Community Grant Program

Community Grant Program is sponsored by Capital Regional District (CRD), British Columbia. This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.

Rethink Waste Grants | Capital Regional District Do you have an idea to reduce waste in the capital region? We have several Rethink Waste Grants to help make your idea a reality. The Repair Grant supports organizations in hosting free community repair events that help residents repair broken items rather than discard them.

Through funding of up to $10,000 , the grant encourages waste reduction, reuse, and skills-sharing by supporting Repair Cafés, Fix-It Fairs, and other community repair initiatives. The grant contributes to the transition toward a circular economy by extending the lifespan of household goods, reducing landfill disposal, building repair skills and confidence, and strengthening community connections.

General Eligibility Requirements Eligible Organizations: Registered non-profit organizations, charities, community associations, neighbourhood houses, public libraries, municipal governments, First Nations governments, and schools or school districts (for community-facing events) located within the capital region.

Project Focus: Projects must support the delivery of free community repair events where residents can bring broken household items for assessment and repair by volunteers or skilled repair facilitators. Events may include Repair Cafés, Fix-It Fairs, repair workshops, or similar community repair initiatives. Host a minimum of four repair events within 12 months.

Offer repairs free of charge to participants (donations may be accepted but cannot be required). Track and report project metrics, including participant attendance, repair outcomes, and volunteer involvement. Location: Projects must take place within the capital region and demonstrate a direct benefit to residents of the capital region.

Impact: Projects must demonstrate a measurable contribution toward waste reduction by diverting repairable items from disposal, extending product lifespan, increasing repair skills and confidence, and supporting community participation in repair and reuse activities.

Follow the instructions in the documents linked below to apply for the Repair Grant: Repair Grant: Guidelines [PDF/173KB] Repair Grant: Application Completed applications and questions about the grant can be directed to rethinkwaste@crd. bc. ca .

The Zero-Waste Event Grant Program is designed to support the reduction of waste produced at events within the capital region. This program offers up to $10,000 of funding to organizations planning and hosting events, particularly through the use of reusable products and zero-waste practices, such as source separation and responsible procurement.

By encouraging these practices, the program aims to contribute to the broader transition toward a circular economy, where materials are kept in use for as long as possible, and waste is eliminated.

General Eligibility Requirements Eligible Organizations: Non-profit societies, local governments, First Nations governments, or for-profit businesses in British Columbia, committed to implementing waste reduction and circular economy practices through zero-waste events.

Project Focus: Any type of public event (music festivals, farmer’s markets, fairs, food festivals, including ticketed events, etc.) is eligible, but projects must focus on implementing waste reduction and source separation strategies, with specific emphasis on increasing diversion from the landfill, using reusable products, and/or minimizing the distribution of single-use or disposable items.

Location: The project must be based within the capital region or demonstrate a measurable impact on reducing waste within the capital region.

Impact: Projects must demonstrate significant material diversion from landfills, primarily through waste-reduction strategies such as increasing source separation and recycling, adopting use of food service wares, etc. Follow the instructions in the documents linked below to apply for the Zero-Waste Event Grant Program: Zero-Waste Event Grant: Guidelines Zero-Waste Event Grant: What Scores Well [PDF/195KB] Zero-Waste Event Grant: Application Form Zero-Waste Event Grant: Final Report Template [PDF/234KB] Completed applications and questions about the grant can be directed to rethinkwaste@crd.

bc. ca . Applications are processed on a first come, first serve basis throughout the year.

Funds are limited so get your application in early! Applicants will be notified within 30 business days whether or not the application has been approved for funding. CRD created signs illustrate which items go where and will help event attendees sort their materials to decrease contamination and save costs.

Event Waste and Recycling Signage The Community Grant provides up to $5,000 towards funding your idea to help reduce the region’s waste by more than one third and extend the life of the Hartland Landfill to 2100 and beyond. Community Grant Application Form Completed applications and questions about the grant can be directed to rethinkwaste@crd. bc.

ca . Applications are processed on a first come, first serve basis throughout the year. Funds are limited so get your application in early!

