Organization Activation Projects Funding

The AFA celebrates and supports diversity and is committed to creating equitable, inclusive, and accessible programs for all, free of barriers and discrimination. We recognize the unique contributions all artists make towards our community, and encourage applicants representing diverse communities including Indigenous peoples, racialized communities, women, people with disabilities, and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

To be eligible for funding, applicants must be one of the following:

• not-for-profit organization, registered and operating in Alberta for at least one year, and in good standing under the appropriate legislation
• First Nation or Metis Settlement in Alberta
• foundation established and regulated under Alberta's Regional Health Authorities Act
• university, college, or institute as recognized under Alberta's Post­-secondary Learning Act

Eligible organizations must also:

• have at least 50% of the organization’s board members living in Alberta
• deliver public arts and cultural programming in one or more of the following areas:
  • artist support, development, and training in any arts discipline
  • Indigenous arts, culturally diverse arts programming, and arts programming that supports traditionally underserved communities
• demonstrate adherence to good governance principles, efficient administration practices and commitment to fiscal responsibility
• demonstrate financial stability, in the judgment of the AFA, for at least one year prior to application

Eligible organizations may be located anywhere in Alberta, but project activities must take place outside of the following urban regional areas:

• Calgary metropolitan area, consisting of: Calgary, Airdrie, Chestermere, Cochrane, Foothills County, High River, Okotoks, Rocky View County
• Edmonton metropolitan area, consisting of: Edmonton, Beaumont, Devon, Fort Saskatchewan, Leduc, Leduc County, Morinville, Parkland County, St. Albert, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Strathcona County, Sturgeon County

Partnership projects

Two or more organizations that satisfy the eligibility criteria may apply to collaborate on a project. Multiple applications from separate organizations for aspects of the same project will not be accepted. Projects involving multiple partners must be consolidated and submitted by one lead organization.

Applicants are encouraged to consider projects involving partnerships between organizations with diverse mandates or operational focuses (e.g., established arts organizations with new or emerging organizations, arts organizations with immigrant settlement services, or Indigenous communities).

Organizations that wish to collaborate on a project with one or more partner organization(s) must demonstrate that:

• all partners share control and responsibilities equally in the project
• knowledge and practices will be shared and exchanged for the benefit of all project partners
• partnership results in activity beyond the normal programming of partnering organizations
• the project could not be otherwise completed without the existence of the partnership

Ineligible organizations

The following organizations are not eligible for funding through this program:

• municipalities
• commercial enterprises or for-profit organizations/companies
• schools
• organizations that are not arm’s length from municipalities, commercial enterprises, or schools
• organizations that engage primarily in competition-based activity
• organizations that do not meet the eligibility criteria in the section above
• organizations with overdue or incomplete accounting/reporting with the AFA or the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Status of Women

New initiatives that engage emerging artists in rural Alberta communities and foster the next generation of artists by addressing gaps in professional development and promote:

• developing relationships and increasing knowledge sharing between emerging artists (typically ages 16-35) and established artists and mentors
• increasing accessibility to programs and opportunities for rural emerging artists residing in Alberta communities outside of major urban regions
• supporting artistic disciplines, and/or customary Indigenous arts and cultural practices
• supporting Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) of artists, communities, and audiences

Examples include, but are not limited to, projects that:

• provide mentorship and pair experienced artists or arts professionals with emerging artists to provide professional development, guidance, support, and skill-building opportunities in their artistic pursuits
• provide arts-related skill development to emerging artists though workshops, classes, or residencies in various artistic disciplines
• support established mentors or facilitators to assist emerging artists to conceive, plan, and execute their own arts projects such as exhibitions, performances, festivals, or community arts initiatives
• equip artists with the skills and abilities to market themselves in a region that may not likely have enough infrastructure to support development in their field
• connect emerging artists with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and/or other artists to share customary and/or contemporary artistic practices through community gatherings
• build capacity for emerging artists to sustain their practice beyond the scope of the project itself, such as the development of marketing skills and strategies to promote work widely

