Guidance & Resources FAQ: Determining eligibility, finding grant programs and additional support Are you eligible to apply for a TAC grant? This checklist of general guidelines will help you quickly determine your eligibility. Individual artists must… Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident (landed immigrant), have an application pending for Permanent Resident Status, or be a Protected Person (approved refugee claimant) Have been a resident of Toronto for at least one year prior to the deadline, and live and work in Toronto for at least eight months of the year (unless when applying to the Newcomer/Refugee Artist Mentorship program). Be a “professional artist,” which TAC defines as someone who has developed their skills through training and/or practice; is recognized as such by artists working in the same artistic tradition; actively practices their art; seeks payment for their work; and has a history of public presentation. Not have any overdue final reports for any grant programs or final report due in the grant program in which the grant application is being submitted. May only receive one Discipline grant and one Strategic grant per calendar year. be 18 years of age or older. Organizations and collectives must… Be located and operating in the City of Toronto. Be an incorporated non-profit organization or a non-profit collective (two or more artists working together under a group name with a bank account held in that name). Have a track record of arts activity. Have a viable administrative and financial plan for meeting the proposed activities. Have received two project grants in addition to other eligibility requirements in order to be eligible for operating funding. Not have any overdue final reports for any grant programs or final report due in the grant program in which the grant application is being submitted. May only receive one Discipline (operating or project) grant and one Strategic grant per calendar year. Residency & Students I just moved to Toronto. Can I apply? No. You must be a resident of Toronto for at least one year prior to the deadline, and live and work in Toronto for at least eight months of the year. However, this rule does not apply to those applying to the Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship program. We do not accept post office box numbers as evidence of residency. I was an artist in my home country. I’ve been in Toronto for four years and have an application pending for permanent residence as a refugee claimant. Am I eligible to apply? Yes, Toronto Arts Council was the first funding body to accept applications from people seeking Permanent Resident status. Protected Persons (approved refugee claimants) are also eligible. You may be requested to provide documentation about your claim. I was a Toronto resident for many years, but a year ago I moved outside of the City. Can I apply? No. You must be a resident of Toronto when applying for a grant. You are eligible if you live and work in Toronto for at least 8 months a year. With regards to collaborative projects and collectives; are all applicants required to be residents of Toronto? Not all members of a collective or participants in a collaborative project have to be residents of Toronto. The majority of the collective must be Toronto residents. For example, in a collective with two individuals, both members must be Toronto residents. In a group of three, one member may be a non-resident. I have recently completed High School and I have no plans to continue my education. Can I apply? Yes. Please see Eligibility & Guidelines for your specific discipline / program. I am an undergraduate student. Can I apply? No. Undergraduate students are not eligible to apply for a grant. I’m currently doing my MFA / Masters Degree in Toronto. Can I apply? Yes, professional artists pursuing graduate studies may apply but not for work related to your program of study. DEFINITION OF PROFESSIONAL ARTIST How does TAC define a “professional” artist? A professional artist is someone who has specialized training in the field (not necessarily in academic institutions), who is recognized as such by their peers (artists working in the same artistic tradition), who has a history of public presentation, publication and/or production and who is committed to devoting more time to their artistic activity if financially feasible. TAC recognizes that due to systemic barriers within the broader arts community (e.g. limited mainstream presentation opportunities for artists from equity-seeking communities) that some flexibility may be required in interpreting eligibility criteria to take into account equivalent professional experience and contexts. Potential applicants from equity-seeking communities are encouraged to discuss their eligibility with the Program Manager in advance of submitting an application. SATELLITE OFFICE IN TORONTO My company isn’t based in Toronto but just opened a Toronto office. Can we apply? No. Having a satellite office in Toronto does not automatically make an organization eligible for TAC funding. Organizations with a regional Toronto office must have operated in the City of Toronto for at least one year prior to the deadline. We do not accept post office box numbers as evidence of office location. CITY FUNDED ORGANIZATIONS Can City-funded Local Arts Service Organizations or Major Cultural Organizations apply for Toronto Arts Council Grants? Organizations funded directly by the City of Toronto, through the Major Cultural Organizations program and City-funded Local Arts Services Organizations (LASOs) are not eligible to apply to grants at Toronto Arts Council.