FAQs

The standard project length for a Gwaii Trust funded project is one year from the decision date, with the exception of the Major Contributions grant, which has a two-year completion window. Projects that have exceeded their maximum project length, where no contact has been made with Gwaii Trust regarding a deadline extension, are at risk of being decommitted.  If your project will not complete on time, contact your Project Officer before the deadline to avoid having your funds decommitted.

For more information on grant decommitments visit our webpage here.

We encourage the acknowledgement of funding through the use of the Gwaii Trust logo on your website, in print materials or by mentioning us on social media. 

You can also acknowledge Gwaii Trust on social media by using mentions, profile links and hashtags in your posts. You can find us on Facebook or Instagram. For logos and usage guidelines please visit our webpage here.

If you do not have access to a computer or need assistance with your application or with submitting receipts, please call or visit one of our offices. 

Upon approval, your Project Officer will contact you to notify you of the amount of the award. This is done through a funding notification email. 

Your next step is to have an authorized signor submit the Funding Terms and Conditions Follow Up form in the grant management system. This form outlines the standard conditions of funding and any application-specific conditions of funding (if there are any). 

Further instructions on how to receive advances, project reimbursements, and final reimbursements can be found in our Instructions for Accessing Funds document, found here.

For step-by-step instructions on how to apply for a grant, please check out our visual application guide.

Please note, Continuing Education and Travel grants have a different process. Please visit the following links for details on those specific grants:

Continuing Education (short term courses – less than three months)
Continuing Education (long term courses – more than three months)
Travel Assistance Program (individual)
Travel Assistance Program (group)

Decisions made by the Gwaii Trust Board of Directors are final and there is no appeal process for applications that have been declined or partially funded by the Board. Grant decisions made by staff according to Board set policy (see grant page for details) may be appealed to the Board of Directors.  If you wish to appeal a decision, a letter outlining the basis of your appeal and any supporting evidence must be submitted to your Project Officer within 30 days of the decision.  

Appeals for late applications will not be considered. The appeal will be added to a regular Board meeting agenda and a decision will be made within six weeks. 

Please contact us at info@gwaiitrust.com for support.

You will need to create an account in our grant management system before you apply for a grant online.  Registration will take about ten minutes. Please click on “Create New Account” to complete the registration process and create your logon credentials.

Log in to our grant management system.

Yes, if you are working with someone else on this request, you can invite them to be a collaborator with read, edit, or submit privileges. To do so, log in to the grant management system, open the application and then click the blue “Collaborate” button in the top right-hand corner of the screen. Click here for a tutorial

Collaborators will not receive system notification emails and cannot see Administrator Comments. Administrator Comments are added if additional information is requested by your Project Officer. Administrator Comments can be shared in the following ways:

• To share the Application: download a PDF of the application by clicking the “Application Packet” button and email it to them.
• To share the Follow Up form: download a PDF of the form by clicking the “Follow-Up Packet” button and email it to them.

If you forgot your password, please use the “Forgot your Password?” link in the grant management system to reset your password. If you forgot your username, contact us at info@gwaiitrust.com for support.

If your project will not complete on time, an extension request may be considered. Contact your Project Officer before the deadline to avoid having your funds be decommitted. All change and extension requests are then submitted through the grant management system.

Requests for extensions may need to go to Board of Directors for approval. 

To access funding, all conditions outlined in the approval notification must be satisfied. The terms and conditions must be accepted by having an authorized signor sign the Funding Terms and Conditions Follow Up form through the grant management system.

For general guidelines on accessing your grant, you can refer to the Instructions for Accessing Funds form, found here.

For full details on accessing your grant, please contact your Project Officer (listed on the grant page).

The standard project length for Gwaii Trust-funded project is one year, with the exception of the Major Contributions grant, which has a two-year completion window. Projects that have exceeded their maximum project length will lose their approval and the funds will be automatically decommitted. This means the funding will no longer be available. If your project will not complete on time, contact your Project Officer before the deadline to avoid having your project be automatically decommitted. 

The Final Evaluation Follow Up form can be found in the grant management system.

To have your grant decommitted, please contact your Project Officer for next steps. For more information on grant decommitments visit our webpage here.

If any details of your project changes, including the budget, timeline or activities identified in your application, contact your Project Officer as soon as possible to discuss the changes and determine next steps. All change and extension requests are then submitted through the grant management system. 

Change requests usually take up to one month to process once they are considered complete. Depending on the Gwaii Trust approval level needed they may take up to two months.

The final request is reimbursed through receiving confirmation of project completion. You will need to complete both the Claim Follow Up form and the Final Evaluation Follow Up form in the grant management system. 

The Claim Follow Up form will include:

• Claim form
• Financial reporting for the total project cost (including receipts or invoices and payment confirmations)

The Final Evaluation Follow Up form will include:

• Final evaluation form
• A request for four project photos

Payment is made once you have successfully completed your course. A student that has not passed a course may be eligible for funding if they are able to provide confirmation of attendance to 95% of classes.  

Payment is made once you have successfully completed your course. To access funding, ensure that all conditions of your approval have been satisfied and submit confirmation that the course has been completed successfully. In most cases, this means arranging for the school/institution to send us your official transcript, certificate or diploma.  In addition, submit a letter describing the outcome of your studies and requesting payment for your courses. If you did not include receipts for payment of tuition, course materials and books with your application, you will need to provide those before receiving your grant.

Contact ceg@gwaiitrust.com if there are any changes to the courses for which you have received approval.

• The Arts Grant is here to help you grow as an artist and connect with your community. Here’s how it can support you:
  • Mentorship opportunities: Learn from experienced artists who can share important skills and traditional knowledge with you.
  • Kickstart your career: If you’re just starting out, the grant can help you take the next step toward becoming a professional artist.
  • Grow your craft: For established artists, it offers the chance to further develop your creative work.
  • Build your skills: Use the grant for training or other professional development that helps you grow as an artist.
  • Bring art to the community: Help more people engage with and enjoy the arts on Haida Gwaii through your project.

• To see if your project is a good fit, think about whether it helps the cultural, economic, or environmental well-being of Haida Gwaii. Gwaii Trust focuses on:
  • Promoting – cultural and economic health
  • Encouraging – local decision-making
  • Improving – community well-being
  • Supporting – education and artistic expression
  • Fostering – cooperation, understanding and trust
  • Creating – jobs and improving infrastructure
  • Conserving – land, marine ecosystems, and archaeological sites
  • Conducting – research on Haida Gwaii’s environment and history
  • Planning – for a sustainable economy
  • Providing – services where no municipal government exists
• If your project helps with any of these goals, it’s probably a great fit!

• We want to help as many artists as we can! Here’s what we prioritize when deciding:
  • First-time applicants and those who haven’t received a grant in the past 3 years.
  • Projects that support emerging or established artists.
  • Projects with a cultural impact that benefit communities on Haida Gwaii.
  • Mentorship projects, where experienced artists share skills and traditional knowledge with others.
• We’re excited to support projects that make a positive difference in the community!

• There are a few things the Arts Grant won’t cover. You can’t use the grant for:
  • Marketing or promotion costs
  • Touring off Haida Gwaii
  • Creating merchandise to sell
  • Fundraising, prizes, or awards
  • Building or renovating studios or spaces
  • Running your business (payroll, utilities, etc.)
• The focus of the Arts Grant is to support your creative work directly. If you’re unsure about an expense, feel free to ask!