Ineligible projects

• activities eligible for funding, or already funded by other AFA project grant programs
• programming that is already part of an organization's ongoing normal operations or artistic programming, i.e., proposed activities must be new initiatives
• activities undertaken before an application is submitted to this project grant stream; projects must not start before the application is received by the AFA
• post-secondary institution projects for curriculum-based or academic purposes
• programs for core delivery of education, health and wellness, and social services
• activities in the areas of applied arts (culinary, architecture, interior design, graphic arts, commercial photography, gaming, fashion design, tattooing, etc.), commercial variety acts (face painting, balloon entertainers, fireworks/pyrotechnics, hypnotism, etc.)
• competitive performances or activities
• cultural industry activities (for example, book and magazine publishing, sound recording activities, broadcasting/podcasting)
• activities presented as part of primarily social events, including, but not limited to, fundraisers, rodeos, stampedes, grandstand performances, trade fairs, parades, meals, conventions, community dances, and student union cabarets

Eligible expenses

The maximum grant available will not exceed $30,000. Applicants may apply for up to 100% of eligible expenses that are verifiable and directly related to carrying out the proposed project.

Eligible project expenses include any combination of the following:

• costs associated with the above listed activities over and above normal operations
• external consultation, contract costs, commissioning fees, and artist/mentor fees associated with project execution
• Elder, Knowledge Keeper, and/or cultural advisor honoraria and gifts as appropriate
• project related materials and supplies (i.e., art materials, hospitality excluding alcohol)
• venue and equipment rental costs
• event or activity marketing and promotion costs
• project-related travel and accommodation for artists, mentors, or participants
• other expenses considered by the AFA to be reasonable and necessary

Ineligible expenses

Expenses and activities that are ineligible for funding include, but are not limited to:

• permanent or existing staff positions, including prorated salaries and/or time of existing staff allocated to the project expenses
• capital expenditures for the purchase of buildings or property or for capital development such as construction or renovations
• capital expenditures for purchase of office furniture and/or equipment such as computers, technology, lighting, audio, etc., that can otherwise be rented and/or has a use beyond the life of the project
• mortgage payments, amortization, and/or loan payments, bad debt, other paper losses, or debt reduction
• expenditures already funded through other Government of Alberta grant programs

The AFA only accepts applications through the Front Office portal of the Grant Administration Tracking and Evaluation (GATE) online application system. The AFA must receive online applications no later than 11:59 p.m. Mountain Standard Time on the deadline date, unless the deadline falls on a statutory holiday or a weekend when it will be extended until the next working day. Please give the system time to process the submission so the AFA receives notification before the deadline closes.

The AFA does not accept:

• applications received after 11:59 p.m. on the deadline
• incomplete applications
• applications for projects or activities that commenced prior to submission
• more than one application from an organization per deadline, either solely or as a partnership
• multiple applications from separate organizations for aspects of the same project; projects involving multiple partners must consolidated and submitted by one primary organization

GATE Front Office username registration

First-time applicants will require a GATE Front Office username and password. Requests must be received at least five business days prior to the application deadline.

Please complete the GATE Front Office Registration form and email it as an attachment to registrationAFA@gov.ab.ca, quoting the funding opportunity or grant program to which you are applying.

GATE Front Office usernames and passwords will be sent to the email addresses provided on the registration form.

What to include in the application

For detailed step-by-step instructions, please download the GATE Front Office user guide.

• After reading the program guidelines, for additional help review the Grant Writing Guide - Sample Format - Organizations Activation Projects

GATE Front Office online forms

• Contact List: Includes the primary and secondary contacts for your application and signing authority for your organization
• Applicant Contact Information: Includes street and mailing address
• Organization Information: Includes the organization’s legal name and Alberta Registration number and incorporation date (when applicable), and fiscal year-end
• Project Description: Includes a brief project description (20 words maximum) and project start and completion dates
• Organization Applicant Agreement: Includes the name and position of your legal signing authority
• Current Board List: Includes names, titles, mailing address, contact information, and start dates for all current board members; for First Nations or Metis Settlements includes governing council
• Project Expenses: Categorized by expense type with brief descriptions and cost breakdowns in Canadian dollars
• Project Revenues: List of all non-AFA revenues contributing to your project, including own-source, and status of funds, in Canadian dollars
  • the difference between expenditures and revenues will comprise the grant request to the AFA and cannot exceed $30,000

Attachments

The GATE Front Office attachment section indicates that not all attachments are required for submission as they may only be required for certain types of projects (e.g., marketing plan for a marketing project). It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure all relevant attachments to their project proposal are submitted with the application.

