Funder Type: Arts Council

Province/Territory: National (All)

Address: 150 Elgin St, P.O. Box 1047, Ottawa, ON Canada, K1P 5V8

Email: info@canadacouncil.ca

Phone No.: 1-800 263-5588; 613 566-4414

All grants are accepted online through the CAA Portal. Creating a portal can take some time, so be sure to leave at least 15 business days before the deadline to create your portal.

Take a look at how the CAA reviews and accesses grant applications. Review their commitments and principles. How does your initiative align with their annual strategy and goals? These answers will be key in writing a successful grant.

Each grant has their own criteria, eligibility, and deadline. Be sure to review what grant you want to apply for, if you are eligible, and what specific criteria you need to apply. Grant officers are always available to help you navigate any concerns: if you have questions, don’t be shy! They’re there to help you out!

Grants are divided into the following programs (descriptions are from CAA website):

Explore and Create: ($10,000-60,000): Supports the research, development, creation and production of work, as well as professional development for artists.

Engage and Sustain: (25-50% of total annual revenue): funds organizations that are dedicated to developing excellence in arts practice, advancing the arts through programming, and exposing a diverse public to a range of artists and creative works.

Creating, Knowing and Sharing: The Arts and Cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples: ($3,000- 300,000) supports Indigenous individuals, groups, Indigenous-led arts organizations and arts/cultural sector development organizations that foster a vital and resilient Indigenous arts ecosystem.

Supporting Artistic Practice: (up to $10,000) funds Canadian arts professionals, groups, and arts organizations who champion the Canadian arts sector, boost the capacity for artists to realize work and advance the conditions of creation

Arts Across Canada: (up to $10,000/200,000): Supports touring and travel of Artists, arts professionals, groups and arts organizations who want to  present and share artistic work with diverse communities across the country,

Arts Abroad: (up to $20,000-200,000): supports artists, arts professionals, groups and organizations to enhance international exposure, undertake artistic exploration or exchanges with international colleagues, and nurture new and existing art markets in a global context

There are also a number of strategic funds and prizes:

• COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund: help eligible organizations and Indigenous or equity-seeking artistic communities that have been greatly impacted financially by the pandemic.
• Digital Strategy Fund: stimulate digital transformation in the arts sector in Canada
• Access Support Fund:  funds individual applicants who are Deaf, have disabilities or who are living with mental illness, as well as Deaf and disability arts groups and organizations.
• Official Languages Fund: assist in the artistic development of individual artists working in official language minority communities and assist in the development of arts organizations working in official language minority communities
• Market Access Strategy for Official Language Minority Communities (OLMC) Fund: increase access of applicants from OLMCs to a diversity of markets and publics. This fund supports Canadian professional artists, arts professionals, artistic groups and arts organizations who belong to an Official Language Minority Community (OLMC).
• Media Arts Equipment Acquisition Fund: supports Canadian professional media arts organizations to develop technical infrastructure that fosters conditions necessary for the vitality and advancement of independent media arts in Canada.