The Regional District of North Okanagan allocates annual grant funding that is available to community organizations who are intending to provide a festival, event or project featuring arts, culture and/or youth based elements for the benefit of Greater Vernon residents.
This support acknowledges that:
- New initiatives often need ‘seed money’ to get started and ongoing support to become established;
- Community events build social connectedness and engagement;
- Successful events and projects which include creative, cultural or youth content can be initiated by individual or collaborative groups whose primary mandates may be unrelated to arts, culture and youth; and
- The work of community organizations and the availability of arts, culture and youth activities, contributes to Greater Vernon’s quality of life, identity and economy.
Eligible organizations need not be from the arts, culture or youth sector. Innovation and collaboration across sectors and interests is encouraged.
Project Grant funds may be requested for up to 50% of the total cost of a project. Although there is no formal funding cap, an effort will be made to award funding to a number of projects from the pre-determined funding allocation. The total annual funding allocation for project grants will be reviewed and determined by the Regional Board each year.
Note that these grants have a project focus, and that an organization’s operating costs are not eligible.