These are the questions for a year 1 application to the
Ontario Arts Operating Fund. They relate to the
evaluation rubric for the program.
See the
questions for years 2 and 3.
Note: In the online application form, publishing organizations will see an additional section for entering statistical information.
Instructions
The first section of the application contains important practical information, such as links to key resources, reminders, instructions on submitting financial and statistical information, and who to contact for assistance.
Organization information
Background
- Tell us about your organization. For example, state its mandate, the year it was founded, and important milestones in its development. [Maximum 350 words]
- Describe the context in which you work – the communities you engage with (including audience and participant demographics, regions, markets and membership) and your artistic discipline or genre. [Maximum 300 words]
Governance and organizational structure
- Tell us about your staff and your board or governing body. [Maximum 400 words]
- Writing tip: Do not provide a full list of your staff and board or governing body, as you will upload that information below.
- Explain how your organization is structured and why. For example, talk about number of staff, positions, board type, committee structure, etc.
- Provide information about staff and board members’ skills and expertise.
- If your organization is currently going through major staff or board changes, describe your transition plans and recruitment processes, including selection criteria.
- Upload board and staff lists. [Mandatory, maximum 2 files in PDF format, maximum 10 pages total]
- List the members of your board, governing body or advisory committee, and their committees, including names, dates of appointment, city/town/First Nation, expertise and roles.
- List your staff (programming and administrative), indicating if they are full- or part-time, and their key roles and responsibilities.
- Do not include résumés or biographies.
Policies and practices
- Does your organization recognize and apply professional sectoral wage and working condition standards for artists and arts workers? [Select one]
- Yes, using agreements reached through collective bargaining
- Yes, using common professional standards without collective bargaining (for example, CARFAC fees)
- No
- Describe how you pay and provide other benefits to artists and arts workers. [Maximum 500 words]
- Writing tip: Include details about the wage and working condition standards noted in the previous question. Note any planned changes to pay or benefits.
Pay might include staff salaries or fees for services, such as:
- commissions
- artistic presentation
- workshops
- artistic programming
- technical production
- administration
Other benefits might include:
- health and retirement benefits
- intellectual property rights
- artwork insurance
- Do you have an accessibility plan or policy? [Select “Yes” or “No”]
- Describe how your organization creates a supportive, safe and respectful environment for staff, contractors, board members, volunteers, audiences and participants. [Maximum 300 words]
- Writing tip: Include any past, present or planned examples of:
- community consultations
- policy development
- professional development opportunities (for example, anti-harassment or anti-racism training)
- accommodation policies or practices to ensure full participation of audiences, artists and arts workers with disabilities
Space and resources
- Does your organization manage artistic or cultural real estate? [Select “Yes” or “No”]
- If yes: Indicate the number of weeks per year that organization provides its space(s) to other organizations and artists. [Enter number]
- Does your organization have collections or equipment that are made available to artists and other arts organizations? [Select “Yes” or “No”]
- Definitions:
- Collection: A library or database of artistic work or sectoral knowledge.
- Equipment: Items, tools or technology used to create or present artwork.
- If yes: Describe any collections and equipment that you make available to artists and other arts organizations. [Maximum 150 words]
- If yes: How many requests did you receive for access to your collection(s) in your last completed year? [Enter number]
- If yes: How many requests did you receive for access to your equipment in your last completed year? [Enter number]
Reports and plans
Last completed and current years
- Describe your organization’s challenges, achievements and plans, both for your last completed year and for the rest of your current fiscal year. [Maximum 850 words]
- Writing tip:
- Activities
- For your last completed year, report on activities that occurred as planned and how you handled changes (including cancelled or rescheduled activities).
- For your current fiscal year, focus on describing key or new activities.
- Expertise
- Explain how you have ensured that your organization or collaborators have the relevant knowledge to deliver activities.
- Relationships
- Describe the artists, audiences (including regional, national and international tourists), participants, partners (both arts and community), volunteers, donors and sponsors that you engage. Explain how you build and maintain relationships with them. Include any key communication strategies.
- Explain how your activities engage artists, audiences, participants and communities. Include specific information about your impact on one or more of Ontario’s diverse arts communities, demographics and regions. Include equity, diversity and inclusion considerations.
- Explain how you integrate accessibility considerations for people who are Deaf or have a disability into your activities.
Awards and media coverage
- Using the template linked below, upload a list of awards and media coverage from your last completed year.
- Include:
- all significant arts awards or prizes for which your organization, programming, or key members of your artistic staff were nominated or awarded
- up to 5 examples of significant earned media coverage
- Significant awards are competitively judged recognitions from credible arts, cultural, or industry bodies. This excludes paid-for awards, participation or attendance certificates, and awards without independent judging.
- Significant earned media coverage is media attention that you did not produce or pay for, and is more than a simple listing or announcement.
- Download the awards and media coverage template (.xlsx).
- Do not convert this file to PDF. This file must be in Excel format (.xls or .xlsx).
Request year
- Describe your artistic/service programming plans, as far as these are known. Explain your choices. [maximum 400 words]
- Writing tip:
- Activities
- Speak to your overall vision for your programming.
- Focus on key and new activities.
- Highlight any significant changes.
