

• June 6, 2025: School’s Out Summer Kickoff event (in-person) 

• September 12, 2025: Final report due.  

• September 12, 2025: School’s Out Summer participant evaluations due.  

For inquiries, please contact Maya Graves-Bacchus, Project Coordinator, Strategic Initiatives, at mayag@uwbc.ca. For technical assistance, contact Jenny Louie, Granting Specialist, at jennyl@uwbc.ca. 

No grants currently available.

No grants currently available.

Request for Proposals

Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy is a community-based program designed to prevent and reduce homelessness within Canada. This program provides funding to designated communities to help them address their local homelessness needs.

Applications are now open for projects taking place between April 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026.

For more information, visit our Reaching Home page.

Apply here: https://resources.uwbc.ca/

Important Dates

• Applications Open: December 9, 2024
• Applications Close: January 27, 2025 (please note new extension date)

Download the Application Guide for important information regarding your application.

• 2025-2026 Reaching Home Application Guide

  Important information on funding, eligibility, and timelines.

  Download Guide

No grants currently available.

No grants currently available.