Grants for Canadian Groups, Organizations, and Cultural Connectors ($100 000)

Deadline: 6 May 2020

The Sector Innovation and Development component of Supporting Artistic Practice funds Canadian groups, organizations and cultural connectors for projects targeted towards growing and improving the arts sector.

Grants encourage initiatives that strengthen and develop support for Canadian artists. This component awards project grants for single activities and composite grants that encompass several activities during the same time period.

Funding Information

Project requests – up to $100 000;
Composite requests – up to $100 000 per year (to a maximum of $300 000 over 3 years);
Most grants are no more than $50 000 (or $50 000 per year for composite grants);
Higher amounts may be considered for activities that have elevated costs due to the duration of the project, number of people involved, and/or technical or other requirements related to the artistic practice.

Activities

Support towards the planning, development and/or implementation of projects that strengthen the arts sector, including but not limited to:

Representation or management services for a stable roster of 3 or more Canadian artists, groups or organizations;
Production, management and platform services for a number of Canadian artists, groups or organizations;
Publishing critical and interpretive magazines that support 1 or more artistic practice;
Developing new approaches to organizational models and management practices;
Opportunities for shared learning and networking, resource exchange or other forms of collaboration (including mentorship programs);
Organizing conferences, symposia and workshops;
Sector research;
Implementing and adapting to new technologies;
Organizations not presently receiving core funding and that have been validated as belonging to a designated priority group can apply for organizational capacity-building projects. The designated priority groups include applicants from culturally diverse, Deaf and disability, official language minority, and Indigenous communities.

Activities must have an impact in the arts sector beyond a personal gain or benefit to your group or organization. Designated priority applicants applying for organizational capacity-building projects do not have to demonstrate this larger impact.

Ineligible Activities

The following activities are not eligible for grants from the Canada Council:

Activities proposed by someone under 18 years old;
Activities that are illegal according to the Criminal Code of Canada;
Artistic activities that are led by non-professionals (this does not apply to new and early career artists);
Activities that are carried out to satisfy the course requirements of an educational institution;
Activities that directly support the delivery of an educational program or course;
Activities that are funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) (unless applying to a component of Creating, Knowing and Sharing: The Arts and Cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples);
Self-publishing or author-subsidized publishing of literary works (unless applying to a component of Creating, Knowing and Sharing: The Arts and Cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples);
Activities carried out by organizations that have not paid, or do not pay, fees or royalties to artists according the standards of the arts practice or sector;
Fundraising activities;
Capital expenditures, unless explicitly eligible;
Contests and competitions (including prizes and awards);
Contributions to endowment funds.

Eligibility Criteria

Types of potential applicants to this component include:
- Cultural connectors;
- Artistic groups and collectives;
- Architectural groups and collectives;
- Artistic organizations;
- National arts service organizations;
- Support groups, organizations and shared platforms;
- Festivals, presenters and touring networks;
- Book and magazine publishers;
- Agencies and management service organizations.
Your eligibility to apply to this component is determined by the validated profile created in the portal.
To be eligible for a composite grant, you must have received at least 2 Canada Council project grants in the last 5 years.
This excludes grants from the following components and programs: Professional Development, Small-Scale Activities, Travel, Representation and Promotion, Digital Strategy Fund, Leadership for Change: Grants for Organizational Development, Flying Squad, and Visiting Foreign Artists. (Only Agents and Managers can include the following programs/components in their calculations of 2 grants in 5 years: Audience and Market Development Travel Grants and Representation and Promotion).
Organizations presently receiving core (operating) grants from the National Arts Service Organizations component of Supporting Artistic Practice can apply for research projects only.
Other organizations presently receiving core grants can submit applications for exceptional, non-recurring initiatives that fall outside of the type or scope of activities usually undertaken by the organization.
You are responsible for demonstrating the exceptional nature of your project. Organizations presently receiving core grants are not eligible for composite grants.
Magazine publishers: your application will not be eligible if your organization does not pay fees or royalties according to standards of the arts practice and has not fulfilled all contractual obligations related to copyright payments.