BCAC: Community Arts Organizations (Operating Assistance)

Deadline: October 8, 2026 (11:59 p.m. PT)

Program Summary:

Operating Assistance: Community Arts Organizations provides funding to assist the general operations of established community-based non-profit arts organizations working in community engaged arts through a range of artistic and cultural programming. The program is intended for organizations that sustain an annual community-based artistic program encompassing creation activities, organizational / artistic / cultural development, production, dissemination, exhibition and public presentation.

This intake of the Operating Assistance program provides support on a one-year cycle, with the option to renew for a second year depending on BC Arts Council’s available budget.

Eligible organizations may submit only one application to the Operating Assistance grant program, per intake.

Program Components and Grant Amounts:

Increases to previous Operating Assistance grant amounts will be based on the outcome of the assessment process. Organizations ranking high may receive small increases while organizations ranking poorly may see decreases.

There are three components to Operating Assistance: Community Arts Organizations: 

1. Basic Assistance 

Grant level is a minimum of $10,000.Grant levels for Basic Assistance are allocated by a peer-assessed ranking within a band determined by:

• The size of an organization’s total operating budget as demonstrated by the submission of financial statements of the last two (2) completed fiscal years; and 
• If the organization holds facilities, the costs associated with operating those facilities may be considered (i.e. rent, own, lease, fee-for-service agreement) including how they are managed, and as related to the programming provided by the organization. 

2. Local Matching Funds 

Cash funding support received for operations or ongoing programming from local and regional government sources as detailed in the to be eligible section, below, may be eligible for 100% matching funding to a maximum of $5,000 annually.

Support levels are determined by:

• Amount of funds received from local sources in the most recently completed fiscal year; 
• Requested Local Matching Funds must correspond with grant revenues listed in the previous year’s financial statements that are required with this application; and
• The organization meets all qualifications for Basic Assistance, as above. 

Note: Donated services and in-kind contributions from local sources are not included in Local Matching Funds request as they are not eligible under this funding stream.  

3. Capacity and Program Development 

Award level is a maximum of $10,000 annually. 

Award levels for Program Development are competitively assessed by considering the organization’s plans for developing programming, engagement, community access, and organizational and/or artistic capacity. Consideration may also be given to organizations aligned with designated priority groups as stated above. 

Applicants are required to describe specific initiatives they will undertake over the next two funding cycles.

Not all organizations who apply to this component will receive an award. Neither the funding level nor future awards are guaranteed from one program intake to the next.

New this year: Operating Assistance recipients are no longer eligible for the Accelerate program. Determination of the grant amount, including any increases, will take into consideration the previous combined total of the Operating Assistance and Accelerate grants. Applicants that are not successful in Operating Assistance and that are eligible for the Accelerate program may be recommended to receive an Accelerate grant based on this application. Do not submit a separate Accelerate application.

Organizations that are placed on Concerned Status under Council’s Fair Notice Policy may be subject to grant reductions of up to 20%.

Grant Amount:

Minimum Basic Assistance grant amount: $10,000
Local Matching Funds: up to $5,000
Capacity and Development: up to $10,000

Eligible Applicants:

Organizations not currently receiving Operating Assistance must talk with a Program Advisor to discuss your eligibility and intention to apply. Applications from organizations that do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be forwarded for assessment.

Important considerations before you apply to Operating Assistance

In addition to the eligibility criteria outlined below, organizations should have stability in current operations, both administratively and financially before they consider applying. Stability would be demonstrated through:

• Having appropriate board leadership and, if applicable, skilled artistic or administrative leadership (paid or volunteer) that maintains consistency in operations and programming
• Ongoing and diverse sources of revenues outside of BC Arts Council funding.
• Ability to plan programming and activities up to two years into the future. For example, in the application, you will be expected to report out on this current fiscal year’s activities as well as your next two projected fiscal years.
  and
• The capacity to compile annual financial information and enter and update this information in the CADAC system as outlined below.

BC Arts Council Operating Assistance recipients are not eligible to apply to any of the discipline-specific Project Assistance grant programs or the Accelerate program.

To be eligible, a Community Arts Organization must:

• Have received at least three grants from the BC Arts Council since April 1, 2022, one of which was an Operating Assistance or a Project Assistance: Community Arts Organizations grant. (Project Assistance: Community Arts Festivals are excluded from the three-grant requirement).
• Receive cash support for operations or ongoing support for annual programs, from local and regional governments. Organizations not located within a municipality can list other funding sources such as First Nation Governments or Public Trusts.
  • Includes grants from your municipality (city, regional district, etc.) that have been approved by the municipal council or regional district board and provided on an annual basis as unrestricted funds (or a fee for service agreement) for operating expenses or annual programming.
  • Does not include competitive, one-time project grants from local and regional governments, or grants received from the provincial or federal government (such as BC Gaming or Canadian Heritage).
  • The funds must have been received in your most recently completed fiscal year and be listed within these financial statement.
• Provide an annual program of generally year-round, community-based arts and culture programming in B.C. as a primary activity and have done so for a minimum of one year  efore
  the application closing date.
• Provide programs that benefit or are of interest to the community at-large and not solely the interests of its non-profit society or community service co-op members.
• Demonstrate a range of membership, service, and engagement that is representative of its constituency or community, including diverse cultural and Indigenous populations.
• Engage community-based board leadership and, as applicable, skilled artistic or administrative leadership (paid or volunteer) for program or service delivery.
• Fairly compensate artists, arts and culture practitioners, technicians, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers. Compensation must align with community contexts or relevant industry standards within the field of practice.
• Follow international intellectual property rights standards and cultural ownership protocols.
• Follow the Criminal Records Review Act which requires that people who work with or may have unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults must undergo a criminal record check by the Criminal Records Review Program.
• Not have any overdue final reports on previous BC Arts Council grants.

AND

• Be a Community Arts Organization* registered and in good standing as a non-profit society or community service co-op for at least one fiscal year prior to application with:
  • The majority of key staff and board members based in B.C.
  • Creative control and decision making for programming and engagement primarily maintained within the organization and by leadership based in B.C.
  • A purpose or mandate dedicated to arts and culture programming and activities.
  • Operations and activities that reflect this dedicated purpose or mandate.

*For the purposes of eligibility for this program, Community Arts Organizations are non-profit:

• Community arts councils;
• Community driven, generally non-professional, volunteer-managed arts and culture organizations; or
• Community-based arts and cultural centres, whose primary purpose is community centered engagement and access to the arts.

Community Arts Organizations offer a range of programming focused on enriching a specified community through a variety of arts disciplines and experiences, using a grassroots approach to providing wider service to the community beyond their membership. Although generally community-led, community arts organizations may also engage and collaborate with professional artists, arts and cultural practitioners, arts administrators, Elders or Knowledge Keepers.