Grants Ontario is Live: Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport
Grants Ontario an online tool that provides one-window access to information about grants offered by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, and the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration.
Grants Ontario supports elements of the 2011 Partnership Project report where non-profit organizations asked the Ontario Government to ‘… institute standardized application forms, timelines accountability and reporting requirements across ministries by moving as much as possible online.
Benefits of Grants Ontario
Simplified application process
By replacing antiquated software Grants Ontario now allows you to locate, draft and submit grant applications, check application status and manage reports – all online!
Grants Ontario’s automated features relieve the burden of repeated manual input of information which reduces the amount of time spent on submitting applications. Once you have registered, the system will automatically record your contact details such as name, address and title, and uses common application questions to simplify online submissions.
The addition of online report filing in April 2012 will further reduce workload and demonstrates a commitment to a cleaner environment. Payment processes to successful applicants will also be streamlined.
Secure information
Grants Ontario is a secure system that can only be accessed via the Government of Ontario’s encrypted ONE key log-in system. Until data is submitted to the ministry only the applicant will see it.
Get Ready for Grants Ontario
While program application material is not yet available, grant recipients and prospective applicants are encouraged to register on the Grants Ontario system to obtain their One-Key ID and password as soon as possible.
Applicants must complete the enrolment process on the new Grants Ontario before applying to any of the Ministry’s funding programs.
Find out more about Grants Ontario
Visit Grants Ontario ( www.grants.gov.on.ca) to access the online training material and a Frequently Asked Questions section. Technical support will be available during regular business hours.
Celebrate Ontario Funding Announced at Festivals & Events Ontario Conference
The Celebrate Ontario Recipients for 2011 were announced today by the Honourable Minister of Tourism and Culture, Mr. Michael Chan during the opening reception of the Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO) annual conference.
Minister Chan revealed the winners to an eager audience of Festival and Event Organizers from across the Province who welcomed the announcement with applause and cheers of support. Celebrate Ontario Funding is a significant economic driver, providing a means to enhance festivals and events; keeping them fresh and growing into the future.
”We are pleased to have Minister Chan with us today to make this significant announcement in our presence. The festival and event industry provides over $1 billion economic impact to the province of Ontario and employs over 20,000 Ontarians. This funding commitment by the Province signals to us that our efforts are a valued part of the economic sustainability in Ontario and recognizes the enhancement festivals and events bring to the quality of life in our communities,” stated Gerry Ginsberg, FEO President after the announcement was made.
A full list of Celebrate Ontario Recipients and descriptions of each event can be found at www.festivalsandeventsontario.ca . For more information on all of the events taking place in the Province of Ontario this year, FEO produces a free Festivals and Events in Ontario Guide that can be obtained at Ontario Travel Information Centres across the province.
Established in 1987, Festivals and Events Ontario has served as the voice of the industry in Ontario. Operating on a not-for-profit basis, the Association delivers collaborative industry education, marketing, research and advocacy services. It has over 500 paid members representing approximately 1,200 individual celebrations and associated industry suppliers operating annually within Ontario.
Festivals face funding cuts
Jared Fisk, Centretown News
The Canada Council for the Arts has angered festival organizers in Ottawa after informing them a popular grant program that has helped underwrite innovative musical projects has been put on hold for 2011.
In a letter dated Jan. 19, the federal funding body advised officials with the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival and other groups that the fund for new program initiatives and artists’ collaborations was currently under review and that there would be no payouts in time for this summer’s festival season.
Russell Kelley, the head of the music section for the Canada Council for the Arts, says he regretted suspending the grant application process three weeks before the Feb. 15 deadline.
“We regret the timing,” says Kelly. “We understand it’s short notice.”
He (Julian Armour) says the short notice for cancelling the program is another indication of a downward spiral in government support for the entire Canadian arts community.
Full story from Centretown News Online: Festivals face funding cuts
Music festivals fear for Canada Council grants
Canadian festival programmers are disappointed that the Canada Council for the Arts is not accepting applications for a well-used grant program that provided funding for programming initiatives and artistic collaborations.
In a letter dated Jan. 19, the council informed festivals across the country that it had cancelled the Feb. 15 deadline for its music festival programming project grants, which have been offered for more than 10 years.
Russell Kelley, head of the Canada Council’s music section, says the program has not been cut, but it is under review. “We’re trying to make sure, as we always do, that what we offer with the dollars that we have available is absolutely the most effective thing that we can do,” Kelley said Tuesday. “What’s happening now in this quarter of the fiscal year is that we’re starting the programs that go forward into the next fiscal year, and we looked at everything, going ‘OK, if we spend all of our money, we won’t necessarily be able to make the program changes that we’re looking to do.’ ”
In recent years, the $300,000 program awarded grants ranging from about $8,000 to $20,000 to music festivals for special projects, such as the composers’ collective at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival and a cross-cultural collaboration at the Ottawa Folk Festival that brought diverse artists together to create music in the week leading up to the festival.
While Kelley said he is not yet able to comment on how the funding will change, he promised there will be an announcement on a “larger picture” program in the next two or three months.
But that’s too late for festival organizers planning events this summer.
Read more: www.ottawacitizen.com
Festivals fear loss of grant dollars
Canadian festival programmers are disappointed the Canada Council for the Arts is not accepting applications for a well-used grant program that provided funding for programming intiatives and artistic collaborations.
In a letter dated Jan. 19, the council informed festivals it had cancelled the Feb. 15 deadline for its music festival programming project grants, which have been offered for more than 10 years. Russell Kelley, head of the Canada Council’s music section, says the program has not been cut, but it is under review.
