Neighbourhood Matching Fund

• Who can apply?
• What projects are eligible?
• Funding criteria
• How to apply
• For more info

The Neighbourhood Matching Fund supports projects by neighbourhood-based groups who want to make creative improvements to local public land. It supports projects which actively involve people in developing community and building neighbourhood connections while improving parks or other public spaces.

The Vancouver Park Board will supply funds up to $10,000 to match the contribution the community makes through other funds raised, donated supplies, or volunteer labour. Projects which have other committed Park Board or City of Vancouver funding are eligible for a maximum of $5,000 and will be considered second to projects with no such funding.

If you have a project for your neighbourhood and are interested in applying, you are invited to develop a project proposal and budget based upon the criteria of the Fund and submit an application as outlined in the How to Apply section. The match provided by the community (volunteer labour, donated supplied, funds raised) must also be outlined. Staff will conduct a technical review of the site and the proposed project. If technically feasible, the proposal is then reviewed by an Advisory Committee, composed of community members from across the city who select the most eligible projects for funding. It is rare for the Advisory Committee to allocate the maximum level of funding to a project. Applicants are strongly encouraged to seek other sources of funding.

There are two deadlines per year: April 15 and October 31.

It is strongly recommended that interested applicants read the information below prior to beginning the application process in order to familiarize themselves with the goals and criteria of the Neighbourhood Matching Fund.

Who can apply?

• any neighbourhood-based, registered not-for-profit groups, such as Community Centre Associations or Neighbourhood Houses, are eligible
• informal neighbourhood-based groups and organizations may apply in partnership with the sponsorship of a registered not-for-profit organization. In such cases, the not-for-profit organization will be considered the Applicant, while a representative from the informal group can be listed as the Project Coordinator. Parent committees must make their applications in partnership with a community group based outside of the school.
• registered not-for-profit groups which are not neighbourhood-based will be expected to engage community members and will not be considered if acting alone

Please note: Groups are required to hold third party liability insurance in the amount of $2 million, and if successful, a copy of the insurance certificate will need to be submitted. If the group does not already have insurance, then appropriate insurance must be purchased to cover the period of the project. In such a case, the cost of insurance can be listed as an expense in the budget. (See Point 5, Project Budget, in the How To Apply section).

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What projects are eligible?

All projects must:

• Be on Park Board land or other public property within Vancouver's boundaries. Groups are required to obtain permission from the appropriate public land trustee (e.g. City Engineering, Vancouver Public Library or Vancouver School Board) before proceeding with their project
• Show how they will involve neighbours from a broad spectrum of the community, including a diversity of ages and backgrounds
• Demonstrate a lasting physical legacy. Celebrations, parades, performances, etc., are not eligible

Examples of projects include:

• garden or greening projects
• building a community fence
• working with a ceramic artist to build creative benches
• developing natural or historical interpretation
• starting a banner program
• building an information kiosk

Past projects funded by Neighbourhood Matching Fund can be found on our ArtsFinder database.

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Funding Criteria

The focus of the Neighbourhood Matching Fund is on building community connections through projects that improve public spaces. Proposals should address how the project aims to accomplish the following:

• create and maintain strong community connections between neighbours
• demonstrate how the diversity of the community will be recognized and included
• demonstrate widespread community participation in the project process (example: planning meetings, workshops, work parties, etc.)
• demonstrate broad-based community support of the project
• show how communities will take leadership in addressing their concerns
• outline what new skills and abilities community members will learn and develop
• enhance public space or expand green space

Please keep in mind:

• Neighbourhood Matching Fund is not a grant. Successful applicants will be reimbursed for expenses directly related to the project.
• Matching Funds will not be reimbursed for resources expended prior to project approval.
• Large projects must identify a specific element with which Neighbourhood Matching Fund can be associated.
• Projects which are a regular part of the Board's operation will not be considered; these include "standard" items such as playgrounds, park benches, other manufactured equipment or street trees.
• Schools will be funded for greening projects only. The projects must engage neighbours who are not involved with the school and must take place outside of school hours.
• Financial forms and other reporting guides will be supplied to funded projects. However, photo documentation and a final report project summary, including details of neighbourhood contributions are required upon completion. These are to be submitted in electronic format. All receipts for expenditures must be retained.
• Everyone that does business with the City of Vancouver/Vancouver Park Board also needs City of Vancouver Business license. Please include a copy of your license when returning your signed contracts and insurance certificate. If you do not currently have a Vancouver business license, you will need to apply for one. Please visit the City website: http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/LICANDINSP/licences/business/index.htm or call 311 for more information.

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How to Apply

Please contact Megan Stuart-Stubbs prior to beginning the application process to ensure your project is eligible: email: megan.stuart-stubbs@vancouver.ca; telephone: 604-257-8403.

The Application

There is no application form for the Neighbourhood Matching Fund, though it is recommended applicants use the budget worksheet provided (Please see Point 5 below). Instead, please submit a letter of application that includes information outlining the following eight points:

1. Contact Information
Include the name of your organization, contact person, mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone number.

