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Summer is a great time to enjoy the arts in Canada, with so many events across country.  Some of our favorites include the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Ottawa BluesFest, the Cavendish Beach Music Festival, the Saskatchewan Festival of Words and the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival.  This week, we thought we’d share some granting opportunities for the arts organizations.

The Toronto Arts Council is an arm’s length body that supports the development, accessibility and excellence of the arts. Created through funding from the city of Toronto, the TAC offers grants programs to the city’s arts organizations and professional artists.  They offer granting programs within six main areas: community arts, dance, literary, music, theatre and visual/media arts.  Deadlines vary depending on the type of support but the deadline for project grants in each discipline is August 1st.

The British Columbia Arts Council offers several granting programs for specific artistic disciplines and also offers professional development grants to artists and administrators who want to take advantage of opportunities which require travel or who undertake specific learning activities to advance their practice or career.   Applications are reviewed three times a year: the next deadline is August 1st.

The Arts and Crafts Development Program of the Nunavut Department of Economic Development and Transportation accepts grant applications year-round.  They offer funding for arts organizations, as well as artists, and will consider requests that include the purchase of art materials, supplies and equipment, website development,  marketing tools and training and programming in the arts for youth.

The New Brunswick Tourism, Heritage and Culture Department administers many provincial grants for the arts, including Touring and Presenting grants.  Open to Francophone arts organizations or artists, these two programs are accepting applications until August 15th and support those who wish to tour with or present a French-language artistic show within the province.

Officially a crown corporation and not a government funding program, the Canada Council for the Arts is the national arts funding agency.  Their database currently lists about 80 different grants available to arts organizations, so be sure to review their website for programs and deadlines.

We quickly identified these funding opportunities by searching Fundtracker for government funders of the Arts.  If you would like to see for yourself how Fundtracker can help you save time and raise more money, call us today at 1-888-406-2524 to schedule a free demonstration.

Here are some of our favorites:

• Team Ajah’s blog, facebook page, LinkedIn profile and Twitter feed : we send out our newsletter once a month but we also tweet and blog regularly about Fundtracker, fundraising, sector trends and more.  Follow us to stay informed.
• We mentioned it previously, but be sure to visit the CanadianCharityLaw website for general information on legalities and fundraising.
• 101fundraising.org is a crowdblog on fundraising and has some great resources on both corporate fundraising and sponsorships.

Large Canadian corporations are not only more likely to donate than smaller ones, but also more likely to have a giving strategy dictated and managed by the marketing department.   While they may have some discretionary funds, the majority of a corporation’s giving will be within a well-defined list of priorities.  The giving strategy may have been chosen with the company’s customer base in mind and to make the company appear to be a good corporate citizen.

It’s easy to begin your search for new corporate funders if you’re using a tool like Fundtracker, which will help you identify new prospects and quickly eliminate companies that say they fund your sector but really don’t.  Once a new corporate prospect has been identified, review their profile, deadlines and history of the organizations they’ve supported in the past.  Make sure to visit their website.  If available, take a peek at their annual reports and Corporate Social Responsibility reports.  This will help you get a sense of how the company wants to appear to its public and the causes they like to promote publicly.

Before you begin the application, call or send an initial email to introduce your organization and your program/project.   Be sure to ask for clarification if you have questions about the application process as most granting officers appreciate the initial contact and welcome questions from non-profits.

When you are writing your application, remember to ask yourself what is in it for the corporate funder.  Unlike a family foundation where decisions are usually made by a group of closely linked individuals who are committed to supporting causes close to the heart, corporate sponsorship and granting decisions are guided by marketing objectives.  That doesn’t mean you should avoid emotion in your case for  support – but do keep in mind that you are requesting support from a corporation, so the approach should be a bit different and more business-like.

Corporate support of non-profit organizations generally falls under two umbrellas and it’s easy to get confused.  Unfortunately, getting confused can also lead to questions from the CRA and even revocation of charitable status.  Read on for a quick reminder on the differences between donations and sponsorships.

According to the Canada Revenue Agency, a donation must be given freely, without benefit accruing to the donor and with no further obligation.  So if donors (corporate or otherwise) support your organization by participating in a golf tournament or even purchasing promotional items, tax receipts may not be issued because the donor is receiving something in exchange.  If a gift is received because it was mandated by a court, it’s also not receiptable, as it is not given with free will.  The only thing a donor should expect to receive in exchange for their gift is a charitable tax receipt.  Tax receipts may be issued for a portion of the cost of event tickets – but make sure you check with an accountant or the CRA, as the calculation of what is receiptable is complex.

