This initiative is designed to assist non-profit arts organizations that do not already receive an operational grant from Calgary Arts Development with one-time unrestricted funding of up to $25,000 in a one-time unrestricted grant.
While these funds are unrestricted and may be used for almost any aspect of an organization‘s budget, grants will be given to organizations that demonstrate forward-thinking aspirations in response to and building upon the pandemic’s impacts to ensure a vibrant, revitalized, and re-imagined arts sector for Calgarians post-pandemic. These aren’t meant to be used for disaster aid
What Are the Funding Priorities of this Fund?
Attempts to reopen
New business concepts are being developed.
Increasing the number of jobs available to artists and arts professionals by attracting, rehabilitating, and retaining them
Truth and Reconciliation, anti-racism, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility are all issues that need to be addressed (EDIA)
Information will be provided through an application that will comprise written responses and a verbal presentation to the assessment committee, which will be made up of Calgary Arts Development personnel and creative and community peers. This program is open to Calgary-based registered non-profit arts organizations that can demonstrate a majority of their programming is accessible to Calgary residents. Organizations must show that the arts are vital to their mission. Non-art organizations and for-profit firms or businesses will not be eligible for this financing. Organizations can apply for up to $25,000 in funding. The total amount of money accessible is $500,000.
Who can Apply?
This program is open to Calgary-based registered non-profit arts organizations that can demonstrate a majority of their programming is accessible to Calgary residents. Organizations must show that the arts are vital to their mission, and Calgary Arts Development requires that organizations be in good standing.
Non-art organizations and for-profit firms or businesses will not be eligible for this financing. Please see the Investment Program FAQ for more eligibility information.
How to Apply?
The new online grant interface must be used to submit applications. On May 9, 2022, the application form will be available. Following your application’s successful submission, Calgary Arts Development staff will analyze it and may ask for additional information they believe will assist the evaluation committee in understanding it better.
They will contact you to schedule your oral presentation appointment once the written section of the application is completed.
Application Checklist
For your application, you will need the following information:
Checklist for Written Applications
Contact Information for the Organization
Organization Financial Statements for the Mandate
Financial statements from the most recent year, containing a statement of operations and a balance sheet.
A summary of success from the previous year relating to your artistic or community endeavor or your organizational capacity.
A brief explanation of a struggle from the previous year relevant to your artistic or community activities or organizational capabilities.
Description of Aspiration
A description of one goal for the coming year in a few words.
Request for funding (up to $25,000)
Description of the proposal (maximum 300 words):
A summary of your request, including the funding priority area to which your organization is responding and the potential uses of the funds:
Attempts to reopen
New business concepts are being developed.
Increasing the number of jobs available to artists and arts professionals by attracting, rehabilitating, and retaining them
Truth and Reconciliation, anti-racism, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility are all issues that need to be addressed (EDIA)
What Are the Program Criteria and Scoring?
Based on the facts presented in the proposal, assessors will grade how much they agree or disagree with each of the criteria below.
I wholeheartedly concur.
Agree
Disagree
I respect your point, but I can’t entirely agree with it.
Program Criteria: Awareness
The candidate has defined and comprehended their current role in Calgary’s artistic community.
Within their organizational context, the applicant has defined and comprehended the priority(s) they are responding to.
In terms of sector reopening, recovery, and resiliency, the applicant has described and comprehended the current situation of their organization’s operations and programming.
Response
The applicant has specified and comprehended why and how their solution will assist them in addressing the identified priority(s).
The applicant has identified and comprehended why this reaction will aid in the rehabilitation and resiliency of their organization or the arts sector.
The applicant has defined and comprehended who their communities are and how this response will affect them.
How Is the Assessment Done?
A recommendation committee comprised of Calgary Arts Development personnel, artist peers, and community members will review applications for the program. The peer assessment committee’s members will be chosen based on public nominations and staff expertise.
The committee’s peer assessors will stay anonymous, attending verbal presentations via Zoom with their cameras turned off and their identities hidden.
The results will be emailed to the applicants. To get money, successful candidates will be provided an investment agreement via Docusign, which they must sign and submit within 30 days of receiving it.
Even if the funds have not been entirely exhausted, successful grantees will be asked to submit a brief final report to update how the activities indicated in the proposal are progressing and how the monies have been allocated. The deadline for the final report is February 27, 2023, at 4:30 pm MT. Grantees can submit their final report in writing or in person with the arts program specialist.
Deadlines
March 7, 2022: Full guidelines published
May 9, 2022: Applications open
June 13, 2022: Application deadline (no applications accepted after 4:30 pm MT)
June – July 2022: Evaluation of grants
Early August 2022: Notification of results
August: Funds distributed
Guidelines
The deadline for submitting applications has been set. Submissions received after the deadline will not be accepted. If you have any issues or require assistance with an application, please get in touch with us as soon as possible so that we can assist you. For further information on deadline extensions, please visit the Deadline Extension Policy. Once the in-person sessions begin, the program specialist will be unable to provide help or comments due to the format of this application process. Please provide any feedback or support requests until June 13, 2022.
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