Does your Men’s Shed have a project it needs support for? MSABC and United Way British Columbia can help.

Recognizing the value of Men’s Sheds in promoting health and wellness, a new initiative of United Way British Columbia – Healthy Aging (UWBC-HA) is supporting the growth of the Men’s Shed movement in British Columbia and the rest of Canada.  

In addition to providing micro-grants to help new Sheds get started, funding is available to existing Men’s Sheds to assist with the costs of projects aimed at:  

  • improving Shed equipment or facilities;  
  • expanding Shed membership;  
  • educating Shed members and/or the community; 
  • increasing Shed sustainability; or  
  • partnering with one or more other Men’s Sheds on an activity. 

MSABC considers those that meet the following criteria to be a Shed:

  1. Incorporated as a non-profit/society or affiliated with one.  
  2. Connected with MSABC (Men’s Sheds Association of BC). Formal membership is not required but highly encouraged.
  3. Connected with the nearest existing Men’s Shed, as suggested by MSABC. This includes a commitment to receive mentorship and assist one another.  
  4. Have a minimum of seven active Shed members.

These project grants of up to $10,000 are for time-limited projects; funding is not intended for on-going Men’s Shed programs or operational costs.  

To be eligible, a Men’s Shed must apply through a partner organization that is a registered charity, such as a community agency, or other qualified donee, such as a municipality. Please see the information provided regarding intermediaries and charities. If your Shed is interested in applying for a project grant and would like more information regarding eligibility and partnering with a qualified donee, please contact us. 

Getting started is simple:  

  1. Review the Call for Proposals, Paper Application form, and Outcome Report, as well as the FAQ.
  2. Start planning your project and confirm your charitable/qualified donee partner.
  3. Applications are submitted online through United Way’s eAccess portal. To apply, contact Calum Petersen, Granting Specialist, UWBC at calump@uwbc.ca.  

If you have additional questions about these grants after reviewing the documents and FAQ (see link above), please contact Barbara McMillan, Provincial Coordinator, United Way Healthy Aging at barbaram@uwlm.ca.