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Grants FAQ

Scroll down to see the answers to these common questions about Edmonton Arts Council grants:

A grant is a financial investment (ie. money) in an organization, individual, or specific project.

Unlike a loan, grants do not need to be repaid, but do require follow-up reporting or other commitments in exchange for the investment.

The Edmonton Arts Council manages City of Edmonton grants funding for arts and festival activity within the City limits. The EAC also manages a small number of programs that are open to applicants from the region.

Grants to individual artists are available to support specific projects such as travel, creation, exhibition or production of work in any art form. This might include support of living or working expenses relative to the project, professional development, and/or mentorship.

Arts and festival organizations can apply for annual operating costs, building operating costs and for organizational support and emergency purposes.

>> Click here to see a full list of our grant programs and their annual deadlines...

The Edmonton Arts Council manages the City of Edmonton’s Community Investment Program, which provides funding to artists and arts and festival organizations in Edmonton from the municipal tax base.

The Edmonton Arts Council also administers grants from other sources such as the Edmonton Community Foundation. Available funding from any source may change from year-to-year.

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

The Edmonton Arts Council supports Arts and Festival activities.

We accept applications from all disciplines including music, drama, dance, visual arts, literature, theatre, film, media arts, storytelling, fine craft, and combinations thereof.

Festivals, Celebrations and Parades are defined in the specific grant guidelines.

Although eligibility varies by program, general requirements include:

• 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.
• Grants are not intended to support organizations that are primarily training or educational institutions.
• An individual artist must be resident of the City of Edmonton for at least one year, not be in arrears (ie. unpaid debt) with the City of Edmonton at the time of application and have no overdue Edmonton Arts Council final reports.

Edmonton Artist Trust Fund awards and Community Arts grants are open to residents of the greater Edmonton region which includes the City of Edmonton and the Counties of Sturgeon, Parkland, Leduc and Strathcona.

The Edmonton Arts Council defines artist as someone 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 practice of the art, as shown 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 group such as a jury or publisher.
• Enjoys peer recognition through: critical reviews, participation in community activities and membership in professional associations.
  

No. However, members can participate in our Annual General Meeting, vote in board elections, and run for board positions.

>> Click here to learn more about Edmonton Arts Council memberships...

Most Edmonton Arts Council grants can be applied for online. Access our online application portal, SmartSimple, here. Paper applications may be accepted when the applicant demonstrates barriers to accessing the online system.

>> Click here for a list of grants and their application deadlines. Downloadable guidelines are available under each grant section.

Equity and Access in the Arts accepts paper and video submissions. You can find the paper application along with video submission requirements on the grant's webpage.

Please call the EAC office 780-424-2787 to speak with someone on the grants team about the application process and to determine eligibility.

If the application deadline falls on a holiday or weekend, applications for that program will be accepted until 11:59pm the next business day via SmartSimple.

While each grant process is different, most are assessed through a peer assessment committee process. Please review your grant application guidelines to determine how your grant will be assessed.

Generally, after a grant deadline has passed, a peer assessment committee made up of artists and community members come together to look over the application packages and collectively make decisions. The committees look for demonstrated and potential excellence in the arts and festivals, and place priority on artistic and community merit, as guided by the program criteria.

The Edmonton Arts Council asks the peer assessment committees to make granting recommendations based on the published criteria, as well as an awareness of diversity, equity and inclusion considerations.

>> Click here to read more about the peer assessment committee process.

Committee members are selected because they have relevant skills, knowledge and abilities, and the group may include a community member to bring a general point of view to the discussion.

Committee members are recruited to reflect the Edmonton Arts Council’s equity goals, including a representation of different artistic disciplines, cultural communities, sexual orientations, genders, ages, and abilities.

The Edmonton Arts Council accepts and encourages nominations and inquiries from potential committee members on an ongoing basis. If you are interested in participating in an Edmonton Arts Council peer assessment committee, you can contact the EAC grants staff at grants@edmontonarts.ca. Peer assessors are paid an honorarium for their time in assessment meetings.

All grant recommendations require approval of the Edmonton Arts Council Board of Directors. 

Community Investment Program grants above $30,000 then go to Edmonton City Council for approval.

We try to notify applicants of the results within 90 days of the application date for most programs.

For the Arts Operating and Festival Operating programs, notification of the results can be expected within six months of the application date.

Project Grants and Operating Grants are treated differently.  If you receive annual operating funds or building operating funds, we consider your most current application to be a report on last year’s operations.

Project Grant recipients must submit a final report within 90 days of the completion of the project. The final report is a short written summary of project outcomes (usually less than 3 pages) that includes:

• Impact that the grant had on the artist(s), Edmonton community, and viability of the project.
• Budget on actual expenditures, including revenue and expenses – reference budget submitted with initial application.
• Outline of any variations between the proposed project and actual activity.
• Any support materials (ie. artwork created, photos, video, marketing materials, media coverage, etc).
  

Please refer to program guidelines for further specific final report requirements.

If a project did not achieve the intended results, be clear in reporting the reasons why and lessons learned. 

The Edmonton Arts Council is required by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to issue T4 slips to individuals who receive funds in excess of $500 per calendar year. You will need to report this income when you file your personal taxes.

>> Click here for a document with more information... 

When applying for a grant, applicants need to fully understand the grant program’s criteria and guidelines, and submit a complete and accurate application and support materials by the deadline.

Applicants also need to make choices about what program might be best suited to support their activities, and be prepared to undertake those activities if they receive a grant.

Our grants staff is here to help you and we welcome your questions!

If English is not your first language, we do have staff who are fluent in other languages, and we can also help connect you with language support services.

Please contact our grants staff with any questions and if you require more information on these services.