Inspire Vancouver grant program debuts with $6M for local arts, culture, heritage, and science
May 4, 2026
The City of Vancouver is launching Inspire Vancouver, a new grant program designed to spark creativity and create more arts, culture, heritage, and science experiences for the community.
Inspire Vancouver has five grants to support a wide range of projects and needs:
- Innovation Grants ($5,000–$25,000) for new ideas and creative experiments.
- Impact Grants ($10,000–$75,000) for events, programs and short-term projects.
- Comprehensive Grants ($100,000–$300,000) for ongoing operations and sustained impact.
- Capital Grants ($300,000+) for facilities, equipment and infrastructure.
- School Grants, dedicating at least 10% of annual funding to support field trips and admission fees for Vancouver and Evergreen Public Schools students.
Innovation, Impact and Comprehensive Grant applications will open this summer, for funding in 2026-27. Application timing for Capital Grants will be announced this fall for 2027 funding. School grants will begin with the 2026-27 school year.
“Inspire Vancouver opens the door for more people to experience arts, culture, heritage, and science in ways that feel accessible and relevant to our community,” said Stacey Donovan, cultural services manager. “At the same time, it creates a reliable foundation for the organizations and creatives who make that work possible, strengthening Vancouver’s cultural ecosystem for the long term.”
Eligible applicants include nonprofits and individuals with a nonprofit fiscal sponsor whose work focuses on arts, culture, heritage, or science and primarily serves Vancouver residents.
Inspire Vancouver is funded through the Vancouver Cultural Access Tax, a 0.1% sales tax adopted by City Council in December 2024. The program is expected to generate $6-7 million annually.
Visit www.inspirevancouver.org to learn more, join the mailing list, and view upcoming events and workshops. Follow Inspire Vancouver on Instagram and LinkedIn for updates.
Media contacts:
Melody Burton, senior communications specialist, melody.burton@cityofvancouver.us, 360-869-8746
Laura Shepard, communications director, laura.shepard@cityofvancouver.us