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Region of Waterloo Arts Fund

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How to Apply

Applications may be made for as much money as an applicant needs, but please bear in mind that the Arts Fund will be allocating its limited annual budget to address needs across the entire Region and in all disciplines. The intention is to provide meaningful grants, though not typically operating or capital grants.

The Arts Fund’s aim is to make the process of applying for funds as easy and straightforward as possible. To this end, the Arts Fund has implemented a two-stage application process.

In the first stage, applicants provide a brief letter of intent. Only Stage 1 applicants who are short-listed will be asked to complete a more-detailed Stage 2 application.

 

Which Arts Fund round of applications should I apply to?

 

If Your Project will take place between:	Apply to this Stage 1 round:
January 1 – June 30	Fall round of preceding year Due in September *
July 1 – December 31	Spring round of current year Due in March *

 

* See detailed Applications Timelines for specific deadline dates.

If you are unsure which round to make your Stage 1 application,
please contact the Arts Fund (see Contact tab for details)
 

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Application Timelines and Deadlines

The Region of Waterloo Arts Fund will evaluate applications twice each year (Spring and Fall). At each stage, decision notification letters will be mailed to both successful and unsuccessful applicants.

Download the 2010 poster (pdf)

Fall 2010

 

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Application Information

Please note: ALL APPLICATIONS should include complete contact information, particularly a mailing address and it is the applicants' responsibility to ensure that all contact information is kept up to date.

The Region of Waterloo Arts Fund will decline to make grants to PREVIOUS ARTS FUND GRANT RECIPIENTS where 

• the recipient is in arrears regarding project completion, submission of final reports for previously received Arts Fund grants, (see FAQs for more info about project completion and Final Report Deadlines

OR 

• unspent Grant funds have not been repayed in circumstances in which the project has not proceeded as planned. 

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Stage 1 | Letter of Intent (submit 15 copies)

All individuals and arts organizations interested in being considered for a grant from the Arts Fund must submit a brief (two page maximum) letter of intent which will answer the following questions:

Who are you? What is your legal/corporate status? (e.g. self-employed artist, not-for-profit corporation etc.) What is your artistic track record? What do you want to do? Are you planning to work with a partner or partners? What is your estimate of what the project will cost (in Stage 2, you will be asked for a detailed budget) How much are you requesting from the Arts Fund? What are your anticipated sources of revenue? Please indicate which, if any, of these have been confirmed. What is the benefit of your project to the Region of Waterloo? Where will it happen? When will it happen?

 

Stage 2 | Detailed application

Information and submission deadlines with respect to the Stage 2 detailed application will be sent to the short-listed Stage 1 candidates at the time they are notified of their status.

All applications must be received by 4pm on the respective deadline date. Late applications will be returned.

Please deliver or mail applications to:

Region of Waterloo Arts Fund
c/o Regional Clerk’s Office
2nd Floor, Regional Administration Building
150 Frederick Street
Kitchener ON N2G 4J3

Downloadable Stage 2 model application (PDF)

Downloadable Stage 2 model application (MS Word)

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Evaluation

All applications will be evaluated by the Arts Fund's independent board. Board members have a broad range of involvement in the arts in the Region as members and directors of arts community groups and organizations, as arts educators and consultants and as artists themselves. The Board may seek outside expert advice from time-to-time.

• Artistic merit
• Benefit to Waterloo Region
• Contribution to the vibrancy of the arts and cultural sector in our community
• Visibility -- will it reach the public?
• Viability -- is it doable and realistic?
• Ability of the applicant to complete the project successfully
• The extent to which an Arts Fund grant will encourage other funding or matching grants from other sources
• Preference will be given to proposals for projects that would otherwise not happen or take place

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Successful applicants are required to...

• Sign a funding agreement which will require that the Arts Fund grant be repaid if the project is not completed within 12 months or as originally proposed.
• File a Final Project Report with the Arts Fund within 3 months of completing the project.  A template for this report form can be downloaded here.  
• Acknowledge the contribution of the Arts Fund in any printed, verbal or electronic description (i.e. brochures, programs, press releases, posters, websites etc) of their projects, according to specific guidelines provided with the grant.

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Grant Payment Disbursement

• The Fund shall pay the Grant Recipient ninety percent (90%) of the Grant Amount within thirty (30) days of receipt of this letter of agreement signed by an authorized representative of the Grant Recipient.  The remaining ten percent (10%) of the Grant Amount shall be paid to the Grant Recipient once Project has been completed and the final report has been submitted to the Fund.
• The signatory agrees that he/she has authority to legally bind the Grant Recipient (where the Grant Recipient is an entity other than an individual).
• In addition, a corporate search of applicants will be conducted upon receipt of Stage 2 applications to ensure the legal entity of the applicant.

Downloadable Arts Fund logos in both black and white and colour version may be found under the "Downloads" tab on this website.