CORPORATE POLICY
Policy Title:
Policy Category:
Policy No.:
Department:
Approval Date:
Revision Date:
Author:
Community Cash Grants Policy
Municipal Services
M-004
Community Services
April 15, 2013
August 10, 2015
Beth Rajnovich – Policy & Performance Analyst
Lori Ludwig, Manager, Community & Neighbourhood
Services
Attachments:
Appendix A – Community Cash Grant Application
Related Documents/Legislation: CCRS2010-045, CCRS2013-008
Key Word(s):
Grants
POLICY STATEMENT:
The City of Waterloo provides Community Cash Grants to support eligible
organizations and community projects that encourage participation in a wide spectrum
of interest areas encompassing recreation and sports, arts/culture/heritage, festivals
and neighbourhoods that align with City’s goals.
PURPOSE:
The Community Cash Grants Policy facilitates strategic community investment, as
noted in the CCRS Community Investment Strategy, approved December 13, 2010
(CCRS2010-045). The Community Cash Grants program is one way the City of
Waterloo recognizes the important role not-for-profit and community organizations play
as providers of programs and services that help create a healthy, creative and resilient
community. The Community Cash Grants Policy establishes the principles and criteria
to be used to review, assess and recommend grant funding to help financially support
these organizations.
Mandatory Policy, Municipal Act:
No
Policy Administration Team, Review Date: July 23, 2015
Corporate Management Team, Review Date: August 5, 2015
POLICY NUMBER: M-004
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DEFINITIONS:
Affiliated Organization – a community organization that has entered into a formal
relationship with the City to support a mutual interest to provide recreation, sports,
arts/culture/heritage, festivals and neighbourhood programs and services, in
accordance with City’s goals.
Affiliation Service Agreement - a formal agreement entered into by an Affiliated
Community Organization and the City of Waterloo that specifies mutual expectations
and benefits to the respective parties.
Capital Asset Expenditure: A capital asset is a physical item (the exception being
software) with a long term use lifespan, typically more than three years. Capital assets
include purchase of land, building, building renovations, machinery, leaseholds, and
vehicles. Asset general maintenance (painting, mechanical maintenance, replacement
of existing parts) is not a capital asset expense unless it increases the value of the
specific asset. Equipment needed for core services/community programs are not
considered capital assets. Funds from operating and project grants cannot be used for
capital asset expenditures.
Community Cash Grants Advisory Committee – a Council appointed committee of
community members with the mandate to assess applications to the Community Cash
Grants program and make recommendations on distribution of the grant funds to
Council as detailed in its Terms of Reference.
Developing Organizations - applicants who fall into one of the two following categories:
A) Start-up Organizations: Organizations newly formed within the past three years and
have been operating for at least one year prior to the close of the grant application
period;
B) Organizations in Transition: Established organizations or organizations undergoing a
substantial change in direction or transformation over the next 1-3 year in order to
enhance organizational resiliency.
Foundational Operating Grants – a type of operating grant that can be awarded to
eligible affiliated organizations that have entered into a Service Agreement with the City
of Waterloo.
Non-Affiliated Organization– a not-for-profit or community organization that has not
entered into an Affiliation Service Agreement with the City.
Operating Grants – funds to be used for operating costs which may include but are not
necessarily limited to rent, insurance, telephone, equipment for core
services/community programs, equipment maintenance, salaries of professional or
administrative staff, programs, services, volunteer recruitment, recognition, in-house
training, screening, and office supplies/equipment.
POLICY NUMBER: M-004
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Project Grants – funds that support one-time, temporary or innovative endeavors with
a specific objective that is completed in a specific timeframe with a clear beginning
and end date. Projects must be different from or in addition to current core services or
programs.
Service Club – a voluntary not-for-profit organization where members meet regularly
to perform charitable works either by direct hands-on efforts or by raising money to
support individuals or other organizations.
