Project Grant — Organizations: Info Session Video

Perpetual Atife: Hello everyone, welcome to the online information session for the 2024 Project Grant Program for Organizations. 

Before we start anything, I want to quickly do the Land Acknowledgement. We acknowledge that the land that we gather on, Mohkinsstsis, is the ancestral territory of the Siksikaitsitapi — the Blackfoot people — comprising the Siksika, the Kainai, the Piikani Nations, as well as Treaty 7 signatories, the Tsuut’ina Nation and the Îyârhe Nakoda Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney First Nations. Today this land is home to the Métis Nations 5 and 6 as well as many First Nations and Inuit peoples from across Turtle Island. 

We acknowledge that there has been art, music, dance, storytelling and ceremony on this land since time immemorial and it is in that spirit and the spirit of this land and its people that we do our work. 

We really do hope that when we pause to acknowledge the land and the original people, the original stewards of the land, it inspires you to learn about the land, the land that they currently inhabit, and figure out their relationship, their own relationships to that history, the people, and the place, and consider what actions you might take towards acknowledging truth, reconciliation and healing.  

My name is Perpetual Atife. I use the she/her pronouns and I’m a grant specialist at Calgary Arts Development. I will be your primary contact person for this program so please feel free to reach out to me directly if you have any questions at all. My phone number is 403.264.5330 ext. 229 or you can send an email to perpetual.atife@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.

My colleague Van Chu is our grants coordinator and will be available to help with any general or technical questions that you may have during this grant process and/or the team. Van is responsible for monitoring our general grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com inbox which is a really helpful email if you ever have any questions or curiosities about navigating the Smart Simple online granting platform. You can reach Van by phone, 403.264.5330 ext.115 or you could also email her directly at van.chu@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.

Why we’re here. The purpose of this info session is to highlight some of the very important information that you can already be found in our guidelines and the FAQs online on our website, but we wanted to present this in a more visual and auditory way with some added context, examples and approaches that might be helpful when considering if your organization will apply and how well or best to do so. Once again, this information can be found in the guidelines and the FAQ, so whether or not you watch this to the end, please read our guidelines before you apply. 

A bit about Calgary Arts Development. I want to quickly touch on something that we take very seriously and try to centre our work at CADA around, it is our commitment to equity. This has become, and has to be, and continues to be a never-ending learning journey for us. Our vision is a creative, connected Calgary through the arts where everyone is empowered to live a creative life. Our Mission: The arts have the power to create vibrant communities and bring together diverse voices and perspectives.  

So, we support artists in the development of their skills and the expression of their creativity. Calgary Arts Development supports and strengthens the arts to benefit all Calgarians. 

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As a public funder, we have a responsibility to ensure equitable access to public funding, so we envision a city where all artists have the freedom, agency, platform, access to share and amplify their stories, their art, their cultures and experiences. A city where Calgarians of all backgrounds can access, create and participate in art as part of their everyday lives. 

To that end, we are dedicated to addressing and working to eliminate institutional inequity in our programs, in our policies and in our practices. Our staff are accountable to ensuring that lines of communication are welcoming, clear and open and that our application and assessment processes are fair and deeply considerate. 

While we have been continuing to expand and improve our processes and policies around equity, accessibility, diversity, inclusion and accommodation generally, we know that we still have a long way to go. So, we aim to continue building relationships and learning from our communities, particularly those most directly affected, by these challenges that exist in granting and working to create more equitable systems. 

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In light of our commitment to equity, part of my job as grant specialist is to support applicants who may need support and may be experiencing barriers to access in order to explore existing accommodations within our organization. The following are some examples of accommodation that we provide. 

Translation of written materials into other languages, including ASL. Transcription of verbal meetings or audio and video recordings into a written document. Verbal or video and audio applications, as well as grant writing assistance.

So, if you would prefer to answer the application questions verbally, please feel free to submit an audio or video recording of yourself providing responses or reach out and our staff can help record your responses using an online platform, such as Teams. We can also offer language interpretation for phone or video meetings and grant assistance if you need help. As the program specialist, I will make myself available, I’ll do the best I can to answer your questions or provide feedback on your draft application up to 10 days before the deadline.  

Application Assistance. Your organization may also be eligible for assistance to pay someone to help complete an application if you are an administrator who is Deaf, hard of hearing, has a disability or is living with a mental illness, or an administrator facing language, geographic or cultural barriers. To request application assistance please contact grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com at least two to four weeks before you plan to submit your application, which means no later than June 15, 2024. If this date has passed and you still need assistance, please reach out anyway and we will do our best to accommodate your request. 

