Grants are the unrestricted funds that everyone desires. Grants for a writing retreat to get away from it all can be found here. Some pay for custom assignments, while others test your ability to connect writing to a social purpose. Each one is unique, so keep checking back to see what might catch your eye.
As you’ll see, you must have “established” yourself as a writer in Canada before you can apply for these grants. To be eligible for funding, you must be a Canadian citizen or have permanent residence status in Canada. These grants may appear to be the holy grails of the writing industry, but they aren’t hard to obtain, and once you get one authorized, the procedure becomes much easier.
If you’re looking for grants for Canadian writers, the following resources will be a wonderful place to start your search:
Woodcock Fund Writers’ Trust of Canada
The Woodcock Fund is a short-term emergency fund for established Canadian writers who are facing financial difficulties. Help is provided to writers in a variety of conditions, giving them a temporary reprieve, financial stability, and the capacity to finish their present writing endeavours. It is the only program of its kind accessible to Canadian writers, and it is frequently the last resort for support. It has had a significant effect on our country’s literary community since its inception, distributing over one million dollars and rescuing over two hundred writers.
Value: $2000 – $10,000
Applicants Who Qualify
Professional writer earns a significant portion of their income from writing-related activities. Self-published and ghostwritten works will not be accepted as equivalents; a minimum of two professionally published works or an equivalent body of work is required. They’ve run into an unexpected cash necessity that puts their project’s completion in jeopardy. Rather than a continuing, chronic problem of making a living, it is usually a question of necessity, such as illness, accident, or legal concern. Working on a novel, creative non-fiction, poetry, playwriting, or children’s literary project.
Each of the three streams of Arts Grants for Individuals and Collectives 2020 has its own evaluation criteria and assessment methodology. Artists may only apply to one stream, and their ability to apply to various streams will be limited if they already received EAC sponsorship in 2021.
Stream 1: Experimentation and Exploration
To assist a working artist with current solo creative, experimenting, or research projects. The grant sum is set at $5,000 to cover the artist’s living expenses while they work.
Stream 2: Professional Development and Skills
To assist artists and arts professionals with professional development and mentorship-based projects. Grants of up to $10,000 are available for solo or collaborative projects and are based on actual or estimated project expenses, including artist fees.
Stream 3: Major Artist-Led Initiatives
To finance artist-initiated initiatives, including production/presentation that takes public health recommendations and limits into account. Grants of up to $25,000 will be available for projects that are solo or collaborative and will be based on expected project expenses, including artist subsistence.
Expenses That Qualify
Stream 1: Exploration and Experimentation grants are set at $5,000.
Stream 2: Skills and Career Development applicants may request up to $10,000 in funding.
Stream 3: Major Artist-Driven Projects applicants may request up to $25,000 in funding.
The 4th Annual Kemosa Scholarship for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Mothers Who Write have been launched by the Writers’ Guild of Alberta! This year, author Jeananne Kirwin is back to assist Indigenous mothers in finding their voices. We all share the goal of using tales to make positive changes in our community.
Value: 1st place $3000, 2nd place $2000, 3rd place $1000.
This is a one-time digital innovation effort called Digital Now. The program provides funding to arts organizations, collectives, and groups to adapt existing works or develop new ones that may be shared with audiences digitally. Digital Now provides a platform for the arts industry to make a digital leap for the sector’s rehabilitation and job development during this moment of health-related restrictions. Funded projects will bring together a diverse group of artists and arts professionals to reach local, national, and international audiences.
The profile you establish in the Canada Council portal and have approved by the Council determines your eligibility to apply. This initiative is open to arts organizations that are currently receiving core funds.
Value: Fixed grant amounts of $25,000, $50,000, and $100,000 for expenses directly related to the activity
Grant: $5,000 (Level 1 or “Emerging” Writers) or $10,000 (Level 2 or “Established” Writers)
Deadline: June — check online for current dates
Eligibility
Eligibility (Level 1, “emerging writers” ): Applicants must be current residents of the City of Toronto and have a minimum of one professionally published work to their credit (i.e. one article, poem or short story). Artists working with oral traditions must have a history of public performance.
