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. The Operating Grant is confirmed on a two-year cycle for 2023 and 2024.

The Operating Grant is open to applicants who received an operating grant from Calgary Arts Development from 2020 – 2022. Organizations who were not part of the Operating Grant Program in the last cycle may apply for operational funding through the Operating Grant New Client Intake Program.

Organizations applying to the Operating Grant Program will receive the funding amount confirmed through their 2020 – 2022 investment agreement, referred to as their ‘base grant,’ upon successful submission and staff review of their application in early spring. This application constitutes the organization’s final report for the 2022 granting year.

Organizations will also be evaluated through a community assessment process for a formula-based increase to their base grant for 2023 and 2024. This process will occur in late spring.

Total funding available for this program is $7.8 million.

We acknowledge that the land we gather on, Mohkinsstsis, is the ancestral territory of the Siksikaitsitapi — the Blackfoot people — comprising the Siksika, Kainai and Piikani Nations, as well as Treaty 7 signatories, the Tsuut’ina Nation, and the Îyâxe Nakoda Bearspaw, Chiniki and Wesley First Nations. Today this land is home to the Metis of Region 3 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 the spirit of this land and its people that we do our work.

Calgary Arts Development is committed to the process of eliminating institutional racism, ableism and barriers in our programs, policies and practices by centring the creativity and leadership of those communities most impacted by structural inequities. Access our full Commitment to Equity statement on our website.

We recognize that barriers within the arts community exist, particularly for equity seeking communities, and that there are many unique entry points into an artistic practice and career in the arts. If you are unsure about eligibility, please reach out to discuss this with the program specialist before applying. You’ll also find answers to some common questions in our Investment Program FAQ.

There are two policies available for potential applicants who may need support to apply to this program, such as translating program guidelines and applications. These policies are available to potential applicants even if they decide not to apply to the program.

• An Accommodation & Accessibility Policy for potential applicants who experience barriers to access, to develop accommodations that suit their abilities and situations.
• The Application Assistance Policy for eligible applicants to alleviate some of the financial costs associated with preparing and submitting an application.

Calgary Arts Development is committed to open, fair and transparent processes. If you have any questions, want help with feedback on your application or if it’s your first time applying, please don’t hesitate to contact the program specialist as early as you can to ensure they can provide the best support possible. Staff can provide feedback on your application up to 10 days before application deadlines.

This program is open to non-profit arts organizations that received operating grants through this program in the 2020 — 2022 funding cycle. Organizations may be working in any artistic discipline and creating and sharing artistic work on any topic. This program is open to both community-based and professional arts organizations.

Organizations that did not receive funding through the program in the previous cycle, or who exited the Operating Grant program at any point during the previous funding cycle, must apply as new applicants through the Operating Grant New Client Intake Program.

Eligibility requirements:

• Organizations must be registered provincially as a non-profit arts organization, or federally as a charitable arts organization.
  • Organizations that are un-incorporated or unregistered arts-based organizations operating within a business model commensurate to a non-profit society may also be considered for operational funding on a case-by-case basis. These organizations must at minimum demonstrate all of the following:
    • Effective leadership and ongoing operations for at least one year.
    • Clear lines of accountability and defined roles/responsibilities.
    • Rigorous and sustainable basic financial practices/tools.
  • Organizations must be located and operating within the Treaty 7 Calgary region and serving the Calgary community.
    • Organizations with a provincial mandate or those located outside of the Treaty 7 Calgary region must demonstrate that their activities are significantly and meaningfully accessible to Calgary citizens and are serving the Calgary community equally to other communities in their mandate.
  • Organizations must have an arts-based mandate and be centring arts-based programming in their work.

Ineligible organizations:

• This program cannot support post-secondary, degree- or diploma-granting institutions.
  • Organizations associated with post-secondary institutions are eligible provided they are registered provincially or federally as a non-profit or charitable organization and have their own board and governance structures.
• This program cannot support organizations receiving operating grants or operational funding directly from The City of Calgary.
• This program cannot support political, trade union or fraternal lodge organizations.
• This program cannot support organizations registered as religious societies.
• This program cannot support organizations located outside of the Treaty 7 Calgary region that do not primarily serve the Calgary community.
• This program cannot support for-profit organizations, businesses, co-operatives or individual artists and artist collectives.

