This program is intended to provide one-time project funding to registered non-profit arts organizations and current operating grant clients in Calgary (known as Mohkínsstsisi in Blackfoot). The Project Grant Program seeks 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-centered projects that encourage everyday creativity, including cross-sector collaboration, creative economy, and neighbourhood-level community initiatives.

Organizations may apply for up to $25,000. Total funding available for this program is $500,000.

Please refer to the Who Can Apply and What Can You Apply For sections for further information about eligible applicants and projects.

We acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory of the Blackfoot Nations—Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai; and also acknowledge the Beaver people of the Tsuut’ina and the Bearspaw, Chiniki and Wesley bands of the Stoney Nakoda First Nations, the Métis People of Region 3, and Indigenous peoples who make the Treaty 7 region their home.

As part of our responsibility to Calgarians to ensure equitable access to public funding, Calgary Arts Development is dedicated to addressing and working to eliminate institutional inequity in our programs, policies, and practices. We also acknowledge that our actions—both conscious and unconscious, past and present—have benefited some communities while limiting opportunities and outcomes for others including Indigenous communities, Black communities, persons of colour, persons with disabilities, Deaf communities, as well as persons with diverse sexual orientations or gender identities.

We envision a city where all artists have the freedom, agency and platform to share and amplify their stories, art, 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, Calgary Arts Development’s community investment team is accountable to ensuring that lines of communication are welcoming, clear, and open, and that the scoring process is fair and deeply considerate. We will work one-on-one with applicants who experience barriers to access to develop accommodations that suit their unique abilities and situations and continually seek to learn and address inequities in our programs and processes. We have also identified equity priority groups and adopted a specific equity measure for some of our programs. To learn more about this please see the Assessment section below.

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.

Calgary Arts Development is committed to open, fair, and transparent processes. If you have any questions, want feedback on your application or if it’s your first time applying, please don’t hesitate to contact us for support. While we may not be able to meet in person at this time, our team will be available to provide support over the phone, through email, or through the use of audio and video platforms.

Please see the Investment Program FAQ for answers to common questions, and 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 one week before application deadlines.

There are two policies available for potential applicants who may need accommodations or assistance 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 is available for potential applicants who experience barriers to access, to develop accommodations that suit their abilities and situations.

The Application Assistance Policy provides financial support for eligible applicants to alleviate some of the costs associated with preparing and submitting an application.

This program is open to registered non-profit arts organizations in Calgary, both those who do and those who do not currently receive operating grants from us. 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 which collaborate with and/or primarily support artists or arts organizations may be eligible as outlined in the Collaborations with Artists section below. This program cannot support individual artists or non-registered artist collectives.

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

Collaborations with Artists:

• We will consider applications from organizations who do not meet the definition of a non-profit arts organization as long as they can demonstrate the below, and at the discretion of Calgary Arts Development staff:
  • Artists are core collaborators or participants in the planning, development, and implementation of the project.
  • The project and budget provides financial and non-financial support to artists.
  • The applicant has a demonstrated history of working with artists and/or the arts sector.
  • Applicants not registered as a non-profit society, company, or charity must be collaborating with an organization with non-profit status who can receive and manage the grant funds.

Applicants may apply to this program for one project, or one distinct phase of a larger project. Please note that the eligible and ineligible projects, expenses and activities below listed are given as examples and are not exclusive. If you have questions about the eligibility of your proposed project, please contact the program specialist.

Projects may include:

• Research, creation, development, production, presentation or dissemination of artistic work.
• Experimentation or development of new or adapted approaches to ways of working.
• Cross-sector collaboration, creative economy and neighbourhood level initiatives.
• Organizational development projects, including implementation of new technology or platforms to share work, audience or community development, or capital infrastructure projects. Organizations who wish to apply for a capital infrastructure project, including the purchase of or renovations to major equipment, land, or buildings, must speak with a program specialist prior to beginning an application to determine appropriateness and alignment to this funding stream. Eligibility for capital projects will be determined at the discretion of Calgary Arts Development.

Projects can begin before the application deadline, but projects that will be fully complete before the application deadline of September 6, 2022, are not eligible.

Projects funded through this program must be completed by December 31, 2023.

Organizations may apply for up to $25,000.

