The Alberta Native Bee Council (ANBC) has accomplished a lot in over five years of operation, entirely from volunteer contributions by board directors and society members. Pre-Springboard Grant, the ANBC Board had the experience and expertise to direct projects and review materials but lacked the capacity to secure funding and coordinate with the multiple and diverse partners engaged in native bee conservation and monitoring. The Alberta Ecotrust Springboard Grant funded a part-time staff member in 2023 to build this capacity and improve their ability to be strategic and efficient in their efforts to realize healthy and resilient native pollinator populations and habitats.

Capacity-building activities included finalization of a strategic plan, identifying funding opportunities, submitting grant applications and coordinating and developing partnerships. The second round of province-wide native bee monitoring in Alberta scheduled for 2023 was delayed to 2024 due to lack of capacity. A staff member who could communicate with and coordinate efforts among the many groups in Alberta that have an interest in bee populations allowed them to leverage funds, expertise and in-kind contributions as they pursued substantive funding for conservation and monitoring that is essential to having a robust understanding of Alberta's pollinator populations.