Canada: Professional Performing Arts Organizations Operating Grant Program

Deadline: 1-Nov-22

Applications are now open for the Professional Performing Arts Organizations Operating Funding Program.

This grant provides funding in three-year cycles to eligible professional organizations that self-create and self-produce performing art productions.

Funding Information

Organizations which have an average annual CDR under $1 million, and have been in an AFA funding stream for a minimum of three years, may apply to the Creative Year option under this funding. This option allows organizations to receive non-reduced funding in a year without a performing season.

What does grant support?

• This funding is designed to support your organization’s operations, which are specific to your organization’s mandate, strategic and/or business plan and activities.
• AFA operating funding typically supports expenses such as:
  • administration
  • programming
  • salaries and fees
  • maintenance of equipment and fixed assets
  • promotion
  • other expenses as required to fulfill your organization’s mandate

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for Professional Performing Arts Organizations operating funding, you must:
  • have public performing arts programming as your organization’s principal mandate as stated in its incorporation documents
  • engage in on-going development, implementation and promotion of performing arts programming as its core primary activity in an annual program or full season of professional self-created and self-produced work for public presentation
  • employ at least one full-time equivalent administrative and/or artistic staff member for the minimum duration of your programming season
• Your organization must:
  • be a not-for-profit organization
  • be registered and in good standing under the appropriate legislation and have been in operation in Alberta for at least three years
  • have at least 50% of the organization’s board members living in Alberta
  • pay a ‘fee for service’ at minimum industry standard rates (such as a union or nationally recognized rate) to at least 75% of the artists involved in the organization’s performance program for all performances
  • demonstrate the ability to operate using good governance principles, effective administration practices, and a commitment to fiscal responsibility while maintaining an artistic mandate
  • operate as a stand-alone arts organization at arms-length from municipalities, commercial enterprises, or organizations and institutions receiving annual operating funds from the Government of Alberta or its affiliates
  • comply with all Canadian Arts Database (CADAC) financial and statistical data requirements
  • have a board-approved cash reserve policy

Ineligible

• Organizations that engage primarily in competition-based activity are not eligible for AFA funding.
• Organizations can only receive operating funding from one AFA grant program.

For more information, visit AFA.

For more information, visit https://affta.ab.ca/funding/find-funding/professional-performing-arts-organizations-operating-funding