Depending on the type of service or assistance you are requesting, CADA has outlined the maximum amounts that we are currently able to provide towards our granting programs, which is between $160 to $600 depending on the service, so if approved, we will confirm the amount that CADA is able to contribute. The service provider must send an invoice to us for the approved amount, and then staff will process the invoice and pay the service provider directly.  

Now to the subject of the day, our Project Grant Program for Organizations. A quick summary. This is a one-time funding for non-profit arts organizations based in Calgary/Mohkinsstsis, working in any discipline, at any stage of a project or practice as well, and you can request up to $30,000 from a $700,000 pool.

Organizations must demonstrate that the arts are at the core of their mandate. Individual applications from registered for-profit corporations or businesses, post-secondary institutions and artistic projects by non-arts organizations will not be eligible for this funding.  

Applications for projects which are not led by arts organizations but collaborate with and/or receive primarily support artists or arts organizations may be eligible as outlined in the next section. This program cannot support individual artists or non-registered artist organizations, that means artist collectives for example.  

The total pool of funding I mentioned earlier has $700,000 and your organization may apply for up to $30,000. An application may only be submitted by one applicant per program deadline.  

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Who Can Apply. First of all, registered non-profit arts organizations. This program is open to registered non-profit arts organizations in Calgary, both those currently receiving operating grants and those that do not receive operating grants from us. Organizations must demonstrate that the arts are at the core of their mandate, again, so for registered non-profit organizations that I mentioned earlier that may not have an arts mandate. 

We will consider project applications from organizations that do not have an arts mandate, or where the arts are not central to their work, if they can demonstrate the following: That artists are core collaborators or participants in the planning, development and implementation of the project; the project and budget provide financial and non-financial support and reward to these artists; and that the applicant also has a demonstrated history of working with artists and/or those in the arts sector.  

Please note that we cannot accept applications from the following: Applications from individual artists and artist collectives as I mentioned earlier, applications from registered for-profit corporations or businesses, and applications from post-secondary institutions. For a glossary of terms and more important information about eligibility, please refer to the Investment Program FAQ.  

Please note, this is a highly competitive program, so be prepared to make a strong case for how this would fit into our program, and this is specifically for organizations that do not have an arts mandate.

Partnerships with non-provincially registered non-profit arts organizations could be possible for organizations without an arts mandate. But again, you have to prove that this would fit into our program, you have to make a strong case of the artistic impact of the work.

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What can you apply for? So yes, The Project Grant Program for Organizations is designed to support projects that align with any of the following priority areas: Projects that reflect and contribute to the vibrancy and vitality of Calgary’s arts sector and create opportunities for Calgarians to access artistic experiences; projects that create opportunities to attract, restore and retain jobs for artists and arts professionals; projects that support organizational development, including projects related to the reopening, recovery and resiliency of the arts sector, or strengthen the organization’s ability to connect with their community; arts-centred projects that encourage everyday creativity, including cross-sector collaboration, creative economy and neighbourhood-level community initiatives. Please bear in mind that applications or projects do not need to contribute to every single goal listed. 

For context, in this program, a “project” refers to anything with a specific outcome, any work you’re doing with a specific outcome, sets of goals and a distinct beginning and end date. And this could be a distinct phase of an overall larger project. Projects might include the creation, research, development, or production of work. They could also include the presentation, dissemination, curation or sharing of artistic work. Again, your project could include a number of these various activities all at the same time, you just have to show how these activities contribute to your project goals and how they all align and how they work together for the project outcomes you’ve highlighted. There is a full list of eligible expenses that we will be reviewing, some of them that we will be reviewing in the course of this session.  

But before that, a quick note about our Program Timeline: May 6, the full guidelines were published, and you can find it on the website as well. May 20, 2024, application portal was open so you can already start applying and submitting your application if you already have it. July 3, 2024, is deadline at 4:30pm MST, no application will be accepted after that time. If you have any reason to request an extension, you have to reach out to us before the deadline and have a solid case. July – August 2024 evaluation will happen. Notification of results, and then October 2024, funds will be distributed, as well feedback will be shared with interested organizations. And please note that activities within this grant timeline must be completed by June 30, 2026.

