Cultural Grants Program

A vibrant arts and cultural scene is important to any truly livable city.

The City's Cultural Grants Program supports a wide range of arts and cultural activity in Vancouver.

Is your non-profit arts or cultural organization:

Producing or presenting ongoing arts and cultural activities in Vancouver?
Planning a cultural project or event?

You may be eligible for funding through the following Cultural Grant streams:

Project Grants
Annual Assistance Grants
Operating Grants

Learn about funding, eligibility, terms and conditions, evaluation criteria, and process for each grant stream, below.

Applicants who are deaf or live with a disability and need support to complete their grant applications may access support to cover the costs of assistance from service providers. Please contact our program staff lead for more information.

What's happening

On September 11, 2019, Vancouver City Council unanimously approved Culture|Shift: Blanketing the City in Arts and Culture Vancouver Culture Plan 2020-2029.

Read the plan (23 MB)

Project Grants

Is your non-profit arts or cultural organization researching, developing, creating, sharing or presenting a one-time creative project or a time-limited series or season of artistic events?

Project grants support projects and events in any artistic discipline - Indigenous arts and culture, dance, interdisciplinary arts, literary arts, media arts, multidisciplinary arts, music, theatre, visual arts, and heritage.

Projects supported through this program:
- Share stories of the distinct place and diverse cultures and peoples of Vancouver and these unceded lands
- Support heritage or services to the arts and culture sector
- Align with key directions of Culture|Shift, the City’s new Culture plan
Applications open October 25
Current status Open

Deadline date for 2020 applications December 4, 2019

Eligible applicants

You can apply for this grant if your organization is a Vancouver-based:
- Nonprofit society
- Community service co-op legally registered with BC Registry and Services
- Registered charity with the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA)
- Local First Nation Band Council
To receive funding, your organization must:
- Be incorporated for at least six months
- Have an active presence and have programs and services delivered within Vancouver, or if led by either the xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) or səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, held in their unceded traditional homelands upon which Vancouver sits
- Provide equitable access to programs and services to a broad diverse public
- Have an active Board of Directors composed of volunteers representative of the mission and people served
- Have skilled leadership, and be working with artists and creative collaborators with the relevant lived experience, permission, knowledge, skills and expertise to lead and contribute to the work
- Compensate professional artists at minimum creative sector standard rates
- Have diverse revenue sources (earned, private, and public) for the project
- Compensate professional artists; preferably at minimum standard industry rates
- Provide financial statements with signatures of two Board members for the most recently completed fiscal year, including a Balance Sheet and Income/Expense Statement. Financial statements are preferably independently prepared as a Review Engagement or Notice to Reader
- Have completed all previous projects funded through Cultural Services and can report on the most recent City-funded project in the current application, or have written approval from a Cultural Planner to submit an application if the previous project is not complete by the time of the application deadline
- Have not submitted other applications for Project, Operating or Community Arts grants for the same calendar year
We don't fund:
- Organizations that do not have arts and cultural mandates
- Projects that do not meet the program goals and eligibility criteria
- Projects where the central focus or theme is not artistic or cultural
- Activity taking place outside Vancouver city limits, unless led by either xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nation members and held in their unceded traditional homelands upon which Vancouver sits
- Other City departments and branches including community centres
- Publicly-funded or private educational institutions
- Social service, religious, sports organizations or clubs
Eligible projects
- A single production, show, or a series of related curated or produced arts and cultural events, performances or programs
- Project development (building partnerships, research)
- Collaborative creative initiatives that involve professional artists and community members that address local interests or concerns
- Projects related to cultural heritage initiated through museums, archives or other professional heritage organizations
- Projects that develop distinctive approaches or collaborations to deliver programs or share services and resources
- Conferences or symposia that offer significant learning and networking opportunities for artists, organizations, and public
- Artistic Residencies that facilitate learning, artistic development and cultural exchange between professional artists and host organizations
- Artistic or Administrative Mentorships that facilitate learning opportunities for professional artists and administrators wishing to gain training with professionals in host organizations.
- Outdoor projects that have received civic approval from the appropriate departments (evidence of permits or approvals may be required)
The funding cannot pay for:
- Core artistic training and in-class activity
- Ongoing operations, deficit reduction or capital projects
- Activity taking place before the application deadline
- Fundraising or commercially-oriented activity
- Bursaries of scholarships
- Contests or competitions
How to apply
1. Read the Project Grant Program Information Guide (179 KB)
  The guide explains:
  - Grant objectives
  - Eligibility
  - Assessment criteria and process
  - Conditions of assistance
  - Confidentiality
  - Additional resources
2. Contact a cultural planner to:
  - Discuss your eligibility
  - Access the online application form
  - Receive valuable advice
Aliyah Amarshi, Cultural Planner
604-829-9876
aliyah.amarshi@vancouver.ca
Annual Assistance Grants