- Include alternative scenarios and contingency plans.
- Expertise
- Explain how you will ensure that your organization or collaborators have the relevant knowledge to deliver activities.
- Relationships
- Explain any changes to your strategies for interacting and communicating with audiences, participants, partners (both arts and community), volunteers, donors and sponsors.
- Describe any new artists, audiences (including regional, national and international tourists), participants, partners (both arts and community), volunteers, donors and sponsors you plan to engage. Include specific information about your planned impact on one or more of Ontario’s diverse arts communities, demographics and regions. Include equity, diversity and inclusion considerations.
- Explain how you plan to integrate accessibility considerations for people who are Deaf or have a disability into your activities.
- Describe and explain your key artistic/service programming and organizational plans for Years 2 and 3. [Maximum 700 words]
Financial information
Overview
- Describe your finances. [Maximum 600 words]
- Writing tip: Include the following:
- a summary of your recent financial successes and challenges
- your projected financial state at the end of your current fiscal year
- your financial expectations and plans for the next year
- how you will handle cash flow and manage financial risks
- In your last completed year, did you have a deficit of more than 20% of revenue or an unrestricted net asset deficiency of more than 35% of revenue? [Select “Yes” or “No”]
- See the following lines in your CADAC financial form:
- 6215 – Accumulated surplus or (deficit), end of year
- 6310 – Unrestricted net assets
- If yes: You must attach a deficit reduction plan including targets, timelines and responsibilities, and describe how you will ensure your organization remains stable and viable for the current and request years. [PDF format, maximum 3 pages]
Variances
- List and explain any major year-to-year financial variances that will substantially affect the interpretation of your financial report. In your variance explanations, please indicate the relevant year(s). [Table]
- Enter the following information for each variance:
- CADAC line number
- CADAC line heading
- variance explanation
TREIM report
Introduction
The Tourism Regional Economic Impact Model (TREIM) is a data analysis simulation tool provided by the Government of Ontario to learn about the impact of tourism on provincial and local economies. It is a valuable tool, both for your organization to understand and communicate its economic impact, and for OAC to communicate how vital arts organizations are to Ontario’s economy.
Note: You do not need to share any confidential or identifying organization information through TREIM.
Before you begin, confirm two figures from your last completed fiscal year (ending 2025):
- the total revenue of your organization (CADAC financial form line 4700)
- the total number of positions at your organization (full-time equivalent, seasonal, and part-time)
How to use TREIM
- Go to the Tourism Regional Economic Impact Model website.
- Click on “Use TREIM.”
- After reviewing and accepting the Terms and Conditions, select “Operational Expenses.”
- Select “Only Total Operational Expenses Are Known.”
- Follow the prompts on screen to enter your organization’s information.
- For “Activity takes place at this geographical area,” leave the selection as “Ontario.”
- For “Activity takes place in this year,” enter “2024”.
- For “Induced Impact,” leave all three selections as “yes”.
- For “Total Revenue $ from Operations,” enter the total revenue of your organization for your last completed fiscal year (ending 2025).
- For “Type of tourism facility/operation,” select “Arts, Entertainment and Recreation.”
- For “Number of Jobs,” enter the number of positions at your organization for your last completed fiscal year (ending 2025).
- Select “Submit for calculation.”
- Download the report.
Once you’ve downloaded your organization’s TREIM report, open it and locate Table 1. Please enter the following information below
(adding together the totals for your census division and the total for the rest of Ontario):
- Total GDP
- Total provincial taxes
- Upload your organization’s TREIM report
Activity lists
See the Instructions tab of the Activity list templates for further details, including abbreviations to use. For upcoming programming, provide as much detail as is available.
Do not convert these files to PDF. They must be in Excel format (.xls or .xlsx).
- Last completed year activity list
- Current year activity list
- Request year activity list
Support material
- Website address
- Assessors will review your website briefly.
- Be sure to share any essential information in your answers to the application questions.
- Website information (optional) [Maximum 100 words]
- Provide directions to specific parts of your website you have mentioned in your application that you want to be reviewed.
- Online publications (optional, maximum 2 URLs)
- Enter URLs (web addresses) for up to 2 catalogues, research reports, ebooks or magazine issues produced by your organization. Separate URLs with a comma.
- Note: URLs must work for 6 months after the application deadline.
- Access credentials for online publications (optional)
- Provide any usernames, passwords, codes, etc. that assessors will need to access the online content above.
- Upload publication (optional, 1 document in PDF format)
- Attach a catalogue, research report or magazine issue produced by your organization.
- Do not attach a document that is available on your website or at one of the URLs provided above.
Artistic examples
Artistic examples are optional.
Provide artistic examples if you believe your support documents do not demonstrate the range or strength of your organization’s activities.
You may provide the following types of artistic examples:
- Video or audio (maximum 2 examples, maximum 5 minutes total)
- Images (maximum 10)
- Manuscript of literary material, scripts, zines, etc. (maximum 1 document, maximum 10 pages)
OAC statistics
In addition to the application questions, you will be asked a few questions to help OAC collect data about the arts community. This information is gathered for OAC research purposes only. Your answers will not be seen by assessors and will not be considered in determining any grant amount.