Operating Grant Clients. A quick note, if you are receiving operating grants from us, you will need to demonstrate how your proposed activity is outside of your usual operating activities. For example, applying for a strategic planning session would not be eligible, as this type of activity that is reasonably considered part of regular operations for which you already receive funding from us. So, if you have any questions about eligibility please reach out, and we will be able to talk about them, just help us learn about what you’re working on, and we can walk through them.  

Program Streams. As we did the previous year, there are three streams this year, and that’s Program & Present, Create & Develop and then Grow & Adapt.  

You can apply to either of the streams. Applications may be submitted to only one of these three streams. Applicants should select the stream that best fits the core goal and purpose of their project. Here are a few notes on them: For Create & Develop, this has to do with the creation and development of artistic work. In this kind of work, the project is focused on the creation, development research of artistic work. It does not include presentation, or the project will not result in something that will be shared with an audience or the general public at this time. It may eventually be shared publicly, but at this time it is not part of the timeline that is applied for. Examples are research project, creating or developing new work, adapting previous work, pre-production or production processes, planning processes etc.  

The next one is Program & Present. This stream is if you are looking to share artistic work. This project is focused on sharing your artistic work with the public, or raising awareness of your work, including marketing, selling, this could involve the creation and production of artistic work all the way from presenting to an audience. It will result in something that will be shared with an audience or the general public as part of the project timeline and the project goals for this application. For instance, public exhibitions, a live concert, presentations, an album release, a tour, publishing of work, distribution, or marketing of finished work. 

And the final one is Grow & Adapt, which is for adapting or developing your organizational practices, mandates or operations. This is a very internal project stream. This project is focused on the experimentation, development or new or adapted approaches to how you work, including artistic, operational, administrative or governance practices. Organizations must demonstrate that projects of this nature are distinct from work typically considered to be part of regular operations or build upon this work in a meaningful or transformative way. For instance, staff training, education or relationship and community building connections in certain areas such as truth and reconciliation, anti-racism, equity, diversity, inclusion work, accessibility work.

This project may not have an artistic outcome or clear end-result that is shared with a public audience, but there should be clear reasoning with potential for learning, growth or change in how you work. For instance, strategic planning, business adaptations, projects related to developing practices and policies related to your EDIA work or practice, anti-racism, inter-cultural competency, trainings and learnings around growth and around bias, and so on.

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A quick one around the Program Considerations. There are four main considerations: Artistic Impact, Community Connections, Planning and Overall. And let’s quickly go over them because this is very important for you.

Artistic Impact. In this portion of your application, we’re looking to see how your application demonstrates a deep understanding of your organization’s mandate, artistic goals and what success will mean for you. This is a very internal question, this is where you look inward into your organization to determine what is our mandate? What are we trying to do with this project? How will this help us achieve our goals as an organization, as an arts organization. Reviewing your project goals might be very helpful, might make it easier to answer this question. For instance, why did you choose to do this? Are there some artistic capacities you are trying to enhance or exercise through this project? This question may be difficult for organizations who do not have an artistic mandate, but revisiting or reviewing your goals, your artistic goals, will be very helpful.

Once again, this is a very internal question and you should be speaking to how this will impact you as an organization in relation to your mandate, what has your organization set out to do, how will this project contribute to that organizational goal. Is it developing artistic capacity, developing setting areas of your artistic practice, is it developing your internal strength of your artistic strength and creativity in creation and development and dissemination, really, really centred around the artistic portion of your work which is connected to your mandate.

The next one is your Community Connections. The application demonstrates a deep understanding of the relationships and communities connected to the project, to the goals around this and what success will mean for you. This community that we’re exploring can include current relationships, future relationships, as well as those that occur during the project itself. 

While we know that many artistic practices and projects may not necessarily have a focus on community engagement or relationships, we also want you to open a conversation for every organization to say, to share with us what community means for them. Again, different from artistic impact this is both internal and external, but more reviewing your relationship with the external community. And it could also include internal communities of artists, but then we’re saying what does community mean to you? How do you think your art, the work that you do contributes to that community, it could be a community of artists in the community, a community of, cultural community, extended community, inter-Calgary community or whatever specific community you have highlighted to be part of your work, it is important to reflect on who your communities, who you have relationships, who your communities are, who they are likely to be, how might you connect with them, engage with them more, simply consider to reach out to them. Defining your communities will allow you to better understand what it means to have meaningful and impactful relationship with them as well and you will be able to share that with us.