Eligible Expenses

Funds from this program may go towards almost any expenses that are directly related to your eligible project and its goals, for example:

• Accessibility expenses.
• Artist fees.
• Documentation.
• Honorariums.
• Materials.
• Marketing, publicity, or outreach.
• Professional fees (e.g., fees paid to individuals offering professional services such as web design, publicity or marketing, facilitation, financial, accounting, or legal services, consulting services, etc.).
• Rental of equipment or space.
• Salaries and wages directly related to this project (e.g., contractors, additional staff supports).
• Contributions towards capital infrastructure projects, including the purchase of equipment, including hardware and permanent software (At the discretion of Calgary Arts Development. Please contact the program specialist to discuss).

Ineligible Expenses

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

• Debt or loan repayment.
• Purchase of any equipment or contributions to capital projects not directly related to the project.
• Salaries and wages for existing staff (e.g., salaries for permanent full-time employees, ongoing contracts, etc.).
• Expenses related to regular administration (e.g., fixed operating expenses such as rent, mortgage payments, utilities, etc.).
• Expenses not directly related to the project, including retroactive expenses.

Ineligible Activities

This program is not intended to support any of the following:

• Projects that are fully complete before the application deadline.
• Projects that have already received funding from another Calgary Arts Development grant program.
• Projects related to post-secondary or credit, degree, certificate, or diploma granting educational programs or artistic work related to those educational programs.
• Fundraising activities (e.g., activities undertaken for the purpose of raising funds on behalf of a political party or charity).
• Contests and competitions (e.g., grant funding cannot be re-granted in the form of prizes or awards).
• 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.
• Activities that are illegal or contravene provincial or federal law.
• Activities that contravene municipal bylaw.
• Activities related to campaigning for a specific political candidate or party in an election.

Applications may be submitted to one of three streams. Applicants should select the stream that best fits the core goal and purpose of their project. The below outlines a general recommendation for stream selection:

Create & Develop

(For the creation and development of artistic work)

• This project is focused on the creation, development, or research of an artistic work.
• This 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 it is not part of the project timeline and goals for this grant application.
• Examples: Research project, creating or developing new work, adapting previous work, pre-production, or production processes, etc.

Program & Present

(For the sharing of artistic work)

• This project is focused on sharing your artistic work with the public, or raising awareness of your work, including marketing and selling. This could involve the creation and production of artistic work all the way through to presenting it to an audience.
• This project will result in something that will be shared with an audience or the general public (online or in-person) as part of the project timeline and goals for this grant application.
• Examples: exhibitions, presentations, performances, releases, touring, publishing, distribution, marketing or selling, etc.

Grow & Adapt

(For adapting or developing your organizational practices, mandate, or operations)

• This project is focused on the experimentation or development of new or adapted approaches to how you work, including artistic, operational, administrative, or governance practices. Organizations must demonstrate projects of this type or distinct from work typically considered to be part of regular operations, or build upon this work in a meaningful or transformative way.
• This project may not have an artistic outcome or clear end result, but there should be clear reasoning with potential for learning and change in how you work.
• Examples: Strategic planning, business adaptations, professional development, projects related to organization’s physical infrastructure.

Scoring

Assessors will rate the level to which they agree or disagree with each of the program criteria listed in the section below, based on the information provided in the application.

• Strongly Disagree
• Disagree
• Agree
• Strongly Agree

Program Criteria

Artistic Impact

• The application demonstrates a deep understanding of their organizational mandate, artistic goals and what success will mean for them.

Community Connection

• The application demonstrates a deep understanding of the relationships and communities connected to this project, their goals around this and what success will mean for them. This can include future relationships and community connections, as well as those occurring during the project itself.

Planning

• The application demonstrates a deep understanding of what is required to undertake the project. This is demonstrated by a clear, achievable, well-researched and supported project description, timeline and budget.

Overall

• The application has clear, detailed, and thoughtful responses and includes all the relevant information required to create overwhelming trust and confidence that the project will be completed as described and the applicant will reach their goals.

In the event of a tie, priority may be given based on the following considerations, at Calgary Arts Development’s discretion:

• Representation across all artistic disciplines, communities, and types of programming.
• Opportunities proposed by organizations who have not historically received funding from Calgary Arts Development.
• Opportunities or organizations led by, with, and for equity priority groups.

Applications to the program will be evaluated by independent arm’s-length assessment committees made up of artist peers and community members. The membership of the peer assessment committees 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, etc.

