The Arts Service has five grant programs. The Equity and Incubator grant programs allow a maximum grant request of $5000. The IDEA grant program allow a maximum grant request of $3000. The grant amount recommended for Operating and Project grant programs are determined by evidence of demonstrated need in the application, by the needs of other applications received at the same deadline, and by limits to available resources. Guidelines for each program are available on our website.

Find a list of past recipients of the Operating, Project and IDEA grant programs.

Funding is provided by the participants of the Arts Service: Saanich, Victoria, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, View Royal, Highlands, Metchosin, Sooke and Southern Gulf Islands. Although not a participant in the Arts Service, the municipality of North Saanich has provided a donation in support of regional arts since 2013.

The budget for the Arts Service is established through an annual CRD Financial Planning process and is approved by the Arts Commission and the CRD Board of Directors. Read more >>

Download the Greater Victoria Community Funders’ Network Grant Writing Handbook for useful information on preparing grant applications.

The Handbook responds to common questions asked by grant writers and provides basic examples of application questions, answers, and budgets.

Public recognition of the CRD Arts Commission is a condition of acceptance of funding. Grant recipients are required to acknowledge CRD assistance in several ways. This is an essential part of promoting your work and informing residents of the role of public sector arts funding.

• Acknowledgment
• Events, social media and logo use guide (PDF)

Incubator grants are aimed at emerging organizations engaged in innovative, experimental or new artistic practices. Support under this program is intended to help develop sustainability and resiliency in the arts by funding staffing, workspace, or to enable access to senior level mentoring in areas required to accelerate the development of their organizations. Organizations with activities that are focused on production may wish to consider the Project Grant program.

Project grants generally support production. Incubator grants support organizational capacity-building. Both programs are for arts-mandated organizations however Incubator Grants are generally for newer organizations needing help getting started. Some organizations may be at a stage where they could use both kinds of support but you may only apply to one or the other program at a given deadline. Which you choose will depend on your organization’s current priorities.

No, but with one exception. An eligible organization under the Project Grant program can act as a Sponsor Society for an applicant in Equity Grants and concurrently apply for their own project under Project Grants.

Self-identified community (Equity Grants): This is part of the equity grant application that allows you to describe your eligibility for the program.

Not-for-profit Society: A not-for-profit society is an organization created and operated on a non-commercial basis to fulfill a specific need and purpose in a community. For purposes of applications to the Arts Service a not-for-profit society must be incorporated and registered in good standing with the Province of BC Registrar of Societies.

Participant in the Arts Service: A participant in the Arts Service is a municipality or an electoral area that provides funding to support the development of the arts in the capital region through the CRD. The participating members of the Arts Service are Saanich, Victoria, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, View Royal, Highlands, Metchosin, Sooke and Southern Gulf Islands Electoral Area. One elected representative from each of the participating jurisdictions comprise the Arts Commission, the political oversight body for the Arts Service.

Projected Year: The financial or year of programming that has not yet begun. Depending on the grant program, organizations may be asked to describe planned programming and provide estimated revenues and expenses for a projected year.

Please contact us to request a term be added to our list of definitions.

The Arts Service works with a group of appointed citizens – the Arts Advisory Council (AAC) to adjudicate grant applications. The AAC adjudicates grants requests and recommends award amounts that are subject to final approval by the Arts Commission.

The Arts Commission is made up of one councillor from each of the participating municipalities and electoral areas that support the Art Service. Applicants are notified of the results of their applications by mail following approval by the CRD Arts Commission which can take up to 10 weeks following the grant deadline.

Each application is adjudicated on its own merit, as well as in relation to other applications received at a given deadline. The adjudication committee considers the following:

• demonstrated ability to carry out the project;
• the capacity of participants to achieve the artistic goals of the project;
• the appropriateness of the project budget. In general, applicants are encouraged to develop diverse sources of revenue such as ticket sales, donations, support from foundations, other levels of government, etc.
• the impact on the development of the arts in the Capital Regional District; and
• the contribution to the artistic development of artists, the art form and to the organization itself.

Yes. Please send promotional information about CRD-funded arts initiatives to the Arts Service by email. We will post your information or link to it through the @feedtheartsyyj Twitter and Facebook accounts. If available, please send high-quality, copyright free photos of the event for promotion with complete credit information and license expiry dates.

The CRD also maintains a public bulletin board in the lobby of the Fisgard office building. Please mail or deliver print posters promoting CRD-funded initiatives to be considered for the board. Location and office hours can be found here.

Government Agencies

• BC Arts Council
• BC Cultural Services Branch
• BC Gaming
• Canada Council for the Arts
• Department of Canadian Heritage
• Francophone Affairs Program

Foundations

• Hamber Foundation
• Horner Foundation
• McLean Foundation
• Telus Community Investment Fund
• Vancouver Foundation
• Victoria Foundation

Other

• Tourism Victoria
• VanCity Community Partnership Program
• Victoria Harbour Authority