The applicant will be required to complete and upload the following attachments:

• detailed description of the project, including an outline of the objectives, planned activities, and timelines
  • an explicit explanation of the benefits resulting from this funding is strongly encouraged as part of your detailed description.
  • ensure that the project description thoroughly addresses all assessment criteria outlined below (“How will my application be assessed” section)
• organization’s most recent annual financial statements with balance sheet, statement of revenues and expenditures, and statement of cash flows
  • for partnership projects, the lead applicant must collate financial statements from all participating organizations
  • these must be uploaded as one file into the attachments
• proof of filing with AB Corporate Registry
• when applicable:
  • itineraries and travel confirmations
  • marketing plan
  • partnership agreement, contract, or memorandum of understanding indicating the responsibilities of each partner
  • additional support items that may assist in the assessment process including, but not limited to, promotional literature, programs, or newsletters

Should you wish to submit audio-visual support material, please contact the Arts Development Consultant responsible for this program for detailed instructions.

Staff convene an expert panel to consider all eligible grant applications submitted. The expert panel assesses the merit of each application both on its own terms and in relation to all other applications received for a given deadline.

Assessment of a project is based on the following general criteria:

• Needs Assessment: demonstrated needs assessment that identifies the gaps or barriers in support and professional development for emerging artists within the region or community where the programming takes place
• Project Merit: merit and clarity of strategies the organization will use to train, develop, and mentor emerging artists to foster self-sufficiency within the community
• Project Impact: long-term impact of the project on both emerging artists and the organization’s future capacity and growth
• Applicant Ability: ability of the applicant to carry out the proposed project, including programming and achievements to date
• Project Budget: appropriateness of the project budget, including evidence of in-kind and/or financial contributions from the applicant, when applicable

All expert panel recommendations are reviewed by the AFA and all decisions are final.

Funding is not assured for any project.

Applicants will be notified in writing of the result of their application within four months of the application deadline.

Funding is intended for the purposes described in the application. By accepting funding, the organization agrees to undertake the project as proposed in the original project description.

If the organization does not receive the full grant amount requested, it is still required to complete the project as proposed if the organizations accepts the grant.

• the organization must return grant funds if the project cannot be completed as proposed

If the organization requires a change to the project including outcomes or an extension to the final report due date:

• it must submit a request in writing for approval by the AFA
• the request must be submitted to the consultant responsible for this program PRIOR to the change being made and/or before the project completion date
• the AFA will consider a single extension per project

Funding recipients are responsible for informing the AFA of how funds were spent and outcomes of the project. The AFA requires a complete and satisfactory final report submitted through GATE Front Office that demonstrates funding was spent on the activities described in the application. The organization must:

• return funds if reporting requirements are not met
• return unused portions of funding to the AFA

Any funding recipient who does not provide a report by the date noted in the successful notification document, does not fulfill any conditions associated with the grant, or whose report is not approved will be made delinquent and may be ineligible for further funding from the AFA for a period of three years from the time the delinquency is resolved.The AFA will retain all materials submitted with grant applications.

The AFA or its authorized representative may examine a grant recipient's financial and other records to ensure that the grant has been used for its intended purpose.

Funding acknowledgement

Organizations must acknowledge the AFA for financial support in any publicity prepared in relation to the project, including electronic, print or visual material.

Download versions of the AFA logo and guidelines for usage on our website.

Failure to satisfy the AFA recognition requirements may result in the cancellation of the grant and the requirement to return all of the funding.

A final report is due on the date noted in the successful notification document, typically 60 days from the project completion date set by the applicant. The final report must be submitted through GATE Front Office and demonstrate funding was spent on the activities described in the application.

The final report must include:

• Project Expenses: A complete and accurate financial accounting for the project based on the original budget submission
• Project Revenue: A complete and accurate financial accounting of all non-AFA revenues contributed to the project

Reporting attachments

The organization will be required to complete and upload the following attachments:

• description of the results of the project, with an evaluation of its success in relation to the original objectives and outreach as stated in the application
• copies of promotional and publicity material demonstrating AFA funding recognition
• support materials such as reviews, publications, invitations and/or catalogues in which projects are mentioned, when applicable

Visit the Help and Resources section of our website to download the GATE Front Office User Guide.

• Review the Grant Writing Guide - Sample Format - Organizations Activation Projects

Find more information on how the AFA adjudicates project grants

Learn more about the AFA and EDIA