Information for

Indigenous Communities

Is this guide for you?

The BC Community Climate Funding Guide offers a simpler way for Indigenous communities and local governments to find funding for their climate action projects.

Maybe you’re a grant writer looking for funding to add heat pumps to a community building. Or a council member preparing your First Nation to cope with future wildfires. Or a staff member working on electric vehicle charging stations.

Whatever your role and whatever your project, this is the place to start if:

You’re looking for funding for a climate action project, and
you’re working on behalf of an Indigenous community.

Search For Funding Opportunities

Need help finding programs?

Tell us about your project to find funding programs that match it.

Use the Funding Finder Tool

Know what you’re looking for?

See the full list of funding programs and use filters and keywords to narrow your search to suit your project.

See the full program list

Looking for funding opportunities for Local governments? Start here instead

Supporting Indigenous Climate Action Goals

Across B.C., Indigenous communities are stepping up to tackle climate change – taking the lead in making the switch to clean energy and preparing for the impacts that threaten land, water and food security.

Taking these important steps, though, requires funding. And as we heard from many of you, finding that necessary funding can be overly complicated and time-consuming.

This guide was created to simplify your search for funding and reduce the barriers between you and your climate action goals. Use it to discover which funds you might be eligible for and to find programs that can help get your projects moving.

And remember – we’re here to help. If you have any general questions about funding, comments about how we can better support you, or suggestions for the guide, please contact us.

What types of programs are listed?

Climate Preparedness and Adaptation

Funding to help communities prepare for and respond to wildfires, droughts, floods and other impacts of climate change.

Community Infrastructure

Funding to help cover the costs of building sustainable communities, including waste facilities, transportation systems and community buildings.

Sustainable Transportation

Funding to help communities pay for bike lanes, charging stations, and other projects that will encourage the use of zero-emission vehicles and active transportation, like cycling and walking.

Clean Energy

Energy efficiency, fuel switching and renewable energy projects that help communities move to cleaner energy systems.

With funding from the CleanBC Communities Fund, T’eqt”aqtn’mux, the Kanaka Bar Indian Band, is creating an energy-self-sufficient and affordable housing development. Solar ground units and wind towers will provide the 24 rental units of T’eqt’’aqtn (The Crossing Place) with heat and hot water, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 1,828 tonnes over the project’s lifetime.

Through funding from the Community Energy Leadership Program, the Kitasoo/Xai’xais First Nation completed a project to install a battery power storage bank and control system with a 125-kilowatt-hour storage capacity. The system operates interactively with the existing hydroelectric facility to improve the efficiency of water usage and to help address any impacts to water availability for power generation due to climate change. This system will reduce the use of supplementary diesel generators leading to emissions reductions in a B.C. remote community.

The Penticton Indian Band has been a FireSmart community since 2016. Now, with a $150,000 grant from the Community Resiliency Investment Program, the band is boosting its wildfire protection efforts even more to prepare for the impacts of climate change. They’ll use the support to reduce the risks around grasslands and increase overall public awareness of wildfire hazards. They’re taking immediate, hands-on action to reduce fuel sources by removing flammable materials like wood debris, branches and undergrowth from high-risk areas near homes and critical infrastructure.

Through funding from CleanBC’s Community Energy Leadership Program, the Ashcroft Indian Band was able to use solar technology to power their new elders’ building – saving money, reducing emissions and developing resilience in an area badly affected by wildfires.

Through funding from CleanBC’s Community Energy Leadership Program, the Lower Nicola Indian Band was able to install a system of solar panels to power the Shulus Community Arena – the first First Nations owned arena in the province. The solar array provides the centre with almost one-third of its power, dramatically reducing the building’s greenhouse gas emissions and saving the community more than $13,000 in energy costs each year.

The Lil’wat Nation is making big strides toward resilience in a changing climate. With $750,000 from the Union of BC Municipalities’ Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF), the community will upgrade a 700-metre section of the Poleyard Dike on the Birkhead River in Mt. Currie and add a 140-metre extension to its upstream end. These improvements – funded as part of the $69.5-million CEPF’s structural flood mitigation efforts – are a key step for the Lil’wat Nation to prepare for the flooding that climate change will bring, and reduce the impacts on their community.