October 20, 1999

To: Economic Development and Parks Committee

From: Joe Halstead, Commissioner Economic Development, Culture and Tourism

Subject: City Support for Community Festivals/Special Events and Major Events

All Wards

Purpose:

This report is the first phase of a review being undertaken of the support provided by the Economic Development, Culture and Tourism Department for community festivals and special events, as was authorized by Council on June 9, 10, 11,1999.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

The Economic Development Culture and Tourism Department's Year 2000 Grants Budget Request includes provision for the recommended new grant program. A base $100,100.00 budget is proposed by re-mapping funds from approved 1999 grants budgets. A levelling-up provision of $160,000.00 has been requested.

The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and concurs with the financial impact statement.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1) the Community Festivals and Special Events Grants Program for the Year 2000 for small and medium-scale events, attached as Attachment No. 1 to this report, be approved;

(2) the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism be authorized to consult with organizations potentially eligible for support from the proposed program, and to report directly to the November 23, 24, 25, 1999 meeting of Council if the feedback received suggests that the proposed program guidelines should be amended;

(3) the Commissioner Economic Development, Culture and Tourism be directed to develop a delivery process for the Grants Program so that it can be fully implemented in 2000;

(4) the Commissioner Economic Development, Culture and Tourism be directed to form an interdepartmental team to collaboratively review the in-kind support provided to festivals and special events by all City departments, agencies, boards and commissions, and report back on the progress of the review early in 2000;

(5) the guidelines for Minor Recreation Grants be amended to delete the eligibility of festivals and special events;

(6) that this report be forwarded to the Policy and Finance and Budget Advisory Committees for consideration;

(7) that the reallocation of $100,100.00 from the Consolidated Grants Budget to other program areas, as identified in this report, and the levelling up provision for $160,000.00 in the Consolidated Grants Budget, be subjected to the Budget Advisory Committee consideration as part of the 2000 Operating Budget process.

(8) the appropriate City Officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

Background:

City Council, at it's meeting on June 9, 10, 11, 1999, adopted a recommendation of a report from the Commissioner Economic Development, Culture and Tourism, dated May 3, 1999, authorizing the Commissioner to "continue to review and evaluate the support currently provided to community-based festivals and events and bring forward recommendations for harmonized services and policies for the future." The Committee also adopted a motion that a process for approving applications for festivals and events be developed, in consultation with the general public in each of the six local communities, that will recognize and ensure that residential and business amenities are protected.

Community-based festivals and events can generally be described as including a broad range of celebrations, festivals, fairs and parades which are planned and implemented by volunteer members of a community or business area organization. They have an identifiable objective with respect to community or business area development and are open and accessible to the general public. They are important contributors to the quality of life in the City of Toronto.

At its meeting on June 9, 10, 11, City Council adopted a staff recommendation which recognized and affirmed "the key role that community-based festivals and events play in helping the City build and celebrate strong communities and business districts, nurture its arts, heritage and cultural resources and attract visitors."

Existing Support

In its mission statement, the Economic Development, Culture and Tourism Department envisions Toronto as "an economically strong, socially enjoyable, and culturally vibrant City." The Department recognizes that engaging in partnerships with community and business groups is an effective way of pursuing its mission.

Lending support to organizers of community-based festivals and events is a vital component of the Department's community development and community economic development efforts. In fact, the staging of successful events and festivals is most often the result of considerable community development work by staff and community or business volunteers. The benefits to the community, in terms of cultural awareness, community pride and identification, youth involvement, volunteer sector development and main street revitalization, extend well beyond the enjoyment of the particular event or festival.

It is estimated that Economic Development, Culture and Tourism Department staff assist five to six hundred community-based events each year. A component of that assistance has been the following three existing grant programs:

(a) the Minor Recreation Grants Program has offered financial support for pre-festival or special event expenses to community groups providing leisure and sports activities;

(b) the Small Business and Local Partnership Festivals and Special Events Grants Program has offered support for festivals and special events organized by BIA's, business associations and community organizations that display strong business participation; and

(c) the Economic Development Partnership Grants Program has offered support for a range of projects, including the tourism development components of several festivals and special events that demonstrated potential to become significant tourist attractions.

