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Grants FAQ

A grant recognizes and supports the ongoing operations of an organization or a specific project of an organization or an individual. A grant should not be confused with commissions, contribution agreements, contracts for service, and prizes or awards.

The EAC provides grants to arts and festival organizations to support annual operating costs, facility operations and for organizational support and emergency purposes. Grants to individual artists are available for travel, for the creation, development, curation, exhibition or production of work in any art form and to offset living and working expenses. Additionally, grants are available for collaborations between professional artists and a distinct community. Find a list of all grant programs here.

The Edmonton Arts Council manages the City of Edmonton arts and festival grants through the Community Investment Program. The City of Edmonton allocates funding from its tax base to the EAC on an annual basis to support these programs. The City of Edmonton’s final budget decisions are usually made in December for the following year.

The Edmonton Arts Council also administers grants from other sources such as the Edmonton Artists Trust Fund, the Lee Fund for the Arts, and the TransAlta festival city grants. Available funding may change from year to year. Contact the EAC Grants Staff for specific information. 

For information on past grant recipients and amounts please see our annual reports. 

To be eligible for a Community Investment Program grant:

1. an arts or festival organization must be an Edmonton non-profit society that has been registered as a non-profit society for at least one year;
2. an individual artist must be resident of the City of Edmonton for at least one year.

To be eligible for an Edmonton Artist Trust Fund award an individual artist must be 18 years of age or older, have been a resident of the Greater Edmonton Region for at least one year prior to the application deadline, and a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant.

Lee Fund for the Arts grants can be made to individuals or to organizations.
Individuals must be 18 years of age or older; a resident of the greater Edmonton region for at least one year prior to the application deadline, and a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant.

The Lee Fund for the Arts is not restricted to charitable or non-profit organizations. Informal organizations or groups that define themselves by geography, tradition and culture, or spirit are eligible to apply.

For the purpose of approving grants for individuals, the Edmonton Arts Council
defines an “artist” as an individual who has completed training, an apprenticeship, or a recognized body of work in an arts discipline; and meets the requirements of one or more of the following:

• is dedicated to the professional practice of the art, as evidenced by a significant investment of time and resources;

• receives payment for artistic work (i.e. artist fees);

• has received public exposure, through professional showings, screenings, publication, or performances where selection was carried out by an objective, arm's length body such as a jury or publisher;

• enjoys peer recognition through critical reviews, participation in community activities, and membership in professional associations.

You do not have to be a member of the Edmonton Arts Council to apply for or receive a grant administered by the EAC.

The best way to access an application form is through the EAC website. Navigate to the grant program information page of interest to you. Scroll down to the downloadable PDF application form and click on the PDF link to download the form. You may also call the EAC office and staff can email you an application form or send one by mail.

 Not yet, but we’re working on it!

If the application deadline falls on a holiday, applications for that program will be accepted until 4:30 pm the next business day.

The Edmonton Arts Council supports demonstrated and potential excellence in the arts and festivals. When awarding grants, the Edmonton Arts Council places priority on artistic and community merit. In order to decide who will receive funding and the amount of funding, the EAC is guided by peer jury review. Peer jury review is based on collective decision-making. No applicant to the EAC is judged by a single person only, and funding decisions are made by the consensus of jury members. Each grant program is assessed by a separate jury. No two juries are composed of the same people.

The exceptions to the peer jury review process occur for programs whose criteria do not require an evaluation of artistic merit or community impact. Those programs include the Emergency Support grant, the Organizational Support grant and the Arts and Museums Building Operating grant. In these cases, upon review of a staff report, a designated Board member will present a report and recommendation on funding support to the EAC Board for approval.

Jurors for the arts and festival operating programs are nominated by the recipients of grants from those programs. Jurors for all other programs are appointed by the Edmonton Arts Council. The composition, including number of persons and relevant skills or backgrounds is determined by the EAC Board and at all times the persons chosen will fairly represent the applicant community.

All grant recommendations require approval of the EAC Board of Directors. All Community Investment Program grant recommendations require approval of Edmonton City Council.

Our aim is to notify applicants of the results within 90 days of the application date, with the exception of the arts operating and festival operating programs. Notification of the results of these programs can be expected within 6 months of the application date.

If you receive annual operating funds or building operating funds, we consider your most current application a report on last year’s operations.

The recipient of a grant for individual artists must submit a report within 90 days of the completion date specified on the application. This report must include a description of the project, any variance from what was described in the application, and a financial report.

1. To select the program for which you are applying. While applicants may seek advice from program officers, they are ultimately responsible for deciding where to place their application.

2. To understand the program criteria and guidelines, the peer adjudication process that EAC resources are restricted.

3. To submit a current, complete application and supporting materials of high quality and standards no later than the published program deadlines.

4. To respect the process, and direct comments and questions about the process to the program officer.

5. To provide staff with observations and recommendations regarding programs and the peer adjudication process.