Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Minerva BC

Minerva BC is a non-profit organization based in British Columbia that focuses on advancing economic and leadership opportunities for self-identifying women, girls and gender-diverse people. Since 1999, the organization has offered a portfolio of leadership and career development programs for early-career managers, mid-level leaders, experienced professionals and youth across the province.

While Minerva is best known for its evidence-based leadership training, it also plays a direct role in reducing financial barriers to education and professional development. The organization offers education awards and tuition support that help women pursue post-secondary studies and leadership learning, and it reports having raised more than $2M to support women’s education. Youth programs such as Learning to Lead™ are delivered at no cost to participants thanks to donors and sponsors, effectively providing fully subsidized training.

For adult leadership programs, Minerva provides structured tuition support in the form of reduced fees for individuals working in the charitable and non-profit sector, including Indigenous-led organizations. These discounted rates apply to key offerings such as Emerging Leaders and Women Leading the Way™, and the organization also negotiates preferential pricing for employers that enroll multiple participants or enter multi-year partnerships.

On the youth side, Minerva BC complements its free programming with targeted financial awards. The Youth Leadership Award recognizes an outstanding alumna from the Learning to Lead™ cohort and includes a $1,000 bursary to advance the recipient’s educational and leadership journey. Learning to Lead™ participants also gain access to additional opportunities, including pathways to external scholarships such as a full Shad Canada summer program scholarship offered annually to an Indigenous participant.

Minerva BC’s funding and programs primarily serve women and gender-diverse people in British Columbia, with particular attention to young leaders, newcomers, immigrants, refugees and women working in the non-profit sector. By combining subsidized and free programming, targeted bursaries, and reduced-fee structures with mentorship and research, Minerva helps build a more diverse pipeline of leaders and contributes to closing gender gaps in pay, representation and decision-making power.