For a glossary of terms and more important information about eligibility, please refer to the Investment Program FAQ.

This program provides unrestricted operational funding in order to support organizations’ overall mandates. Organizations are evaluated and assessed through criteria that considers the organization as a whole. Operating funds may be directed towards any part of an organization’s overall budget.

Ineligible Expenses & Activities

Funds from this program are not intended to support the following:

• Debt repayment.
• Fundraising activities (e.g., activities undertaken for the purpose of raising funds on behalf of a political party or charity).
• Activities or organizations that do not comply with or respect cultural protocols.
• Activities or organizations that use or present Indigenous cultural material, traditional knowledge or stories without permission from the community.
• Activities or organizations that willfully or in bad faith promote intolerance, hatred or hate speech with the purpose of inciting violence or harm.
• Activities or organizations that are illegal or contravene provincial or federal law, or municipal bylaws.
• Activities or organizations related to campaigning for a specific political candidate or party in an election.

Please note that the ineligible expenses and activities listed are given as examples and are not exclusive.

Organization’s base grants (the amount confirmed through their 2020 — 2022 investment agreement) are confirmed for 2023 and 2024. This base grant does not include any one-time top-ups or increases received through the previous funding cycle.

• Base grant amounts will be released in early spring upon staff review and approval of the application.
• The application constitutes organization’s final reports for the 2022 grant year.
• Base grants may only be reduced or removed through the Fair Notice Policy.

In addition, organizations are eligible for a percentage-based increase to their annual operating grant for 2023 and 2024, which will be confirmed through a community assessment process. These increases will be automatically applied unless the assessment committee identifies a severe or high-risk flag to the investment according to the Program Considerations outlined in the following section.

• The increase funding will be released in late spring after the assessment process.
• The total sum of the base grant and the increase is considered the new operating grant amount for 2023 and 2024.
• In 2024 the total sum will be released in early spring upon staff review and approval of an interim report.

In 2023 new organizations will be onboarded into the operating grant through the Operating Grant New Client Intake Program. Organizations applying to the program as a new applicant will receive an annual grant between $10,000 – $30,000. In recognition that many current clients receive grants of less than $30,000, organizations will have the option of applying for a lump-sum increase to bring their annual grant in line with new clients. This will be an optional, competitive assessment process.

Percentage Increase — All Organizations

Organizations will receive a notification from Calgary Arts Development outlining the exact grant increase amount they are eligible for, and instructions on how to apply.

 

Calgary Arts Development Operating Grant Amount	Percentage Increase Amount	Examples
Grant over $250,001	6%	Current grant $300,000 increased to $318,000
Grant $100,001 – $250,000	8%	Current grant $200,000 increased to $216,000
Grant $50,001 – $100,000	10%	Current grant $75,000 increased to $82,500
Grant $25,001 – $50,000	12%	Current grant $30,000 increased to $33,600
Grant $10,001 – $25,000	16%	Current grant $20,000 increased to $23,200
Grant $5,001 – $10,000	18%	Current grant $8,000 increased to $9,440
Grant under $5,000	20%	Current grant $2,500 increased to $3,000

Lump-sum Increase — Organizations with Current Grant under $25,000

This optional process allows organizations with grants lower than or within the range of $10,000 to $30,000 to apply for an increase that will ‘right-size’ their grant compared to new organizations entering the Operating Grant Program. If successful, organizations may receive a minimum grant of $10,000 to a maximum of double their current grant amount or up to $30,000, whichever is lesser.

Organizations will receive a notification from Calgary Arts Development outlining the exact grant increase amount they are eligible to receive through the percentage-based formula and the lump-sum formula. Organizations who wish to apply for the lump-sum amount will be asked for additional information in their application. If the organization is not successful in the assessment process for the lump-sum they are still eligible for the percentage increase. If the amount of assessor recommendations for the lump-sum increase exceeds the amount of funding available in the budget, amounts will be prorated.

