GRANT APPLICATION: Men's Sheds Start-Up Details and Documents (2022-2023)

Do you know of individuals thinking of starting a Men’s Shed in your community? United Way B.C.'s Healthy Aging Department and Men’s Shed Association of BC can help! 

In British Columbia, there are currently 19 Sheds and many more in development. A provincial network, Men’s Shed Association of B.C. (MSABC), provides information, resources, and other support to promote the effectiveness of individual Men’s Sheds throughout the province, whether or not they are members of MSABC.  

Recognizing the value of Men’s Sheds in promoting men’s health and wellness, a new initiative of United Way B.C.'s Healthy Aging  Department will support the growth of the Men’s Shed movement in B.C. and the rest of Canada. Working with MSABC, and supported by an anonymous donor, micro-grants of up to $1,000 will be available to assist with the start-up costs of new Men’s Sheds in British Columbia. 

These Start-up Grants are available to groups of two or more men or to community organizations interested in starting a Men’s Shed in their B.C. community and who have contacted MSABC to learn about effective approaches to developing and sustaining a Men’s Shed. If an organization has started a Men's Shed but does not require a Start-up Grant, they can apply for the larger Project Grant of up to $10,000. (To qualify for a Project Grant, a Shed must have seven or more active members, and the Shed must have contacted MSABC to learn about effective approaches to developing and sustaining a Men's Shed, and ideally connected with the Shed nearest to them.)

Getting started is simple:

1. Review the Call for Proposals and application documents (see attached). Review the FAQ for additional questions you may have (question/responses will be added on an ongoing basis).
2. Contact MSABC (Men's Sheds Association of British Columbia) to learn more about Men’s Sheds and what’s involved in starting and sustaining a Shed, and the mentorship support available from the Men’s Shed network. 
3. Get organized, start planning your Shed, and prepare and submit your application to UWBC: Click here to complete the online application.
4. You can review the outcome report template that will be due at the end of the granting period at any time. Once the outcome report has been filled out, please submit it to Calum Petersen, Granting Specialist, UWBC at calump@uwbc.ca.