Sponsorships are a bit easier to figure out: if the corporation receives a benefit – such as advertising or promotion – then no tax receipt can be issued.  End of story.  Sponsorships are frequently associated with events, such as the JDRF TELUS Walk to Cure Diabetes.  Sponsorships, however, are not limited to naming big events.  Visit the website for any fundraising event and you’ll see a list of sponsors, who have agreed to be involved at various levels, in exchange for marketing/promotional consideration. Some may have their logo/name on signage at the event, or in the promotional materials or simply be listed on the website.  Regardless, if they have received any type of marketing benefit, no tax receipt may be issued.

Confusing, huh?

Just remember a basic rule of thumb:  donations are given with no-strings attached, while sponsorships are given for marketing, promotional or advertising purposes.

When in doubt, visit the CRA website’s section on receiving gifts or lawyer Mark Blumberg’s CanadianCharityLaw site.

We believe that a balanced fundraising program should contain funding from multiple sources, including corporate, foundation and government, so this week in Opportunity Watch, we’re sharing corporate funders that review applications year-round.

FedEx Canada generally provides funding in three areas: emergency/disaster relief, child pedestrian safety, and environmental sustainability.  On occasion, they will also investments in areas such as education or health and human services, as well as supporting employee community involvement at the local level.  They try to review applications within three weeks of receipt.  Visit their site for more information and to submit your application.

ING Direct‘s giving program aims to provide children the opportunity to fulfill their potential.  Their general focus is on youth and community, and specifically within the four pillars of education, health, environment and athletics.  Consult their website for information on donations and sponsorships in these areas.   They request that charities first send an introductory email, to which they will reply with an indication if they are interested in pursuing a project further.

Delta Hotels and Resorts support community initiatives across Canada at the local and national levels.  Their head office gives priority to requests of a national or larger regional scope from organizations; the application form may be downloaded. However, if your organization is located in a community in which a Delta hotel or resort is located, you should contact that property directly with your request.

Need help identifying new corporate funders?  Contact us for a personalized tour of Fundtracker by calling us at 1-888-406-2524 and don’t forget to poke around our blog for additional resources on how to approach corporations for funding.

It’s a busy time of the year for those working to raise awareness for cancer.  On May 31st, the World Health Organization is organizing World No Tobacco Day while June 2nd is set aside for National Cancer Survivors Day. The Canadian Dermatology Association marks Sun Awareness Week from June 3rd to 9th this year, aiming to educate the public on skin cancers and offering free skin cancer screening clinics across the country.  This week, we’re doing our part by sharing funding opportunities specifically for organizations that are working in the area of cancer research, support, prevention and awareness.

Safeway stores give at the local, regional and national levels.  Additional grants may also be available through the Canada Safeway Foundation, which funds programs and initiatives that support breast and prostate cancer research and awareness.   A detailed application form is available online.  Registered charities in the BC, Prairies and Ontario communities where Safeway stores are located may apply year round.

The CIBC defines their giving strategy as “Kids, Cures and Community“.  In addition to their partnership with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation for the CIBC Run for the Cure, they also fund organizations that support those living with cancer through programs, services and equipment as well as research into prevention, early detection and treatment.  Their primary focus is breast, pediatric and prostate cancers.  Read the detailed information on their website and then apply online.  Applications are reviewed year round.

OpenText Corporation, based in Waterloo, Ontario, has seven offices throughout Canada.  They support registered charities working in the areas of cancer research and other illnesses with devastating effects to children and families.  Visit their website for more information and the online application form.  They review applications year round and aim to respond within three months.

This is a quick sample of some of the funding opportunities you can find in Fundtracker. If you’re not already using Fundtracker, give us a call today at 1-888-406-2524 to book a free demonstration.  We’ll show you just how easy it is to raise more money for your organization by identifying new foundation, corporate and government prospects using Fundtracker, the largest and most up-to-date research tool available today.

Stewardship is an important part of the fundraising cycle but one that is also frequently overlooked.  It’s easy to get caught up in the cultivation cycle and forget prospects once they have moved to the “confirmed” list – but remember that stewardship is simply cultivating current or previous donors for their next gift.

