Operating Grant Program
February 19, 2025: Reporting deadline for current grantees
February – April 2025: Report approval and release of 2025 funding for current grantees
July – August 2025: Program guidelines published
September 2025: Applications for 2026 Operating Grant opens
October 2025: Application deadline
November – December 2025: Program assessment and results released
Program Overview
The Operating Grant Program provides stable, predictable funding to non-profit arts organizations in Calgary (known as Mohkinsstsis in Blackfoot). Operating Grant funds may be allocated to any area of an arts organization’s budget.
In 2025 the Operating Grant is open to grantees who received funding in 2024. Grant amounts for 2025 will be released on submission of a final report for the 2024 granting year.
The Operating Grant will reopen to applications for the 2026 granting year in the fall of 2025. The application will be open to current and prospective grantees, and will set multi-year funding for a minimum of 2 years. Full program guidelines and information about the application and assessment process will be published no later than August 2025, and application deadline will be no later than October 2025. Current and prospective grantees with questions about the timeline or process may reach out to grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com with questions.
Final Reporting for 2024 Grantees and 2025 Funding
Existing grantees will receive their 2025 operating grant after the successful completion and review of an interim report due February 19, 2025. The report will be assigned to applicants in the grant interface, and the primary contact listed in the organization profile will receive a notification when it is assigned. If the contact information for your organization has changed, please notify grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com as soon as possible to ensure the report is assigned to the correct person.
Program staff will review reports for accuracy. Organizations will be required to complete corrections before funding is released. Reporting is governed by the Fair Notice Policy, and financials will be reviewed according to the risk assessment outlined in the policy. Organizations who receive a financial flag will be asked to meet with program staff before funding is released.
Grantees will be sent an investment agreement via Docusign for their 2025 operating grant amount once their report has been reviewed and approved and are required to sign and return the agreement within 30 days of receiving it in order to receive funding.
Report Requirements
Organization Information
- Contact information
- Board List
- Please include contact information for your board chair
Challenges & Opportunities
The below areas have been identified by organizations through past application and reporting cycles. The purpose of these questions is to track shifts to opportunities and challenges at the sectoral level.
- Our audience / attendance / participation numbers are:
- Significantly exceeding expectations
- Exceeding expectations
- Meeting expectations
- Not meeting expectations
- Significantly lower than expected
- Our private sector revenue is:
- Significantly exceeding expectations
- Exceeding expectations
- Meeting expectations
- Not meeting expectations
- Significantly lower than expected
- We have or are considering scaling back public programming due to rising costs related to the creation and presentation of artistic work:
- Strongly agree
- Somewhat agree
- Neither agree or disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Strongly disagree
- We have or are considering scaling back administrative expenses or staffing due to rising costs related to operations:
- Strongly agree
- Somewhat agree
- Neither agree or disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Strongly disagree
- We are attracting and retaining the staff and artists required to meet our mandate:
- Strongly agree
- Somewhat agree
- Neither agree or disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Strongly disagree
- We are attracting and retaining board members and volunteers required to meet our mandate:
- Strongly agree
- Somewhat agree
- Neither agree or disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Strongly disagree
- We are experimenting with different ways of running our organization to address financial challenges:
- Strongly agree
- Somewhat agree
- Neither agree or disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Strongly disagree
Activity Overview
- Upload a minimum one (1) page PDF that describes significant successes and challenges in 2024, including any material changes to your organization’s mandate, programming, operating model, staffing etc. that occurred in 2024, or are expected to occur in 2025. If you have submitted a similar document as part of a report to another funding organization, it may be used for the purpose of this report.
- Please provide one specific example of how your organization considers and implements accessibility measures to support your staff, volunteers, artists, or audiences who encounter physical, mental, or cultural barriers to spaces, programs, and services. This could be a success, challenge, or opportunity.
Financial, Statistical and Programming Information
- Economic Impact Update
- Every four years Calgary Arts Development presents information to our shareholder, City Council, related to the economic impact of our Operating Grant program. The report will define the value added or Gross Domestic Product (GDP) impacts representing the economic value of goods and services generated by operating grant recipients. The impact reporting requires completing four questions in addition to reporting provided in the financial form.
- Economic Impact: Salary & Benefits
- The amount of total operating expenses spent directly on salary and benefits in the fiscal year starting in 2023. This number would also include contractors or other individuals (and artists) that you paid.
- Economic Impact: Out-of-Province Artist & Professional Fees
- The amount of artist and professional fees paid directly to international and out-of-province artists in the fiscal year starting in 2023.
- Economic Impact: Rent
- The amount and/or share of total operating expenses spent directly on rental costs in the fiscal year starting in 2023 (this would include the combined total spent on all rent including any potential rehearsal, performance, and administrative rent).
- Economic Impact: Sustaining Capital
- The amount spent directly on facility improvements in the fiscal year starting in 2023 (i.e., sustaining capital expenditures such as maintenance and replacement, not one-time major capital expenditures).
- Financial Form
- Fiscal year beginning in 2023 (actuals) – mandatory
- Fiscal year beginning in 2024 (actuals and/or projections) – mandatory
- Fiscal year beginning in 2025 (projections) – mandatory
- This column is used to understand how organizations plan their activities
- CADAC clients will submit their CADAC reporting.
- Statistical Form
- Fiscal year beginning in 2023 (actuals) – mandatory
- Fiscal year beginning in 2024 (actuals and/or projections) – mandatory
- Fiscal year beginning in 2025 (projections) – mandatory
- This column is used to understand how organizations plan their activities
- CADAC clients will submit their CADAC reporting.
- Financial Statements
- Statement of Operations and Balance Sheet for your last completed fiscal year.
- Unaudited statements must be signed by two board members not involved in their creation.
- Programming Form
- Fiscal year beginning in 2023 (actuals) – mandatory
- An optional column has been added to report on actual attendance numbers if available
- Fiscal year beginning in 2024 (actuals and/or projections) – mandatory
- Fiscal year beginning in 2025 (projections) – mandatory
- If the details for 2025 programming are not fully confirmed, please enter placeholders. This column is used to understand how organizations plan their activities
- The total number of expected public events and arts education events should match the statistical form
Please contact grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com with any questions.
Stay informed. Sign up for our weekly newsletter.