Organizations with current grants between $25,000 to $30,000 will not need to apply for this optional process. Most organizations in this range will already exceed $30,000 through their percentage increase and will not need to apply for this optional process. If an organization’s percentage increase does not already bring them to $30,000, the percentage increase amount will be rounded up.

Calgary Arts Development Operating Grant Amount	Lump-sum Increase	Examples
Grant under $5,000	Grant increase to minimum $10,000	Current grant $2,500 Lump sum increase $7,500 New grant $10,000 Current grant $5,000 Lump sum increase $5,000 New grant $10,000
Grant $5,001 – $25,000	Grant increase to double their grant amount or maximum of $30,000, whichever is lesser	Current grant $11,000 Lump sum increase $11,000 New grant $22,000 Current grant $18,000 Lump sum increase $12,000 New grant $30,000

 

The purpose of undertaking an assessment process for the Operating Grant at the beginning of each multi-year cycle is to ensure that organizations have the opportunity to hear feedback from their peers, and to allow Calgary Arts Development to check in with the community about opportunities and risks associated with annual funding commitments.

This process is not intended to determine the eligibility of applicants to the program. If the majority of committee members raise concerns about the eligibility or appropriateness of the organization’s grant, the processes and flag conditions outlined in the Fair Notice Policy will be used to identify next steps.

Final funding decisions will be made by Calgary Arts Development staff based upon the feedback and recommendations of the committee and staff’s own knowledge of historical context, and awareness of the organization.

Program Considerations

The ongoing impact of the pandemic and related financial, artistic and community challenges will be understood and accounted for through this process. As the sector navigates reopening and recovery, assessors will be asked to consider the successes, challenges and aspirations of each organization as compared to their current state and ability to plan for the future.

Committee members will be asked to respond “yes” or “no” to questions listed below, based on the information provided in the application and their own knowledge of the organization. If the majority of the committee members respond “no” to the majority of the below considerations, an increase may not be recommended for the organization.

• Has the organization shown the ability to nurture and maintain its artistic impact over the past year?
• Has the organization shown the ability to nurture and maintain its community impact over the past year?
• Has the organization undertaken thoughtful and reasonable steps to consider equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility in their work within the context of their organizational mandate, artistic goals, community relationships and operational structure?
• Has the organization shown ongoing capacity to complete core programming and achieve key organizational goals?
• Has the organization shown ongoing capacity to manage resources and maintain organizational governance?
• Has the organization taken thoughtful and reasonable steps to plan for the future and manage risk?
• Has the organization provided transparent and clear information to meet the application checklist requirements?

Organizations competing for a lump-sum increase will be assessed based on the above considerations in addition to questions below. Committee members will be asked to recommend the lump-sum amount or the percentage increase based on the information provided in the application and their own knowledge of the organization.

• Has the organization provided thoughtful and reasonable rationale for how the additional funding will be directed?
• Has the organization provided thoughtful and reasonable rationale for how the additional funds will benefit the organization and its community?

Fair Notice Policy

The Operating Grant Program is governed by the Fair Notice Policy, which ensures that organizations that receive annual operational funding from Calgary Arts Development have the opportunity to address risks related to the investment they receive. These processes are intended to encourage those organizations to be transparent and work with Calgary Arts Development to create strategies and remedy high-risk conditions without being subject to major fluctuations in their grants in a single year. There are two types of Fair Notice Policy flags:

• Staff Flags — Annual
  • Financial risk is reviewed by Calgary Arts Development staff annually based on information provided by the organization.
  • Staff may also apply a flag for critical, high-risk concerns at any point in the grant cycle.
• Committee Flags — Assessment years
  • If the majority of committee members respond “no” to any of the program considerations, a flag may be applied.

Please review the Fair Notice Policy for information on the process once a flag is applied.

Applications to the program will be reviewed by an independent assessment committee made up of artist peers and community members. The membership of the committee will be chosen through public nominations and staff expertise.

Anyone can ask to participate on a Calgary Arts Development assessment committee by completing the assessor nomination form or by emailing grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.

