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City of Toronto Customized Global Template STAFF REPORT May 1, 2002 To: Economic Development and Parks Committee From: Joe Halstead, Commissioner Economic Development, Culture and Tourism Subject: 2002 Community Festivals and Special Events Grants Recommendations for Community Organizations and Business Improvement Areas All Wards Purpose: This report presents the recommended grant allocations for the Community Festivals and Special Events Grants Program for Community Organizations and Business Improvement Areas that have applied for municipal support. Financial Implications and Impact Statement: Council approved an amount of $140,060.00 in the 2002 Operating Budget for the Community Festivals and Special Events Grants Program within the Consolidated Grants Budget. Of the approved amount, $100,760.00 is allocated to the community portion of the program while $39,300.00 is allocated to the Business Improvement Area and Business Association portion of the program. This report recommends a total of $132,060.00 in allocations and $8,000.00 of the approved budget to be reserved for the appeals process, for a total of $140,060.00. The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and concurs with the financial impact statement. Recommendations: It is recommended that: (1) the attached Community Festivals and Special Events Grants allocations for 50 organizations totalling $132,060.00, listed in Attachments 1 and 3 and described in Attachments 2 and 4, and $8,000.00 set aside for appeals process, be approved; - 2 - (2) any applicant wanting to appeal its recommendations be allowed to make a deputation at the Economic Development and Parks Committee on May 29, 2002; and (3) the appropriate City officials be authorized to take the necessary action to give effect thereto. Background: Through Clause No. 4 contained in Report No. 10 of the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, adopted by City Council at its meeting held on November 23, 24 and 25, 1999, the City established a Grants Program for Community Festivals and Special Events. The Program was designed to provide developmental financial support to help festivals and events grow and increase their effectiveness while encouraging organizers to work towards self-sustainability for their community events. Comments: The 2002 Community Festivals and Special Events Grants Program Budget of $140,060.00 is designated for allocation to organizations to deliver events and festivals in the community. The program is coordinated jointly by the Parks and Recreation and Economic Development Divisions. In total, 66 applications were received by both the Parks and Recreation and Economic Development Division. An original assessment to determine if the applications were complete was done and requests to community groups for additional information were made. Given the very limited dollars for the program, criteria were strictly adhered to and those not in compliance were deemed ineligible. The Community Festivals and Special Events Program client groups are supported directly by all divisions of the Economic Development, Culture and Tourism Department. A cross-section of staff from the Economic Development Culture and Tourism Department reviewed the applications for eligibility and made recommendations for funding. Eligibility criteria stated that an organization must have a Board of Directors or an Executive, be in existence for at least one year, utilize volunteers in all aspects of the organization, have financial support from more than one source, produce a community event, and comply with the City of Toronto Grants Policy. The event must be small to medium range in size, have a budget no larger than $100,000.00 and be open and accessible to the public. The maximum grant available is $10,000.00 and cannot represent more than 49 percent of the budget. - 3 - The range, variety and scale of applications were diverse. These included many community celebrations, ethno-specific and cultural heritage days, harvest festivals and parades, awareness and commemorative days, independence and talent days, artistic showcases, arts in the park, Sunday festivals, yard and craft sale events, folk dancing, food fairs, and many holiday celebrations to name a few. A broad range of partnerships resulting in financial or in-kind supports speaks to the creativity and innovation in the festivals and special events organized. The Community Festivals and Special Events Program is a competitive program, and not all eligible projects could be funded. Applications were ranked to determine eligibility and level of funding based on the following: goals, partnerships, volunteer support, accessibility, target ages, value to the community, lasting benefits and financial viability. The City Auditor has provided a number of recommendations regarding the management of all the City’s grants programs. These recommendations are being addressed through the Grants Accountability and Risk Management Framework and a report on this has already been submitted