A concurrent report recommends the restructuring of the Economic Development Partnership Program.

In addition to the grant programs noted above, the City also provides significant in-kind services to organizers of community-based festivals and events through the Special Events Division, the Small Business and Local Partnerships Program, Recreation and Community Centres and the Community Arts and Heritage Program. A more detailed description of the in-kind services offered by the Economic Development, Culture and Tourism Department is included in the staff report that was considered by Council on June 9, 10, 11, 1999. Significant in-kind support is also provided by other Departments, such as Works and Emergency Services, for services such as road closures and traffic control.

As part of the Department's harmonization process, a staff team has been formed to review and evaluate how the Department assists community-based events. The team consists of staff from the Parks and Recreation, Special Events, Culture, Economic Development, and Policy and Development Divisions of the Department, along with representation from the Commissioner's Office. Staff from the Toronto Arts Council has also been consulted.

With respect to in-kind services offered to community festivals and events, the staff team believes that, in order to develop a thorough understanding of existing practices, a more detailed review and evaluation must be undertaken. The wide range of in-kind support offered by the City to community-based festivals and events largely represents the continuation of a complex collection of services offered by the former municipalities that comprise the City of Toronto. Due to the significant number of community events support by the City each year, and the number of Departments and Divisions involved in the delivery of in-kind services, such a review will require additional time and staff involvement from Economic Development, Culture and Tourism and other Departments. It is recommended that an interdepartmental team be formed to undertake this review and that the Commissioner Economic Development, Culture and Tourism report back early in 2000 regarding its progress.

Comments:

Policy Context

In 1998, Council adopted the City of Toronto Grants Policy, which recognizes grants as a strategic tool that helps the City meet its social, economic and cultural goals, and as a means of encouraging volunteerism and community commitment. The Policy establishes five categories of grants offered by the City. Grants for festivals and special events are grouped under the Service Sector Grants Programs category. The Policy also establishes the following core values for the City's grant-making activities: accessibility; fairness and equity; openness and transparency; accountability; and responsiveness.

The Policy also sets out standard procedures for the administration of grants programs, as well as access and non-discrimination policies that ensure that all residents of Toronto have access to grant programs and that all organizations receiving City grants are free from discrimination. All grant programs offered by the City of Toronto must comply with the standard Grants Policy. A common application package has been developed and approved for all grant programs to address the Policy's requirements.

Existing Grant Programs

Although applied City-wide, each of the three grant programs described previously in this report, have their origins in one of the former Metro municipalities. While the Small Business and Local Partnerships Festivals and Special Events Grants Program dealt entirely with community festivals and special events, with a focus on economic development benefits, the Minor Recreation and Economic Development Partnership grants programs provided grants to initiatives other than festivals and events.

The Department's review of the existing programs inherited from the former municipalities indicates that they:

(a) are inconsistent with respect to eligibility criteria, results assessment and what component of the festival or event the grant monies may be used for;

(b) create confusion for applicants and are therefore inadequate from a customer service perspective;

(c) are susceptible to program overlap and duplication; and

(d) represent an inefficient system of delivery in terms of maximizing financial and community resources.

Proposed New Grant Program

Staff have developed, for Council's consideration, the attached draft Community Festivals and Special Events Grant Program for the Year 2000 for small to medium-scale community festivals and special events (Attachment No.1). The document is a complete program description, including the guidelines, goals and objectives and eligibility and assessment criteria.

Besides addressing the issues noted above, the goal of the program is to encourage community development and community economic development throughout the City by providing developmental financial support to organizers of small to medium-scale community festivals and events. In order to achieve this goal, it is the objective of the Program to maximize support for those community festivals and special events that:

(a) build community pride and showcase local achievements, heritage and culture;

(b) contribute to the revitalization and increased competitiveness of local business areas;

(c) strengthen the volunteer sector by providing opportunities to learn new leadership skills;

(d) encourage new partnerships;

(e) are open to the general public; and

(f) provide leisure, interest and entertainment activities for people of all ages and abilities.