So, reflect on why your organization’s chosen this project, how it’s important, how have you identified who this project might impact. If the project doesn’t involve creating or sharing of work at all, then how does this project support or impact your ability to deepen or grow relationships or connections to these communities even if you have them now or in the future? 

Nothing about us without us is a concept that we speak to constantly. It speaks to the need to actively engage communities, respectfully engage communities that you are creating work for or with from the beginning phase.  

We advise that you think about this, be intentional, highlight how this relationship will benefit both the community and your organization. We value lived experiences and how the unique perspectives of different people in communities can intersect. So we encourage you, and so if you’re doing work with communities outside your immediate community or other cultural communities that you demonstrate that you’ve been accepted or you know supported to do this and that you do this respectfully, and that you show us how this collaboration would meaningfully impact both communities, both this external community and your organization.

Please note that CADA will not tolerate hate speech, cultural appropriation and active exclusionary behaviours so please be aware that any applications or projects that contain these will not be supported. 

We also ask assessing committees to consider if organizations are being thoughtful and intentional in the work that they make, how they make them, who they make them with and what communities they make them for. So please consider this concept holistically in your approach and build meaningful relationships that are respectful with communities that have given you some level of acceptance to do the work, support to do the work. 

And the other, the third criteria, the third consideration in this is Planning. In Planning we’re asking ifthe application demonstrates a deep understanding of what is required to undertake the project. This is demonstrated by deep, clear, achievable, well-researched and supported project description, timeline and budget. 

While the application is considered holistically, the primary elements that will relate to this are your project description, your budget, your timeline, and some of your supporting material including your budget support. These planning pieces should clearly outline who your organization will work with, how you will work with them, what it will cost, how much time it will take, what tasks, what major tasks and activities are required to complete it for the success of this project. You want to show that the project is achievable, well researched and it is well supported. 

And final consideration is the Overall. Here we’re asking if the application is clear, if it has clear details, if the applicant has shared thoughtful responses and includes all the relevant information and project support that will be required to create overwhelming trust and confidence that the project will be completed as described and that the applicant will achieve their set goals. 

This last consideration basically asks if the overall application has addressed all the other criteria of the program, and if after reviewing the entire application there is a sense of confidence and trust in investing in this project then it’s easy to decide. Assessors should not be left with lots of questions, I always say this. Every part of your application should work together to tell the same story, paint the same authentic picture, authentic narrative of who your organization is, what your organization is planning to do, and how it would do it, and then why it is important. So, who your organization is, what you’re working on, how you’re going to do it and why it is important.

Quickly on Scoring. For each criteria, each consideration, assessors will rate the level to which they agree or disagree, and for each of these there are four points, and this is how you are graded: Strongly Disagree is a 0, Disagree is a 3 pointer, Agree is 5, and then Strongly Agree is 7. I don’t want to spend too much time on this, so move on to the next part.

Tie & Equity Priority Group. In the event of a tie, priority may be given based on the following considerations: Representation across all artistic disciplines; opportunities proposed by organizations who have not historically received funding from CADA; opportunities or organizations led by, with, and for equity priority groups. Our guidelines include a link to definitions of each equity priority group, which are 2SLGBTQIAP+, Black, Deaf persons, persons with disabilities and persons living with mental illness, Indigenous, persons of colour. So, when we say ‘led by, with, and for equity priority groups’, we mean that the organization’s mandate and programming exist for and with that community in mind, and they are also led by and in relationship with individuals from that community. 

We acknowledge intersectionalities which recognizes how an individual may face multiple types of overlapping barriers, oppression or discrimination based on gender, age, sexuality, race, ethnicity, class, physical or cognitive abilities and many other characteristics. Rather than being defined solely based on one characteristic, intersectionality reinforces that we are complex human beings with a multitude of identities that define and influence us. We will consider each application within their own context with this understanding I can assure you. 

Now to Eligible Expenses. Funds from this program may go towards almost any expenses that are directly related to your eligible project and its goals, for instance: Accessibility expenses; artist fees; documentation; honorariums; materials, marketing, publicity, or outreach; professional fees; rental of equipment or rental of space; purchase of equipment, including hardware and permanent software; expenses related to small physical infrastructure upgrades required for community accessibility or safety related to the project. 

If you have looked at this section in the past or in previous years, you would recall that we put a cap on the amount that can be budgeted or spent on purchasing equipment. We have now removed that cap.  

