Recognition Requirements for Operating Grant Recipients

One of the four directions in OAC’s strategic plan Reset. Renew. Revitalize. is amplifying the impact, benefits and value of the arts. This includes demonstrating the broad impact of public arts funding. As OAC strives to increase the visibility of the impact of the arts in communities across Ontario, grant recipients play a key role in highlighting this impact to community leaders including elected officials.  

In turn, OAC has updated the funding recognition policy for all grant recipients awarded funding from April 1, 2023, onwards.
 

Recognition stages – steps to follow

1. Before being notified of your application result: You may be contacted by a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) before receiving your official notification letter from OAC. 
   1. If this happens, take the opportunity to begin building a relationship with the MPP, and be sure to acknowledge the importance of public arts funding. For example, you can send them a note recognizing this, along with information about your upcoming events/projects.
2. In the 20 business days following receipt of your notification letter from OAC: OAC requires that grant recipients observe a communications embargo period. This means that organizations must not make any public/media announcements about their new grant during this period (unless it has been initiated by the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport or another MPP, to give them the opportunity to be the first to announce it). 
   1. During this period, your MPP might contact you about making an announcement. If this happens, you can communicate publicly about the funding after the announcement (even if 20 business days have not passed).
   2. You can also initiate contact with your MPP during this period, to begin working on the requirements outlined in the next section. You can find out who your MPP is using this website.
3. 20 business days after receipt of your notification letter: You are required to proceed with all of the following.

Requirements for all organizations receiving operating funding

• Use both OAC’s logo and the Government of Ontario logo. Both OAC and the provincial government’s logos must be used in all promotional/advertising materials (both print and digital), and in several other ways. Full instructions on where and how to use the logos are available on this web page: Logos.
• Post on social media: After the communications embargo period, post about receiving OAC funding on all social media platforms your organization regularly uses.
  • Both OAC and your local MPP should be tagged in these posts (unless OAC or the MPP doesn’t have a presence on that particular platform). You can find out who your MPP is using this website.
  • *NEW* Additionally, repost/reshare OAC’s Arts for All Ontarians video, which is pinned at the top of all of OAC’s social media feeds. 

For organizations that produce events

• Choose an event to highlight OAC funding: Select one of your organization’s upcoming events that is expected to have a high profile, attendance or reach – e.g. a major/relevant festival, feature screening, performance or exhibition. Use this event as an opportunity to announce, celebrate and promote funding awarded by OAC specifically. 
• Invite your MPP to participate: Connect with the MPP who represents the riding where the event you selected is taking place. Let them know that the event will be highlighting provincial arts funding and offer them the opportunity to provide remarks during the event. 
  • Give the MPP’s office as much lead time as possible when offering opportunities. Also note that it may not be possible for MPPs outside the Greater Toronto Area to attend events in their constituencies on days when the legislature is sitting (full calendar available here). 
  • If an MPP confirms attendance, please let your program officer know.
• Invite OAC to attend: Contact your program officer to invite them to the event. (They may let other OAC staff know about it, especially if they are unable to attend themselves.)  
• Spread the word about the event: Leading up to the event, issue a news release and/or post on social media, noting that the event will include a special recognition of provincial arts funding.
  • If your organization already regularly issues news releases to promote upcoming programming, you can include the special recognition component as one part of the overall news release relating to the event.
• *NEW* Show OAC’s promotional video: At any event where there’s a screen, play Arts for All Ontarians – OAC’s video highlighting the vibrancy and diversity of arts across the province. 
  • Download the video from Vimeo (recommended). 
  • Stream the video directly from YouTube. 
• Illustrate funding impact: At the event, a representative from your organization should also speak about the importance of provincial arts funding – highlighting not only the funding itself, but the impact of the funding.
  • Consult the Research & Impact section of OAC’s website for information and statistics about the impact of the arts – and especially, the impact of public funding of the arts – to use as part of your recognition.
  • We also recommend mentioning some of your organization’s outputs and outcomes, for example: 
    • the number of performances/exhibitions/screenings your organization produces or presents; 
    • the number of jobs or opportunities for paid work your organization creates for artists and arts professionals; and/or 
    • the number of attendees/participants reached through your work.
• After the event: Share video/images from the event on social media and be sure to tag OAC and your local MPP.

For organizations without event opportunities

• If your organization does not produce events of any kind, request a meeting with your MPP to talk about the work that you do, and the impact that it has.
  • Give the MPP’s office as much lead time as possible when requesting a meeting. Also note that it may not be possible for MPPs outside the Greater Toronto Area to meet in-person in their constituencies on days when the legislature is sitting (full calendar available here).
  • If your organization represents a specific sector, discipline, geographic area or community, be sure to speak to your MPP about the broader picture. (OAC can provide statistics and listings to illustrate this with lead time of six weeks.)

Exceptions 

• Recognition events are intended to be positive communication opportunities for your organization to connect with your MPP and for the provincial government to recognize funding through OAC. There may be situations where, due to extenuating circumstances, a recognition event may not be the best approach – e.g. if the key work you are producing is particularly sensitive, or there are issues beyond the control of your organization. In these cases, you are required to contact the officer responsible for your program to discuss options.