Is your professional organization in a growth phase of development with a mission to:
- Create, produce, present, and share artistic work in any discipline?
- Provide professional services or space that benefits the arts sector?
Artistic disciplines can include Indigenous arts, community arts, dance, interdisciplinary arts, literary arts, media arts, multidisciplinary arts, music, theatre, and visual arts.

Annual Assistance Grants can offer consistent and reliable support to your organization to:
- Deliver artistic programs or services
- Strengthen organizational infrastructure to support the healthy growth of your organization
Applications open October 28
Current status Open to invited organizations

Deadline date for 2020 applications December 4, 2019

Eligible applicants

All requests will be considered on a case by case basis according to the existing funding relationship with the City and organizational readiness.

Read the characteristics of an Annual Assistance organization and Eligibility sections of the Program Guide before contacting the lead staff for more information.
1. Read the information guide (352 KB)
  The guide explains:
  - New directions and goals in Culture | Shift Culture Plan 2019 - 2029
  - Grants and awards guiding principles
  - Annual assistance grant program goals
  - Expectations of an annual assistance organization
  - Eligibility
  - Grant amounts
  - Equitable funding
  - Assessment process
  - Considerations for working with Indigenous artists
  - Recommendation process
  - Terms and conditions of assistance
  - Glossary and additional City resources
2. Contact Cultural Services for referral to a cultural planner to:
  - Discuss your organization eligibility
  - Receive valuable advice
Marnie Rice
604-871-6634
marnie.rice@vancouver.ca

Douglas Durand
604-871-6007
douglas.durand@vancouver.ca
Operating Grants

Is your professional organization in a mature phase of development with a mission to:
- Create, produce, present, and share artistic work in any discipline?
- Provide professional services or space that benefits the arts sector?
Artistic disciplines can include Indigenous arts, community arts, dance, interdisciplinary arts, literary arts, media arts, multidisciplinary arts, music, theatre, and visual arts.

Operating Grants can offer consistent, reliable support to your organization to create and run programs and services that sustain a dynamic arts community.

Applications open October 28
Current status Open to invited organizations

Deadline date for 2020 applications December 4, 2019

Eligible applicants

All requests will be considered on a case by case basis according to the existing funding relationship with the City and organizational readiness.

Read the characteristics of an Operating Assistance organization and Eligibility sections of the Program Guide before contacting the lead staff for more information.
1. Read the information guide (360 KB)
  The guide explains:
  - New directions and goals in Culture | Shift Culture Plan 2019 - 2029
  - Grants and awards guiding principles
  - Operating grant program goals
  - Expectations of an operating organization
  - Eligibility
  - Grant amounts
  - Equitable funding
  - Assessment process
  - Considerations for working with Indigenous artists
  - Recommendation process
  - Terms and conditions of assistance
  - Glossary and additional City resources
2. Contact Cultural Services for referral to a cultural planner by to:
  - Discuss your organization eligibility
  - Receive valuable advice
Cherryl Masters
604-871-6498
cherryl.masters@vancouver.ca