If your project and budget include significant expenses related to equipment, please reach out to us if you have questions around that area and we will be happy to work with you around that. Please note that if this cost is just a small portion of your budget, such as the purchase of a couple pieces of equipment related to a larger project that isn’t specifically focused on a capital project, you do not need to reach out to us, as long as it is related to the project. But I am happy to look at your budgets and proposals and provide feedback before you submit.  

Next would be Ineligible Expenses. As shared in the guidelines, funds from this program are not intended to support debt or loan repayment; purchase of any equipment or contributions to capital projects not directly related to this project; salaries, wages; expenses related to regular administration; expenses not directly related to this project, including retroactive expenses. 

This program is not intended to support any of the following: Projects that are fully completed before the application deadline; projects that have already received funding from another CADA program; projects related to post-secondary or credit, degree, certificate, or diploma etc.; fundraising activities; contests and competitions; activities that do not comply with or respect cultural protocols; activities that use or present Indigenous cultural material, traditional knowledge, or stories without permission from the community; activities that promote hatred or intolerance; that are illegal or contravene provincial or federal law; that contravene municipal bylaw; activities related to campaigning for a specific political candidate or party in an election. So please take a look at your budget before you submit.

How to Apply. This is very important. We accept applications through our online grant platform which is Smart Simple. If your organization does not already have an account with us, you will need to create an account, complete your organization’s profile before you apply. If the organization’s primary contact has an individual artist profile within Smart Simple, then you have to use a different email address to create the organization’s account.   

The application form for this program has been made available online on the grant platform from May 20. You will find it once you log in and you go to apply for grants, you log into your account, under ‘Open Opportunities’ and this is after you’ve created your account. Under Open Opportunities, click on Your Profile. So, there you can create your profile or update your profile. Create your profile if you are a new organization, update your profile if you are an existing organization and maybe you’ve changed Board, you’ve changed contact, your primary or secondary contact, signing authorities, and you’ve changed addresses, and you should also upload your most recent financial statement.

And if you have any questions around application, please contact grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com and we will be happy to help you with any of your questions or technical issues.

Quickly, Application Checklist. The application form will ask you the following: Project Name; brief description; yes, your organization’s mandate; program stream, make sure you’re selecting the right stream; start and end date of your project; funding request; project description.

Artistic Impact (250 – 750 words). This is very important to have and if you do not have enough space to write what you need to write, you can use additional material and attach those.

Community Connection (also 250 – 750 words). If you notice, all our written sections are 250 – 750 words, it doesn’t mean that you must fill out 750, but it cannot be less than 250 words because we need details, we need information. You can exceed 750 but make sure you’re not repeating yourself, and if you need to write more than 750 words use an additional Word document or pdf and attach it to your supporting material and refer to that as well.

Again, so let me quickly remind us of these two sections just to refresh our memories. Artistic Impact, 250 – 750 words, describe your artistic goals for the project, what success will mean for you, how this project will impact your artistic work your mandate and your discipline.

Community Connection, 250 – 750 words, describe the direct relationships of communities connected to this project, this could mean artists,

audiences, volunteers, staff, board, other organizations, etc. What are your relationships or community goals for this project? How will this project impact those relationships during and after the project?

Please note: If this project is intended to work with or serve a specific community that your organization is not an active part of, you must demonstrate and speak to the following in your application: How you are engaging with that community in the design and delivery of the project in a way that is authentic and appropriate, and also that you have been invited or accepted by the community to do this work.  

Continuing on the application checklist, there’s Project Budget; Budget Support which would be attaching documents to prove how you came up with the numbers, it could be invoices, quotes, it could be emails, it could be anything to prove those costs; Project Timeline, that’s always very helpful; Support Materials; as well as Additional Files.

Now, we’re wrapping up. Out of, a bit away from what we’re used to, just sharing a quick grant writing tip. This is my personal grant writing tip, so don’t quote CADA on this but I’m hoping you might find this helpful. It is this Habit #2 from Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and I find this very applicable in grant writing, it may not be for everyone, but it might be helpful for you. And it is, the second habit is begin with the end in mind.  

“To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.” This is by Stephen R. Covey.

In grant-writing of any kind, this can greatly simplify your process. This clarity can help to answer the following questions that would be really helpful for you. 

What project is my organization taking on? 

When will this hold? 

Where will it hold? Location, venue, accessibility, etc. 

What do we need? Who do we need? Communities, artists, collaborators, vendors, etc. 

What resources do we need? Budget, in-kind donations, equipment, safety items, etc. 

