Professional Performing Arts Organizations Operating Funding by Alberta Foundation for the Arts (Canada)

Deadline: 01-Nov-22

Applications are now open for the Professional Performing Arts Organizations Operating Funding grant and is providing funding in three-year cycles to eligible professional organizations that self-create and self-produce performing art productions.

Funding Information

• Funding awarded through this opportunity is calculated based on Community Derived Revenue (CDR). CDR is defined as an organization’s total annual revenue minus all federal, provincial and municipal government grants.
• Funding amounts are calculated in two stages:
  • First, your organization’s three-year average CDR is adjusted to the following percentage tiers:
    • 11% of such CDR for organizations with a three-year average CDR equal to or greater than $1 million;
    • 15% of such CDR for organizations with a three-year average CDR of less than $1 million and equal to or more than $100,000
    • 20% of such CDR for organizations with a three-year average CDR of less than $100,000.
  • Your organization’s adjusted CDR is then divided by the sum of the adjusted CDR for all eligible Professional Performing Arts Organizations, and then multiplied by this funding opportunity’s budget to determine your funding grant allocation.

Note: If your organization has been approved for a Creative Year Option, your organization’s average CDR will consist of the most recent three years, excluding the Creative Year.

What does this 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 as described in your application and/or reporting.
• 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.
• 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.
• Discipline-specific project expert panels assess the proposals for this option.
• To prepare for this option, organizations must contact the AFA at least one year prior to the proposed Creative Year.

Eligible Applicants

• 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.
• First-Time Applicants
  • Eligible first-time applicants are accepted only at the beginning of each three-year cycle.
  • If this is your organization’s first application for Professional Performing Arts Organizations operating funding, you must contact us at least three months before the deadline for a preliminary eligibility assessment to ensure your organization meets the eligibility criteria.
  • As a first-time applicant, your organization must have met all eligibility requirements for the three annual fiscal periods prior to application.
  • You must also provide board-approved financial statements that demonstrate the organization has positive net assets and has been operating with no annual deficit for each of these three fiscal periods.

Ineligible Applicants

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

When will you hear

• Grant recommendations are made to the AFA board of directors.
• Successful recipients will be notified upon board approval, generally between four to six months from the application deadline.

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