Government of Alberta Announces One-time Grants for Live Event Organizations

On January 28, the Government of Alberta announced the Stabilize Program to provide one-time grant funding to support sport, rodeo, and organizations that own or operate facilities dedicated to presenting and performing arts. However, the funding program has restrictions for the majority of performing arts organizations that do not own or operate a venue as a performing arts organization.

The application deadline for the grant is on February 18, 2021.

To be eligible, organizations must:

  • have a principal mandate in one or more of the following domains:

    • Sport, Alberta based elite amateur and professional sports teams or leagues.

    • Rodeo, competitive equestrian sport generally comprised of hosting the following Alberta based events: tie-down roping, team roping, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, bareback bronc riding, bull riding, and barrel racing.

    • Own and/or operate facilities dedicated to presenting and performing arts, including theatre, musical theatre, opera, dance, music, and other performing arts.

  • be located in Alberta, with at least 50% of the organization’s board members living in Alberta.

    • be 51% owned by Alberta resident(s), if the organization is for-profit.

    • Elite Amateur leagues must be provincial in scope.

    • Leagues that cross provincial or national boundaries are not eligible.

  • demonstrate:

    • financial need, demonstrating that other funding avenues have been exhausted and steps have been taken to reduce expenditures; and

    • the financial pressures of the venue (if applicable) were due to the COVID-19 pandemic, based on a business case demonstrating economic recovery planning, future growth, and contribution to Albertan communities.

  • be registered for a minimum of three years under one of these Acts (with the exception of Alberta based Professional or Elite Amateur Sports Teams and leagues*):

• Provincial Legislation: Part 21 of the Business Corporations Act - Extra-Provincial Corporations; Companies Act, Part 9 (Nonprofit Companies); Societies Act of Alberta; Agriculture Societies Act; Special Act of the Alberta Legislature 

• Federal Legislation: Special Act of the Parliament of Canada; Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act, and must be registered in Alberta under the Business Corporations Act; Income Tax Act

Eligible organizations

  • Those with a principal mandate listed above.

  • Nonprofit organizations that are the primary organizers of an annual Alberta-based rodeo.

  • Nonprofit organizations that own and/or operate performing and presenting arts venues.

Organizations not eligible for the Stabilize Program

  • Applied and visual arts organizations (e.g. visual art, graphic art, photography, crafts, interior design, fashion design, architecture);

  • Audio-visual and interactive media organizations (e.g. film, video, broadcasting, digital media, sound recording, music publishing);

  • Venues, including cultural, that do not have a primary mandate of presenting and performing arts;

  • Non-professional sports and recreational organizations, teams, and leagues;

  • Organizations primarily engaged in commercial variety acts such as face painting, balloon entertainers, fireworks/pyrotechnics, and hypnotism;

  • Social services organizations;

  • Municipalities;

  • Commercial and for-profit organizations, with exception of Alberta-based elite amateur and professional sports teams and leagues;

  • Schools/school boards;

  • Post-secondary institutions;

  • Organizations receiving significant annual operational funding —more than 50% of their total annual expenditures from the Government of Alberta;

  • Organizations that have overdue or incomplete accounting or reporting relating to any grant previously awarded by Alberta Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women;

  • Organizations that are not legally registered and operating in Alberta for a minimum of 3 years;

  • Organizations that are not in good standing; and

  • Individuals.

Click here for the funding guidelines.

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