For the purposes of the program, a small to medium-scale community festival or special event is defined as when "a volunteer not-for-profit organization, BIA, business association or committee representing a segment of the Toronto community initiates, organizes and implements the event or festival, and where decision-making and accountability rests with the community organization. The maximum dollar budget for such an event is no more than $100,000.00. To allow for some flexibility, grant applications for return events previously funded from Minor Recreation Grants that have a dollar budget greater than $100,000.00 may be considered under the proposed program.

Attachment No. 1 sets out the eligibility criteria for grants under the proposed program. They include that organizations must:

(a) have been in existence for at least one year at the time of the application;

(b) be accountable to the community through an elected Board of Directors or other governing body;

(c) utilize volunteers in all aspects of the organization, including service delivery; and

(d) demonstrate financial viability and effective management of the organization, programs and activities.

The Program has been designed to provide developmental financial assistance that helps festivals and events grow and increase their effectiveness while encouraging organizers to work towards event self-sustainability. To this end, the Program will offer no more than four years of funding to any particular festival or event, thereby allowing room within the Program budget to offer support to new events each year. It is recognized that some community events have limited access to alternative resources and that additional strategies may have to be developed over the first four years of the program to ensure the continuation of such events. Staff will work closely with the community organizations involved to develop such strategies. In addition, to increase the number of events that can be supported within the program budget, the maximum grant available will be limited to $10,000.00.

By adopting the proposed Program, specifically designed for small and medium-scale festivals and events, the City will:

(a) provide them with higher profile and more effective financial support;

(b) encourage the development of new events; and

(c) promote a greater distribution of events throughout the City.

By having one set of goals and eligibility criteria for small to medium-scale events, issues noted above such as consistency, program overlap and customer confusion will be addressed. Using one method of assessing the results or benefits of each event or festival will allow the City to better determine the success of the grant program in reaching its objectives and to make more informed decisions regarding the program budget. The proposed new program will also allow for a more efficient delivery system based upon one application form and process, and will help maximize the use of City and community resources.

Major Festivals and Events

Funding would not be available under the proposed Program for major festivals and events with dollar budgets greater than $100,000.00. This is recommended because major events have markedly different support requirements, public benefits and resources than small and medium-scale events. With the available base program budget of $100,100.00, it is not feasible to support large-scale festivals as well as smaller-scale events. None of the former municipalities had formal strategies for dealing with the needs of major festivals and events from an in-kind services perspective, or specific grant programs for providing them with financial support.

The Commissioner Economic Development, Culture and Tourism has been asked to report on an integrated "signature event strategy" and this work is on-going. In the meantime, major events will continue to be eligible for the same type of support as in 1998 and 1999. The grant budgets being re-mapped to the proposed program currently support some larger events that would be ineligible under the proposed program criteria. It is recommended that they be "grandfathered" in the proposed program and deemed eligible for support from it up to the maximum level of funding received in 1999 (if greater than the new maximum of $10,000.00) until such time as a new support strategy for "signature events" has been developed.

Program Budget

The Economic Development Culture and Tourism Department has made provision for funding the proposed "Community Festivals and Special Events" Grants Program in its Year 2000 Grants Budget Request. A base 1999 Budget of $100,100.00 is identified by re-mapping grants currently being provided to community festivals from other grant programs. The source of these funds is $45,100.00 from the Economic Development Division's Festival and Special Events Program (total budget) and $55,000.00 from the Parks and Recreation Division's Minor Recreation Grant Program.

The staff review of levelling up requirements determined that additional funds in the amount of $400,000.00 would be required to maintain the level of service to community festivals and special events that existed in some of the former municipalities in 1998. It was proposed that levelling up be phased in over five years, generating the requirement of $80,000.00 per year. Since the Year 2000 is the second year of the phase-in period, a levelling up provision of $160,000.00 has been requested. If approved, this would bring the total Year 2000 budget for Community Festivals and Special Events Grants to $260,100.00.

If Council approves the proposed program and remapping of grants, it is recommended that community festivals no longer be considered eligible to receive Minor Recreation Grants. This will avoid duplication and confusion.

