Small Grant Accessibility Program

The objectives of the Small Grant Accessibility Program are to:

• support new or underserved organizations that have never been awarded a SaskCulture grant;
• support grassroots, unique and innovative cultural initiatives;
• respond to emergent needs, time-sensitive opportunities or changes in the cultural sector;
• encourage youth-led cultural initiatives and leadership opportunities for young cultural leaders;
• support and strengthen communities through cultural activities in Saskatchewan, at the individual, group, and community level; and
• support the development and capacity of cultural organizations through professional development courses.

The turnaround time is quicker (a maximum of four weeks) to be able to respond to more time-sensitive and emergent needs.

Definitions

If you are unsure whether your initiative fits the purpose of this grant, please contact SaskCulture to discuss options.

The SGAP is intended for small scale initiatives with total expenses not exceeding $5,000. Applicants can apply for 100% of eligible expenses for the initiative, up to a maximum of $2,000.

Priority will be given to initiatives that:

• provide significant opportunities to meet the objectives of the SGAP;
• deliver relevant cultural activities based on cultural impact, accessibility and service to communities;
• are grassroots initiatives;
• have an ethnocultural focus;
• promote accessibility and social inclusion;
• respond to technological needs, opportunities, or changes. These may be identified through a strategic technology planning exercise. A plan is not required but can be helpful to identify technology needs. A Strategic Technology Plan template can be found here.
• do not fit the criteria and timeline for other SaskCulture grant programs;
• take place in the province’s northern and/or rural or otherwise underserved communities;
• are supported by clear initiative plans and budget detail; and
• are focused on Truth and Reconciliation, Anti-Racism professional development, or Anti-Oppression training for organizations.

Eligible Applicants include:

Incorporated non-profit organizations in Saskatchewan

All incorporated non-profit organizations must:

• Have a primarily cultural mandate in Arts, Heritage, Multiculturalism or Cultural Industries as defined by SaskCulture’s Cultural Policy, or otherwise demonstrate significant engagement in cultural activity. If the organization does not have a primarily cultural mandate, the project must be cultural in nature and must engage a wide audience (cannot be internal to the organization);
• Not have been awarded a SaskCulture grant in the past year; and,
• Be in good standing with Information Services Corporation (ISC) and SaskCulture.
• Libraries located in remote and rural locations (populations under 6,000) are eligible to apply for cultural projects only.

OR

Unincorporated non-profit organizations in Saskatchewan

All unincorporated non-profit organizations:

• Must have a primarily cultural mandate in Arts, Heritage, Multiculturalism or Cultural Industries as defined by SaskCulture’s Cultural Policy, or otherwise demonstrate significant engagement in cultural activity;
• Must have a Canadian bank account in the organization’s name: if approved, the grant payment will be paid to this account (a void cheque will be required for confirmation and setting up Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT);
• Must provide a liability waiver signed by at least two Board/Committee/Decision-makers; and,
• May apply for this grant more than one time.
• Alternately, an unincorporated organization can also partner with an incorporated non-profit, First Nation, Tribal Council, Municipality or Métis Local who is eligible. Please contact a consultant for more details.

OR

First Nations, Tribal Councils, Municipalities or Métis Locals.

The applicant must:

• be in good standing with the Sask Lotteries Community Grant Program;
• not have been awarded a SaskCulture grant in the past three years; and
• have no outstanding grant follow-ups due to SaskCulture.

Ineligible Applicants include:

• Non-profit professional organizations and associations;
• Organizations that have received any SaskCulture or significant Sask Lotteries funding in the last year;
• Libraries located in the larger urban municipalities in Saskatchewan;
• Districts for Sport, Culture and Recreation;
• Organizations receiving Annual Global Funding;
• Individuals; and
• Schools and post-secondary institutions are ineligible for this grant program. Interested schools should inquire about:
  • Artists in Schools program at SK Arts as an alternative to this grant program;
  • Multicultural Education Initiatives through the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan.
  • Eligible Cultural Organizations (ECOs) are ineligible to apply. ECOs should include project ideas in their Annual Global Funding applications.
  • Contact a SaskCulture Outreach Consultant to discuss your project and your eligibility to be advised on what alternate project funds might be available to you, or
  • Use SaskCulture’s “Find a Grant” tool to explore other options.

Initiatives must directly address the objectives and priorities of this funding program.

• All funds are to be used for the benefit of cultural development in Saskatchewan and for residents in the province.
• Applicants can access only one SGAP grant at a time, limited to once a year.
  • If the applicant already has an outstanding/overdue SaskCulture grant, a second proposal will not be considered until the current one is reconciled.
  • Unincorporated non-profits who received funding through SGAP in the past are eligible to apply again, as unincorporated groups are not eligible to apply to any other SaskCulture funding programs.
• Applicants may not apply to multiple SaskCulture funding programs to support the same activity for the same time frame.
• Projects that align with the Artist in Schools or Artist in Communities grant criteria should apply to those grant programs instead of SGAP.
• Eligible initiatives should start four (4) weeks after the application submission and must end within one (1) year of the initiative’s start date.
• Direct costs for the development and delivery of the initiative.

When submitting a proposal, please ensure that only eligible expenses are included.

The maximum request amount is $2,000 towards eligible expenses. The overall budget must not exceed $5,000.

If you are unsure whether your project fits the Purpose of this grant, please contact the consultant, and check the list of successful applicants and project descriptions.

