Jericho Beach Park · Vancouver

Funding Jericho's pickleball courts

The quickest money is donations given through the Park Board itself, which issues tax receipts for gifts of $20 or more, topped up with small grants. The only large grant is BC's Community Gaming capital grant, up to $250,000. Its 2026 window closed August 31 and it needs a nonprofit applicant, written Park Board approval and matching cash already in the bank.

This assumes the project is at Jericho Beach Park, on Park Board land, where two tennis courts became pop-up pickleball courts in 2023. It also assumes a community group or nonprofit is working with the Park Board.

Checked November 6, 2026. Confirm intake dates on each funder's page before applying.

Best fits

Five programs fit a court build at Jericho. They are ranked by how soon money can arrive and how well the project fits the rules.

  1. 1

    Park Board donations

    City of Vancouver / Vancouver Park Board
    Amount
    Any amount; gifts of $20 or more get a tax receipt
    Next intake
    OpenYear-round
    Who applies
    Individuals and companies donate; the Park Board receives

    The money goes straight to the landowner, and the Park Board says it welcomes gifts for projects outside its listed programs. Ask whether gifts can be earmarked for Jericho pickleball: donations@vancouver.ca, 604-257-8513.

  2. 2

    Community Gaming Grants: Capital Project

    Province of British Columbia
    Amount
    Up to $250,000, covering 20–50% of a $20,000–$1.25M project
    Next intake
    Closed2026 ran July 17 to August 31; expect a similar window in summer 2027
    Who applies
    A nonprofit that got a gaming Program Grant in the last 3 years. Governments and member-funded societies can't apply

    The guidelines list courts as eligible outdoor structures. On public land you need the Park Board's final written approval and at least 10 years of control. Matching funds must be cash or donated materials; volunteer time doesn't count.

  3. 3

    New Horizons for Seniors

    Government of Canada
    Amount
    Up to $50,000, of which up to $25,000 can go to capital costs
    Next intake
    Closed2026–27 call closed July 14; next call not announced (2026's opened June 2)
    Who applies
    Nonprofits and municipalities

    Much of Jericho's play is by seniors. The project must be led by or involve seniors and meet a second program goal, such as social inclusion.

  4. 4

    Neighbourhood Matching Fund

    Vancouver Park Board
    Amount
    Up to $10,000, matched by volunteer time, donations or cash
    Next intake
    Yearly2026 needed eligibility confirmed by April 17 and applications in by May 1
    Who applies
    Community groups, for projects on Park Board land

    Volunteer hours count as the match. It favours creative community-built work such as art, seating or signs over court surfacing, so confirm eligibility first: nmf@vancouver.ca, 604-318-5048.

  5. 5

    Community Initiative Grant

    Pickleball BC
    Amount
    Up to $1,000, paid as a reimbursement
    Next intake
    OpenRolling, first come first served until the year's budget runs out
    Who applies
    Through the local affiliated club, the Vancouver Pickleball Association

    It pays for nets, line marking, paddles and balls, not construction. It's a fast first win for equipment.

Who applies and on whose land

The Park Board owns the courts, so it has to approve any build. Most big grants, though, must go to a nonprofit partner rather than the Park Board.

Park Board

It can take tax-receipted donations, but it can't apply for the BC gaming grant, which excludes governments. It called the Jericho pop-up courts "not permanent" in February 2023, with future court decisions waiting on a Sport Court Strategy. Ask where that strategy stands and whether Jericho is in it.

Nonprofit partner

This is the applicant for the gaming and New Horizons grants. The Vancouver Pickleball Association is the obvious candidate. It already provides the Jericho nets and co-proposed a self-funded Vancouver Racquet Centre to the Park Board in December 2025. Check two gaming-grant rules: a society funded mainly by its members can't apply, and capital grants only go to groups that won a gaming Program Grant in the last 3 years.

City capital money

The Park Board approved a $739M request for the 2027–2030 Capital Plan in July 2026, and the City's park planning calls for more pickleball courts. Asking for Jericho to be included in court renewals may beat any single grant.

Donation platforms the Park Board suggested

These six are fundraising platforms, not grants. CanadaHelps, CHIMP and Benevity only work through a registered charity. GoFundMe and FundRazr are fast but give donors no tax receipt unless an eligible organization runs the page, and Kickstarter doesn't fit.

PlatformWhat it isCost to youTax receiptFit for Jericho
CanadaHelpsDonation portal for registered charities4.5% of one-time gifts, 4% of monthly giftsYesGood if a registered charity receives the money. Whether the Park Board can be listed wasn't confirmed.
CHIMPDonor accounts plus group fundraising ("Giving Groups")No platform fee; 2.8% card processingYes, when donors add moneyGood for donors who already use CHIMP; gifts go only to registered charities.
BenevityWorkplace giving and employer matchingFree for nonprofitsThrough the employer's programOnly helps if donors' employers use Benevity and the recipient passes its review. Can double gifts through matching.
GoFundMeCrowdfunding pageNo platform fee; 2.9% + $0.30 per gift (2.2% + $0.30 for certified charities)Not for personal fundraisersQuickest to start. Donors give to an organizer, not the Park Board.
FundRazrCrowdfunding page0% platform fee with optional donor tips; about 2.9% + $0.30 processingOnly when an organization that can issue receipts runs itThe cheapest page. Supports all-or-nothing or keep-what-you-raise campaigns.
KickstarterReward-based crowdfundingNot checkedNoPoor fit: projects must be creative work in categories like film or games, so court construction doesn't qualify.

If tax receipts matter, give through the Park Board's own donation program or a registered-charity partner, then link to that from any crowdfunding page.

Other programs to watch

None of these will pay for courts now, but each could cover a piece of the project or open up later.

ProgramStatusNote
Neighbourhood Small GrantsRuns yearlyVancouver Foundation, $50–$500 for neighbourhood projects. Good for an opening-day clinic or social, not construction.
Jumpstart infrastructureWinding down, no intakeCanadian Tire Jumpstart built 34 inclusive playgrounds and multi-sport courts and says it is folding future projects into its regular grants. Worth watching.
Enabling Accessibility Fund2026 call closed; next not announcedCould fund accessible features such as paths, seating or wheelchair access to the courts.
Vancity community grantsNot checkedVancity funds local community projects. Check current programs directly.
Selkirk growth programRollingDonates paddles, not court money; Canadian eligibility not confirmed.

Next steps

Start with the Park Board, because every grant depends on its approval and on a cost figure.

  1. Ask the Park Board (donations@vancouver.ca, 604-257-8513) whether it can set up a tax-receipted fund earmarked for Jericho pickleball.
  2. Get the Park Board's scope and cost estimate for the courts, and ask where the Sport Court Strategy and 2027–2030 court renewals stand for Jericho.
  3. Choose the nonprofit applicant, likely the Vancouver Pickleball Association. Confirm it isn't a member-funded society and whether it has had a gaming Program Grant in the last 3 years.
  4. If it hasn't, apply for a gaming Program Grant first, so it can apply for the capital grant in a later year.
  5. Apply now for the Pickleball BC grant of up to $1,000 for nets and line marking.
  6. Email nmf@vancouver.ca early in 2027 to test whether a Jericho project fits the Neighbourhood Matching Fund. In 2026 the eligibility deadline was April 17.
  7. Draft a seniors-led New Horizons project, ready for the next call (2026's opened in June).
  8. Choose one crowdfunding page, FundRazr or GoFundMe, and have it point donors who want receipts to the Park Board fund.

Sources