Activate Grants 2026
Frequently Asked Questions

This funding is intended for proposals with the long-term vision to advance racial justice.

Under this funding call, grant seekers can apply for Activate Grants which are intended to provide funding early-stage ideas that may lead to new programming, projects, or infrastructure and organizational development.

The Law Foundation shares in the collective obligation to work toward eradicating racial injustice and recognizes the need for grants that directly target and address racism within the legal system. In recent years, we have reviewed our grantmaking processes to address potential barriers related to the goals of building racial justice and combatting systemic racism and discrimination. This is ongoing work at the Law Foundation, with this current round of the Racial Justice Grants Call being shaped by learnings and grantee feedback from previous grant calls.

We acknowledge there is not only one definition or understanding of racial justice. However, the following outlines a premise from which we can begin to build shared language and understanding to guide its work and grantmaking:

Racial justice decenters whiteness, acknowledges historical and current systems of harm to create deliberate systems that support the transformation of laws and policies, and generates collective power to access, build and uphold rights including those set out in the Charter, Indigenous legal orders and international law, for Indigenous, Black and racialized communities.

To further support shared language and understanding of racial justice, and to guide grantmaking, we have also developed a racial justice grantmaking framework which includes the following guiding principles, as outlined in the funding call:

• Community Accountability;

• Use of Anti-Racism Frame;

• Intersectionality;

• Meaningful Engagement; and

• Collaborative Community Advocacy.

We strongly encourage grant- seekers to review the Law Foundation’s racial justice grantmaking framework in full.

The following groups may apply for funding: 

• Existing non-profit organizations in BC;
• Collaborative entities or groups in BC; and
• Organizations not based in BC but are working in collaboration with BC-based groups on projects that are for the benefit of people and communities in BC.

For clarity, Indigenous groups, communities, and/or First Nations are also eligible for funding and grant seekers do not need to identify as law-focused groups and organizations, as long as their proposed work is connected with the legal system or the impact of laws and policies on Indigenous, Black and racialized communities.

​​T​his call support​s​ capacity-building activities and may fund people who are seeking to establish new organizations, collaboratives, or groups. As such, grant seekers do not need to be a registered charity.

Grant seekers also do not necessarily need to be registered non-profit societies. Grant seekers can however choose to submit a joint proposal with an organization that is a non-profit.

Grant seekers who are not registered or incorporated, including those seeking to establish new organizations, collaboratives, or groups, can expect additional discussion with our staff so together we can identify the best way to provide funding. Grant seekers who plan for another organization to receive and administer funds on their behalf if funded are also asked to identify this in their application.

Yes, current grantees can apply to Activate Grants as long as projects align with the funding purpose. However, existing projects that already receive Law Foundation funding or have been funded previously through the Racial Justice Grants program, will not be considered.

Past and ongoing grantees of the Law Foundation are welcome to apply for funding. However, one of the aims of this funding is to support communities in building power, including newer or grassroots racialized groups and organizations who may be under resourced, developing their capacity, and/or new to granting processes. It is expected that most funding this round will be awarded to groups and organizations who have not previously received funding from us.

Yes, depending on the nature and scope of the work being proposed. Please note that eligible grant seekers must operate or intend to operate in BC and/or propose work that will significantly benefit people living in BC.

Yes, white-led groups and organizations may submit applications under this call. However, in assessing any application, we will consider the degree to which it aligns with our racial justice grantmaking framework, including the guiding principles of Community Accountability, Anti-racist Frame, Intersectionality and Meaningful Engagement. We may also consider a group or organization’s track record with regards to racial justice work as well as other factors, such as the extent to which the group or organization makes investments from its own resources to make racial justice a priority in its work.​​

The Law Foundation recognizes the complexity and intersectional nature of identities. We also recognize that concepts of race and a racial justice framework may not necessarily be appropriate or sufficiently expansive when it comes to Indigeneity and Indigenous identities. We do not have a rigid way of defining whether a group or organization is Indigenous-, Black-, or other racialized-community-led and, for the purposes of these grants, will ask grant seekers to self-identity and indicate the extent to which their group or board/staff leadership identifies as Indigenous, Black, and/or racialized.

Grants are intended to be flexible, and funds can be used for both projects and core operating costs. This funding call also encourages capacity-building activities in relation to racial justice.

The types of activities that could be funded include community consultation; issue identification; strategic planning in connection to a project or program; assessments or feasibility studies for expanding programs and projects; and activities that increase group or organizational capacity through specific skills training and/or new tools.

