In order to provide clarity to the application process, a glossary of terms has been developed and used throughout this website. All of the Community Fund program streams have specific guidelines, including applicant eligibility, project criteria, grant amounts, and grant schedules. For example, some grants, like scholarships, require that the individual applicant be either a Survivor or a Descendant, while others require that the applicant be Japanese Canadian. In terms of organizations and groups, there are a number of different categories, each with very specific definitions. Please refer to the Glossary when navigating the site. In addition, helpful Glossary tooltips have been seeded throughout the site.
We have provided answers to frequently-asked-questions (FAQs) to help further clarify the application process.
Glossary
Arts
Creation and dissemination of artworks in disciplines such as (but not limited to): Dance, Theatre, Literary Arts, Media Arts, Music, Visual Arts, and/or Interdisciplinary pursuits. Arts may also include traditional Japanese forms of art.
Athlete
Someone who participates in an organized team or individual sport that requires regular competition, places a high premium on excellence and achievement, and requires systematic, intense, and consistent training.
Basic Arts Training
Artists should have completed studies or training in their respective artistic discipline (not necessarily at formal institutions). They should be able to work in that discipline at a level recognized as practice independent from that training. They do not require further training to practise at a professional level.
Capital Purchase
Any single or multiple stand-alone, movable, tangible items or intangible assets, goods, or equipment that have a useful life beyond one year.
Descendant
A living person of Japanese Canadian descent whose family was directly impacted by BC Government actions in the 1940s and whose family experience in BC predates April 1, 1949. A Descendant can be living outside of BC.
Financial Stewardship
The applicant will assume the financial responsibility for the grant and must be prepared to provide banking information as needed at the time the grant agreement is signed in order to receive funding.
Full-time Studies
Full-time studies are determined by each institution since course credits and full-time status vary. In general, a student is full-time when enrolled in at least 60% of a full course load (40% for students with permanent disabilities) in a designated program at a Canadian post-secondary institution.
Graduate Studies
Studies undertaken at an eligible institution in Canada after the completion of Undergraduate Studies, usually leading to the conferring of a master’s or doctoral degree.
High-Performance Athlete
Athletes are considered to be at a high or elite level if they are competing at a provincial or national level.
Japanese Canadian
A Canadian citizen of Japanese ancestry or a person of Japanese ancestry who has permanent resident or landed immigrant status in Canada. Children adopted by Japanese Canadian families as well as foster children are also considered to be Japanese Canadians for the purposes of this work.
Japanese Canadian Legacy Scholarship
Funding provided to Japanese Canadian Descendants or Survivors who are engaged in Undergraduate Studies, Vocational and Career Studies, or Graduate Studies at an eligible post-secondary institution in Canada that involve the study of subjects aligned with the history of Japanese Canadians and/or the impact that that history has had on the Japanese Canadian community.
Japanese Canadian Organization
A not-for-profit organization whose primary purpose is to develop and support the Japanese Canadian community, provide services benefiting Japanese Canadians or enhance and encourage Japanese or Japanese Canadian cultural activities. It must have an established constitution and by-laws and have been incorporated for at least two years. A Japanese Canadian Organization can also be incorporated under a provincial or federal corporations Act without the distinction of a not-for-profit designation, as long as the primary focus of the organization satisfies the above definition.
Japanese Cultural Activity
Traditional and contemporary Japanese cultural practices or activities that originated in or have roots in Japan and enhance the appreciation for and promote Japanese and/or Japanese Canadian culture. (Examples include but are not limited to: sports such as martial arts. cuisine, bonsai, calligraphy, ikebana, origami, taiko, tea ceremony, anime, manga, etc.)
Non-Japanese Canadian Organization
A not-for-profit organization whose primary focus must be the delivery of a Japanese or Japanese Canadian cultural activity. The organization should have a Japanese Canadian board member or an endorsement from an established Japanese Canadian organization in that region, and must demonstrate a connection to the Japanese Canadian community. The organization also must have an established constitution and bylaws and have been incorporated for at least two years.
Not for Profit Organization
For the purposes of this Community Fund, a not for profit corporation is incorporated federally or provincially in Canada.
Part-time Studies
Studies that are less than Full-time Studies as determined by the relevant institution.
Professional Practice in the Arts
Applicants should be engaged in a professional practice in the Arts. After completing Basic Art Training (see above), they should have received remuneration for their artwork along with public presentation of their work.
Survivor
A living person of Japanese descent born prior to April 1, 1949 who was directly impacted by BC Government actions in the 1940s. Survivors include persons who were not displaced but were living in BC, and persons who, after their families left BC, were born prior to April 1, 1949, which was the day Japanese Canadians were given full voting rights and the legal restrictions used to control the movement of Japanese Canadians were removed.
Undergraduate Studies
Studies undertaken at an eligible post-secondary institution in Canada after high school and before graduate school.
Unincorporated Japanese Canadian Group
An unincorporated group whose membership is at least 50% Japanese Canadian and whose activities offer opportunities for Japanese Canadians to connect with one another, with their culture(s) and/or identity. The group must consist of at least 10 members, which could include potential participants in the group’s activities, and have the relevant experience to manage the project that they are proposing to create. (Examples of such groups could include: kenjinkai, hockey teams, garden clubs, writers’ clubs, anime clubs.)
Vocational and Career Studies
Technical education and career programs at an eligible post-secondary institution in Canada that prepare the learner for a specific job in a skilled trade, occupation or vocation. These studies may include apprenticeships.
FAQ
How do I know if I am eligible for a grant? Or if my organization or group can apply for funding?
Please check the eligibility criteria for each Community Fund stream. Refer to the Glossary for definitions specific to that stream.
Where do I apply?
First, create a user account through the Community Fund website. This will be your portal for accessing applications and for filling out, editing and submitting applications.
