Cornerstone Bridge Funding Program
Calgary Arts Development is pleased to announce the details of the Cornerstone Bridge Funding Program.
On July 31, City Council approved a $2M one-time investment in Calgary’s Arts Cornerstone Companies in response to a business case and a report presented to the Priorities and Finance Committee on July 18.
In addition to providing $2M in funds, City Council has directed Calgary Arts Development to work with the Cornerstone Companies to develop a sustainability framework, which will be reported back to City Council through the Priorities and Finance Committee no later than Q2 2018.
This program does not use a traditional application-based grant process. Instead Calgary Arts Development will work with each Cornerstone Company to develop a case for investment that demonstrates how the company contributes to the City of Calgary’s goals of:
- Retaining jobs in the not-for-profit arts sector and on-going direct economic impact.
- Supporting Calgary’s economic development and diversification efforts.
- Revitalizing and animating the downtown core.
- Demonstrating a responsibility to improve equity, diversity and inclusion in Calgary’s arts sector.
- Committing to artistic and operational sustainability through adaptive thinking and critical self-awareness.
Program Timeline
- September 1 – October 1, 2017: Calgary Arts Development staff meet with board and leadership from each Cornerstone Company to discuss their investment case. Cornerstone Companies can use this opportunity to present their initial case material in this meeting, based on the program guidelines.
- October 13, 2017: Deadline to submit investment case through grant interface*
- October 18, 2017: Investment cases provided to peer assessors for review and scoring
- November 6 – 9, 2017: Assessment meeting (exact date TBD)
*Calgary Arts Development staff requires a minimum of two business days prior to the deadline to provide feedback and advice on an investment case.
For more information on this program eligibility and criteria, please review the program guidelines.
