2025 Cultural Grants: Operating

Operating grants support and sustain the work of mature, registered not-for-profit arts and cultural organizations.

Application deadline is 11:59 pm on October 3, 2024

Operating grants have different criteria and funding levels than other grants, and are typically more competitive. Review the operating grant eligibility.

To avoid losing your work, we encourage you to review this application, answer the questions in a separate word document and to copy and paste into this form when you are ready to submit it.

The application is a two-step process.

The following information is required for your application to be considered complete:

Step 1

Complete the online form below.

Step 2

In addition to the application on this page, you will also need to send the following documents as PDF files to: CulturalGrants@Surrey.ca.   

  1. Names, address, and board positions of Board members  
  2. Completed budget using the Cultural Grants Budget Template  
    Include an itemized list of grants identified by funder (either confirmed or pending) 
  3. Financial statements for your most recently completed fiscal year (either 2023 or 2024). These must be independently prepared financial statements, please submit the entire package including notes and a breakdown of operating net assets, showing unrestricted net vs capital assets (required for Operating Grants)
  4. Optional: up to 3 letters of support  
  5. Optional: Other relevant support documents 

Naming conventions

Subject line: Organization Name – 2025 application 

Document name(s): OrganizationName_Document name  

We will not contact applicants to address errors or request missing application requirements.

 

Application

required field

Eligibility checklist

You must answer ‘yes’ to the following questions to be eligible to apply for an Operating Grant.
Does your organization deliver a minimum of 75% of its programs or services to Surrey residents?
Have you received at least two project grants from the City of Surrey Cultural Grants Program and successfully completed the proposed projects?
Can you provide independently produced financial statements showing evidence of diversified cash revenue (including earned revenue, fundraising, donations, and other grants)?
Are you supported by an active volunteer board of directors?

Organization information

Cheques will be payable to this organization name
Cheques will be mailed to.

Primary contact

Secondary contact

Organization contact

Social media

if applicable
Provide links to your social media channels. For example, https://www.facebook.com/TheCityofSurrey

if applicable
such as dance, theatre, umbrella organization, etc.
Please describe your organization’s vision, mission, and core values. 
Provide a brief description about your organization, include information about the communities you serve in Surrey.

Staff

Provide a summary of the programs, services, and/or events your organization proposes to present this year.

Community impact

Investing in the arts strengthens the cultural sector that contributes to a vibrant city and a healthy, inclusive, tolerant, and diverse community.  

As outlined in the Surrey Parks, Recreation and Culture Strategic Plan 2018-2027, the City of Surrey has focuses on four strategic objectives: 

  1. Grow the capacity of local artists and arts organizations. 
  2. Promote learning and engagement with the arts. 
  3. Support and showcase art and performance. 
  4. Foster community connections through the arts.  

Cultural Grants funding aims to assist organizations that contribute to the City’s strategic priorities.  

Organization’s impact statement

Demonstrate your organization’s alignment with, and commitment to some, or all, of the strategic directions of the Cultural Grants program. 

Identify the area(s) where your organization is having an impact in the community.
Select all that apply

Equity and access

Operating Grants are available to organizations committed to providing arts and cultural experiences that are open and accessible to all Surrey residents.  

Including but not limited to Indigenous peoples, people of colour, immigrants and refugees, low-income people, Deaf and hard-of-hearing people and people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people, youth, and seniors.
e.g., Attendance, number of paid employees, ticket sales, training opportunities provided specifically to underserved populations, the local businesses your organization contracts with, and/ or the partnerships created.

Marketing, promotion and communications

How does your organization reach your intended audience/community?
Select all that apply

Projected participation

The Canada Council for the Arts defines a professional artist as one who has specialized training in the artistic field (not necessarily in academic institutions), is recognized as a professional by his or her peers (artists working in the same artistic tradition), is committed to devoting more time to artistic activity, if possible, financially, and has a history of public presentation or publication. Artists who meet this description are considered professional whether or not they receive financial remuneration from your organization. 

Volunteers

Financial and budget information

Don’t forget to submit the 2025 Cultural Grants budget form.

Note the following maximums as a percentage of operating budget: 

Operating Grant: up to 25% of eligible annual operating expenses to a maximum of $25,000 

$
$
This must match the amount reported on the budget form.
$

Terms and conditions

 
We the undersigned understand and agree to the terms and conditions of the Cultural Grants Program. We certify that to the best of our knowledge, the information provided in this grant application is accurate and complete and is endorsed by the organization we represent. If our organization receives a grant from the City of Surrey, we agree to the following terms and conditions.

By applying to the Cultural Grants Program, we agree on behalf of our organization to the following terms and conditions should our organization receive a grant from the City of Surrey:
  1. If the grant funds are not used for the purposes as described in our application, or if there are any misrepresentations in our application, the full amount of the funding will be repaid to the City of Surrey forthwith.
  2. Grant recipients must acknowledge the support of the City of Surrey on all promotional materials related to this funding. Please email culturalgrants@surrey.ca to request a City of Surrey logo file.
  3. If there are any significant changes in the proposed season of activities from those described in the application, we will immediately notify City staff.
  4. We will keep proper books of account for all receipts and expenditures relating to our operations and will make these books available for inspection by the City or its auditors upon request.
  5. The activities may not be represented as City projects or programs, and the organization does not have authority to hold itself out as an agency of the City in any way, except to state that the City has granted financial assistance to us.
  6. Upon completion of the approved activities, we agree to submit a final report to the City in the form and manner set out by City staff.  

First and last name of the person who agrees to the terms and conditions, on behalf of the applicant organization.

Certification

I certify that to the best of my knowledge, the information provided in this grant application is accurate and complete and is endorsed by the organization I represent.

First and last name of the person who certifies, on behalf of the applicant organization.

The information on this application is collected in accordance with Section 26(c) and (e) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and will be used for the following purposes: determining suitability for and awarding of funding, tracking and distributing funding, program development and evaluation, and communication and outreach. Information collected through the application process will be disclosed to the members of the evaluation committee in order to adjudicate this application. In addition, the applicant organization’s name, location of the proposed activity, funded activity, and award amount may be made publicly available, by way of the Internet, should funding be awarded. For questions regarding the collection of personal information, please contact the Manager of Digital Communications | 13450 104 Avenue, Surrey, British Columbia, V3T 1V8 | 604-591-4011