How long will the Community Fund be available?
Each Community Fund stream has specific intake windows. Please refer to the relevant guidelines for each stream. The overall Community Fund will close at the end of 2027.
Who decides who gets funded?
Each funding stream will have its own set of assessment teams made up of experts in their field. An assessment team will rank the applications based on a clear set of criteria. The assessment teams operate independently of the JCLS. All decisions of the JCLS and assessment teams are final.
Who qualifies as a Japanese Canadian?
A Japanese Canadian is defined as a Canadian citizen of Japanese ancestry or a person of Japanese ancestry who has permanent resident or landed immigrant status in Canada.
Who qualifies as a Descendant?
A Descendant is defined as a living person of Japanese Canadian descent whose family was directly impacted by BC Government actions in the 1940s and whose family experience in BC predates April 1, 1949.
What does it mean to be “directly impacted by BC Government actions”?
The BC Government’s actions are set out in the Acknowledgment of Internment and Japanese Canadian Legacies in BC (available at https://bcredress.ca/) signed by BC Premier John Horgan on May 21, 2022:
“Before, during and after World War II, the Provincial Government advocated for the removal of nearly 22,000 Japanese Canadians from the West Coast, as well as their internment in the province’s Interior years after the War’s end; pushed for the confiscation and forced sale of their property; and held weekly auctions of Japanese Canadians’ belongings.
“After the war ended in 1945, Japanese Canadians were prevented from returning to the Coast and instead were ordered to move east of the Rockies or deported to war-torn Japan. When the community was allowed to return to the coast, in 1949, it had nothing to return to.” – Former BC Premier John Horgan
I am not a Descendant. Am I excluded from applying for Arts funding?
An individual artist must be a Japanese Canadian Descendant to apply for Arts funding. However, we encourage collaborations. For instance, a Montreal-based artist who is a Descendant of pre-war Japanese Canadians could apply for funding for a project in collaboration with a shin-ijusha (new immigrant) artist from Vancouver.
I am not a Descendant. Am I excluded from applying for Scholarships and Sports funding?
An individual must be a Japanese Canadian Descendant or Survivor to qualify for Scholarships and a Japanese Canadian Descendant to qualify for Sports funding.
Who qualifies as a Survivor?
A living person of Japanese descent born prior to April 1, 1949 who was directly impacted by BC Government actions in the 1940s. Survivors include persons who were not displaced but were living in BC, and persons who, after their families left BC, were born prior to April 1, 1949, which was the day Japanese Canadians were given full voting rights and the legal restrictions used to control the movement of Japanese Canadians were removed.
Where can I apply for the Survivors Health & Wellness Fund grants?
Please go to jcwellness.org (link) to apply for grants for individual survivor health support. The Survivors Fund program is managed by the Japanese Canadian Survivors Health & Wellness Fund, under the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society.
Is the Community Fund for BC-based Japanese Canadians only?
No. The WWII history of forced uprooting, incarceration, internment, dispossession and displacement has led to a scattered community with individuals residing in different parts of the country.
I am a senior who would like to explore my history, maybe with my grandchildren. Is there funding for that?
Yes! The Intergenerational Wellness Fund was added to encourage projects like this. This stream acknowledges the overwhelming number of requests for projects that support seniors’ groups; family healing and sharing projects such as self-published books, digital scrapbooks, reflective storytelling, oral histories, etc.; and group gatherings that address historical trauma.
I have a small music group that doesn’t qualify as an Unincorporated Japanese Canadian Group. Is there a funding source for us?
Although you don’t qualify for a Community Project, you may be eligible for Arts funding.
Can sports teams qualify for sports grants?
Sport grants are available only to individuals who are Japanese Canadian Descendants and who participate in individual or team sports. Sports teams can apply to the Community Projects stream.
How many intakes will there be for the stream I’m interested in?
Please continue to check the individual stream page on the website for the most up-to-date information. Each stream has a different number of intakes that will be available. Once confirmed, intakes will be clearly posted for each program stream on its respective page along with the closing date for each stream.
Is there a way to find out when new deadlines are posted?
Please sign up for the Japanese Canadian Legacies newsletter to receive updates on the Community Fund. This is the best way to stay informed about the dates when new streams are available, impending deadlines and general information about Japanese Canadian Legacies initiatives.
Can I apply more than once?
An applicant can apply more than once for each stream if they are unsuccessful in the first application intake. However, the number of intakes varies for each stream.
When can I apply for a grant?
There are separate schedules and intakes for each program stream. Once the intake period opens, applicants who are eligible for funding based on the guidelines can create a user account and apply for a grant.
I have never used an online application form. What if I run into trouble or have questions?
We have done our best to create a user-friendly interface that should be easy to use for most people. To make the process less stressful, for each application there is a downloadable document called a worksheet where you can fill in application fields on your computer. Once you are happy with your application, you can ask a friend to copy and paste the information into the online form. We advise giving yourself lots of time to fill out your application so that you have time to collect support documents or information you may need without feeling pressured.
What if I made a mistake on my application?
Please do your best to complete the application correctly. We recommend using the downloadable document called a worksheet where you can fill in application fields on your computer before transferring the information to the form. The online application can be edited up until the point you hit the submit button. If you discover a critical error after submitting your application, please contact the Community Fund program staff.
Can I mail in my application instead of using the online portal?
No. We will not be accepting any hard copy applications.
How will I know I am successful or unsuccessful in obtaining the grant?
You will be contacted by a representative from the Community Fund.
How can I get help? Who should I contact if I have a question?
If you have read through the application guidelines, Glossary and FAQs and still have questions about the Community Fund, please contact: community@jclegacies.com. For general questions about the JCLS, contact info@jclegacies.com.