Overview

The Community Wellness Grant Program is not currently open for applications.

Island Health's Community Wellness Grants provide the opportunity for not-for-profit organizations, local government organizations and Indigenous Nations and organizations to apply for one-time funding for community-led wellness projects that reduce barriers and increase supports, enabling all members of the community to enjoy health and wellness.

Criteria and eligibility

The focus of the 2024/2025 funding cycle is community resilience, promoting connected, diverse, safe, active, and nourished communities. Projects must address one or more of the following community resilience goals:

• Advancing diversity in your community
  • Promoting dignity and human rights
  • Addressing discrimination, racism and stigma
  • Decolonizing and Indigenizing community wellness
• Advancing connectedness in your community
  • Social connectedness
  • Building intergenerational connections
  • Supportive and welcoming communities
• Advancing safety in your community
  • Injury prevention
  • Violence and domestic abuse prevention
  • Active transportation
• Advancing nourishment in your community
  • Community gardens
  • Food security
  • Nutrition
• Advancing active living in your community
  • Physical activity for all, including people with different abilities
  • Mindful movement
  • Connection and access to nature

Community wellness grants can be used to fund a new project or a continuing project in need of one-time funding. In both categories, the project cannot have previously received Island Health funding and will not be eligible for future Community Wellness Grant funding. All projects must be based in and primarily serve communities in the Island Health region (Vancouver Island, the islands in the Salish Sea and the Johnstone Strait, and mainland communities north of Powell River).

Funding

Organizations may apply in either the individual grants category (up to $12,000 per project) or the partnership grants category (must be a collaboration amongst a minimum of 3 partner organizations, up to $50,000 per project).

Please note that approximately $600,000 total is available in the individual grants category and approximately $200,000 is available in the partnership grants category. The Community Wellness Grant program is highly competitive and always receives far more applications than we can fund.

Timeline

Community Wellness Grant projects should run from June 2024 to June 30, 2025, although the timeframe for some projects may be shorter.

Frequently asked questions

News & Updates

Check out this article about Community Wellness Grants in the summer 2017 issue of IslandHealth Magazine.

Island Health Magazine - Summer 2017

Grant Updates - Videos

Grant Updates - Photos

Check back for updates on how these grants are making a difference in your community.

Grant Recipients 2024

North Island

Black Creek Community Association
Seniors Lunch

Campbell River Child Care Society on behalf of the Campbell River Early Years Council
Reconciliation through Connection in the Early Years Pilot Project

Comox Valley Art Gallery
Walk With Me - Exploring Service Improvements for People in Trades at the Heart of the Toxic Drug Crisis

Eureka Support Society
Seniors Outreach Program

Gold River Literacy Society
Creating: Gold River Community Services

Hardy Bay Senior Citizens Society
Fit and Fab Seniors

Island Death Care Society
Connectedness Through Death Care

Kwakiutl Health Centre
Decolonizing Addictions Conference

LUSH Valley Food Action Society
Community Orchard Program

Ma'amtagila First Nations
Healing Together

Mt. Waddington Community Ministries - The Salvation Army
Healing Circle

Mt. Waddington Health Network
Wellness World Cafe Forum

North Island Queer and Trans+ Song Society
Fieramente Choir

Nuchatlaht First Nation
Financial Literacy Series

Rivercity Inclusion Society
Cooking Education

Sayward Community Health Society
Seniors Lunch Program

School District 85
Nanwakola

Youth Climate Corps BC
Kwak'waka'wakw Revitalization Project

Central Island

BC Dementia Care Society
We CARE Connection: Dementia Family Caregivers

Chemainus Valley Cultural Arts Society
Indigenous Day Gathering

Cowichan Restorative Justice Society
Restorative Justice in Education

Errington War Memorial Hall Association
Errington (re)Creation Family Activities Program

Ladysmith Family and Friends (LaFF)
Nourishing At Risk Families

Lookout Housing and Health Society
Street Smart Peer Outreach Program

Nanaimo Art Gallery
Indigenous Programming

Nanaimo Community Hospice Society
Traumatic Loss Adult Grief Support

Nanaimo Community Kitchens Society
Cultivate and Cook

Nanaimo Division of Family Practice
Social Prescribing Project

Nanaimo Ladysmith School District
Games Galore Get-together

Oceanside Hospice Society
Educational Volunteer Lunch & Learn Workshop Series

OUR ECOVILLAGE Cooperative
Medicine Basket Learning Circles Series (in the Peacemakers Kindship Medicine Garden)

People for a Healthy Community on Gabriola (PHC)Society
Activating our Compassionate Community

Port Alberni Backpack Program Society
Local Sustainable Nutritious Food!

Rising Tide Surf
Mułaa Rising Tide Summer Camp: Wellness on the Water

Warmland Women's Support Services Society
Calling Ourselves Home - Indigenous Outreach

South Island

Building Resilient Neighbourhoods
Neighbours Helping Neighbours - Building Neighbourly Supports for Aging in Place

Crisis Intervention and Public Information Society of Greater Victoria
Youth Suicide Prevention Program Expansion

FED Urban Agriculture Society
Empowering Communities through Food Systems

Greater Victoria School District
Mental Health Navigator

Greater Victoria Social Gathering Place Society
EMP Theatre Social Gatherings

Island Ignite Mentorship Society
Island Ignite Camp

James Bay Community Project
Building Intergenerational Connections

Living Edge Community
Living Edge Neighbourhood Food Markets 2024

Oasis Society
Oasis Connects

Parkinson Wellness Projects
PWP Exercise, Counselling and Education Program

Power To Be Adventure Therapy Society
Inclusive Adventures - Community Programs

Ptarmigan Arts Society
Community Arts for Resilience and Engagement (CARE)

QomQem Coast Connections - Peers Victoria Resources Society
QomQem Night Outreach Program

The Mustard Seed Street Church
Wellness Centre Project

Umbrella Society for Addictions and Mental Health
Recovery Day 2024

Victoria Brain Injury Society
Community Connections

VIDEA - a BC based International Development Education Association
Wisdom from the Land

Wear2Start
Wear2Start's Community Diversity & Inclusion Continuing Education

View previous recipients