Stronger Philanthropy is pleased to announce the formation of a new major donor group who will allocate up to $500,000 in grants to innovative, BC-focused charities in 2026. The Lower Mainland Collective is a collaborative gathering of several BC families who will gather in May 2026 to allocate funding to address local needs with creative, sustainable solutions.
Grant Profile
The types of ideas that would resonate with the Lower Mainland Collective are those that may include the following:
- Innovative, scalable project, rooted in community need
- Initiatives that demonstrate clear outcomes and meaningful change
- Focus on initiatives that may be overlooked by traditional funding streams
- Promising early-stage ideas requiring a pilot stage to test the model
- Plan for ongoing sustainability of initiative after granting term ends
- Strong leadership and organizational track record
Size of Grants
- Grant requests between $25,000-$50,000 will be considered
- Size of grant request should not be greater than 10% of annual revenue
Eligibility
Registered Canadian charities with the following characteristics are eligible:
- Minimum $250,000 in annual revenue in the last fiscal year
- Focus on addressing need in communities of BC’s Lower Mainland
- Preference given to organizations with audited financial statements for the past two fiscal years
Process
- Charities must register their organization by completing or updating their Charity Survey by March 30, 2026
- Interviews of shortlisted charities will occur in March and April 2026
- Stronger Philanthropy will invite shortlisted charities to apply for a grant by April 15, 2026
- Grant applications are due by May 5, 2026
- Lower Mainland Collective will meet May 15-16, 2026 to award grants
- Funding of grants will occur by June 1, 2026
Next Steps
- Complete or update your Charity Survey
- If shortlisted, we will contact you for an interview and to complete a grant application