This program is intended to provide one-time project funding to registered non-profit arts organizations in Calgary (known as Mohkinsstsis 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 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.

Organizations may apply for up to $25,000. 

Total funding available for this program is $600,000.

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 Îyârhe Nakoda Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney 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.

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. Read 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 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 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.

Registered Non-Profit Arts Organizations

This program is open to registered non-profit arts organizations in Calgary, both those who currently receive operating grants and those who do not currently receive operating grants from us. Organizations must demonstrate that the arts are at the core of their mandate.

Registered Non-Profit Organizations (that may not have an arts mandate)

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. See the outlined Collaborations with Artists section below.

Collaborations with Artists: for organizations that do not have an arts mandate

• We will consider applications from organizations that do not meet the definition of a non-profit arts organization if 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 provide 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.

This program cannot support or accept the following.

• Applications from individual artists or non-registered artist collectives.
• Individual applications from registered for-profit corporations or businesses,
• Applications from post-secondary institutions and artistic projects by non-arts organizations
• Applications that include operational or recurring activities that make up part of the organization’s regular running costs such as wages, etc. Please refer to the Operating Grant New Client Intake program if you are seeking funding for these activities.

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

Eligibility requirements

• An applicant may only apply to this program for one project or one distinct phase of a project.
• We will only accept one application per organization, and one application per project.
• You may not receive funding from more than one Calgary Arts Development program for the same project or phase of a project.
• You may not apply to this program if you have final reports past their due date for prior grants.
• As of January 2023, you may not have more than four open grants with Calgary Arts Development, including grants for which a deadline extension has been approved (multi-year Operating Grants do not count towards this). A request for an exception to this eligibility requirement may be submitted in writing and in discussion with the program specialist.

Applicants can apply for the research, creation, development, production, presentation or dissemination of artistic work. Projects may include experimentation or development of new or adapted approaches to their operations or the administration of their organization. They may also include cross-sector collaboration, creative economy and neighbourhood level initiatives as well.

Projects can begin before the application deadline, but projects that will be fully complete before the application deadline of August 30, 2023 are not eligible.

Projects funded through this program must be completed by June 30, 2025.

Eligible Expenses & Activities:

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).
• Purchase of equipment, including hardware and permanent software (up to $2,500 maximum; must be directly related to the completion and success of your project)

Ineligible Activities:

• 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.

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.

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 and projects related to strategic planning with an Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) focus, internal learnings or trainings around bias, intercultural competency, anti-racism, Treaty education and other related matters.

Program Considerations

Artistic Impact

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

Community Connection

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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.

Scoring Process

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

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.

If you need support with creating your organization profile and/or need help applying due to accessibility concerns, please contact grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.

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)
• Project Start and End Date 
• 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 30 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