GATE will be undergoing maintenance on Nov. 27-28. As such, the deadline for Arts Presenting applications is now Dec. 2 @ 11:59 pm. Read more in News.
AFA recognizes this is an extremely difficult time for Alberta's arts sector. Learn more about our COVID-19 response here.
This grant provides funding in three-year cycles to eligible professional organizations that self-create and self-produce performing art productions.
To be eligible for Professional Performing Arts Organizations operating funding, you must:
Your organization must:
Organizations that engage primarily in competition-based activity are not eligible for AFA funding.
Organizations can only receive operating fudning from one AFA grant program.
Eligible first-time applicants are accepted only at the beginning of each three-year cycle.
If this is your organization’s first application for Professional Performing Arts Organizations operating funding, you must contact us at least three months before the deadline for a preliminary eligibility assessment to ensure your organization meets the eligibility criteria.
As a first-time applicant, your organization must have met all eligibility requirements for the three annual fiscal periods prior to application. You must also provide board-approved financial statements that demonstrate the organization has positive net assets and has been operating with no annual deficit for each of these three fiscal periods.
This funding is designed to support your organization’s operations, which are specific to your organization’s mandate, strategic and/or business plan and activities as described in your application and/or reporting.
AFA operating funding typically supports expenses such as
Organizations which have an average annual CDR under $1 million, and have been in an AFA funding stream for a minimum of three years, may apply to the Creative Year option under this funding. This option allows organizations to receive non-reduced funding in a year without a performing season. Discipline-specific project expert panels assess the proposals for this option. To prepare for this option, organizations must contact the AFA at least one year prior to the proposed Creative Year.
We only accept applications through the Grant Administration Tracking and Evaluation (GATE) online application system.
We must receive your online application through GATE no later than 11:59 pm Mountain Time on the deadline date, unless the deadline falls on a statutory holiday or a weekend when it will be extended until the next working day. Please give the system time to process your application so that the AFA receives notification of your submission before the deadline falls.
First-time applicants will require a GATE username and password. Contact us via email at least five business days prior to the application deadline.
Please include:
1. the contact name of the individual responsible for preparing your application
2. the legal name of your organization
3. the contact person’s email address
The GATE username and password will be sent to the email address provided.
For detailed step-by-step instructions, please download the GATE user guide for this funding opportunity.
GATE online forms:
Attachments:
Attachments must be developed prior to application, using either original documents specific to your organization or preformatted AFA templates, and uploaded to your online GATE submission.
You’ll be required to complete and upload the following attachments:
Your organization’s submitted Cash Reserve Policy must:
We strongly encourage all organizations to strive for a cash reserve of no less than 10% of your organization’s average annual operating expenditures. However, we recognize that individual organizations have unique operating requirements. In considering the savings target for the Cash Reserve, your organization’s board of Directors is expected to consider its own operating requirements and determine an appropriate target which may be more or less than 10% of average annual operating expenditures.
Eligible organizations in this funding opportunity are encouraged to consult department staff as they develop the Cash Reserve Policy and associated plan for implementation.
Funding awarded through this opportunity is calculated based on Community Derived Revenue (CDR). CDR is defined as an organization’s total annual revenue minus all federal, provincial and municipal government grants.
Funding amounts are calculated in two stages:
1. First, your organization’s three-year average CDR is adjusted to the following percentage tiers:
2. Your organization’s adjusted CDR is then divided by the sum of the adjusted CDR for all eligible Professional Performing Arts Organizations, and then multiplied by this funding opportunity’s budget to determine your funding grant allocation.
Note: If your organization has been approved for a Creative Year Option, your organization’s average CDR will consist of the most recent three years, excluding the Creative Year.
Funding for Professional Performing Arts Organizations is established by the AFA Board of Directors based upon the annual AFA Budget allocated by the Government of Alberta. Department staff evaluate applications according to eligibility criteria and prepare recommendations to the board. The AFA Board of Directors reviews all funding recommendations, and all decisions are final.
Grant recommendations are made to the AFA board of directors. Successful recipients will be notified upon board approval, generally between four to six months from the application deadline.
Your organization is only eligible to receive support from one AFA operating funding opportunity in any given year. Funding is intended for the activities planned for your organization’s next fiscal year based on information provided in your funding application.
Ineligible expenses for operating funding include, but are not limited to:
The AFA or our authorized representative may examine your financial and other records to ensure funding was used for its intended purpose:
The AFA Fair Notice Policy applies to this funding opportunity:
Your organization must credit the AFA for financial support in any publicity prepared in relation to your organization’s activities, including electronic, print or visual material.
You are required to complete and submit satisfactory interim and final reports in GATE that demonstrates that funding awarded for the previous fiscal year was spent on the activities described in the application. If your organization does not intend to continue to seek AFA operating funding, you are still required to submit a final report.
Your organization’s interim and final reports are due November 1 each year of the three-year grant cycle. We must receive your online report through GATE no later than 11:59 pm Mountain Time, unless the deadline falls on a statutory holiday or a weekend when it will be extended until 11:59 pm on the next working day. Please give the system time to process your application so we receive notification of your submission before the deadline falls.
GATE online forms
Attachments
Your organization’s final report, due by the three-year cycle application deadline of November 1, must include:
*Unless you are using Internet Explorer, this Adobe PDF will not open in your browser. Please download the fillable direct deposit form and open with either Adobe Reader or Acrobat to view and complete.
