ACHF 2023 ROUND 2
The second round of funding for the City of Windsor’s Arts, Culture & Heritage Fund (ACHF) grant program will open July 3rd, 2023. Applications will be accepted through the online portal at www.ACHFWindsor.ca from July 3rd to 21st, 2023.
Mandatory Consultation
In order to be considered, applicants must consult with Culture staff prior to submitting a project for funding and before the application deadline. This simply helps to ensure you meet the eligibility requirements before you work on an application. Consultation means a conversation, by email, in which the applicant answers five questions to help provide enough information on the proposed project that staff are able to determine eligibility. This consultation does not mean a project will be recommended for funding. To accommodate our applicants, the Culture staff will be available for consultation by email at culturalaffairs@citywindsor.ca
Virtual Public Info Session – for FIRST TIME APPLICANTS
To assist first-time ACHF applicants, a virtual public information session is offered at least once a year, at which time program coordinators will review the guidelines, key priorities and objectives, and the application and adjudication process. Attendance is not mandatory, and the session is recommended for first-time applicants only. For this current funding round, the virtual info session will take place Wednesday, July 5, 2023 beginning promptly at 5:30 p.m. The session will last approximately one hour. Those wishing to attend will need to RSVP to receive an event-specific link and password to facilitate participation. Please RSVP to culturalaffairs@citywindsor.ca by email.
About the ACHF Grant Program
The ACHF, approved by City Council, awards grants to individuals and cultural organizations to help stimulate creative and economic growth. Each project could be funded to a maximum of $5,000 in a given round. $118,000 in project funding is available each year, administered through two rounds of $59,000 each. As part of the 2022 operating budget, City Council approved a recommendation to increase funding by $30,800 to a total of $118,000 annually, which represents a 35% increase in funding to the program.
Since the launch of this program in 2014, 806 applications have been submitted for consideration for funding, 412 individual projects have received funding, and $891,000 has been awarded in project funding to local arts, culture and heritage initiatives benefitting our community.
NEW OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT ACHF
As the ACHF program continues to evolve, the City is reaching out to those individuals, organizations, businesses and corporations that have expressed an interest in supporting arts, culture and heritage in Windsor in the past. The City has identified two possible opportunities for partnership between sponsors, donors and community-builders in connection with the ACHF grant program.
Those who wish to register as a Patron will be provided with information on funded ACHF projects that are seeking additional funding support to realize their project goals and increase community impact. City staff will facilitate a meeting between interested parties to see what possibilities exist.
Those who wish to register to become an ACHF Partner will have the opportunity to donate a funding amount to the ACHF funding stream, which will increase available funding in a given round, thus increasing opportunities for additional creators and projects to receive funding. The ACHF Jury will adjudicate all funding requests, and City staff will work with ACHF Partners to determine the best fit for donations in any given round.
Those wishing to take advantage of this unique opportunity to direct support to Windsor’s arts, culture and heritage creative community, are asked to reach out to culturalaffairs@citywindsor.ca to begin the conversation.
“Since the launch of the City’s ACHF grant program, over four hundred innovative projects have received nearly $900,000 in funding,” said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens. “This program has a significant impact on the creative community while helping to celebrate and share the best of Windsor’s arts, culture and heritage sectors with the broader community. I am proud of Council’s recent increase in program funding, and continued investment in Windsor’s quality of life through arts, culture and heritage initiatives.”
Further details on the program guidelines and objectives, application process, eligibility requirements, success stories from previous recipients, and deadline dates for funding rounds are posted as available at www.ACHFWindsor.ca online.