The Ontario Arts Foundation is committed to the contributing to the success and financial stability of the arts in Ontario. We do this by connecting private donors and the arts through endowments largely established in response to government matching programs. The OAF has invested significant time in the past year to raising the profile of matching programs at the provincial and federal level. We have met with Artistic Directors and Arts Managers to provide information about long term funds and discuss whether the timing is right for their arts organization to raise endowment capital and apply for matching grants.
At the moment, the only active matching program is federally throught the Department of Canadian Heritage, Canada Cultural Investment Fund, Endowment Incentives Matching Program. We are in regular contact with senior staff at Ontario’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport to reminding government of the benefits of matching, the value over time of the provincial Arts Endowment Fund program (1998-2008) and encourage a new investment.
Ontario’s Culture Strategy
It is an opportune time to elevate the profile of endowment and matching with the Province of Ontario’s Culture Strategy currently underway.
We met in September with Deputy Minister Drew Fagan and Assistant Deputy Minister Kevin Finnerty to share information about the compelling economic results of the Arts Endowment Fund program and to encourage the Ministry to invest in renewing the AEF program as an outcome of the Culture Strategy.
In October, we met Canadian Heritage Deputy Minister Graham Flack to express appreciation for the Federal government’s continued investment in endowment matching. Now that the election is over, we asked the Ministry to consider alternate ways to support arts organizations, specifically art galleries and museums currently ineligible for the Endowment Incentives program. We look forward to meeting Canadian Heritage Minister Joly and to learning more about the new government’s priorities as part of the 2016 Federal Budget.
Ontario Arts Foundation’s Submission
We are participating in the town hall Culture Talks sessions this November and December hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. We encourage all arts organizations, their leaders and board members to attend one of the remaining sessions if you haven’t already, and to share your vision for arts and culture in Ontario. If your organization holds an endowment under the Arts Endowment Fund program, it is an opportunity to express in your own words, the stream of secure income you receive.
Here is the submission made by the Ontario Arts Foundation to Ontario’s Culture Strategy.