Guidelines: Resiliency Fund
First Intake Application Deadline: September 14, 2020, 4:30pm MDT
First Intake Applications Open: August 10, 2020
Second Intake Application Deadline: October 19, 2020, 4:30pm MDT
Second Intake Applications Open: September 14, 2020
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Applications must be submitted by the stated deadline. Late submissions will not be accepted. Please see the Deadline Extension Policy for information about extensions.
Applications are accepted through the online grant interface. If this is your first time submitting an application to Calgary Arts Development you will need to create a profile from the login page. If you have any questions or need assistance in setting up a profile or creating an application, please contact grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.
Calgary Arts Development staff are continuing to work remotely. If you have any questions about this program please contact Kaley Beisiegel at kaley.beisiegel@
Sections
- Accommodation and Accessibility
- Program Overview
- Program Criteria
- Scoring Matrix
- Assessment Process
- Application Checklist
- Additional Files
- Successful Applications and Final Reporting
Accommodation and Accessibility
Calgary Arts Development is committed to open, fair, and transparent processes. While we may not be able to meet in person at the current moment, our team will be available to answer questions and offer support during the application process either over the phone, through email, or through the use of audio and video platforms.
Please see the investment program FAQs 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 up to one week before application deadlines.
We will work one-on-one with applicants who experience barriers to access to develop accommodations that suit their abilities. Some examples of accommodations are:
- Translation of written materials
- Grant writing assistance
- Transcription
- Video or audio applications
- Interpretation for phone or video meetings (Note: This will depend on the availability of external service agencies)
Program Overview
Calgary Arts Development has been granted $2,000,000 by The City of Calgary in one-time Emergency Resiliency Funds. The purpose of these funds is to enable non-profits, including The City’s civic and community partners, to continue to serve Calgarians during the response phase of the COVID-19 pandemic by ensuring adequate services are available, and to pursue partner capacity to support Calgary’s social, economic, and cultural recovery. This grant will be distributed equally through two programs, this Resiliency Fund, and the Recovery Fund.
This program is open to current Operating Grant clients and registered non-profit or charitable arts organizations. Applicants must either be Calgary-based, or be able to demonstrate that they make significant contributions to the arts that are accessible to Calgary citizens on an ongoing basis.
Applicants may apply for up to $50,000 to support initiatives which contribute to the resiliency of the arts sector through adapted approaches to their business and artistic practices. This could include partnerships or mergers, or new platforms for content delivery or community engagement all with the hopes of ensuring long term sustainability. This fund will invest in those organizations that are pivoting to reflect the new realities facing the sector.
This program will be assessed by a peer committee. Please see Assessment Process below, and Terms of Reference for further information.
Program Criteria
Applications will be assessed on three criteria with a total possible score of 100.
Resiliency & Vibrancy (40 points)
- The organization has clearly described the initiative or project and how it will allow them to adapt their work, business models, or artistic delivery to build resiliency.
- The organization has demonstrated how this initiative connects with their mandate, vision, and strategic goals.
- The organization has demonstrated how this initiative will allow them to become more resilient and contribute to the vibrancy of their organization and Calgary’s arts sector.
Community Connection (30 points)
- The organization has demonstrated how this initiative will allow them to connect or engage with their community.
- The organization has demonstrated a clear understanding of their role in Calgary’s arts ecosystem.
Evaluation & Learning (30 points)
- The organization has demonstrated what adaptation, collaboration, partnerships or implementation looks like for them.
- The organization has demonstrated how they will learn from, evaluate, or measure the success of the initiative and its impact on ongoing resiliency.
Scoring Matrix
The assessment committee will use a scoring matrix to assess each criterion according to the information requested and provided in the application.
Resiliency & Vibrancy (40 points)
| Weak | Fair | Good | Strong | Exceptional |
| 1 – 24 | 25 – 33 | 29 – 34 | 35 – 37 | 38 – 40 |
Community Connection and Evaluation & Learning (30 points each)
| Weak | Fair | Good | Strong | Exceptional |
| 1 – 16 | 17 – 21 | 22 – 24 | 25 – 27 | 28 – 30 |
Exceptional: Responses to application questions are clear, relevant, and directly address criteria. The applicant demonstrates a deep understanding of their role in Calgary. The application provides a clear and distinct vision of their context, mandate, programming, and communities. The application creates overwhelming trust and confidence that the organization will be adaptive, resilient, and impactful in the future.
