City of Toronto grant programs are a strategic tool used to achieve the City’s social, economic and cultural goals. These funding programs represent a form of partnership with community based organizations that contribute significantly to the goals in relation to community capacity, equitable access, well being, diversity, civic participation and civic cohesion.
The majority of the City’s cultural grants are administered by the arm’s length Toronto Arts Council however, the City provides financial investments in culture via the programs below.
Grants programs identify their specific criteria. They include areas such as:
Local Arts Service Organizations (LASOs) support the City of Toronto’s strong neighbourhoods strategy in under-served areas. They provide inclusive opportunities for children and youth and participants from a broad demographic spectrum. There are six LASOs receiving municipal funding.
Program criteria are under development and will be announced in the fall of 2020 for a first intake in 2021
Program criteria are under development and will be announced in the fall of 2020 for a first intake in 2021.
StART‘s mission is to revitalize and engage communities through street and mural art. StART provides up to $50,000 in funding for partnership projects.
Local Arts Service Organizations (LASOs) support the City of Toronto’s Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy in underserved geographic areas as well as the 2018-2022 Economic Development and Culture Divisional Strategy of inclusion and equity in geographic areas outside the core. They provide inclusive and affordable opportunities for local residents, artists, and arts organizations, with a focus on underserved children, youth, and participants from a broad demographic spectrum. There are six LASOs receiving municipal funding:
The LASOs have been successful in reaching out to populations that otherwise would not have participated in the various arts opportunities they offer. LASOs are important building blocks for healthy and cohesive communities providing hubs for community arts programs. As anchor community arts organizations in Toronto, they promote the arts at the local level, making culture a part of the daily fabric of community living.
Each LASO is as unique as the community it serves, however, each organization shares the common goal of making a range of arts broadly accessible and affordable. To maximize impact, wherever possible, these organizations actively seek partnership opportunities amongst themselves and with wide-ranging partners, utilizing existing resources and talent in Toronto to design, develop, facilitate and implement relevant arts services and programs.
| Organization | Funding Allocation |
|---|---|
| Arts Etobicoke | $436,295 |
| Lakeshore Arts | $313,430 |
| Scarborough Arts | $282,000 |
| UrbanArts Community Arts | $315,435 |
| East End Arts | $183,000 |
| North York Arts | $287,240 |
| Total | $1,817,400 |
In 2018, the City of Toronto launched a new fund that supports partnerships and collaborations that create new opportunities and visibility for Indigenous-led arts and culture.
The aim of the fund is to spark new relationships between Indigenous artists, arts and culture leaders and professionals, and potential partners at both the grassroots and institutional levels.
Learn more about the Indigenous Arts & Culture Partnerships Fund.
StreetARToronto (StART) is a suite of programs designed specifically for streets and public spaces. Initiated in 2012 as an integral part of the City’s Graffiti Management Plan, StART has been successful in reducing graffiti vandalism and replacing it with vibrant, colourful, community-engaged street art. Learn more about our Partnership Grants Program.
In October 2019, City Council voted to realign funding programs and discontinue the Grants to Major Cultural Organizations and Grants to Specialized Collection Museums: 2020 is a year of transition with new programs to be rolled out later in the year for 2021. The 2019 Grant allocations are listed below.
| Organization | Amount |
|---|---|
| Art Gallery of Ontario | $684,000 |
| Canada’s National Ballet School | $225,000 |
| Canadian Opera Company | $1,500,000 |
| Festival Management Committee (Toronto Caribbean Carnival) | $625,000 |
| Harbourfront Centre | $1,315,500 |
| National Ballet | $1,390,000 |
| Pride Toronto | $260,000 |
| Toronto Artscape Inc. | $415,000 |
| Toronto Festival of Arts, Culture and Creativity (Luminato) | $400,000 |
| Toronto International Film Festival Group | $1,195,735 |
| Toronto Symphony Orchestra | $1,220,000 |
| Total | $9,230,235 |
| Organization | Amount |
|---|---|
| Aga Khan Museum | $200,000 |
| Gardiner Museum | $161,535 |
| Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto (MOCA Toronto) | $321,313 |
| Total | $682,848 |