FUNDING AND GRANTS
This section provides resources about funding, grants, and opportunities at the national, provincial and local levels.
If you know about opportunities that are not listed, please reach out to Sarah at advisor@mbarchives.ca.
Please Note: Two important national grants were recently discontinued, including the Documentary Heritage Communities Program (DHCP) and Listen Hear Our Voices. The Canada Cultural Spaces Fund website states that is changing in 2028. See below for details.
Youth Employment Opportunities
Young Canada Works (YCW)
Youth employment program lasting between 6 to 16 weeks. This program supports organizations with a heritage mandate. Eligible employers may benefit from wage subsidies to hire youth. The application deadline is April 15.
Young Canada Works at Building Careers in Heritage (YCWBCH)
YCWBCH is an internship program providing youth (ages 16 to 30) opportunities with archives, museums, libraries, and heritage sites, in cultural science, and in arts and cultural fields. Eligible employers may benefit from wage subsidies and access a pool of college & university graduates with innovative ideas and competitive skills.
National Grants (Canada)
Access to Heritage – Museum Assistance Program (MAP)
MAP provides heritage organizations funding support for travelling exhibits in Canada, and to promote access to heritage across different geographic regions. https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/funding/museums-assistance/access-heritage.html
Legacy Fund – Building Communities through Arts and Heritage
Funding for community-initiated capital projects, including projects that commemorate local historical event or personality, mark a 100th anniversary (or greater), involve restoration of buildings of community significance, or encourage and make publicly accessible arts and heritage activities. Available to non-profits, band and tribal councils, Indigenous organizations and government, and municipal administration and their agencies. https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/funding/building-communities/legacy-fund.html
The Canada Cultural Spaces Fund (CCSF)
The CCSF supports the improvement of physical conditions for arts, heritage culture and creative innovation, including renovation projects and acquisition of specialized equipment related to arts and heritage cultural spaces. Available to non-profit art and heritage organizations, provincial/territorial and municipal administration and agencies, and Indigenous governing bodies or agencies.
Please Note: The CCSF program is changing and not accepting applications that begin after April 1, 2028. Refer to Government of Canada websites for updates.
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/funding/cultural-spaces-fund.html
Digital Museums Canada (DMC) Investment Program
Digital Projects Stream
Funding is provided for Canadian museums, and heritage, cultural, or Indigenous organizations seeking to develop an accessible online project, with the support of a web development agency.
https://www.digitalmuseums.ca/funding/digital-projects/
Community Stories Stream
Funding is provided for Canadian museums, and heritage, cultural or Indigenous organizations seeking to develop a Community Stories project using DMC’s website-building platform.
https://www.digitalmuseums.ca/funding/community-stories/
Provincial Grants (Manitoba)
The Department of Sport, Culture and Heritage of the Government of Manitoba offers several grant programs, including:
Heritage Resources Conservation Grant: https://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/grants/heritage/hrcg.htm
Community Museum Grants Program: https://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/grants/heritage/cmgp.htm
Community Museum Project Support Program: https://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/grants/heritage/cmps.htm
Community Festival and Events Program: https://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/grants/heritage/cfe.html
Grant Programs Home: https://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/grants/index.html
Manitoba Heritage Trust Program (MHTP) – Endow Manitoba
The MHTP provides support to museums, archives, and supporting organizations to establish and grow endowment funds (‘Heritage Trust Funds’) with the aim of long-term sustainable revenue. This program was initiated by the Manitoba government, and is administrated by the Winnipeg Foundation with support of the Association of Manitoba Museums, Association for Manitoba Archives, and 56 rural community foundations.
https://www.endowmanitoba.ca/manitoba-heritage-trust-program/
Conseil des arts du Manitoba Arts Council
The “Indigenous 360 Learn” program supports learning and artistic development activities in all disciplines for Indigenous artists, arts/cultural professionals, and Knowledge Keepers.
https://artscouncil.mb.ca/grants/indigenous-360/
Regional Grants (Winnipeg)
Winnipeg Foundation Grant Programs
Community Program Grants: https://www.wpgfdn.org/granting/community-grants/
Funding opportunities for hosting a conference, buying equipment, or in need of a short-term operating grant.
Major Capital Program Grants: https://www.wpgfdn.org/granting/major-capital-grants
Funding opportunities for leading a capital campaign or undertaking major renovations.
Gail Parvin Hammerquist Fund
Provides financial assistance to individuals and organizations for initiatives that preserve and interpret Winnipeg's heritage. Financial assistance is available through Capital Project Grants and Heritage Research and Interpretive Grants under the “Gail Parvin Hammerquist Fund City-Wide Heritage Program”.
https://www.winnipeg.ca/people-culture/winnipegs-history/heritage-conservation/incentive-programs
Regional Grants (Winnipeg)
International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA) – IASA Research Grant
IASA offers financial awards to encourage and support research and publication within the field of audiovisual archiving and preservation. https://www.iasa-web.org/research-grant
Recently Discontinued & Changing
Documentary Heritage Communities Program (DHCP): The DHCP was permanently discontinued in 2025 following federal budget cuts. It was managed by Library and Archives Canada (LAC). For more info: https://www.canada.ca/en/library-archives/services/funding-programs/dhcp.html
Listen, Hear Our Voices: This initiative was concluded in March 2025. It previously funded digitization projects of Indigenous organizations and community groups to preserve cultural and language recordings and supported skill building in archiving: https://www.canada.ca/en/library-archives/services/funding-programs/listen-hear-our-voices.html
UPCOMING CHANGES: The Cultural Spaces Fund program is "changing" and "not accepting applications that begin after April 1, 2028". Refer to the Government of Canada for updates.