Program Implementation / Public Consultation

If approved by Council in November 1999, the proposed Program will be implemented in 2000. An administrative process to deliver the program will be developed which maximizes efficiency and provides high quality customer service. With respect to public consultation regarding the proposed Program, staff are sending a copy of the draft program document to those organizations that have previously received, or expressed an interest in, grant funding for festivals or events for their review and comment. In addition, staff will discuss the draft Program with the public during the Grants Fairs to be held at each Civic Centre in November.

Since the public's comments on the proposed Program may not be available for the November 8 meeting of the Economic Development and Parks Committee, staff recommend that the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism be authorized to bring a report forward on any amendments to the proposed guidelines that may be suggested by the public consultation process directly to the November 23, 24,25, 1999 Council meeting.

Conclusions:

Community festivals and special events help build and strengthen communities, create positive local business environments and celebrate our cultural diversity, arts and heritage. The proposed Community Festivals and Special Events Grant Program for 2000 is designed to provide developmental financial support to small and medium-scale festivals events. The intent of the program is to help these events become more effective in meeting their community development objectives, grow and become self-sustaining. The Program provides a framework in which the City can maximize the benefit of its financial support in a way that is consistent in terms of eligibility and result assessment criteria.

Contact:

Judy Morgan

Project Leader

Tel: 395-0410

Fax: 395-0388

e-mail: jmorgan@toronto.ca

Joe Halstead

Commissioner Economic Development, Culture and Tourism

List of Attachments:

Attachment No. 1: Community Festivals and Special Events Year 2000 - Grants Program Guidelines

Attachment No. 1

Community Festivals And Special Events

Year 2000

Grants Program Guidelines

Introduction

The Festival and Special Events Year 2000 Program provides developmental financial assistance to not-for-profit community-based and business organizations staging small and medium-scale festivals or special events. A festival or event is a temporary gathering that brings people together for particular purposes. It may range in theme, scale and duration. To be eligible for support, the festival or special event must be accessible to the general public and improve the quality of life of the community. Under this Program, grants to individual festivals or events are not to be provided more than four times. Assistance may be granted to small and medium-scale local events that have the scope to attract people locally, city wide or regionally.

(1) Program Goals And Objectives

The goal of the Community Festivals and Special Events Grants Program is to facilitate community development and community economic development throughout the City by providing developmental financial support to organizers of small to medium-scale community festivals and events. In order to achieve this goal, it is the objective of the Program to maximize support to those community festivals and special events that:

(a) build pride in communities by showcasing local achievements, heritage, culture, neighbourhoods and business communities;

(b) strengthen local economies;

(c) encourage the development of new partnerships through local public and private sector groups working together;

(d) strengthen the volunteer sector by providing opportunities to learn new leadership skills;

(e) provide community events for people of all ages and abilities; and

(f) are accessible and open to the general public*

*Notwithstanding, a fee to a component of the event may be charged, and the event may be targeted to appeal to a specific segment of the community (geographic neighbourhood, cultural group, special interest group, etc.).

(2) Funding Category

Project Funding: funding for a specific community festival or special event that meets the eligibility criteria.

(3) Eligible Request

(a) Small to Medium-Scale Community event: A volunteer not-for-profit organization, BIA, business association or committee representing a segment of the Toronto community initiates, organizes and implements the event, and decision-making and accountability rests with the community organization. The maximum dollar budget for the event is $100,000.

(4) Eligibility criteria

Organizations must:

(a) have been in existence for at least one year at the time of application;

(b) be accountable to the community through an elected Board of Directors (incorporated groups) or other governing body (unincorporated groups). A majority of the Board members or other governing body members must be residents of the City of Toronto;

(c) utilize volunteers in all aspects of the organization, including service delivery;

(d) demonstrate financial viability and effective management of the organization, programs and activities;

(e) seek support from all other appropriate levels of government and the private sector;

(f) produce a clearly identified community event;

(g) demonstrate due diligence for participants safety; and

(h) comply with all City of Toronto general grant policies as are set out in the application package.

Organizations may:

(a) hire people to help plan, market and produce the event.