Applicants will be notified within 30 business days whether or not the application has been approved for funding. Community Grant Guidelines Applicants can be individuals, community groups, or non-profit organizations within the capital region. For-profit businesses are not eligible for this program.

Examples of eligible applicants include: Resident, tenant, and neighbourhood groups Community and religious organizations Registered charitable and non-profit organizations School, university or college groups, clubs, parent councils Local governments and First Nation community groups Learn more about successful grant recipients by watching this playlist .

Note for Individual Applicants: Individuals will need to demonstrate that they are partnered with an established and eligible organization. Wages or honorariums paid out to the individual applicant are not considered eligible expenses.

Projects should follow the 5R pollution prevention hierarchy (reduce, reuse, recycle, recovery and residuals management) and fulfill one or more of the following: Foster long-term behavioral change through consumer responsibility Educate on/and or apply proper waste sorting and recycling practices Projects that promote the movement of materials to higher and next best use Advance the life cycle of materials towards a circular economy (i.e. product care/maintenance, repair, and upcycling) Establish or expand local services for managing unwanted items Purchase of individual kitchen containers for multi-family residents to collect organics Support for lending libraries or other sharing initiatives Sorting of waste and recyclables at community events (e.g., compost, recycling and refundables) Purchasing a dishwasher to eliminate use of single use plates/cutlery Zero-waste networking events to support circular economy Hosting and organizing Repair Cafe events Creating new products from unused materials Creating preserves and other products to reduce food waste Learn more about the different types of projects that have received funding by watching these short videos .

The following criteria will be used to evaluate Community Grant applications: Potential for waste reduction Partnerships created and maintained Impact potential and long-term sustainability Outcomes and measurable impact Areas such as innovation, climate action, circular economy, preventable food waste and impact on 5R hierarchy will also be considered.

Applicants will be notified within 30 business days whether or not the application has been approved for funding. Funding for the Community Grant is $5,000 per project. Organizations can submit multiple projects, as long as the total doesn’t exceed $10,000 per year.

There is no timeline for submission of an application however, it is based on a first come first serve basis. If funding is limited, a notice will be posted on our website; otherwise, you can assume funding is available. Applicants will have one calendar year from the date the application was approved to complete all project activities and submit a final report.

Grant funds are released after review and approval of the final report. Requests for an advance on funds in order to purchase supplies or equipment will be considered. The CRD reserves the right to audit all projects.

Please retain supporting documentation including invoices and receipts for two years. Reporting and Communication Requirements A final report detailing the outcomes of the project will be required.

Please include: Achievements (community engagement, waste reduction, etc.) Challenges/barriers encountered Project cost and use of grant funds Impact potential and long-term sustainability Photos of project in progress or finished products In order to share your projects on CRD platforms, please complete a signed photo release for any identifiable people ( Adult [PDF/76KB] and Minor [PDF/77KB] ) Recipients will be asked to acknowledge financial assistance from CRD in their communications.

For projects where the general public is invited to participate, we can assist with promotion. One of the key actions identified in the Solid Waste Management Plan, the Rethink Waste Grant program provides funding for the development and implementation of community-based projects that align with the 5R pollution prevention hierarchy of moving waste materials out of landfills to their highest and best next use.

Rethink Waste Grant Spotlight Stories From grassroots initiatives to established organizations, discover how recipients of the Rethink Waste Grant have been reducing waste in the capital region. How can this page be improved? You will NOT receive a reply because this form is anonymous.

To get an answer to a question, email us at webdesk@crd. bc. ca .

Territorial Acknowledgement The CRD conducts its business within the Territories of many First Nations , all of whom have a long-standing relationship with the land and waters from time immemorial that continues to this day. Statement of Reconciliation