SCOPE:
This policy applies to:
• All applicants to the Community Cash Grants Program
• Staff responsible for the delivery of the Community Cash Grants program
• Members of the Community Cash Grants Advisory Committee
POLICY COMMUNICATION:
This policy will be communicated by means of:
• Posting on the City of Waterloo website;
• Posting on the City of Waterloo intranet accessible by staff;
• Providing a copy to all staff involved in the delivery of the grant program;
• Including the website location for the policy in all grant program information
distributed to the public;
• Provide a copy of the policy to all organizations requesting an application for
the grant program. Applicants will be required to indicate on the grant
application form that they have reviewed the policy;
• It is the applicant’s responsibility to be proactive in seeking out grant
application information and submission deadlines.
POLICY:
1.1
Grant Program Principles
The Community Cash Grants are intended to support and encourage:
• Opportunities that help create a healthy, creative and resilient community;
• Diversity of opportunity in sports and recreation, arts/culture/heritage,
festivals, and neighbourhoods;
• Provision of services that are accessible and inclusive; and
• Resiliency, innovation and growth of community organizations.
POLICY NUMBER: M-004
2.0
3.0
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General Grant Parameters
2.1
Application for Community Cash Grants will be available on an annual basis to
eligible organizations whose programs, services or projects benefit the
community in one or more of the following four (4) funding categories:
• Recreation and sports
• Arts, culture, and heritage
• Festivals
• Neighbourhoods
2.2
Grant funds will be allocated within each of the four funding categories
provided there are successful applications.
2.3
Grants will be available to support operating expenses and/or project expenses.
2.4
Grants to support developing organizations and/or for projects are considered a
priority.
2.5
A dollar based cap per grant may be established by staff annually based on
available funding.
2.6
Grant funds must be used as per the grant application. Any significant changes
must be discussed with the appropriate City of Waterloo Staff Liaison. Failure to
do so may result in ineligibility for future funding or the need to reimburse the
grant funding.
2.7
Grant funds will typically be awarded in one lump sum payment. At the discretion
of the Grants Advisory Committee, organizations may be awarded funds by
installments, with a reporting requirement prior to release of the next installment.
2.8
Grants should not be considered as automatically renewable in subsequent
years.
2.9
Submission of a grant application does not guarantee an organization will receive
full or partial funding.
Conditions
3.1
Affiliated organizations that receive Foundational Operating Grant support
through an Affiliation Service Agreement are eligible to apply for project funding
only.
POLICY NUMBER: M-004
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3.2
Organizations requesting a grant(s) totaling $7,500 or more must provide, at a
minimum, a professionally reviewed financial statement for the previous year
with the grant application and must show proof of incorporation or proof of
incorporation under an umbrella organization such as a provincial sport body.
3.3
Grant recipients must acknowledge the support of the City of Waterloo on all
printed materials that relate to the grant request or as determined by staff.
3.4
Project Grant Recipients must complete a status report and submit to the City of
Waterloo within 6 months of project completion or prior to the next grant cycle.
Failure to do so may make the organization ineligible to apply for a grant for the
next year.
3.5
All grant opportunities are contingent on the allocation of funding as part of the
city’s budget process.
4.0
Eligibility Criteria
4.1
To be eligible for a Community Cash Grant, organizations should:
• Be organized for a minimum of one (1) year;
• Operate as a not-for-profit or community organization under the leadership
of a volunteer board of directors or executive committee, elected by the
general membership, or as a Registered Charity;
• Demonstrate a benefit to residents of Waterloo;
• Hold regular board or committee meetings with recorded minutes;
• Carry public liability insurance;
• Keep accurate volunteer and participant records;
• Carry out volunteer screening and other risk management measures to
help ensure volunteer and public safety;
• Demonstrate funding or revenue from at least one source other than the
City of Waterloo;
• Have less than two years equivalent operating budget in unreserved cash;
• Be in compliance with all applicable legislation, regulations and bylaws for
the Government of Canada, The Province of Ontario, and the City of
Waterloo. (eg. Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005
(AODA), Human Rights Code, Occupational Health & Safety Act);
• Submit a completed application form, providing all of the requested
information and all supporting material by the application deadline ;
• Submit a status report for any Project Grant received in the previous
year within the required timelines.
