Professional Arts Organizations Operating Grant Program

Overview of the Professional Arts Organizations Operating Grant Program program:

This program provides unrestricted operating funding to non-profit professional arts organizations in Calgary. Grants through this program are committed on a four-year basis for funding years 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030. This program is open both to current grantees and new applicants. This program supports Professional Arts Organizations only. Please see ‘Who Can Apply?’ for more information. All applicants must be screened by program staff prior to applying. Organizations that received operating funding in 2025 (current grantees) will have their agreement and current grant amount renewed for the 2026 funding year and will be assessed through this program for 2027 – 2030. New applicants to the program will be assessed for a one-year operating grant for the 2026 funding year through the New Applicants — Professional Arts Organizations Operating Grant. They can then reapply for 2027 – 2030 through this program. New applicants will also be welcome to apply for the 2027 – 2030 funding cycle if they did not receive funding in 2026.

Benefits of the Professional Arts Organizations Operating Grant Program program:

• Multi-year stable operating support
• Recognition of professional artist fees and industry standards
• Equity and accessibility accommodations for applicants
• One-on-one application support
• Enables long-term artistic planning and sustainability

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

• Professional Arts Organizations are non-profit arts organizations whose primary purpose is to create access to professional artistic work with artistic mandates that may include:
• Creation, production or presentation of professional artistic work (must pay or intend to pay professional artist fees according to sector or industry standards)
• Service, support or education for professional artists or professional arts organizations
• A focus on advancing professional artistic practice.
• In some cases, the Professional 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 youth, amateur or non-professional artistic work may also be considered in this program if the scale of their overall operations meets the below criteria:
• Organization has a significant number of paid full-time administrative or artistic staff
• Average annual revenues exceed $500,000
• Eligible applicants must be:
• Registered non-profit organizations under the Albertas 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: 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 their activities benefit and/or serve Calgarians
• Must be located in Alberta
• 50% 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 Community 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