Communities and Artists Shifting Culture (CASC): Pilot Cultural Project Grants Program

Deadline: 17-Feb-21

The City of Vancouver is seeking applications for its Communities and Artists Shifting Culture (CASC) grant program to provide project support for arts, culture and creative activities in Vancouver delivered by registered nonprofit organizations, societies, charities, registered co-operatives, and Local First Nation Band Councils that advance the goals of the City’s 10-year culture plan, Culture|Shift.

Program Goals

The goals of the program are to:

Create and increase meaningful opportunities for artists, creative leaders and organizations to research, develop, create, and present their work
Forefront the voices of equity-seeking artists, creative leaders and organizations to research, develop, create and present their work
Support co-creative projects between communities and artists or cultural practitioners that build and strengthen connections across and between diverse communities
Expand public access to culturally relevant and diverse work, programs and services to broaden understanding of Vancouver’s cultural history and creative stories
Amplify cultural life throughout Vancouver neighbourhoods, communities and public spaces
Create a more equitable, collaborative, vibrant and sustainable arts and culture sector

Funding Information

CASC grant awards range from $1,000 to $20,000. The City aims to join other funders and sponsors in the contribution and success of a project. Through this grant program, the contribution limits are as follows:

Projects with cash budgets up to $10,000 (not including in-kind goods and services) can request up to 75% of the cash budget.
Projects with cash budgets over $10,000 (not including in-kind goods and services) can request up to 50% of the cash budget, to a maximum of $20,000.

Types of Projects

Community-engaged art and culture projects
Festivals, celebrations, and parades
Artistic creation or production
Small public art projects

Eligibility Criteria

To apply to this program, the organization must:

Be a non-profit society, a community service co-op legally registered and in good standing with BC Registries and Services, a First Nations Band Council on whose unceded traditional homelands Vancouver sits, or a registered charity with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), OR
Groups that are not incorporated as registered non-profits, co-ops, or charities may contact staff to determine if an application in partnership with a registered non-profit society, co-op, charity or First Nations Band council is eligible
First-time applicants must provide documentation of non-profit, registered or charitable status, e.g., Certificate of Incorporation
Have an active presence in and deliver programs and services within Vancouver, or if led by either the Musqueam, Squamish and TsleilWaututh peoples held in their traditional homelands
Provide equitable access to programs and services
Provide respectful and safe working conditions for artists, staff, volunteers and contractors
Have an active Board of Directors comprised of volunteers that are representative of the mission and people served
Comply with all applicable laws, governing acts, regulations, bylaws and guidelines, including obtaining any necessary licenses, permits or approvals required for the project
Have skilled leadership, and be working with artists and creative collaborators with the relevant lived experience, permission, knowledge, skills, and expertise to lead and contribute to the work
Aim to compensate artists, cultural practitioners, and project contributors at standard industry rates
Have a mix of revenue sources (earned, private and public) for the project
Provide financial statements signed by the Board for the most recently completed fiscal year, including a Balance Sheet and Income/Expense Statement
Have completed all previous projects funded through Cultural Services and can report on the most recent City-funded project in the current application OR provide an interim report if the previous project is not complete by the application deadline. If funding for a new project in 2021 is approved, release of funds may be conditional upon confirmation of the 2020 funded project being completed