Assessment Committees

Assessment committees are chosen to represent the broad diversity of Calgary and its artistic communities, including but not limited to artistic discipline, gender, sexuality, age, religion, beliefs, nation, physical and neurological identities.

• Five-member Committees: Recommending committees of five members will be created for the year to evaluate this program.
• 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.

Committee members must review, understand and adhere to the Terms of Reference, the Program Guidelines, and to Calgary Arts Development’s Group Agreements.

Applications will be split into assessment streams based on artistic discipline and organizational context to ensure they are reviewed by committees with experience and knowledge about the applicants. Assessment committees will review applications in the online granting interface and evaluate each application according to the considerations outlined in the Program Considerations section of the guidelines.

Assessment committees will convene in a meeting facilitated by Calgary Arts Development staff to discuss each application, make recommendations, and provide thoughtful and reflective feedback which will be compiled and synthesized by Calgary Arts Development staff and shared with applicants at the end of the process.

Calgary Arts Development reserves the right to adjust assessment processes and the program timeline. Applicants and assessors will be notified if significant changes occur.

We accept applications through a grant platform called Smart Simple that has an online portal.

Applications will be assigned to each organization in the grant platform. You will be notified when the application form is available.

Please contact grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com for help with any questions or technical issues.

• Organization Information
  • Contact information
  • Mandate
  • Organizational Structure
  • Board List
• Activity Overview
  • Upload a 1–2-page PDF that describes activities for the fiscal year 2021-2022 that reflects on successes, challenges and goals of your organization. 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 application.
  • Please describe how your organization has centred equity as an essential element of a healthy arts ecosystem since 2020. This may include activities related to artistic programming, governance policy, hiring practices and/or human resource management.
• Financial, Statistical and Programming Information
  • Financial Form
    • CADAC clients will submit their CADAC reporting.
  • Statistical Form
    • CADAC clients will submit their CADAC reporting.
  • Financial Statements
    • Statement of Operations and Balance Sheet for last completed fiscal year.
    • Unaudited statements must be signed by two board members not involved in their creation.
  • Programming Form
• Optional Support Material

Please note that organizations who are eligible for and wish to apply for the lump-sum increase will be asked to submit additional information to the above describing where the additional operating funds will be allocated within their organization’s budget and how this will strengthen their organization’s artistic or community impact.

Applicants will be notified of their results by email.

Grantees will be sent an investment agreement via Docusign for their total 2023 — 2024 operating grant amount after the assessment process finishes and are required to sign and return the agreement within 30 days of receiving it in order to receive funding.

We use electronic fund transfers to make grant payments. If your application is approved, you will be required to provide a void cheque or direct deposit form with your banking information. Please let us know if you need any help with this.

Interim Report

Organizations will receive their 2024 operating grant after the successful completion and review of an interim report due February 28, 2024.

• Organization Information
  • Contact information
  • Mandate
  • Organizational Structure
  • Board List
• Activity Overview
  • Upload a 1­–2-page PDF that describes activities for the fiscal year 2021—2022 that reflects on successes, challenges and goals of your organization. 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 application.
  • Please describe how your organization has centred equity as an essential element of a healthy arts ecosystem since 2020. This may include activities related to artistic programming, governance policy, hiring practices and/or human resource management.
• Financial, Statistical and Programming Information
  • Financial Form
    • CADAC clients will submit their CADAC reporting.
  • Statistical Form
    • CADAC clients will submit their CADAC reporting.
  • Financial Statements
    • Statement of Operations and Balance Sheet for last completed fiscal year.
    • Unaudited statements must be signed by two board members not involved in their creation.
  • Programming Form
• Optional Support Material

Final Report

The Operating Grant will complete its two-year cycle on December 31, 2024, and the program will reopen to applications in 2025. Applications submitted to the 2025 cycle will constitute reporting for the 2024 granting year. If organizations do not reapply to the 2025 program, they will be asked to submit a final report upon exiting the program.

Successful applicants may also be invited to participate in optional surveys, research and peer-to-peer learning. Please contact grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com with any questions about reporting requirements.