Where are we now with the project? Maybe never done this kind of project before, need to develop more community connections, do not have some internal capacity, we need to collaborate, etc. 

Where are you now and why? Why do we need this project? Where will this lead? Would we increase internal capacity, would we grow our community, would this allow us to become more established in our artistic discipline? Will be, recognized or more positively impactful to our community with this experience? Begin with the end in mind.

This may not be a one-size fits-all approach or tip, and in fact it may not be applicable to your organization’s current work, but I find that knowing where I am going as a person, as an artist, as a grant writer as well, it helps me trace my steps back to where I currently am, so I know what things I need to do, what relationships I need to build, what financial requirements I need to acquire to get to that destination that I have curated in my mind.  

This habit is based, as Asana puts it, is based on the principle that all things are created twice: once in your mind and once in the physical world. As an organization I feel like a little tip, but if you can sit down and visualize the end of this project you might just be walking through all of the grant questions with more ease, more accuracy and even more detail.

Yes, and then moving on to more General Tips. Please use plain language, avoid jargon, don’t make assumptions. Don’t think assessors know you or know your organization or don’t think they understand details. Be authentic, do your research, be honest – mostly about your organization’s journey, your accomplishments, your struggles, where you are, your capacity, your connections and your goals. Be very honest about it.

Common questions we receive is: “Should I apply for the maximum grant amount available?” Which is $30,000 in this case. “Will I have a better chance for success if I apply for less?”  

So, there are many factors that make up the success of any grant application. 

Again, using Stephen Covey’s “Begin with the End in Mind” I would encourage you to do your research and be clear with your financial needs. It can really help you determine what you need or at least close enough.  

Please ask for what you need to carry out the project and achieve your goals within the available maximum. It could be as low as $1,000, it could be $10,000, it could be the full $30,000. Begin with the end in mind, it will help you be very clear as to what you need and reduce the chances of assessors having challenges with saying oh this budget is too low, I don’t think they can do this with this budget or this is too high, this is not what I’m used to. Be very careful. Begin with the end in mind. Do your research. Ask for what you need. That is my general response to that question.  

And then Assessment. Quickly on assessment, we’ll quickly run through this. All applications to the program will be peer assessed. This simply means that they will be reviewed and scored based on the program criteria, by a committee of peers and community members from a variety of disciplines, identities and backgrounds. Peer assessment committees help to ensure that CADA is fairly and responsibly distributing public dollars to artists and organizations on behalf of the citizens of Calgary. 

Committee Membership. Individual artists and arts workers with experience and knowledge from a variety of artistic disciplines and practices, who actively participate in, experience, and advocate for the work of the arts community are welcome to be part of the committee. 

If you would like to volunteer or if know of someone who would be a good assessor for our programs, there is a nomination form on the website, or you can send me an email as well. There is honorarium provided for assessors. 

A quick run-down. Important dates to remember:

Application deadline is Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at 4:30 pm. You can request for feedback on your drafts application by June 16 at the latest. Please note that late submissions will not be accepted. July 3 is the deadline. If you need feedback on your draft, June 16 should be the last request date so that I have enough time to review them. Notifications for this program at the end of assessment and evaluation will go out via email in September 2024.

Requesting feedback. With a success rate of about 35%, honestly, not every request will be funded. I know it might be really difficult to request feedback or talk about it, but I encourage you request for feedback. There is no guarantee that requesting feedback and reapplying will assure success, but at least you get to hear back from what assessors thought about your application, how to better improve your application in the future. It can be really helpful. If after reading through the guidelines and watching this info session you still have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. It’s Perpetual Atife and you can reach me at 403.264.5330 ext. 229 or perpetual.atife@calgaryartsdevelopment.com. Or my colleague Van Chu, our grants coordinator, van.chu@calgaryartsdevelopment.com. 403.264.5330 ext. 115. We’ll be happy to support you.

As artists, if you are an artist or within your organization you have artists you want to sign up within our artist directory please go on the website and sign up for the artist directory. It can be very helpful and your artists may really, really appreciate it.

Once again, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me. Thank you once again, I look forward to seeing your applications, the portal is open, it opened May 20, and applications are welcome to be submitted and if you have questions on eligibility please reach out. And if you have questions on the grant interface please connect with Van, we’ll be happy to support you through this process. Thank you once again, it is Perpetual Atife, I look forward to seeing your applications, your emails, your questions, your drafts, feel free to reach out when you need to. Take care.