4.2
The following are not eligible to apply for a Community Cash Grant:
POLICY NUMBER: M-004
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An organization that acts as a funding body, or makes grants to another
organization;
An organization that is the responsibility of a higher level of government,
education, or precluded under the Municipal Act;
Commercial businesses or For Profit Organizations;
Service Clubs, Educational Institutions, Political Organizations;
Religious organizations seeking funds for activities that serve primarily
their membership and/or their direct religious purposes;
Individuals.
4.3
The following may make an application ineligible for a Community Cash Grant:
• Currently in financial arrears with the City of Waterloo;
• Liabilities exceed assets for a period of two or more years;
• Operating loss for two consecutive years;
• Affiliated Organization that does not meet the requirements of their service
agreement;
• Non-compliance with legislation, city by-law and/or policy;
• Submission of an incomplete application.
4.4
Grants will not be available to support the following:
• Capital expenses;
• Operating or capital deficits;
• Retroactive project expenses;
• Endowments funds;
• Charitable Events
• Expenses associated with the travel to, attendance at, or related to
the registration fees for seminars, conferences, workshops, or tours.
• Projects or services that are the same as those provided by the City of
Waterloo.
• Any activity related to election campaigning for federal, provincial,
municipal or school board candidates, including promotional activities
and advertising.
5.0
Application Assessment
5.1
Grant applications will be assessed based on the following:
• Funding request merit;
• Organization’s profile;
• Finances;
• Benefit to the community.
5.2
Grant applications will be assessed by the Community Cash Grants
Advisory Committee established according to the Committee Policy.
5.3
Grant applications will be scored using an assessment tool.
POLICY NUMBER: M-004
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5.4
The assessment tool scoring process will provide additional points for applications for
developing organizations and project funding requests as these requests are a
priority for funding.
5.5
The assessment tool will be used by the Grants Advisory Committee to begin
assessment of the grant applications. However, scores awarded by use of the
assessment tool are not to be considered as the sole factor on which grant decisions
will be made. A minimum score of 50% (averaged across the Grants Advisory
Committee) will be required to be considered for final funding recommendations and
how much funding to award, based on a broad range of factors to ensure the grant
funds are used to achieve the program goals.
6.0
6.1
7.0
Late Submission of Grant Applications
Applications submitted after the grant deadline will not be accepted or entertained
by the Community Cash Grants Advisory Committee.
Appeals
7.1
In order to appeal the recommendations made by the Grants Advisory Committee to
Council, organizations must register as a delegation by contacting the Clerk’s Office
at 519-747-8549 or by email at [email protected] no later than 10:00am on the
Monday of the Council Meeting at which the recommendations will be presented to
Council.
7.2
Applicants wishing to appeal the Grants Advisory Committee’s recommendation will
be heard by Council at the Council Committee meeting on the same night that the
grants report is presented to Council.
7.3
Decisions of City Council are final.
COMPLIANCE:
In cases of policy violation, the City may investigate and determine appropriate corrective action.
CASH GRANT APPLICATION
SUBMISSION DEADLINE for Grant Application Packages is 2:00
p.m. Tuesday December 1, 2015.
Submit one hardcopy of your application and all appendices and attachments to:
Community Services Department
1st Floor, City Hall
100 Regina St. S
P.O. Box 337 Station Waterloo
Waterloo ON N2J 4A8
Note: Your application will be reviewed by a committee of community members. Please make sure to provide
sufficient information in response to each question, within the maximum number of words allowed. Incomplete
applications or applications with insufficient information may not be considered. Additionally, any additional
information or pages attached to the application, beyond the requested appendices, will not be considered by the
committee.
To the extent that the ensuing information constitutes personal information as defined in the Municipal Freedom of
Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, chapter M.56 as amended, the information is subject to
provisions of that Act and will be used for the purposes indicated or implied by this form.
