Endowment Incentives Component

Professional not-for-profit arts organizations can apply for funding from the Endowment Incentives component to match private sector contributions to create or increase endowment funds. The funding match provided by the government is up to one dollar for every dollar contributed from a private donor.

Beginning with an annual budget of $3.1 million in 2001-02, the Endowment Incentives component grew to $18.9 million by 2010-11. This ramp up has since stabilized, with figures reported in 2017-18 at the same level. Canadian Heritage officials confirmed that the overall budget for this component remains at approximately this level.

Funding is allocated to all eligible applications based on the annual Endowment Incentives budget to request ratio which is calculated by dividing the annual budget by the total amount requested from all organizations.(26) In other words, all eligible and qualifying applications receive funding from the program each year. The amount received by each applicant is proportionate to the applicant’s request within the overall amount requested by all eligible applicants.

26. Government of Canada (2019), Grouped Arts Evaluation: Canada Arts Presentation Fund, Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, and Canada Cultural Investment Fund 2013-14 to 2017-18