Community Arts Organizations Operating Grant Program

Overview of the Community Arts Organizations Operating Grant Program program:

The Community Arts Organizations Operating Grant Program 2025, managed by Calgary Arts Development, is designed to provide stable, multi-year funding to non-profit community arts organizations operating in Calgary. The goal of this program is to enable these organizations to focus on their mission, expand their impact, and contribute to the vibrancy of the local arts ecosystem. Funding is awarded as unrestricted operating support, which allows recipients to use funds flexibly across their core activities, including administration, programming, staffing, and community engagement. The program emphasizes accessibility, equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation. It aims to support organizations that reflect the cultural fabric of Calgary, build connections across communities, and engage Calgarians in meaningful arts experiences. Organizations funded under this program are expected to demonstrate a commitment to strong governance, financial responsibility, and sustainable growth. Applications are evaluated not only on financial need but also on the quality of artistic vision, organizational leadership, and demonstrated impact on the community. By providing long-term operational stability, Calgary Arts Development helps ensure that community arts organizations have the resources necessary to plan ahead, strengthen their organizational capacity, and contribute to a more inclusive and thriving arts environment in Calgary.

Benefits of the Community Arts Organizations Operating Grant Program program:

• Provides two years of stable operating funding (20262027).
• Offers flexibility with unrestricted funding to cover operations, staffing, programming, and community engagement.
• Strengthens long-term organizational capacity and sustainability.
• Encourages artistic innovation, community connection, and inclusive participation.
• Supports organizations in aligning with Calgary Arts Developments commitments to equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation.
• Builds resilience and stability for community-based non-profit arts organizations.

Eligibility criteria of the Community Arts Organizations Operating Grant Program program:

• Community Arts Organizations are non-profit arts organizations whose primary purpose is to create access for community participation in the arts with artistic mandates that may include:
• Creation, production or presentation of artistic work by youth, amateur or non-professional artists
• Service, support or education for youth, amateur or non-professional artists
• A focus on the local, social or recreational aspects of art in community
• In some cases, the Community Arts Organizations Operating Grant Program may be the most appropriate program for organizations whose mandates do not match the above definition. Program staff will work with applicants to place them in the most appropriate program. At Calgary Arts Developments discretion, non-profit arts organizations whose mandate is the creation, production or presentation of professional artistic work may also be considered for this program for any of the following reasons:
• Organization is entirely volunteer-run or has no or few full-time paid administrative or artistic staff
• Average annual revenues do not exceed $300,000
• Primary purpose is to create access for specific communities to experience professional artistic work
• Existing organizations in the operating grant program will be notified by email to confirm eligibility for either the Community Arts Organizations Operating Grant or the Professional Arts Organizations Operating Grant. New applicants must submit a Letter of Intent by October 1, 2025, and will be notified by email which program they are eligible for.
• Eligible applicants must be:
• Registered non-profit organizations under the Alberta Societies Act or the Alberta Company Act, Part 9
• In good standing with all appropriate legislation
• Arts-focused as outlined in their mandate: Mandate must be primarily focused on advancing the arts in community through any of the following: creation, development, production, presentation, education, mentorship
• In operation for two or more years: Organizations that have not been registered non-profit organizations for two years may apply, if they can demonstrate consistent annual programming and comparable community relationships and governance models for at least two years prior to registration
• Calgary-based: Organizations not located in Calgary must demonstrate that the majority of activities benefit and/or serve Calgarians
• Must be located in Alberta
• 50 per cent of the organizations board members must be living in Alberta
• Organizations with a provincially focused mandate must demonstrate that Calgarians are equally served by their programming as other areas of Alberta
• Ineligible applicants:
• Organizations that are not in good standing with non-profit legislation and other relevant regulations
• Organizations with outstanding final reports for other grants from Calgary Arts Development
• Organizations receiving a grant through the Professional Arts Organizations Operating Grant Program
• Post-secondary institutions
• Organizations that are Civic Partners to the City of Calgary and organizations receiving annual unrestricted operational support for their arts programming directly from the City of Calgary
• Organizations registered under the Religious Societies Land Act
• Individual artists or artist collectives
• For-profit businesses