Questions about the collection of personal information should be directed to the City Clerk, Waterloo City Centre,
100 Regina Street South, Waterloo, Ontario, N2J 4A8, telephone (519) 886-1550 TTY 1-866-786-3941.
FINAL CHECKLIST: to ensure you have provided/attached all requested information
Your application package should include the following:
☐ Completed Application Form
☐ Board of Directors/Executive Committee Information as appendix as appendix
☐ Year-end Financial statements as appendix.
☐ Detailed Operating and/or Project Budget as an appendix, if applicable
☐ Signed Application Verification Form
For Office Use Only
Date Application Received:
Time Received:
Signature of Receiver:
Section 1: Contact Information
Organization Name
Website Address
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Organization Name
Primary Contact Person’s Name & Position
Mailing Address
City & Postal Code
Telephone Number
Daytime:
Evening:
Email Address
Secondary Contact Person’s Name & Position
Telephone Numbers
Daytime:
Evening:
Email Address
Section 2: Grant Request Information
IMPORTANT NOTE: The maximum amount of funding a group can receive for either an
operating or a project grant is $5000 for the 2016 grant cycle. Requests in access of $5000
for either an operating or a project grant will not be considered. As it is possible to apply
for both an operating and a project grant, the total maximum amount any one organization
can request is $10,000. See conditions 3.2 listed in Community, Culture and Recreation
Cash Grant Policy (if grant total is $7500 or more).
1. Please indicate if your request is for: ☐Operating Grant ☐Project Grant ☐Both
2. Grant Request Amount: Operating $
+ Project $
= TOTAL $
3. Type of activity provided by your organization:
☐Recreation/Sports
☐Arts, Culture & Heritage ☐Festival
☐Neighbourhood
4. Is your organization a “Developing Organization”: ☐Yes ☐No
See definition listed in Community, Culture and Recreation Cash Grants Policy (newly formed
within 3 years and have been operating for at least 1 year or undergoing significant
transformation).
If yes, please indicate how your organization meets the definition of a “Developing Organization”
(100 words or less or 765 characters)
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5. Describe what services you provide to the community through your activities, projects and
events. Include information on the demographics served by your activities, projects and
events, and the future goals of your organization. (400 words or less or 2400 characters)
6. Is your organization a: (check all that apply)
☐Registered Charity ☐Not For Profit ☐Insured with Public Liability
Note: you may be required to submit additional documentation regarding your status if your
application is successful.
Section 3: Funding Request Overview
Depending on your grant request, please answer either or both questions 7 and 8.
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7. Operating Funding Requests: Provide a brief (500 words or less or 3000 characters)
description of how the grant will assist your organization. Include details outlining how the
operating grant will assist you to attain your goals and objectives.
8. Project Funding Requests: Below, provide a name for your proposed project and a brief
(800 words or less or 4800 characters) description. Include a brief timeline/work plan.
(Also see Section 5, item 17 for submission of a project budget).
Project Name:_________________________________
Project Description: (not required if only requesting an Operating Grant)
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Section 4: Organization’s Profile
9. What year was your organization established? _________
10. Is your organization directed by an elected volunteer board of directors or executive
committee?
☐Yes ☐No
If yes, please provide a list of names and positions for all directors or executive committee
members as an appendix.
11. Describe how your organization accommodates or subsidizes the cost of participation for
residents with low incomes? (100 words or less or 765 characters)
12. Are the services, programs and/or events provided by your organization accessible to
persons with disabilities? ☐Yes ☐No
If yes, please describe. If no, please explain. (100 words or less or 765 characters)
13. How do you keep staff, volunteers and community members safe at events or activities
your organization runs as well as during the day-to-day operation of your organization?
(100 words or less or 765 characters)
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14. Do you have paid staff? ☐Yes
☐No
If yes, how many staff do you have? ______
Full-time? _______
Part-time? ________
15. Do you have volunteers (not including Board Members/Executive Committee members)?
☐Yes ☐No If yes, how many volunteers do you have? _____________
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Section 5: Finances
16. Attach your organization’s year-end financial statements (income statement and
balance sheet) as an appendix. You must provide the most recent year-end financial
statements available. If your organization does not have financial statements, contact your
staff representative at the City of Waterloo to discuss an alternate way to provide the
required financial information.
