FAQs

I was approved for a Travel grant, what now? 

We will need receipts for all expenses, except food, and a written report once your trip is done. Please be sure to include a minimum of two photos of your trip with your report. Payments usually take up to three weeks to process once they are considered complete. If your trip is cancelled or any details have changed since approval, please contact travel@gwaiitrust.com to discuss the changes and determine next steps. 

I was approved for a Continuing Education grant, what now?

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. 

I did not pass the course for which I received a Continuing Education grant. Can I still receive funding?

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.  

I’d like funding for a project, what are the steps?

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)

I was approved for a grant for my project, what now? 

Upon approval, your Community Grants Specialist 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.

How should I recognize Gwaii Trust for its funding support?

For logos and usage guidelines please 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.

How long do I have to complete my project?

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 Community Grants Specialist before the deadline to avoid having your funds decommitted.

For more information on grant decommitments visit our webpage here.

Can I have an extension on my project?

If your project will not complete on time, an extension request may be considered. Contact your Community Grants Specialist 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. 

My project has changed since it was approved. What do I do?

If any details of your project changes, including the budget, timeline or activities identified in your application, contact your Community Grants Specialist 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.

My application was turned down. Can I appeal?  

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 Community Grants Specialist 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. 

I can no longer undertake the project I received funding for, what now?

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

How do I get paid?

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 to Access Funds form, found here.

For full details on accessing your grant, please contact your Community Grants Specialist.

What do I need to close my grant?

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

How long do I have to submit my final evaluation? 

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 PCommunity Grants Specialist 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.

I don’t have access to a computer, how can I apply?

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

How do I register for an online account? 

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.

I already have an online account – how do I sign in?

My username and password aren’t working 

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 admin@gwaiitrust.com for support.

How do I add a new contact to my organizational account on the grant management system?

Please contact a Community Grants Specialist for support: cgs@gwaiitrust.com

I am working with a colleague or grant writer on my application. Can we share access to our application and Follow Up form in the 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 Community Grants Specialist. 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.