Apply for Black Arts Annual Operating Program (Canada)

For the purpose of this program, “Black” refers to African descendant people across the diaspora including but not limited to African Canadian, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latinx, East African, West African, Southern and Central African, Afro-Arab, Afro-Indigenous, etc. This funding program is intended to support the development, continuation, and flourishing of Black arts organizations.

The Black Arts Program provides Annual Operating support to non-profit Toronto Black arts organizations (both incorporated and unincorporated). Organizations qualifying for funding will be Black-led, Black-focused, and Black-serving; with the requirement for a majority of the leadership (including but not limited to board members, founders, and staff) to identify as Black (Black-led), the primary goals of the organization to meaningfully support the Black community (Black-focused), as well as a significant portion of program activities prioritizing serving the Black community (Black-serving). Funding through this program supports both operations and programming. The City of Toronto supports this program through a funding allocation approved annually by Toronto City Council.

Eligible Activities

• Professional, Black-led arts organization that supports the work of professional Black artists in a variety of arts disciplines. This can include:
  • multidisciplinary arts organizations that serve and support artist-members with a focus on Black artists-members
  • organizations whose primary purpose is to support the professional practice of Black artists

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for this Annual Operating funding, an applicant must:
  • be a non-profit professional arts organization;
  • be Black-led, Black-focused, and Black-serving
  • have professional artistic leadership and pay appropriate professional fees to artists;
  • be located in the City of Toronto and have a significant portion of its activities occurring within the City;
  • have a recent history of sustained arts activity of at least two years;
  • have a viable administrative structure;
  • demonstrate a range of revenue sources on an annual basis, which may include earned, government and private sector revenues;
  • provide audited financial statements or internally prepared statements including a balance sheet, statement of income and expenses (if audited financial statements or review engagement is unavailable)
  • be governed by a majority Black-led Board of Directors or other body responsible for the organization.
• Organizations are not required to exclusively support Black artists to be eligible, rather must have a consistent history of meaningful engagement of Black artists and a focus on Black artists in a significant component of their planned programming.

For more information, visit Toronto Arts Council.