artsvest Ontario Guidelines 2014-15 artsvest Program Overview artsvest is a national sponsorship training and matching fund incentive program created by Business for the Arts and funded in Ontario by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Canadian Heritage and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. The program helps build healthy, prosperous and creative communities across Canada by training small and midsized arts and heritage organizations on how to forge successful, long-term partnerships with the private sector. In addition, artsvest provides matching incentive grants for new sponsorships raised by participating organizations to spark local business support of arts and heritage. To learn more about the eligibility requirements and application process for bringing artsvest to your community, please contact Claire Hefferon, National Program Manager, at (416)869-3016, ext. 225 or c_hefferon@businessforthearts.org. How artsvest Works The program has three components: 1. Live Sponsorship Training Workshops 2. Year-Round Training and Support 3. Matching Funds 1. Live Sponsorship Training Workshops In selected communities, artsvest offers arts and heritage organizations in-depth sponsorship training workshops to build capacity within the local cultural sector. By coaching arts and heritage organizations on sponsorship, from developing a strategy to creating a sponsorship proposal, artsvest aims to provide the participating organization with the ability to successfully apply for matching incentive grants, approach their local business community and successfully generate new and diverse revenue streams. Note: For arts and heritage organizations intending to apply for the artsvest program, workshop attendance is required. Workshop participants will be given the tools to craft successful sponsorship proposals and artsvest program applications. 2. Year-Round Training & Support In addition to live workshops, the artsvest training expands to include year-round mentorship with ongoing guidance and advice on corporate sponsorship and in-depth online tutorials. 3. Matching Funds In addition to Sponsorship Training Workshops and Year-Round Training and Support, arts and heritage organizations within selected communities are invited to apply for a matching grant to be used as an incentive to spark innovative business sponsorship opportunities, offering the local private sector the potential to double the impact of their investment. Organizations then have approximately six months to successfully secure business sponsorship and submit a sponsorship confirmation form outlining their new business partnership, resulting in matching funds. 1
artsvest Ontario 2014/15 Communities Every year, selected municipalities across Canada partner with Business for the Arts to bring the artsvest program to their communities. To qualify for artsvest matching funds, your municipality or province must be a designated artsvest community. In Ontario, these communities and their respective matching funds are; Huron County: $15,000 Kingston: $85,000 Kitchener-Waterloo: $75,000 Mississauga: $60,000 Oshawa: $43,000 For all municipalities, Matching Funds request range from $500 to $5,000 Pre-Approval Application Deadline: Monday, July 7, 2014 at 5pm Sponsorship Confirmation Deadline: Feb 2, 2015 artsvest Program Timeline Program Phases Actions Estimated Time Phase 1: Municipalities/Districts Four Months Municipal Applications and apply for artsvest Selection Successful Municipalities for the next phase of artsvest funding are announced. Sponsorship Workshops are held in selected communities to help the organizations create successful sponsorship proposals and applications to the artsvest program artsvest Launch events are held in selected communities with local municipal leaders, business professionals and arts and heritage organizations in attendance. Phase 2: Pre-Approval Applications for Arts Organizations and Jury Phase 3: Cultivation Arts and heritage organizations in selected communities are invited to submit applications for preapproval of matching funds Applications are assessed by a jury and successful organizations are preapproved for matching funds Pre-approved organizations approach potential business partners to secure Two Months Six Months 2
Phase 4: Wrap Celebrations sponsorships. Arts and heritage organizations submit a Sponsorship Confirmation Agreement, signed by their business partner, to confirm the partnership has been secured Matching funds are issued based on the amount of sponsorship and matching category (see Table of Matching Fund Categories) Online Final Reports are submitted, wrap events and celebrations in artsvest communities are held Two Months artsvest Eligibility Arts and Heritage Organizations Eligible Must be located in a community where the artsvest program is operating and provide programming, products or services that are accessible to the public Must be an incorporated, not-for-profit and/or registered charitable arts and heritage organization for a minimum of two years and have a publicly accountable structure with an active Board of Directors. If the organization has not been incorporated for a minimum of two years, they may apply under the umbrella of a local arts council (a maximum of 3 initiatives can come under the arts council). For details, contact your Program Manager Must be an organization with arts and/or heritage as its primary mandate and core activity, such as a performing or literary arts organization, museum, gallery or heritage institution Collaboration and partnerships between two or more arts and heritage organizations are eligible and encouraged; one organization must be selected to represent the group as a whole Must be an organization with an operating budget of less than $1.5M for the last two years Must have attended an artsvest workshop in the current year Arts and Heritage Organizations Ineligible Individual artists Crown corporations Religious institutions Health, social service, and sports organizations Government agencies For-profit organizations Political parties Educational institutions (with the exception of independent, non-profit arts schools) Business Sponsors - Eligible Once pre-approved, sponsorships must come from businesses which: Are located in a community where the artsvest program is operating, whether publicly traded or privately owned; this includes owner-managed businesses, limited partnerships, local head offices, and regional/national offices of corporations located elsewhere (i.e. a local branch of a national bank) Are an incorporated for-profit business In the instance of a foundation, must be attached to a corporate for-profit business (i.e, Telus). 3