(5) Ineligible Request

(a) Community private event: A volunteer not-for-profit organization, BIA, business association or committee representing a segment of the Toronto community initiates, organizes and implements the event which is not open to members of the public.

(b) Privately produced event: A private sector entrepreneur or company initiates, organizes and implements the event. The involvement and support of the local community may be sought in implementing the event, but accountability and decision-making rests with the private sector company.

(c) City produced event: City staff initiate, program, organize, budget and manage finances and decision-making rests with the City.

(e) Major festival or event: Dollar budget is greater than $100,000, unless supported in 1999 by a Minor Recreation Grant

(f) Artistic component: Component of an event eligible for support from the Toronto Arts Council.

(5) Assessment Criteria

Applications will be assessed using the following criteria:

(a) Value to the community: the role and relevance of the organization/project to the community it serves, however the organization defines its community.

(b) Impact on the community: contribution of the organization/project to the community. This can be reflected in terms of public activity, outreach initiatives, community development, volunteer involvement, community participation, resource and service provision, and economic and social benefits.

(c) Achievement: project goals and lasting benefits to the community.

(d) Accountability: in terms of fulfilling its mandate, meeting its goals and objectives, and in its financial accounting. An organization/project is accountable to the community it serves, to its members (if applicable), and to its funders, and should have a means of assessing accountability to each.

(e) Financial viability: the financial impact of the grant to the project and the organization's ability to deliver the program.

(f) Self-sustainability: how the organization will replace City funds to obtain self-sustainability within 4 consecutive community festivals or events.

(6) Allocation Considerations

Grant Program allocations will consider how well the recommendations:

(a) provide support for neighbourhood and community-based projects across the City, ensuring geographic distribution of funded projects by location of activities according to the applications received;

(b) encourage the coordination and sharing of resources;

(c) are unique in the needs which they address and thereby add to the diversity of services;

(e) are held in high needs and under-serviced areas;

(f) support proposals or components of proposals to a level where they can be effectively completed; and

(g) support the festival's infrastructure, not artistic costs.

(7) General Criteria

Grants are not:

(a) available to organizations that have not filed a final report on previous years' projects;

(b) available for program, projects and services that can be included in other City of Toronto budgets;

(c) available for programs, projects and services where duplicate funding is available from other sources;

(d) available in an amount exceeding 49% of total revenue (including in-kind donations from the City), which ensures that the project or organization does not become, or appear to become, operated by the City of Toronto;

(e) available in an amount greater than $10,000, although special consideration may be afforded return applicants that received a Minor Recreation Grant or a Small Business and Local Partnership Festivals and Special Events Grant greater than $10,000 in 1999.

(f) to be provided to individual festivals or events more than four times; and

(g) intended to be regarded as a commitment by the City of Toronto to continue such assistance in future years.

Applications are due by p.m. on 2,000.

Applications may be mailed to:

Part B:Submission Requirements for Festivals and Special Events

The attached Part A and the following form the basis of the formal application:

(a) a description of the event(s) and or festival - duration, including hours of operation; location; activities; anticipated attendance (maximum 2 pages in length)

(b) plans for security, traffic control, parking management, crowd management

(c) identification of volunteer activity associated with the event

(d) identification of services requested to be provided by City Departments

(e) the attached anticipated benefits and achievements form

(f) a marketing and promotional plan that will identify to who the event or festival is being marketed (e.g. a media campaign, liaison with the local community, businesses, residents, arts, educational facilities, etc.)

(g) the attached budget form with anticipated expenditure and revenues including sponsorships and outside funding

(h) a list of in-kind donations on enclosed form

(i) plan describing how local residents and/or businesses will be informed regarding events and possible disruption

(j) a list of licences, special permits and approvals required for the festival or special event

(k) a signed, dated Non-Discrimination Policy form

(l) a signed, enclosed authorization formGroups seeking repeat funding must provide a financial statement and a complete project report indicating the results achieved the previous year.

Anticipated Benefits and Achievements

Project should be targeted at achieving benefits for the community in at least one of the following areas.

(Complete the boxes relevant to project and ignore those, which do not apply.)