Please remember that the official Applicant must be a registered not-for-profit organization. In cases where the not-for-profit is acting solely as the fiscal agent, please list contact information for both the registered not-for-profit and for the Project Coordinator(s). For example, a local Neighbourhood House may be acting as the official applicant, but the project is actually being led by a group of local residents working in partnership with the Neighbourhood House. In such a case, the Neighbourhood House, with full contact information, including a contact person, should be listed as the applicant, and a representative of the local residents can be listed as the Project Coordinator. Along with the Project Coordinator's name, an email address and telephone number should be listed.

2. Project Description
Please describe your project in a maximum of two-pages, single-sided, single-spaced in 12 pt type size, suitable for photocopying. Your description should address the following:

• What is your project? What would you like to accomplish?
• Who will you work with? (businesses, community groups, residents, etc)
• Include information on the proposed site.
• Outline the benefits of the project to your community. How will this project meet the criteria and desired outcomes of this program?

Click here for the Funding Criteria.

3. Letter of permission from the public land trustee
Your project must be on Park Board land or other public property within Vancouver and have permission from the public land trustee. Permission can, on occasion, take some time to secure, so it is advisable for groups to begin the permission process as soon as possible. If you do not know if the proposed site is on public land, or who the public land trustee is for a given site, please contact Megan Stuart-Stubbs, megan.stuart-stubbs@vancouver.ca or 604-257-8403 for assistance.

4. Project schedule
Please outline a detailed work plan and timeline for your project. This should be a maximum of one page. Please keep in mind that projects are to be completed within one year of funding approval.

5. Project Budget
The Neighbourhood Matching Fund requires specific budgetary information about your project. The Fund supports projects in which neighbours are providing volunteer labour, donations in-kind for materials and services, and for which there are potentially other monetary contributions. In order to determine how much your project qualifies for, you need to supply information on the value of resources provided from these other sources. You will also need to provide a list of expenses for items and fees that will need to be purchased. The amount requested from Neighbourhood Matching Fund cannot exceed either the resources from other sources or the total expenses which will need to be paid for.

Please keep in mind that:

• If your organization does not already have third party liability insurance, you will need to purchase coverage in the amount of $2 million. This is a reimbursable expense, and can be included in your budget.
• Volunteer participation is valued at $10/hour. Matching funds cannot be used to pay people working on the project other than for professional services.
• Donated professional services should be valued at a standard rate.
• Donated materials or supplies should be valued at a standard rate.
• Neighbourhood Matching Fund does not provide a grant, but reimburses for expenses. You will be required to submit and invoice that reflects the total amount of all expenses incurred on the project and that are to be paid out by the program. All receipts for expenditures must be retained in case of audit and be made available to Park Board staff upon request.
• Projects are eligible for a maximum of $10,000. Projects which have other committed Park Board or City of Vancouver funding are eligible for a maximum of $5,000 and will be considered second to projects with no such funding. It is rare for the Advisory Committee to allocate the maximum level of funding to a project. Applicants are strongly encouraged to seek other sources of funding.

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To help you complete your budget, please use the budget worksheet provided below:
Budget Worksheet 
Budget Worksheet 
Sample Budget 

6. Community support
This project will affect people beyond those in your group and their support must be demonstrated at the application stage. Please submit at least three letters of support for your proposed project. These can be from local community or neighbourhood groups, local businesses, or residents living near the proposed site. If your project is in a neighbourhood park, then one of your letters of support needs to be from the local Community Centre Association. Please note: Letters of support from the applicant, or from members of the applicant's organization, are not acceptable.

7. Artist Information (optional)
Groups are not required to work with an artist. However, if you are, or will be, working with an artist, please submit artist documentation or describe your artist selection process.
Artist documentation should include:

• a CV outlining the artist's previous work and experience in community-based projects (maximum two-page, single-sided, 12 pt type.).
• Up to 10 images of artworks representative of the materials and process that will used in the proposed project. PLEASE DO NOT SEND ORIGINALS. The Park Board is not responsible for any lost materials. Images should be accompanied by documentation listing the title, size and list of materials used.

If you have not yet selected an artist, but plan on working with one, please submit a one page description outlining your selection process. If you are unsure as to how to go about finding an artist for your project, please contact Megan Stuart-Stubbs for assistance: megan.stuart-stubbs@vancouver.ca or 604-257-8403.

8. Legacies
Outline a plan to maintain the work created and to sustain the neighbourhood connections (maximum of one page). Note: Ongoing maintenance of the completed project is the responsibility of the Applicant.

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Application Deadlines

April 15 and October 31

It is the responsibility of applicants to ensure that applications are complete and received by the deadline date. Late applications will not be considered. Your application can be sent by email, regular mail, or dropped off in person. Please send your application and supporting materials to:

If sending by email, please send it to: megan.stuart-stubbs@vancouver.ca and put Neighbourhood Matching Fund Application in the subject line.

Applicants will be notified regarding the status of their application approximately one month after the application deadline.

If you have any questions or need assistance with this application, contact Megan Stuart-Stubbs at 604-257-8403 ro megan.stuart-stubbs@vancouver.ca

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