Eligible expenses for the SGAP grant include:

• Wages, honorarium and contract agreements for cultural resource people who are offering their skills and expertise for the term of the initiative. This does not replace wages for the core job responsibilities of existing staff;
• Travel expenses for initiative participants. This includes gas, rental of vehicles, bus transit and/or airfare;
• Cost of materials and supplies related to the initiative;
• Technology that is required for a cultural activity to take place;
• Professional development courses for cultural workers, volunteers and leaders;
• Facility costs would only be considered eligible in situations where additional space is required for the initiative to move ahead. The existing space/facility of an applicant organization is not eligible and would be considered as an in-kind contribution - i.e. rent, utilities and office overhead;
• No more than 20% of the total grant award can support food expenses that are a part of the cultural experience that is being offered for participants. A strong rationale would need to be provided to exceed this amount; and
• No more than 10% of the total grant request can be utilized for advertising and promotion costs for the initiative. A strong rationale would need to be provided to exceed this amount.

All expenses must fall within the indicated start and end date of the grant. Expenses incurred before or after the grant period will not be eligible.

The following items are ineligible for SGAP funds:

• Capital expenses, such as construction, renovations or repairs or purchase of major equipment such as computers, video camcorders, power tools, etc.;
• Performative or passive entertainment that does not include an exchange of cultural knowledge or awareness;
• Cash prizes, gifts, medals, trophies, charitable donations, or the purchase of alcohol;
• Sponsorships, fundraisers or award ceremonies;
• Activity that exclusively promotes definable religious or political viewpoints;
• Contributions of volunteer hours;
• Food or food-related costs are generally ineligible. However, up to 20% of the grant may be used for nutrition if these costs can be directly attributed to the cultural activity;
• Allowances, wages or personal expenses for program registrants and participants;
• Out-of-province travel expenses for initiative participants to attend competitions, festivals, award ceremonies, etc.;
• Contracts with out-of-province cultural workers (unless there is no one in Saskatchewan providing that service);
• Salaries and expenses of existing staff of the applicant organization – except when they are hired to perform the duties of a cultural worker;
• Office and administration fees including utilities, rent and/or rental of an applicant organization’s facilities; and,
• In-kind contributions (donations for food, goods, services, equipment, waiving rental fees, etc.) do not replace eligible expenses.

Contact a SaskCulture Outreach Consultant if there is any uncertainty on what is eligible and ineligible.

Applications must be submitted via the Online Grant Platform (OGP) by the deadline.

• SaskCulture will review applications to confirm basic eligibility requirements have been met. If a submission is ineligible, the applicant will be notified.
• Applications will be reviewed by a panel of SaskCulture staff, who will focus on the set criteria outlined in the ‘Application Assessment’ section below, to ensure a quick turnaround. Applications will be assessed based on the following criteria:
  • Has the application met the basic eligibility criteria?
  • Is this a first-time or underserved applicant?
  • Has the applicant received a SaskCulture grant in the past?
  • Is the initiative taking place in the province’s northern and/or rural or otherwise underserved communities?
  • Is the initiative time-sensitive?
  • Is the initiative unable to fit the criteria of existing SaskCulture grant programs?
  • To what extent does the initiative address the objectives and priorities of SGAP?
  • Is the application clear, and concise and providing enough details?
  • Is the budget clear and realistic? Is the overall budget less than $5,000? And does it demonstrate responsible use of resources?
• Applicants can expect to be informed of funding results within four (4) weeks of the application deadline. Dissatisfaction with the results of a grant assessment, either with the denial of the grant or with the amount of funding awarded, does not constitute valid grounds for appeal.
• Successful applicants receive 100% of their total grant allocation upon grant approval and must submit a complete follow-up report within thirty (30) days of the end of the initiative.

Once your organization has been approved for a grant, applicants will:

• Use the funds for the eligible activities outlined in their application. Any changes to the use of funds must be approved by SaskCulture. Funds may not be transferred to other activities or organizations and unused funds must be returned to SaskCulture.
• Be required to retain all supporting receipts. All first-time grant recipients will be required to submit receipts. Other grant recipients will only submit receipts if requested to do so by the Outreach Consultant. Failure to submit receipts may affect the approved grant amount. For example, partial or no final payment, or a grant return of the first payment may be required.
• Have access to the Follow-up Report form on the Online Grant Platform, following the automatic system notification of approved funding;
• Be required to submit a Follow-up Report within 45 days of the completion of the project. This report must detail the activities of the project and indicate how it met the goals of the funding program;
• Refer to the Follow-up Report Form at the beginning of the project, as statistical information will need to be gathered during the project. The grant recipient may want to use the budget tool regularly as a project management tool.
• Use the funds for the funded project within 12 months of the project’s start date.
• Recognize Sask Lotteries as the funder in all relevant promotions and event opportunities, as well as highlighting SaskCulture’s funding program to help build awareness of the programs.

Example:

YOUR ORGANIZATION NAME received financial assistance from Sask Lotteries, thanks to a SaskCulture program.

Logos and promotional materials, along with how-to guides, are available at Using Logos.

Failure to meet the above funding obligations to the satisfaction of SaskCulture will be grounds to withhold the final payment if applicable, and will restrict access to future funding.

You will receive correspondence stating that your application has been denied funding for this particular funding program. While all decisions, made by volunteer Peer Assessors, are final, this news should not deter you from applying for future funding opportunities.

• Review the funding program criteria and determine how your application might better address the priorities. If your project’s objectives do not line up with the criteria of the funding program, take the opportunity to explore other options.
• Check your project budget and ensure that your costs are realistic based on your intended outcomes.
• Contact the Outreach Consultant to discuss ideas and/or changes needed for success. If the Consultant feels your project still has potential, adjust your application and try again at a different deadline or for a different fund.