Deadline: 7-Oct-21
The Toronto Arts Council (TAC) is inviting applications for the 2021 Black Arts Annual Operating Funding program to support non-profit Toronto Black arts organizations (both incorporated and unincorporated).
The Black Arts Program provides Annual Operating Organizations to qualify for funding will be Black-led, Blackfocused, and Black-serving; with the requirement for a majority of the leadership to identify as Black (Blackled), the primary goals of the organization to meaningfully support the Black community (Black-focused), as well as a significant portion of program activities prioritizing serving the Black community (Black-serving). Funding through this program supports both operations and programming. The City of Toronto supports this program through a funding allocation approved annually by Toronto City Council.
The Black Arts Annual Operating Program is a new funding initiative created to support Black-led, Blackfocused and Black-serving1 organizations seeking support with operating expenses. For the purpose of this program, “Black” refers to African descendant people across the diaspora including but not limited to African Canadian, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latinx, East African, West African, Southern and Central African, Afro-Arab, Afro-Indigenous, etc. This funding program is intended to support the development, continuation, and flourishing of Black arts organizations.
Activities
Professional, Black-led arts organization that supports the work of professional Black artists in a variety of arts disciplines. This can include:
- multidisciplinary arts organizations that serve and support artist-members with a focus on Black artists-members
- organizations whose primary purpose is to support the professional practice of Black artists
Funding Information
Organizations receiving a Black Arts Operating grant above $20,000 can only apply to grants in the strategic initiatives programs.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for this Annual Operating funding, an applicant must:
- be a non-profit professional arts organization;
- be Black-led, Black-focused, and Black-serving
- have professional artistic leadership and pay appropriate professional fees to artists;
- be located in the City of Toronto and have a significant portion of its activities occurring within the City;
- have a recent history of sustained arts activity of at least two years;
- have a viable administrative structure;
- demonstrate a range of revenue sources on an annual basis, which may include earned, government and private sector revenues;
- provide unaudited financial statements or internally prepared including a balance sheet, statement of income and expenses (if audited financial statements or review engagement is unavailable)
- be governed by a majority Black-led Board of Directors or other body responsible for the organization.
For more information, visit https://torontoartscouncil.org/grant-programs/discover-tac-grants/tac-grants/art-discipline-funding/black-arts/annual-operating
