2022-23 Documentary Heritage Communities Program in Canada

Deadline: 12-Jan-22

Organizations may now apply for Library and Archives Canada’s (LAC) funding through the Documentary Heritage Communities Program (DHCP). This funding helps to ensure that Canada’s continuing memory is documented, preserved and accessible.

Objectives

The DHCP provides financial assistance to the Canadian documentary heritage community for activities that:

Increase access to, and awareness of, Canada’s local documentary heritage organizations and their holdings.
- Collection-, catalogue- and access-based management
- Commemorative projects
- Conversion and digitization for access purposes
- Development (research, design and production) of virtual and physical exhibitions, including travelling exhibits
Increase the capacity of local documentary heritage organizations to better sustain and preserve Canada’s documentary heritage.
- Conservation and preservation treatment
- Conversion and digitization for preservation purposes, including recording interviews for oral history projects
- Increased digital preservation capacity (excluding digital infrastructure related to day-to-day activities)
- Training and workshops that improve professional competencies and build the organization’s capacity
- Development of standards, performance and other measurement activities

Funding Information

The Program will award eligible projects as follows:

Small projects: Up to $24,999
- Duration is up to one year.
- Both incorporated and non-incorporated non-profit organizations can apply.
- Indigenous government institutions can apply.
Large projects: Between $25,000 and $50,000 (or up to $60,000 for organizations located in remote areas)
- Duration is up to one year.
- Incorporated non-profit organizations can apply.
- Indigenous government institutions can apply.
Multi-year projects: Organizations that have received DHCP funding in the past and that have completed their project(s) can apply. A project is considered “completed” once LAC accepts the organization’s project-end report.
- Small multi-year projects: Up to $24,999
  - Duration is up to two years.
  - Total funding cannot exceed $24,999.
- Large multi-year projects: Up to $50,000 per year (or up to $60,000 for organizations located in remote areas)
  - Duration is up to two years.
  - Incorporated non-profit organizations can apply.
  - Indigenous government institutions can apply.
  - Total funding cannot exceed $100,000 (or $120,000 for organizations in remote areas).

Eligible Projects

Examples:

Migrating a collection or holdings to an online database
Enhancing your finding aid with archival standard descriptions, translations and transcriptions
Recording interviews with local veterans about their experiences during the Second World War or interviews with local Indigenous Elders about their experiences, traditions and culture
Conserving and/or restoring portraits or photographs of historical and/or local significance
Creating an exhibition based on a specific collection
Developing and sharing best practices and policies for processing holdings
Digitizing a mixed media collection or local oral history interviews
Digitizing newspapers for which the applicant owns the copyright
Organizing a documentary heritage conference

Eligibility Criteria

Local documentary heritage organizations eligible to apply to the DHCP are non-profit organizations that hold collections of mainly local or regional significance:
- Archives
- Genealogical organizations/societies
- Historical societies
- Indigenous organizations/government institutions
- Libraries
- Organizations with an archival component
- Professional library or archival associations
All applicants must be privately funded (50% or more) with the exception of Indigenous organizations/government institutions.
Different funding conditions apply to incorporated and non-incorporated organizations, as well as to organizations that have received DHCP funding in the past.