Here are a few tips to remember when it comes to stewarding your current grantors or donors.

• Send your thanks: Following the receipt of a funding decision (positive or negative) it’s always a good idea to thank the funder for their time and consideration. This could be in the form of a card, an email, or a personalized note you add in the margins of your letter of acceptance.
• Build a relationship: when appropriate, invite funders to events, add them to your e-newsletter mailing list or send them your annual report.  It’s important for funders to know your organization as a whole, in addition to the specific project that you have received funding for.   Be selective.  You want them to be interested in your organization but you don’t want to inundate them either.
• Communicate milestones:  While you don’t need to be in constant contact (who has time for that!), you do want to communicate important milestones and let them know from time to time about the impact their grant is having on your organization or the particular project.
• Reporting: this should be laid out in your original application or discussed during the decision process.  It’s crucial that you report back to the funder on how their grant was used (especially if you intend to apply for another grant).   Be creative.  Consider including a quote from a user, a drawing for a child or a photo of your volunteers at work (make sure you get releases first!). Make sure you report honestly as funders will verify your claims and review the promises you made on your original application.
• Mistakes happen, projects fail.  If that happens, tell the grantor immediately.  Be honest about what happened and work with the grantor for a solution that suits all.  Do not assume it’s the end of the partnership.
• Re-apply: it’s always easier to re-apply for a grant if you’ve successfully completed your first project with a grantor.  Check with the funder for the deadlines and make sure to indicate your intention of applying again.

Good luck!

National Schizophrenia and Psychosis Awareness Day will be marked across Canada tomorrow, May 24th.   We thought we would do our part to raise awareness of schizophrenia, psychosis and all mental health issues by focusing today’s Opportunity Watch in that area.  While not necessarily specific to schizophrenia, these funders are interested in supporting mental health initiatives and projects.

Bell is one of the larger funders in the mental health arena.  Their Let’s Talk initiative was announced in 2010, and includes multi-year commitments to mental health initiatives across Canada and an annual day of action to raise awareness.   The Let’s Talk Community Fund provides grants from $5,000 to $50,000 to organizations, hospitals and agencies that support mental health initiatives across Canada.  Visit their website in January 2014 for the next round of funding.

The Echo Foundation, formerly the EJLB Foundation, offers mental health grants for organizations located either in Montreal or Toronto and which provide frontline services to improve the quality of life of persons suffering from mental health problems.  Eligible projects include include drop-in centres, residential facilities, reinsertion programs, family support services and pilot projects with the potential of promoting better care and services to vulnerable persons with serious and persistent mental health problems. Applications are reviewed quarterly.  Visit their website for a full list of documents to include with your letter of intent.

The Fondation Carmand Normand has an interest in funding projects that support mental health, addiction and suicide prevention in Quebec’s adolescents.  Applications are reviewed quarterly and must include the application form.

This is just a small selection of the over 300 funders in Fundtracker that support the mental health of Canadians.  Call us today at 1-888-406-2524 for a personalized demonstration and we’ll show you how easy it is to bring your prospect research efforts to the next level.

Spring has definitely sprung, so we decided to share some upcoming grants that support the great outdoors.

Formerly known as the EJLB Foundation, the Echo Foundation offers environmental grants to charities located in Quebec, Ontario and the Atlantic provinces.   Priority is given for the protection of natural areas of ecological importance, as well as to the greening of the urban landscape. The Foundation awarded over $1.2 million in environmental grants in 2012.  Applications are reviewed quarterly; consult the website for details on what to include in your application.

Created in 1968, the Kenneth M. Molson Foundation provides project funding to organizations working in the areas of wildlife research, conservation and habitat.  While the majority of their donations have been to organizations in Ontario, they have provided funding across Canada and grant amounts have ranged from $500 to over $100,000, depending on the project.  Consult the website for a full list of requirements and apply before September 30th.

The TD Friends of the Environment Fund was created by TD Canada Trust in 1990.  Since its inception, it has provided more than $60 million in grants for over 20,000 projects! Some of the many areas they fund include energy conservation, environment research & education, tree plantings and habitat restoration.  Registered charities from across the country may apply and applications are reviewed by one of eight Regional Advisory Boards. The online application form must be submitted before July 15th, with decisions made public in October.

That’s it for now!  Wherever you are in Canada, we hope you’re enjoying some beautiful weather!