Multicultural Initiatives Fund – Annual Funding

MIF- Annual funding aims to advance cross-cultural engagement by supporting longer-term projects that encourage people to share, learn and engage in meaningful efforts that address:

• Anti-Racism work, which explores issues of power and privilege, and addresses individual and systemic discrimination. Anti-racism activities include active dialogue and action towards building equity and justice within organizations and communities.
• Intercultural Connections work, which entails sustained cross-cultural engagement through activities such as cultural exchanges, cooperative work between communities, creating safe spaces, community dialogues, creative projects and integration work for welcoming and inclusive communities.
• Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) projects that seek to implement a process of healing relationships that require public truth sharing, apology and commemoration to acknowledge and redress past harms towards implementing the TRC Calls to Action and Truth and Reconciliation efforts. Applicants are encouraged to identify who they are reconciling with and which Calls to Action they are seeking to address. For more information, visit SaskCulture’s Indigenous Awareness Hub.
• Integration that supports welcoming and inclusive communities that create a sense of home and belonging, including creativity and innovation that arise from bringing different cultural perspectives together and cultivating the unique contributions of all. For more information, visit SaskCulture’s Diversity and Inclusiveness Hub.
• Celebration of Diversity work, which supports the performances, displays, and expressions of ethno-cultural and Indigenous groups for the purposes of education and engagement with the broader community. Celebration of Diversity includes events such as festivals, cultural showcases, and performances that introduce cultural worldviews, expressions, creativity and innovation.
• Cultural Retention work, which supports the development and advancement of cultural practices and traditions internal to a particular cultural community.

Applicants can apply for up to 50% of an organization’s annual budget to a maximum of $20,000.

MIF Annual is generally for provincial or regional multicultural, ethno-cultural or Indigenous organizations that have organizations as members, such as Tribal Councils.

Eligible Applicants include:

• Registered Non-Profit organizations in Saskatchewan with a provincial or regional mandate

These organizations must:

• • have a primarily cultural mandate in Arts, Heritage, Multiculturalism or Cultural Industries as defined by SaskCulture’s Cultural Policy, or otherwise demonstrate significant engagement in cultural activity;
  • be in existence as a registered non-profit for at least one full fiscal year prior to the deadline date;
  • be in good standing with Information Services Corporation (ISC);
  • have no outstanding grant follow-ups due to SaskCulture; and,
  • provide a signed copy of the organization’s annual financial statement that was most recently submitted to the ISC to show evidence of good standing as a non-profit organization in Saskatchewan.

Ineligible applicants include:

• Unincorporated community groups. (These groups may consider partnerships with eligible organizations);
• Districts for Sport, Culture and Recreation;
• Organizations receiving Annual Global Funding
• Individuals; and
• Schools and post-secondary institutions are ineligible for this grant program. Interested schools should inquire about:
  • Artists in Schools program at SK Arts as an alternative to this grant program;
  • Multicultural Education Initiatives through the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan.

Contact the SaskCulture Outreach Consultant to discuss your project and your eligibility to be advised on what alternate project funds might be available to you or use SaskCulture’s “Find a Grant” tool to explore other options.

Eligible costs can be operational in nature and can include wage costs for staff, administrative costs, such as office rent as well as program costs.

The following items are ineligible for MIF-Annual funds:

• Capital expenses such as construction, renovations or repairs;
• Cash prizes, gifts, medals, trophies, charitable donations, or the purchase of alcohol;
• Activity that exclusively promotes definable religious or political viewpoints; and,
• In-kind contributions (such as volunteer hours, donations for food, goods, services, equipment, waiving rental fee, etc.) do not replace eligible expenses and should not be included in the budget.

Applications must be submitted via the Online Grant Platform (OGP) by the deadline.

• SaskCulture will review applications to confirm basic eligibility requirements have been met. If a submission is ineligible, the applicant will be notified. There are opportunities for early submissions to get feedback to help improve aspects of a submission that are unclear or ineligible in advance of a deadline, but this is not a guarantee of either feedback or funding.
• Only complete, signed and submitted applications will be considered. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that their application is successfully submitted. Two different people must sign the application.
• Eligible applications are evaluated by volunteer community members with knowledge and experience that relates to the purpose and priority of this grant program. The assessors will evaluate applications based on the following criteria:
  • The extent to which the organization and its activities align with one of the MIF-Annual priorities;
  • The quality and merit of proposed activities;
  • Evidence of the ability of the applicant organization to deliver quality programs and services;
  • The extent of participation and accessibility for target populations (First Nations, Métis, youth, rural and northern communities, newcomers and people of African, Asian and Latin American heritage);
  • The extent of resourcefulness, collaboration, partnerships and community engagement;
  • The extent and evidence of support and involvement from community partners involved in the development and delivery of the project, including Indigenous leadership, where relevant;
  • The extent of potential for ongoing impact and legacy; and
  • Realistic and responsible use of resources (funds, volunteers, etc.).
• Returning or otherwise annual projects funded by SaskCulture may have their most recent project Follow-Up Report provided to assessors as part of the assessment process.
• Applicants can expect to be informed of funding results within eight (8) weeks of the application deadline. Dissatisfaction with the results of a grant assessment, either with the denial of the grant or with the amount of funding awarded, does not constitute valid grounds for appeal.

Once your organization has been approved for a grant, applicants will:

• Use the funds for the eligible activities outlined in their application. Any changes to the use of funds must be approved by SaskCulture. Funds may not be transferred to other activities or organizations and unused funds must be returned to SaskCulture.
• Have access to the Follow-up Report form on the Online Grant Platform, following the automatic system notification of approved funding;
• Be required to submit a Follow-up Report within 45 days of the completion of the project. This report must detail the activities of the project and indicate how it met the goals of the funding program.
• Refer to the Follow-up Report Form at the beginning of the project, as statistical information will need to be gathered during the project. The grant recipient may want to use the budget tool regularly as a project management tool.
• Recognize Sask Lotteries as the funder in all relevant promotions and event opportunities, as well as highlighting SaskCulture’s funding program to help build awareness of the programs.

Example:

YOUR ORGANIZATION NAME received financial assistance from Sask Lotteries, thanks to a SaskCulture program.

Logos and promotional materials, along with how-to guides, are available at Using Logos.

Failure to meet the above funding obligations to the satisfaction of SaskCulture will be grounds to withhold the final payment if applicable, and will restrict access to future funding.

You will receive correspondence stating that your application has been denied funding for this particular funding program. While all decisions, made by volunteer Peer Assessors, are final, this news should not deter you from applying for future funding opportunities.

• Review the funding program criteria and determine how your application might better address the priorities. If your project’s objectives do not line up with the criteria of the funding program, take the opportunity to explore other options.
• Check your project budget and ensure that your costs are realistic based on your intended outcomes.
• Contact the funding Consultant to discuss ideas and/or changes needed for success. If the Consultant feels your project still has potential, adjust your application and try again at a different deadline or for a different fund.