2023 BC Community Gaming Grants
2023 BC Community Gaming Grants
Yes, its that time of year again...
Yes, folks….hard to believe but the BEST time of the year in our granting world is here again…time to apply for your annual BC Community Gaming Grant!
And judging by how many of you fine folks ask for my help to complete your Gaming applications every year, I think that the poor little dependable Community Gaming Grant is the cod-liver oil of the granting world…it might be good for us, but wow, is it painful to take ;-)
So…I am here to help you out, and hopefully reduce any pain and suffering from your Gaming application process this year.
To start with…I have completed a (long!) and detailed review of this year’s grant guidelines document & have highlighted every bit of changed/updated text (you’re welcome). And I have updated my grant application worksheets for you - both Regular (long) form & the Renewed (short) form). You can find all of these documents on my website.
Key Things to Know:
Grant applications can be submitted any time between February 1 and April 30, 2023 for Arts & Cultural organizations (and unlike other funders, Gaming assesses applications as they come in…meaning the earlier you apply, the earlier you get your $$).
Some of you lucky folks will be eligible to apply to the “Renewed” category this year (MUCH shorter form & requirements)…and there is an easy way to figure out if you are eligible this year: go to the Gaming online application system and start an application (as if you are applying) & when you click on “Apply Online: Community Gaming Grants”, it will the take you to the start page of your application…IF you get a screen that gives the option of choosing a Renewed OR Regular form, that’s how you know that you are eligible for the Renewed choice this year. If instead, it drops you right into the main (Regular/long) form, then you get door #2, and have to do the long form for another year…boooooo! (And don’t worry about starting up a new form, their system doesn’t save anything anyway, so as soon as you close the tab, that form will be gone). Oh but one thing to know about the Renewed form…you’ll receive the same $ you got last year, you can’t ask for an increase (unfortunately).
There are a few changes to this year’s 2023 program guidelines (but not many), which they highlight at the beginning of the Guidelines document (see my link above & my highlighted portions within). Some of these are continuations of (previously) “relaxed” requirements, introduced in 2020 in recognition of the pandemic; and some are entirely new changes.
Highlights of key changes include:
Throughout 2022, public health restrictions for COVID-19 were gradually lifted and many organizations have now implemented the necessary changes to continue delivering their programs and services. As major events such as COVID-19 continue to evolve, the Community Gaming Grants Branch is aware that a flexible approach for 2023 is necessary. To ensure not-for-profit organizations can transition from COVID-19 to regular program delivery, temporary program criteria created in response to COVID-19 will remain flexible for the 2023 year.
Section 3.3: Organizational financial eligibility criteria relating to operating surplus may not be enforced for applicants affected by COVID-19. Applicants with more than 50% operating surplus should demonstrate this is due to a direct result of the pandemic.
Section 4.3: Program financial eligibility criteria related to government funding may not be enforced for applicants affected by COVID-19. Applicants with more than 75% of program funding from government sources should demonstrate this is due to a direct result of the pandemic.
Section 2.1: Community Gaming Grants funding levels have been adjusted to allow for requests of up to $125,000 at the local level.
Section 2.1: Regional and provincial funding levels have been combined. The requirements and process for requesting more than the local level has been clarified.
Section 3.2: Clarifying that organizations closely affiliated or associated with organizations that promote racial or ethnic superiority, religious intolerance, persecution or social change through unlawful action are ineligible for a Community Gaming Grant.
Section 6.1: Eligible use of grant funds to allow Community Gaming Grant funding to be used to create new paid positions will become regular criteria. The requirement that positions must have been in existence for at least 12 months at the time of application will no longer apply.
For those who may not know, I often deliver Gaming grant workshops for the uninitiated. Which means I have amassed a lot of tips and tricks on how best to tackle this unique program.
I could write a dozen or more posts just about various aspects of the Gaming program…but instead, I’ll leave it you all & send out a chat thread, where you can let me know what you’d like to know more about - all questions welcomed!
Stay tuned…