Strong: Responses to application questions are clear, relevant, and directly address criteria. The applicant demonstrates a strong understanding of their role in Calgary. The application provides a clear vision of their context, mandate, programming, and communities. The application creates significant trust and confidence that the organization will be adaptive, resilient, and impactful in the future.
Good: Responses to application questions are sufficient and address criteria. The applicant demonstrates a general understanding of their role in Calgary. The application provides some clarity on their context, mandate, programming, and communities. The application creates trust that the organization will be adaptive, resilient, and impactful in the future.
Fair: Responses to application questions are limited and may not directly address criteria. The applicant demonstrates a vague understanding of their role in Calgary. The application provides limited clarity on their context, mandate, programming, and communities. The application provides limited evidence to create trust and confidence that they will be adaptive, resilient, and impactful in the future.
Weak: Responses to application are insufficient and do not address criteria. The applicant does not demonstrate or articulate their role in Calgary. The application does not provide clarity on their context, mandate, programming, and communities. The application does not provide evidence to create trust and confidence that they will be adaptive, resilient, and impactful in the future.
Assessment Process
Applications to the program will be assessed by an independent, arm’s-length assessment committee made up of artistic peers and community members. Calgary Arts Development staff will select committee members.
Any individual may request to participate in a peer committee by completing the Assessor Nomination Form.
Membership of each committee is designed to reflect 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-member committees.
- Representation across artistic disciplines, practices, and organizational experience.
- Artistic Peers: Artists and arts workers with experience and knowledge in the arts community as artists, staff, volunteers, board members, etc.
- Arts Champions and Artistic Community Members: Individuals who actively participate in, experience, and advocate for the work of the arts community; have perspectives and skill-sets transferable to the arts sector.
Assessment committees will read and score applications in the online granting interface, then discuss each application in a meeting facilitated by Calgary Arts Development staff and make a final funding recommendation based on applicant’s total scores.
Assessment committees are held to the Terms of Reference and Group Agreements intended to commit to open, generous, and respectful conversations.
Please see the Disclosure of Grant Information Policy for information about how Calgary Arts Development collects and uses information submitted through grant applications.
Application Checklist
- Organization Name
- Contact Information (name, address, phone, email)
- Grant Request (up to $50,000)
- Organization Mandate (up to 6,000 characters)
- Describe the proposed initiative, goals, and what you intend to achieve. Please include a description of the opportunities, challenges, and assumptions that were considered for the initiative, and why this is the best adaptive response (up to 10,000 characters).
- Describe how this initiative will contribute to the resiliency and vibrancy of your organization and Calgary’s arts sector (up to 6,000 characters).
- Describe how this initiative will contribute to your ability to connect with your communities (up to 6,000 characters).
- Describe how you will evaluate and measure the impact of this initiative (up to 6,000 characters).
- Describe how you will allocate these funds (upload a budget, or up to 3,000 characters).
- Support Material (four upload fields, maximum 3MB each, video and audio material should be provided as a link)
Audio or video files cannot be directly uploaded to the granting interface. Instead, they must be uploaded to a file sharing site such as YouTube, Vimeo or Dropbox with the link provided in the application. If the link requires a password to access the audio or video file, please provide that in your application as well.
Please contact grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com early on if you require assistance.
Additional Files
Policies
Deadline Extension Policy
Accessibility and Accommodation Policy
Disclosure of Grant Information Policy
Other
Terms of Reference
Group Agreements
Frequently Asked Questions
Assessor Nomination Form
Successful Applications and Final Reporting
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.
A short interim report will be assigned to you in the grant interface, due by April 1, 2021:
- What impacts has this funding had on your organization and what have you used it for? (maximum 500 words)
A final report will be assigned to you in the grant interface, due by November 1, 2021. This is part of the City of Calgary requirements for this funding in order to report back to council:
- Provide a one-page update describing the impact this fund has had on your organization and why.
- Provide an outline of what these funds were budgeted and used for.
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.
