Each year, as part of the annual budget process, Council will determine a financial commitment to the "Community Grant Program". This money, up to a maximum of $3,500 per eligible organization, will be available for direct community grants.

In addition to direct community grants, Council will also establish a budget for in-kind support and reserves the right to limit the value of said support to $2,500 per eligible organization. In-kind support may consist of the use of municipal property at reduced or no cost, municipal staff support, loan of equipment or material. In-kind support (for rentals of facilities and assets) is calculated according to the City of Elliot Lake’s User Fees and Charges By-Law.

Staff time calculations will be done at the discretion of CAO and relevant department heads.  

• Arts, Culture and Heritage Projects or Events
• Community Beautification Projects or Events
• Special Events
• Tourism / Economic Development Projects or Events
• Support to families of youth to cover travel costs for sports or arts events outside the community
• Modest support for non-profits or student associations (ie. prizes for charity events, ads in school yearbooks, bursaries)

1.Applicants must be non-profit community groups and organizations whose primary focus is within the municipal boundaries of Elliot Lake.

2.Grants are intended to be supplementary to an organization's main sources of funding. The grant shall not be considered as the primary source of funding for the organization. The organization must show exploration of other financial and in-kind support (i.e. fund-raising and volunteer support).

3.All funding shall be for future projects. Retroactive funding will not be considered.

4.Repeat grants will only be available to organizations who have complied with the reporting requirements of any previous grants.

5.Repeat grant applications must show how their event/activity differs from their previous application(s). Applicants should be aware that new events may be prioritized over returning events.

6.Approved funding is only for the fiscal year in which the organization has applied. It is not to be regarded as a commitment by the City to continue such assistance in future years.

7.Funding requests may be reduced in value at the discretion of Council to support a wider range of projects.

8.No financial grants will be considered unless specifically authorized by this policy. In according grants, the City may impose at its sole and unique discretion the conditions it deems fit.

The following entities are not eligible for funding under the community grant program:

• Private sector businesses
• Individuals (except for the travel costs subsidy for youth)
• Publicly-funded institutions (i.e. hospitals, school boards) and non-profit organizations that are predominantly funded by senior levels of government
• Organizations that may be located within the City of Elliot Lake, but are more regionally oriented (where the benefit cannot be expressly identified to Elliot Lake residents or within Elliot Lake boundaries)
• Special interest groups (defined by Council in their sole and unique discretion)

Applications for sports / arts travel subsidy (maximum amount of $100) and other modest requests for less than $250 can be submitted in writing (email or letter) to the CAO’s office throughout the year and decisions granted by staff within 10 business days of submission (subject to funding availability and meeting all the relevant criteria).

All other grant applications shall be submitted on the attached Community Grant Application Form, and shall include:

1.The name of the organization(s) and the contact information (name, address and telephone and email) of a person who can answer questions regarding the information submitted on the application form

2.A brief description of the organization

3.The list of Board/Committee members of the organization

4.A brief description of the event/project: including objectives of the event/project, or the benefits to the community resulting from the event/project and expected date of completion

5.If applicable, any request for in-kind support must be outlined.

Applicants who have questions about eligibility or any aspect of the application should contact the City before completing the Community Grant Application Form.

Details on the application review and decision process is included below: 

1.All requests for financial grants will be considered having regard for the City's budget.

2.Under normal circumstances, only one (1) request per organization is to be considered in a calendar year.

3.The CAO’s office shall review each community grant application to ensure that all necessary information is provided to facilitate decision effective decision making.

4.Incomplete Grant Applications will not be considered.

5.All grants will be assessed in terms of the need for the project; cost effectiveness, financial viability; contribution to the quality of life in the community and community involvement/response.

6.Complete applications that meet all the criteria and have a value of less than $2500 (including both cash and in-kind) can be reviewed and decisions made by staff.

7.Complete applications that meet all the criteria and have a value of more than $2500 (including both cash and in-kind) will be referred to Council for review and decision.

Applications must be received by April 1, 2022 for 2022 events, projects or initiatives and November 1, 2022 for 2023 events, projects and initiatives.

Notification of acceptance for 2023 funding will take place after the Elliot Lake budget process. The annual budget process timelines vary and applicants need to take into account that approvals may not be granted in the time that suits their event, or particular needs.

1.Prior to the disbursement of any municipal funds, all Grantees must sign a “Letter of Agreement”, which specifies the terms and conditions of the grant.

2.Organizations awarded a grant will be held accountable for the expenditure of the funds in accordance with the stated objectives/plans. Grants in future years will be reviewed based on past demonstrated fiscal responsibility of the applicants.

3.Funds granted under this program must be used for the specific purposes outlined in the application. They are not transferable between projects or groups without prior Council approval.

4.Accountability statements must be completed and submitted within 60 days of the event/project’s completion. The statement shall include:

• A financial report listing all expenditures and revenues pertaining to the event/project, and the use of the funds.
• Groups are encouraged to submit photos of their activity/event that can be used by the City to promote the Community Grant Program and/or the municipality.
• Demonstrate clearly how the City’s funding was publicly acknowledged, either with the use of the logo on promotional material or in person at the event.
• 5.Failure to provide an "Accountability Statement" may result in future requests being denied.

All grantees are required to ensure adequate levels of property, general liability and/or alcohol related event insurance naming the City of Elliot Lake as an additional insured. This provision may be waived for special events that are jointly managed and/or otherwise covered by the existing municipal policy. The determination of insurance levels is at the sole and unique discretion of the City, either through the CAO's office or by Council resolution.