Eligibility (Level 2, “established writers” ): Applicants must be current residents of the City of Toronto and have at least one of the following:
One professionally published book
20 pages of published poems
60 pages of short stories, articles or non-fiction published in literary magazines, periodicals or anthologies
Artists working with oral traditions must have a substantial history of public performance and be recognized as established artists by their peers.
The following grants and scholarships are administered by the Heritage Preservation Partnership Program: The Heritage Preservation Partnership Program (HPPP) funds activities that preserve and interpret Alberta’s history through matching grants and scholarships. This initiative intends to foster the development of heritage conservation skills in Alberta by giving financial assistance to qualifying people and organizations interested in delivering heritage conservation training.
Deadline Date: There will be one grant application intake per year. The deadline is the first working day of February. For scholarships, the application deadline will remain in October.
Supporting Artistic Practice’s Literary Publishers component funds Canadian literary book and magazine publishers that are devoted to developing and promoting Canadian writers through the publication process. Literary books and journals written by Canadian authors are supported through grants.
Equity and Access in the Arts Program by Edmonton Arts Council
The Equity and Access in the Arts initiative invest in these artists so that they can continue to work on their works, improve their talents, and create and enhance their relationships with the Edmonton arts community. The Edmonton Arts Council is pursuing our commitments in Connections & Exchanges through this initiative. It replaces and expands on the existing Cultural Diversity in the Arts programs, which have existed since 2008.
The three Streams in this initiative will each get up to $500,000 in funding.
Recommender Grants for Writers by Ontario Arts Council
Award Amount: $1,500 to $5,000
Deadline: January — check online for current dates
Eligibility: This one is designed to promote relationships between Grantmakers and magazines, publishers, and literary groups. Thus applicants submit directly to participating magazines and book publishers, who serve as third-party recommenders for the OAC.
Applicant must be a resident of Ontario with a permanent physical address in the province and have recent professional publishing experience with at least one of the following:
One traditionally published book (minimum of 48 pages) for which you have a contract and royalties, or
Three previously published short stories, cartoons, poetry, or other works for which you have been compensated. Magazines, newspapers, the internet, and anthologies may publish works, and work that wins a contest is considered for publication.
Work-for-hire creation jobs (editorial cartooning, creation for commercial comics franchises), sales at curated comics festivals, or gallery shows for three years.
Two recent non-text media production writing credits (radio, television, film, interactive digital media, and theatre).
Literary Creation Projects (Works for Publication) Program by Ontario Arts Council
Award Amount: $12,000
Deadline: The deadline is October; check the website for current dates.
Eligibility: This one is only for authors who have published novels worldwide! Applicant must be a resident of Ontario with a permanent physical address in the province and have recent professional publishing experience using:
At least one traditionally published book (minimum 48 pages) with a publication contract and revenues, or
At least three previously published short stories, cartoons, poems, or other works you have been compensated for. Magazines, newspapers, the internet, and anthologies may publish works. Winning entries are considered for publication, or
Check online for current dates before the start date of your project or the section of your project for which you are seeking finance.
This is for the research phase of the project. (Fun!) Artists, curators, writers, artistic groups, collectives, and artistic organizations are all welcome. For more details on eligibility, see the CCA Applicant Profiles document here; it’s a little confusing.
Supporting Artistic Practice’s Sector Innovation and Development component rewards Canadian groups, organizations, and cultural connections for projects aimed at growing and improving the arts sector. Grants support programs that deepen and expand support for Canadian artists.
You can apply for the following:
a one-time grant for a specific purpose
a multi-project composite grant for a period of 1-3 years
Value: Project requests: Normally, up to $50 000; Composite requests: Normally, up to $50 000 per year
Expenses That Qualify
Services of representation or management for a consistent roster of three or more Canadian artists, groups, or organizations.
For a variety of Canadian artists, groups, and organizations, I provide production services.
Creating critical and interpretive publications that promote one or more artistic practices
New organizational structures and management methods are being developed.
Opportunities for collaborative learning and networking, resource sharing, and other types of collaboration (including mentorship programs)
Putting together conferences, symposiums, and workshops
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