Metro Vancouver Regional Cultural Project Grant Program returns...
But you'll need to act fast...deadline this year is April 22
Happy spring everyone…first of all, let me apologize for the long delay in my posting here…as many of you know, its been a VERY busy spring grant writing season so far…with so many deadlines converging in March & April, I have been a bit buried in applications.
On that note, I plan to get to my April, May & June grant calendar updates, soon…promise!
In the meantime, I wanted to give folks a heads-up for the impending deadline (April 22, 2024) for the Metro Vancouver Regional Cultural Project Grants Program, for those of you who might be interested/eligible.
Metro Vancouver held an information session back on April 3 regarding the program, and I highly recommend watching the video recording, for important info on what & how the program funds. (key tips on projects they funds starts at the 10:34 mark in the video).
Key Things to Know:
Application deadline is April 22, 2024 at 4pm PST. Notification will be by August (so planned projects should get underway after August);
Applicants must be based within the Metro Vancouver region;
They only fund (region serving/impacting) projects, not operating related expenses;
Their funding is fairly limited, - you can apply for up to $10,000, but they usually fund up to max of $5000 & they prefer demonstration of other funding sources for your project.
Eligibility Criteria:
Grants are intended to support regional arts and culture projects, not ongoing operational/general expenses.
In order to qualify for a 2024 grant, the applicant must:
promote arts and culture as its primary purpose;
produce and present arts and culture on a regular basis within the Metro Vancouver region;
be a “stand-alone” and not merely part of an organization whose function or purpose extends beyond an arts and culture mandate;
be a non-profit society, registered under the BC Societies Act for at least two fiscal years (i.e. registered before April 2022);
demonstrate that it is a well-run organization with a well-defined arts and culture mandate, sound administration and solid business plan; and
obtain funding from diverse sources.
Project marketing timelines and project delivery must occur between September 1, 2024 and August 31, 2025. Pre-production planning and work may take place before September 2024.
Organizations may only apply for one grant per year.
Selection Criteria:
The selection of 2024 projects will be based on the following assessment criteria. The relative weight given to each criterion is indicated in brackets.
Regional Impact (20%)
Significance of the project in its offering to the regional arts and culture landscape
Region-serving project that is presented beyond a single municipality
Merit (50%)
Merit of the project, based on past excellence and proven ability of the applicant
Clearly communicated project goals and relevance to arts and culture in the region
Demonstrated support of the project (i.e. partnerships, collaborations, sponsorships or in-kind support, volunteers, etc.)
Marketing, promotion and/or outreach plan to encourage regional participation, awareness and engagement
Project delivery with resilience to reasonably adjust as necessary
Budget Plan (30%)
Clear and concise budget plan for reasonable use of grant funding
Other sources of realistic funding support identified and/or in place
Requested funds are specific to the proposed project, and are not intended for ongoing operational/general funding
If you’d like a copy of my worksheet for their online application form, you can find it here on my website, for download.