Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Province of British Columbia (CAI)

Community Action Initiative (CAI) is a British Columbia–based non-profit organization dedicated to transforming mental health and substance use (MHSU) supports through community-led action. CAI acts as a connector between grassroots organizations and government, aligning local needs with provincial priorities while centring the knowledge and lived experience of communities. Its work combines capacity building, knowledge exchange, and trust-based granting to strengthen the MHSU sector across urban, rural, and Indigenous communities in B.C.

Through its grants, CAI supports community-based projects that promote mental health, prevent harms related to substance use, and improve access to services for individuals and families. Funding areas span the full response continuum, from prevention and early intervention to treatment and recovery-oriented initiatives. The organization explicitly commits to equity, including dedicating at least 25% of its grant resources to projects led by Aboriginal-mandated organizations.

CAI manages multiple funding initiatives that evolve with sector needs and government partnerships. Current streams highlighted on the site include grants for lived and living experience employment, Community Action Teams (CATs), provincial peer networks, community counselling, supportive recovery initiatives, and youth wellness projects. In addition, specialized Indigenous Convening Grants help communities host dialogues on mental health and substance use, with pathways to larger Community Action Team funding.

Beyond direct project grants, CAI supports training, convening, and knowledge-sharing projects such as local leadership networks and provincial sector surveys. Its community resources platform allows users to search funded grants and projects by status, theme, health authority region, grant type, and duration, reflecting a structured and transparent funding portfolio.

CAI’s philosophy emphasizes trust-based granting and long-term relationships rather than purely transactional funding. Applications and funded projects are viewed through an equity lens, considering historical context, community knowledge, and the voices of people with lived and living experience. The organization values collaboration across sectors, including local governments, health authorities, non-profits, peers, and businesses, to address system-level barriers.

While detailed evaluation criteria are housed within specific calls, the overarching values of community knowledge, collaboration, inclusion, continuous learning, and accountability guide decision-making. CAI also invests in evaluation and research, supporting equity-oriented evaluation practices and the dissemination of lessons learned through blogs, stories, reports, and annual reports.

CAI demonstrates transparency by publishing annual reports and financial statements that summarize activities, financial stewardship, and the impact of funded initiatives. The organization acknowledges its work on unceded Indigenous territories and reflects on how conventional grant-making practices have been shaped by colonial histories, committing to shift mainstream funding practices in service of equity, truth, and reconciliation.

Through this combination of funding, capacity-building, and reflective practice, Community Action Initiative plays a significant role in strengthening a community-informed mental health and addictions system of care throughout British Columbia.