Improving access and building capacity: New fund supports access to grants

Barriers to accessing funding for arts and culture projects remain a challenge for many individuals and organizations, but a recently introduced support fund is helping change that. Launched in January 2025, SaskCulture’s Accessibility Fund is designed to support applicants throughout the granting process, helping them address communication and other accessibility needs that might otherwise stand in the way. Tara-Leigh Heslip, outreach consultant, SaskCulture, says that the idea for the Accessibility Fund came from SaskCulture research projects over the years as part of the ongoing Funding Program Renewal Project. The Fund was developed as a way of meeting the needs of applicants, in response to the growing recognition that “everybody is coming to grant writing from a very different place.”

“This is a way to level the playing field,” Heslip says. “It is needed, to address the barriers for people to have the best outcome possible in their grant applications, and better support all of the groups that are doing incredible work in this province.”

The Accessibility Fund provides support to organizations led by individuals who face barriers and would benefit from assistance in applying for SaskCulture grant programs. It is intended to help those who may experience challenges related to disability, neurodiversity, language, technology access, or communication, including people who are deaf or hard of hearing, blind or partially sighted, or who experience other accessibility needs. Applicants can use the fund to cover the direct costs of hiring someone to assist with tasks such as creating an account, completing and submitting an application, or preparing a follow-up report on the Online Grant Platform.

To develop the Fund, the SaskCulture team researched similar supports offered by other organizations, most notably, the Accessibility Fund from SK Arts, which served as a key reference point, says Heslip. The draft program was then sent out for external review, with adjustments made based on the feedback received. Before the Fund officially launched, all SaskCulture staff participated in Accessibility Awareness Training to ensure they were prepared to support its delivery.

“As part of our research, we identified that there was a huge benefit to ensuring that the staff had education and understanding of the barriers that people face, to give them the tools to have those discussions,” Heslip says. “We have had interest and are really looking forward to seeing uptake increase over the coming year.”

By supporting organizations with accessibility needs when applying for or reporting on SaskCulture’s grants, the Fund strengthens their capacity to deliver arts, heritage and cultural programs. Heslip notes that ongoing efforts are in place to ensure the Fund continues to meet this goal while remaining responsive to evolving needs and feedback.

“We’ll be evaluating and adjusting processes as we go,” she says, “We are always looking for feedback from applicants, as well as our staff, to make sure that it is a smooth process for everybody.”

The Accessibility Fund is available on an ongoing basis for all grant programs delivered by SaskCulture.