Business Sponsors - Ineligible Individuals - unless they can confirm the below in writing along with your submission o The reason they are writing a personal cheque is that there is no associated business bank account, o Business name, and o CRA business number Governmental organization Educational organizations As a participant of the artsvest program, Business for the Arts may contact your business partner for programrelated items, such as case studies and testimonials. Sponsorship Agreements - Eligibility Must be a true partnership, showing mutual benefits for both parties Must have been agreed after the workshop date Only cash or goods-in-kind are eligible Sponsorships must equal at least $200 in artsvest matching funds in order to be eligible (see matching fund table on page 7 for calculations) A third party recipient transactions are not eligible for artsvest match ie the arts organization is not the end recipient of the value (i.e., gift certificates and prizes for raffle) Cannot be for professional services. Examples of professional service providers include lawyers, consultants, bookkeepers, graphic designers, interior designers, painters, contractors, etc. Tax on sponsorship agreements will not be matched The amount of matching funds that an organization is pre-approved for cannot be changed; however, the name(s) and number of prospective sponsors noted in the initial Application Form, as well as the combination of sponsorship scenarios, may change between the time of pre-approval confirmation and submission of the final sponsorship confirmation. artsvest Application Process All applicants must complete and submit the relevant artsvest Application for Pre-Approval Form online. A list of questions you will be required to answer is available for download in.doc format, to gather your answers before beginning the application process, as the online application must be completed in one online session at http://www.artsvest.com/how-to-apply/ontario/. Submitting an application does not guarantee the applicant will be awarded all or any of the amount requested. Pre-Approval Application Form must be submitted electronically by 5 pm local time on the deadline date. Incomplete applications will not be considered. artsvest Application Form for Pre-Approval - Outline Section A: The Organization The applicant will be asked to provide the organization s contact and incorporation information and describe the organization s mission and central activities. Section B: Financial Information The applicant will be asked to provide a breakdown of the organization s income and expenses, including earned, private and government revenues. This section includes an opportunity for a financial note. 4
Section C: Statement of Organizational Capacity The applicant will be asked to demonstrate readiness and resources to carry out the artsvest program and indicate how they will undertake to complete the different components of the program (i.e., capacity to research potential business sponsorships, develop sponsor relationships, etc.) Section D: Sponsorship Proposal The applicant will be asked to submit a sample proposal (500 words maximum), for one of the businesses identified as a potential sponsor in Section C of your application. The purpose of this section is to exemplify learned approach. The applicant should consider the following in the proposal: The business partnership opportunity, including the project The fit between your organization and/or audience and that of your prospect s business goals The benefits you are offering your prospect through this sponsorship artsvest Pre-Approval Jury Process All artsvest funding applications are assessed by an independent panel consisting of artistic peers, private community investment professionals and fundraising professionals who will make recommendations for acceptance to the artsvest program based on the below criteria. An applicant s success in obtaining artsvest matching funds depends upon the jury s final evaluation and the funding available within the program. Assessment Criteria 1. Merit of Organization (50 points maximum) The jury will be looking for organizational capacity, effectiveness, level of experience in fundraising/sponsorship, readiness and resources to carry out the program: 2.1 Organizational effectiveness refers to fiscal responsibility, financial stability, diverse funding sources (fundraising, sponsorship, self-generated, in-kind donations, etc.) 25 points maximum). 2.2 Organizational readiness for artsvest program, i.e. availability of staff/board members/volunteers for artsvest program, capacity to research potential business sponsors, write effective proposals, exemplify professionalism, etc. (15 points maximum). 2.3. Successful track record of development initiatives and experience, i.e. demonstrated ability to commit time and energy to fund development (5 points maximum) 2.4 The amount of matching funds requested is reasonable with regards to the project and organizational capacity (5 points maximum) 2. Merit of Proposal (50 points maximum) The jury will be looking for clear goals and objectives of the proposed sponsorship project and appropriate strategies for realization. 