• Five to Seven-Member Committees: Each program stream will be assessed by a different committee. The volume of applications received will determine the number and size of committees required.
• 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.

Assessors are required to declare conflicts of interest according to the Conflict of Interest Policy. Calgary Arts Development thinks of conflicts of interest as close family members, people who are involved in the activity being applied for or where there is a real or perceived financial benefit. If in doubt, assessors are encouraged to talk with Calgary Arts Development staff. If a committee member has applied to the program or declared a conflict of interest, they will not assess those specific applications or be present for any discussions of those applications.

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

Assessment Process

Assessment committees will review applications in the online granting interface, and evaluate each application according to the criteria outlined in the Program Criteria & Scoring section of the guidelines.

Calgary Arts Development staff will download assessor evaluations into a scoresheet and assign numerical scores to the ratings. Each criteria statement will be weighted equally. The score assigned to each rating will be consistent across all criteria statements (e.g.: ‘Strongly Agree’ will always equal the same number of points).

The committee will discuss applications in a meeting facilitated by the program specialist for individuals and collectives. The committee’s final scores will result in a list of projects recommended for funding. Calgary Arts Development staff will review these recommendations and finalize the funding list.

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

Applications are accepted through our online grant interface. The application form will be available on the date the program opens. Applicants must create an organization profile in order to apply. If the organization’s primary contact also has an individual artist profile, they must use a different email address to create the organization’s account.

Further information about each section of the application can be found in the application form in the grant interface.

• Organizational Mandate
• Project Name
• Brief Description (25 words or less)
• Program Stream (Create & Develop, Program & Present or Grow & Adapt)
• Start and End Date of Project
• Funding Request
• Project Description (150 – 450 words)
  • Describe your project including what will occur, when it will take place, where it will take place and who is involved.
• Artistic Impact exploring the impact on your work, mandate or discipline (150 – 450 words)
  • Describe your artistic goals for this project and what success will mean for you. How will this project impact your artistic work, practice or discipline(s)?
• Community Connection exploring the impact on others during and after your project (150 – 450 words)
  • Describe the direct relationships/communities connected to this project.
  • What are your relationship/community goals for this project and what will success mean for you? How will this project impact your relationships/community connections, either during or after the project?
• Project Budget
  • Budgets will be typed directly into the application form and should include all relevant project expenses, revenues or in-kind contributions. Budget notes are where you will show calculations, reference rates, or share other important clarifying details.
• Budget Support (upload)
  • Budget related support material to help demonstrate your budget estimates. For example, research, quotes, standard fee schedules, correspondence that confirms rates, past examples of revenue, etc.
• Project Timeline
  • A timeline that clearly outlines how you will accomplish this project. Include dates and other relevant details for all important activities, tasks, events, milestones or process periods.
• General Support Material (upload)
  • Additional files or links that strengthen your case or help assessors understand more about your project or your organization. For example: Samples of work, mock-ups/drafts/works in progress, relevant research, budget quotes, confirmation or planning documents, relevant letters of support, resumes/CVs of collaborators, etc.

Applicants will be notified of their results by email. Successful applicants will be sent an investment agreement via Docusign 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.

Successful grantees will be required to complete a final report to share learnings and how the grant benefited their practice and communities. Final reports are due 90 days after the project end date.

In your final report, we would like to know:

• What you accomplished and how this changed or helped your organization. We are also curious about any learnings or changes from your original proposal.
• How this funding impacted your communities (others involved) or your own sense of community.
• How the grant funds were spent. You’ll be asked to share an updated budget with actuals. Please keep receipts and invoices for tax purposes. You may also be asked to provide them.
• Optional: Please share any materials that resulted from your activities, such as images, website links, video or audio material, written samples, etc.
• Optional: Anything else you’d like to share with Calgary Arts Development.
• Optional: The geographic location of any public events related to your project, including the postal code of those locations.
• Optional quantitative information if appropriate:
  • Total number of artists paid
  • Number of free events open to the public
  • Number of paid events open to the public
  • Total attendees at all events
  • Any other quantitative data you would like to share

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

Policies

Deadline Extension Policy

Accessibility & Accommodation Policy

Application Assistance Policy

Disclosure of Grant Information Policy

Other

Terms of Reference

Group Agreements

Equity Priority Group Descriptions

Frequently Asked Questions

Assessor Nomination Form