Library small grants
City Library’s small grants program promotes cross-cultural connection among North Vancouver City residents. It provides seed money to support creative opportunities for community-led projects, events and initiatives that aim to combat social isolation, promote learning, understanding and friendship among our city’s diverse residents.
Each year the program distributes grants of up to $500 to City of North Vancouver residents who are excited about building civic engagement in their community through the library. The goals of the program are to enrich lives and inspire stories and friendship through the creative use of the library’s space, resources, staff, books and technology, including the library’s Creation Stations.
Previous small grants awardee Banafsheh Ashrafi (pictured) used the funds to host a cookie decorating class.
Applications are now closed for 2024 small grants.
Eligibility
Our eligibility criteria are designed to ensure that grants support a diverse range of cross-culture-focused, inclusive community projects.
- Two applicants living in the same community and from different households are required on every application. Both applicants are responsible for managing the grant money.
- The main applicant must live in the City of North Vancouver. Use this map to find the City of North Vancouver boundary.
- Main applicants can apply for one library small grants project per year. Co-applicants can only be used on two applications.
- Your project must be free, accessible and welcoming to all. You may not charge entrance fees, request donations or fundraise for other projects and/or organizations.
- You may not profit financially from the project. Registered organizations and businesses are not eligible to apply.
- You must begin your project after the grant decision is made. Projects are not supported retroactively.
Ideas for your grant project
You can use grant money for an honorarium for guest speakers, supplies or equipment, food and drink, or to purchase technology. Use your imagination!
We’d love to hear what other creative and inventive ways you can connect with your neighbours, learn from each other, and help build an inclusive community for North Shore residents. You could:
- Use NVCL’s seed library to create a community garden in your neighbourhood
- Create a network, committee or group dedicated to a shared interest such as a parent action group or social club
- Work with your neighbours to create a community art project
- Establish a team of community neighbours to plan a storytelling project using library resources such as the Digitization Station or other resources
- Create a culture-themed book club or writing group to connect, share stories and build relationships with your fellow community members
- Create a craft program to teach one another about your family or ancestry’s traditions
Looking for more information, or perhaps have an idea and curious if it could work? Contact us for more info.
Before you apply
Before you begin the application process, make sure your project is a good fit for our funding. We fund projects that:
- Share residents' skills and knowledge within the community
- Build a sense of ownership and pride
- Respect and celebrate diversity, and are welcoming and open to people of all cultures
- Promote friendship
- Consider creative use of library space and resources
Planning your project
- Any equipment, materials or supplies purchased using grant money will remain the property of North Vancouver City Library
- Grant money may be used for honorariums with a maximum allowable amount of $50 per person, with total honorarium(s) not exceeding $100 or 50% of the project budget (whichever is less)
- When creating a project budget, determine the actual cost of items to be used, and think resourcefully about how to obtain materials through borrowing or donations
- Applicants are responsible for keeping expense receipts to account for project costs
- If your project is going to be on public space (e.g. neighbourhood street, public spaces or parks), please consider that projects taking place on neighbourhood streets or public spaces/parks are required to comply with municipal by-laws
- Applicants are required to know relevant information about permits and liability insurance they may require, and account for the time needed to process these requests at the municipal office
- Applicants must get appropriate permits and liability insurance prior to project start date
- All projects must follow current provincial health orders and health and safety protocols
Past projects
2023
- Kids’ chess club
- STEAM makerspace for kids and youth
- Journey of nations art adventure
- Cloth diapers 101
- ShareCraft tea and empathy
2022
- Frugal gardening and craft pod seed saving
- Beginners poetry writing
- Tea and crafting with ShareCraft
- Teen creative writing
2021
- Pen pals project
- Scatter kindness
2019
- Norooz friendship and celebration party: Welcoming spring in two phases
- Geering Up STEM Workshops for grades 4-7: Computer Science, engineering, physics
- Block lettering and wooden name sign workshop for grades 3-6
- Four cups of tea: Tea history and ceremonies in Japan, Iran, India and Russia
2018
- Grow and cook with herbs: Planting and potluck session
- Community board games night for teens
- Cookie decoration workshop for adults
- Color Works painting workshop for ages 55+
- Queen Mary community lending library