Applications will need to present a distinct project proposal but may also propose for the creation or sustaining of an organization to do the work. In the case of new start-up groups and organizations, a clear purpose, forward-looking vision, and a project proposal must be submitted.

Funding for existing projects and programs may also be considered where there is a clear connection to the grant seeker’s vision of advancing racial justice.

Some examples of projects and activities that will not be funded include those that: 

• have a main purpose to produce research studies, educational resources, and reports (proposals can include publication, education, and research as tools to achieve the ultimate goal of the proposal); 

• provide training for equity, diversity, and inclusion for board or staff of organizations, or equity, diversity, and inclusion program audits; 

• do not align with one or more of the Law Foundation’s mandate areas; 

• will not significantly involve or benefit people living in BC; 

• focus solely on the operational expenses of an organization; 

• occur prior to April 2027.

Yes, projects that aim to address structural and systemic racial discrimination and barriers against Indigenous communities within a broad range of legal and policy areas and are led by Indigenous communities are eligible for Activate grants.

A separate Indigenous Justice program supports projects that seek to revive Indigenous law and legal orders and to expand restorative justice projects. The Indigenous Justice grants program will launch the next grant call in June 2027. Please contact indigenousjustice@lawfoundationbc.org for more information. 

The Law Foundation has five mandated funding areas:

• Legal education;
• Legal research;
• Legal aid;
• Law reform; and
• Law libraries.

When the full funding call is released later this summer, there will be an opportunity to book a call with our staff to discuss your project idea. We will also be able to respond to simple questions and inquiries via email at racialjustice@lawfoundationbc.org.

Yes, Activate Grants are specifically intended to support early-stage projects and plans that may lead to new programming, projects, or infrastructure..​​

Generally, we ask that grant seekers prioritize and only submit one application, however if you have more than one project idea, please get in touch with us at racialjustice@lawfoundationbc.org to discuss further. 

Activate Grants are intended for activity up to two years.

We offer some flexibility, but generally groups and organizations should expect to start their grant within one year of receiving funding. If your group or organization may not be ready to use grant funds within a one-year period, we encourage you to consider applying for funding in a future round.

Grant seekers can choose to apply for $25,000 or $50,000 per year for a total of $50,000 or $100,000 in two years.

$3.5 million is available for this round of the Racial Justice Grants Call.

Grant seekers will book an exploratory call with our staff to discuss their project idea. If aligned with the funding call, grant seekers will be notified and asked to complete an application using our online grant submission and management system, SmartSimple.

We use SmartSimple as our online grant management system.

Groups and organizations new to the Law Foundation’s SmartSimple system will need to first register for an account. If you do not have an organizational address, simply enter “N/A” for all address fields during account set-up (we ask that you please avoid providing any personal/home addresses).

Our staff will be available to support any grant seekers who have been selected to submit an application via Smart Simple.

In the exploratory call with staff, you will be asked to share about your group or organization, your proposed project and how you see alignment with our mandate areas, the Activate funding guidelines and the Racial Justice grantmaking framework.

The application consists of four required narrative questions, one optional narrative question, and a series of fill-in fields. You will also be asked to complete a budget.

Each question has a word limit. The word limit is set to respect grant seekers’ time and reduce the pressure to figure out every aspect of the project at this point. In addition, it allows our staff to review applications efficiently. If you have additional information to communicate about your proposed project or idea, we ask you to use the optional fifth question at the end of the application form (our staff will also reach out during review of applications, if any additional information or clarity is needed).

We are looking for ideas, proposed solutions, and visions of racial justice – not perfect spelling and grammar.

Competitive applications are likely to be: 

• Led by, focused on serving, and accountable to racialized communities (Community Accountability) 

• Able to clearly demonstrate an understanding/analysis of structural racism (Use of Anti-Racism Frame)  

• Consider factors such as sexuality, age, gender, class, disability, geography, and culture in addition to race to create holistic solutions (Intersectionality)  

• Engage Indigenous, Black and racialized communities through accessible, inclusive, trauma-informed and culturally approaches (Meaningful Engagement)  

We expect to communicate decisions by April 2027. If this timeline changes, we will let all grant seekers know.

Grant seekers will be asked to provide an annual report for the grant, consisting of both financial reporting (in writing) and narrative activity reporting and have an annual mid-year check-in with our staff over Zoom.

The Law Foundation also convenes grantees for shared learning opportunities and Activate grantees will be invited to participate in these events.

We are happy to answer your questions. Please contact our staff at racialjustice@lawfoundationbc.org.

Technical questions or access needs can also be shared with our staff at racialjustice@lawfoundationbc.org.