“We’re trying to make sure, as we always do, that what we offer with the dollars that we have available is absolutely the most effective thing that we can do,” Kelley said Tuesday. “What’s happening now in this quarter of the fiscal year is we’re starting the programs that go forward into the next fiscal year, and we looked at everything, going ‘OK, if we spend all of our money, we won’t necessarily be able to make the program changes we’re looking to do.’ ”
Community Capital Fund Pre-Application Workshop
Space is limited so register today!
NEW DATES ANNOUNCED! Register Now!
Ottawa - January 31-February 2011
United Way Ottawa. Boardroom, 363 Coventry Road (in English only)
Toronto – February 3-4, 2011
OTF Offices, 6th floor (NOTE: only 6 spaces left)
Thinking of applying for the Community Capital Fund, but need to learn more or feeling challenged to raise the 50% matching funds?
Eligible organizations can register now for a free two-day workshop, presented by ClearlySo Canada and Aperio, and hosted by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
The 2-day workshop will:
- Expose participants to strategic, multi-faceted approaches to capital project fundraising, including major gifts, commercial loans and investor partnerships
- Stimulate creative entrepreneurial thinking amongst participants
- Provide clear, concise and practical ideas and tools that participants can use to find, evaluate and make presentations to funders of various types
- Provide real-time practice of fundraising pitches.
- Receive feedback and suggestions from other participants and make valuable connections
Interested?
- Ensure your group is eligible for CCF funding. Read the program guidelines (pdf) or visit the
Community Capital Fund page on the website - Space is strictly limited. There are a handful of spaces remaining for the Toronto workshop and 40 spaces for Ottawa. Register for the Toronto or Ottawa workshop now
- The Ottawa workshop is offered in English; however questions may be asked and answered in French.
The struggle to get arts ‘on the radar’
Chris Cobb, The Ottawa Citizen
Doucet concedes that “arts haven’t been on the radar” during this campaign but promises to do his best to elevate the issue into something more than the traditional election afterthought.
He will be announcing his specific cultural platform later in the campaign — leaving the best till last “because it’s the closest to my heart” — but hints that one plank will be a “Spaces and Places” policy that addresses the lack of rehearsal and development space for all arts groups.
A Jim Watson campaign spokesman said the candidate had no arts policies to announce just yet and the Larry O’Brien campaign didn’t respond at all.
What the arts community dreads is a slate of new councillors who see the arts as a frivolous activity pursued by elites who should fund their own theatrical, artistic and musical pleasures.
Full Article: The struggle to get arts ‘on the radar’
2011 Celebrate Ontario Funding Announced
Details about the 2011 Celebrate Ontario program have been annouced.
Overview
This year the program has been enhanced to increase the size and impact of festivals and events across Ontario.
Celebrate Ontario 2011 features three new festival and event categories:
- Celebrate Ontario Main Stage will support community festivals and events with funding up to $40,000 and emerging festivals and events with funding up to $75,000.
- Celebrate Ontario Signature will support major recurring festivals and events with funding up to $400,000.
- Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster will support bidding and event hosting costs for major one-time festivals and events. Funding for bids will be determined based on each application. Funding for event hosting will be available up to a maximum of 20% of the operating budget required to host the event.
The Celebrate Ontario 2011 Main Stage and Signature application deadline is November 23, 2010 by 5:00 p.m. Late applications will not be accepted.
Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster Event Hosting and Blockbuster Bid applications will be accepted twice a year with deadlines on Tuesday, November 23, 2010, and Tuesday, June 7, 2011. Applicants can apply for support on either application deadline. Funds will be awarded in either the fiscal year that the bid is due or when the event will be hosted.
Full application details can be found at: www.ontario.ca/celebrateontario.
Celebrate Ontario 2011 Kicks Off
McGuinty Government Strengthening Support For Local Festivals And Events
Ontario is increasing support for festivals and events that create jobs, attract tourists, stimulate local economies and provide entertaining activities for Ontario families across the province.
This year, the province is investing $20 million through Celebrate Ontario to help festivals and events of all sizes reach new audiences and invigorate local economies. Celebrate Ontario’s new “Blockbuster” category will provide communities with support to bid for and host major one-time events and festivals attracting out-of-province visitors.
New and returning festivals and events across the province are invited to apply to Celebrate Ontario 2011.
Celebrate Ontario supports the government’s Open Ontario Plan to strengthen our economy and create new opportunities for jobs and growth.
Quotes:
“Festivals and events are powerful economic drivers – they draw tourists to our communities, create jobs and stimulate local economies. That is why our government is increasing our investment in festivals and events to help enhance programs, attract new audiences, and create more jobs for Ontarians.”
– Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism and Culture
“Festivals and events have a huge economic impact on our communities. With Ontario’s commitment to enhancing the quality of festivals and events in this province, we are in turn helping to fill hotels, bed & breakfasts, restaurants, and other local attractions – the ripple effects are many.”
– Gary Masters, Executive Director, Festivals and Events Ontario
Free Bluesfest concerts funded by $2M stimulus: 2-festivals-per-city policy shuts out jazz, chamber festivals
CBC News
Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest has received $2 million in economic stimulus funding in 2010 that will let organizers stage free concerts again this year.
The festival is getting $500,000 more than last year under the Marquee Tourism Event program. That will allow for six days of free concerts in the Byward Market, up from five last year, said Mark Monahan, executive director of the festival, Tuesday.
Read more: Free Bluesfest concerts funded by $2M stimulus
Only two area events avoid tourism program funding cuts
Balloon Festival, Bluesfest get grants, but others left out
By Steven Mazey, The Ottawa Citizen
The Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest and the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival each received a second year of support from a federal funding program for events that attract tourists, but organizers of Ottawa’s Jazz and Chamber Music Festivals say they’re mystified why they were left out after receiving support last year.
Read more: Only two area events avoid tourism program funding cuts
