Minister Joly Announces Changes in the Management of Grants and Contributions

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - April 14, 2016) - Department of Canadian Heritage

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, today announced that important changes will be made to the way business is done in her department with respect to grants and contributions.

• In the interest of transparency, the Department of Canadian Heritage will from now on communicate proactively about funding it provides. This affects not just funding above $25,000, but all funding.
• To ensure efficiency, the vast majority of funding decisions under $75,000 have been delegated to the Department's senior managers. Most program funding under $75,000 is delivered by regional executives. This will bring applicants closer to the decision makers and allow applications to be dealt with an average of two months sooner-a reduction of about 40 percent in processing time compared with 2010.
• To simplify and speed up the processing of the 8,000 applications it receives yearly, the Department is setting up an online application processing system, which is now available for three programs. This innovation will make completing the application easier for organizations, particularly by retrieving information provided in previous applications.
• For many clients, the period between the decision to award funding and the time when the recipient receives the funds will be greatly reduced. Payments will now be made by bank transfer and no longer by cheque.
• To reduce uncertainty about funding renewal, the Department intends to increase the number of multi-year agreements with its beneficiaries. Some grants and contributions may be spread out over two, three or even four years, according to needs and risks.

These changes are designed to better serve the organizations that receive funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Quick Facts

• Information on grants and contributions awarded by the Department of Canadian Heritage is available under Disclosure of Grant and Contribution Awards.

Quote

"We are determined to improve the way we manage grants and contributions. Thanks to these changes, all our beneficiaries-festivals; cultural groups; associations dedicated to heritage and official languages; and community museums-will be in a better position to accomplish what they do so well: help build an innovative country that draws strength from its cultural wealth, its heritage and its diverse communities."

-The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Member of Parliament (Ahuntsic-Cartierville) and Minister of Canadian Heritage

"We are pleased with these improved service standards. Faster turnaround and predictable multi-year funding will allow better planning and will encourage innovation by arts organizations."

-Frédéric Julien, Director of Research and Development at the Canadian Arts Presenting Association (CAPACOA) and Co-Chair of the Canadian Arts Coalition

"This is a big step forward, which we welcome with great enthusiasm. The faster turnaround times, multi-year agreements and online applications will greatly increase the federal programs' efficiency and reach for museums and heritage organizations. Bravo!"

-John G. McAvity, Executive Director and CEO of the Canadian Museums Association

"I have to say that for a new Web service, the Canadian Heritage online application system is one of the simplest I've ever used! The email confirming that my submission was received gave me peace of mind."

-Jeremy Trupp, Manager of Operations, Royal Conservatory of Music, Glenn Gould School

Associated Links

Disclosure of Grant and Contribution Awards

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