17. If your request is for an operating grant you must also provide an operating budget for the
upcoming fiscal year. If your request is for a project grant you must provide a project
budget including a specific breakdown of revenues and expenses directly associated with
the project. If you are unsure of how to structure a project budget, contact your staff
representative at the City of Waterloo to discuss how you can provide the required budget
information.
18. If your organization is requesting a project grant:
Is the project intended to be:
☐ One year only
☐Ongoing/Annual
If you intend to continue this project in future years, indicate how you will build the project
funding into your operating budget in future years. (100 words or less or 765 characters)
Please note: Project funding is intended to provide one-time funding. Organizations must
consider how to make the project sustainable without a grant from the City of Waterloo in
future years, if the project is to be ongoing/annual.
19. Your Organization should not rely only on the City of Waterloo for funding. Do you have
other funders or sponsors? ☐Yes ☐No
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20. If yes, please list in the table below any other groups, businesses, agencies, municipalities
and/or other levels of government from whom you are requesting cash or in kind support
or who are currently providing funding/in-kind support and the value or amount of the
support.
Name
Cash Amount
In Kind Amount
Received or
Requested
Received or
Requested
Funder, Sponsor or
Agency
Cash
In Kind
Funder, Sponsor or
Agency
Cash
In Kind
Received or
Requested
Funder, Sponsor or
Agency
Cash
In Kind
Received or
Requested
21. If no, please explain why you are not able to access other funding and how your
operational needs will be met (100 words or less or 765 characters)
22. Does your organization partner or collaborate with other organizations? ☐Yes
☐No
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23. If yes, please list in the table below other groups or organizations with whom you are
currently collaborating/partnering or plan to collaborate/partner and describe the
partnership and timelines.
Partner/Collaborator
Purpose of Partnership or
Collaboration (describe)
Timelines
(begin/end proposed
dates)
Partner/Collaborator
Purpose of Partnership or
Collaboration (describe)
Timelines
(begin/end proposed
dates)
Partner/Collaborator
Purpose of Partnership or
Collaboration (describe)
Timelines
(begin/end proposed
dates)
Partner/Collaborator
Purpose of Partnership or
Collaboration (describe)
Timelines
(begin/end proposed
dates)
24. If no, please explain why? (100 words or less or 765 characters)
Section 6: Benefit to the Community
25. Please indicate where the participants (direct participants or audience members) you
serve reside (check all that apply):
☐Waterloo ☐Kitchener ☐Region ☐Other
26. Approximately how many do you serve annually?
Direct Participants: ________________
Audience Members:_____________
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27. Describe how your organization’s activities benefit the Waterloo community (300 words or
less or 2292 characters). Although your response is not limited to the following, please
consider such factors as:
Engages citizens/community
Reaches a diverse population (age, ethnicity, individuals with barriers to participation)
Improves community and individual health and/or quality of life.
Has an economic impact on the community
Builds community, including collaborations and partnerships
Program or service provided is unique - not duplicated by another organization
28. Identify the specific criteria you will use to evaluate your program/project/event results and
describe how you will measure success (100 words or less or 765 characters)
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Section 7: APPLICATION VERIFICATION
By signing this form, I acknowledge the following:
☐ I have read, understood and agreed with all statements and information provided to the City of
Waterloo in this grant application.
☐ I have read and understand the Community, Culture and Recreation Services Cash Grants
Policy.
☐ I have read and understand the City of Waterloo may contact other groups and organizations
listed on this application form in particular other funding agencies or groups to verify
information.
☐ I have read and understand this application form is submitted in confidence to the City of
Waterloo with the acknowledgement that it may be reviewed by members of the Cash Grants
Advisory Committee, staff or Council of the City of Waterloo as needed. Records may be subject
to release as required by other legislation and in particular the Municipal Freedom of Information
and Protection of Privacy Act.
☐ I am authorized to make an application on behalf of this organization.
Signing Officer Signature:
Date:
Signing Officer Name:
Position:
Group Name:
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