1.1 Organization s proposal is clearly defined in terms of what they have to offer, sponsorable properties are identified, sponsorship cost (including tangible and intangible values) is reasonably assessed (15 points maximum) 1.2 Prospective sponsor(s) is well researched, benefits tailored to the specific needs of the business are clearly defined and how the business can use the partnership to accomplish their specific goals is clearly demonstrated (20 points maximum) 1.3 The proposal demonstrates a mutually beneficial partnership and shared interests. Synergy and strategic fit in creating a sponsorship relationship is determined (10 points maximum) 1.4 The proposal demonstrates acquisition of the approach taught in the workshop (5 points maximum) Right to Reassessment There is no appeal of jury members decisions regarding the merit of your activities or their recommendation of an award amount. Reassessment will only be considered in specific cases where there is substantial evidence of procedural errors and/or when the original application was not assessed according to the stated evaluation criteria. 5
Sponsorship Confirmation & Allocation of Funding If you are awarded funding, you will receive an email informing you of the pre-approved amount and the Terms and Conditions of funding. Matching fund payments will be disbursed upon submission of Sponsorship Confirmation Agreement forms with supporting documentation as well as the Online Final Report (to be sent during program period). Sponsorship Confirmation: Supporting Documents for Cash and In-Kind sponsorship For Cash Sponsorships 1) Proof of payment + 2) Proof of deposit 1) Proof of Payment For all methods of payment, proof must include all of the following or it will not be accepted: Business name Arts organization name Transaction number Date Amount Cheque / Money Order Copy of the front of the cheque which shows above details. Cash / Credit Card Copy of receipt issued by arts organization signed by the business which shows above details. Please provide corresponding invoice number. Online Transfer Transaction record which shows above details. Please provide corresponding invoice number. 2) Proof of Deposit For all methods of deposit, proof must include all of the following or it will not be accepted: Business name Arts organization name Date stamp Itemized amount Cheque / Money Order / Cash Itemized deposit slip with above details Online Transfer Screenshot of online bank statement with above details For In-kind Sponsorships 1) Invoice For all in-kind sponsorships, we require an invoice which includes all of the following or it will not be accepted: Itemized list of goods provided at fair market value Business name and signature Arts organization name Date Business for the Arts reserves the right to request additional documentation to verify the authenticity of the payment before issuing matching funds. An applicant must submit one Sponsorship Confirmation Agreement for each sponsorship obtained. The applicant must submit all Sponsorship Confirmation Agreements at one time, as only one cheque will be issued by Business for the Arts for the total amount of confirmed sponsorship for each participating organization. On the Sponsorship Confirmation form, you will be asked to designate a category of sponsorship from the table below. Although your sponsorship may fit with more than one of these categories, please select the best which fits the agreement. 6
Sponsorship Category A B C D Business Sponsor Criteria The business has never sponsored this local arts or heritage organization A new or existing business is committing to a new multi-year sponsorship with a minimum 3 year term - artsvest will match the first year. The business has supported this organization in the past three years - artsvest will match any increase from the most recent year s amount The business has not sponsored this organization in more than three years Cash Sponsorship Match In-Kind Sponsorship Match 100% 50% 100% of first year 50% of first year 100% of increase 50% of increase 75% 25% Applicants are encouraged to submit for all sponsorship obtained beyond their pre-approved amount, in the event of extra funds for their community. Please wait until after the Launch and Workshop before approaching potential sponsors. Matching funds will not be issued for sponsorships secured before the workshop date. Acknowledgement of Support Grant recipients are required to acknowledge the support of Business for the Arts, the Government of Ontario, Ontario Trillium Foundation and Canadian Heritage as follows: Print materials By reproducing the Business for the Arts, Canadian Heritage, Government of Ontario, Ontario Trillium Foundation logos and making a written acknowledgement using the following formulation: artsvest Ontario is run by Business for the Arts with the support of the Canadian Heritage, Government of Ontario and Ontario Trillium Foundation. Acknowledgement should appear in or on publicity materials (posters, flyers, postcards), informational materials (newsletter, prospectus, program, agenda, schedule), press materials (press release, press kit), and signage where appropriate. Acknowledgement should also be made by mentioning support in public announcements and presentations, press conferences and/or speeches. 7
Once your organization is approved for artsvest funding, you will receive a link to Business for the Arts downloadable logo. You may also contact us directly for access to the logo at artsvest@businessforthearts.org or by calling 416-869-3016. Reporting and Final Report All successful applicants are required to maintain complete and accurate records of activities connected with the artsvest program and submit an Online Final Report, which will be available in your region s site on www.artsvest.com. This report must be submitted before a cheque is issued. Contact Us For specific inquiries or to discuss your organization s eligibility, please contact: artsvest Ontario Tel: 416-869-3016, ext. 227 Email: artsvest@businessforthearts.org Online Application http://www.artsvest.com/how-to-apply/ontario/ Pre-Approval Application Deadline: Monday, July 7, 2014 at 5pm 8