Kamloops Opens 2027 Climate Action Grants for Community-Led Projects

Kamloops, British Columbia, 7 November 2026: The City of Kamloops has opened applications for its 2027 Climate Action Grants, offering residents, charities and non-profit groups up to $2,000 each to deliver small community projects that cut emissions and build resilience to climate change.

The city has earmarked $20,000 from its Climate Action Reserve for the 2027 round. Applications opened on 5 November 2026 and close on 10 January 2027, the city announced on 6 November.

“The goal is to empower citizens and community groups with resources to deliver projects that foster a climate-friendly community,” said Jaimi Garbutt, the City’s Sustainability Educator.

What the grants offer

Grants of between $500 and $2,000 are available for community-based projects. To qualify, a project must support priority actions in the city’s Community Climate Action Plan and have the potential to decrease community greenhouse gas emissions, enhance community resilience to climate change, and/or support a healthy urban ecosystem.

Applicants must also show how their project will provide a direct benefit to the community, support the implementation of the Community Climate Action Plan, improve resiliency to climate change and/or reduce greenhouse gas emissions, foster neighbourhood pride and/or community wellness, and respect the principles of equity and climate justice.

The programme is open to residents, non-profit organisations and charities based in Kamloops. Projects must be completed within one year of approval, according to the city’s grant programme page.

What last year’s grants delivered

The 2025 Climate Action Grant program supported 12 community-led projects, each helping to build a more sustainable and resilient city, according to the city.

Highlights included a Food Sovereignty Education Program led by the Kamloops Food Policy Council, Repair Café events organised by Transition Kamloops, family nature events hosted by NatureKids BC, and a tree canopy expansion at South Kamloops Secondary School.

The 2026 grant recipients are completing their project reporting and will be highlighted in the new year, the city said.

Small grants, wider movement

Kamloops is one of a growing number of cities using small grants to back community climate action. In Mesa, Arizona, the Youth Climate Action Fund gave $40,000 to 11 youth-led projects in its third year, supporting work on water stewardship, heat mitigation and materials management. In Chicago, the Youth Climate Action Fund offers microgrants of $1,000 to $5,000 to young people aged 15 to 24 for neighbourhood climate projects.

The Bloomberg Philanthropies Youth Climate Action Fund behind those city programmes now runs in 300 cities worldwide. Kamloops funds its own grants directly from its Climate Action Reserve, showing that a city does not need an international backer to put money behind its residents’ climate ideas.

For Kamloops, a city in British Columbia’s Thompson Valley, the grants are a practical way to turn the Community Climate Action Plan into visible neighbourhood change — a repaired bicycle instead of a new one, a schoolyard with more shade, a neighbourhood growing more of its own food.

Key facts

• Programme: City of Kamloops 2027 Climate Action Grants, funded from the city’s Climate Action Reserve
• Funding: $20,000 in total; grants of $500 to $2,000 per project
• Applications: Opened 5 November 2026; close 10 January 2027
• Who can apply: Kamloops residents, non-profit organisations and charities
• 2025 round: 12 community-led projects, including a Food Sovereignty Education Program, Repair Café events and tree canopy expansion at a secondary school

Frequently asked questions

What are the Kamloops Climate Action Grants?

They are small grants from the City of Kamloops, funded from its Climate Action Reserve, for community-based projects that support the city’s Community Climate Action Plan by cutting greenhouse gas emissions, building resilience to climate change or supporting a healthy urban ecosystem.

How much funding is available?

The city has earmarked $20,000 for the 2027 round, with individual grants of between $500 and $2,000 per project.

Who can apply?

Residents, non-profit organisations and charities based in Kamloops can apply. Projects must benefit the community, support the Community Climate Action Plan and respect the principles of equity and climate justice.

When do applications close?

Applications for the 2027 grants opened on 5 November 2026 and close on 10 January 2027. City staff then review the applications.

What did the 2025 grants fund?

The 2025 programme supported 12 community-led projects, including a Food Sovereignty Education Program led by the Kamloops Food Policy Council, Repair Café events organised by Transition Kamloops, family nature events hosted by NatureKids BC, and tree canopy expansion at South Kamloops Secondary School.

Sources: City of Kamloops news release, 6 November 2026, and Kamloops Climate Action Grant programme page; City of Mesa and City of Chicago Youth Climate Action Fund announcements.