to Council’s Grants Sub-Committee. A Risk Management approach to grants administration increases the ability of programs to achieve expected results. The Toronto Grants Co-ordinating Committee, an interdepartmental staff committee, has established subcommittees to develop specific policies and implementation tools regarding Surplus/Reserve Policy for Project Funding, Audit Practices Checklist for Project Grants, Risk Management for Project Grants, Common Components, and Performance Measures. These tools will ensure consistent application of common standards across all of the City’s grant programs. Fifty of the sixty-six applications reviewed by the Advisory Panel are recommended for support. Of these, 42 are returning applicants and 24 are new. Not all applicants who received funding in 2001 re-applied for this year’s program. The applications represent events across the City, small to medium in scale, the diverse community, appeal to many age ranges and a variety of different types of events. The common themes are celebration, community and economic development, participation and outreach. Sixteen (16) applicants and their requests were deemed ineligible. Applicants will be notified and advised of the reasons for their recommendations. However, all applicants that apply to the City of Toronto have the right to an appeal. A total of $8,000.00 was held back for this appeals process. Conclusions: Community Festivals and Special Events help build and strengthen communities, celebrate our cultural diversity, arts and heritage. The Grants Program helps these events become more effective in meeting their economic and community development objectives, growth and self- sustainability. The program provides a framework in which the City can maximize the benefit of its financial support by offering higher profile, encouraging the development of new events and promoting a greater distribution of events. - 4 - These recommendations are based on the review as described above by the Staff Advisory Panel, and the administration and review were carried out in accordance with the City of Toronto’s Grants Policy as adopted by Council on December 16 and 17, 1998. Contact: John Macintyre Brenda Librecz Director, Central Services Managing Director of Economic Development Tel: 416 392-4451 Tel: 416 397-4700 E-mail: [email protected] E-Mail: [email protected] Joe Halstead Commissioner Economic Development, Culture and Tourism List of Attachments: Attachment No. 1 - List of Grants Applicants and Recommendations – Parks and Recreation Attachment No. 2- Individual Organizational Summary Sheets – Parks and Recreation Attachment No. 3 - List of Grants Applicants and Recommendations – Economic Development Attachment No. 4- Individual Organizational Summary Sheets – Economic Development _________ - 5 - Attachment No. 1 2002 Community Festival Grants Program Applications and Recommendations Group Name 2001 2002 2002 Grant Grant Grant Received Requested Recommended 1 519 Church Street Community Centre, The $3,5000.00 $4,500.00 $3,000.00 2 African Culture Restoration Association $2,300.00 $10,000.00 $2,000.00 3 Alliance of Portuguese Clubs & Association $12,665.00 $10,000.00 $8,500.00 of Ontario (ACAPO) 4 Broad African Resource Centre (BARC) New $10,000.00 $0.00 5 Canadian Ecuadorian Foundation of Social New $5,000.00 $0.00 Development 6 Canadian Hispanic Day Parade (CHDP) New $5,000.00 $1,000.00 7 Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto $2,500.00 $2,000.00 $1,000.00 8 Christie Ossington Neighbourhood Centre New $9,263.00 $3,000.00 9 Clay and Paper Theatre New $10,000.00 $0.00 10 Community Centre 55 $3,200.00 $5,000.00 $2,500.00 11 Cypriot Community of Toronto $3,500.00 $10,000.00 $3,000.00 12 Davenport Perth Neighbourhood Centre New $10,000.00 $3,500.00 13 East York Race Relations & $0.00 $2,000.00 $1,160.00 Multiculturalism Institute 14 Eritrean Canadian Association of Ontario New $33,500.00 $0.00 (ECAO) 15 Evergreen Club Contemporary Gamelan New $10,000.00 $0.00 16 Festive Earth Society New $10,000.00 $4,500.00 17 First Annual African / Canadian Networking New $10,075.00 $0.00 Inc. 18 First Portuguese Canadian Cultural Centre $3,000.00 $10,000.00 $2,500.00 19 Flemington Park Community Liaison New $3,000.00 $0.00 Committee 20 For Youth Initiative in Toronto New $7,250.00 $2,500.00 21 For Youth Initiative in Toronto (request #2) New $6,600.00 $0.00 22 Franco-Fete $3,500.00 $5,000.00 $3,000.00 23 Heritage Skills Development Centre $2,000.00 $10,000.00 $1,900.00 (HSDS) 24 High Park Citizens’ Advisory Committee New $1,155.50 $1,000.00 25 Iranian Women’s Organization of Ontario $0.00 $10,000.00 $2,500.00 26 Korean Canadian Cultural Association of $0.00 $10,000.00 $2,000.00 Metropolitan Toronto 27 Lao Association of Ontario $0.00 $9,097.00 $2,000.00 28 Moldova Community of Ontario $3,500.00 $8,000.00 $2,500.00 - 6 - Group Name 2001 2002 2002 Grant Grant Grant Received Requested Recommended 29 Muhtadi International Drumming Festival $2,000.00 $10,000.00 $1,500.00 30 Music Africa Inc.
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