Town of
Amended Grants and Sponsorships Guidelines
GRANTS &
SPONSORSHIPS GUIDELINES:
The Grants/Sponsorships Guidelines are broken down into three
categories: Celebrate Markham, Table Sponsorships, and Council Promotion.
Celebrate Markham
The Celebrate Markham category consists of not-for-profit festivals/events that promote and recognize Markham as a great place to work, live and play.
In the past, the following events fall within the “Celebrate Markham” category:
Black History Month
Character Community
Chinese New Year Celebration
Doors Open
Milliken Mills Children’s Festival
Senior Citizen’s Light Tour
Senior’s Extravaganza
Senior’s Hall of Fame
Taste of
Thornhill Festival
Unionville Festival
Volunteer Appreciation Event
The level of funding for the entire Celebrate Markham category of events will be set during the Business Planning/Budgeting process. Funding amounts for individual Celebrate Markham events are to be set through the recommendations of the Grants Sub-Committee each year. The Grants Sub-Committee will meet after the Budget is approved by Council to determine these allocations. For the few Celebrate Markham events that occur early in the year (Black History Month, Chinese New Year), the funding levels are to be determined during the Budget process.
Before final funding is authorized, the following information for each event should be submitted to the Town prior to the date of the event:
For each of the Celebrate Markham events that the Town contributes money towards, there must be acknowledgement of the Town grant on all promotional material. At the event itself, Town signage must be present (to be provided by the Town).
In addition, effective
In the year that a surplus is generated, the
surplus will be carried forward to the following year, and the grant will be
reduced by the amount of the previous year’s surplus;
In the year that a deficit is incurred, the
organization will receive the approved grant and will carry forward the deficit
as part of the following year’s budget.
Staff will handle the administration of all Celebrate Markham
events. Any additional requests for
funding over the prescribed budgeted levels will require Council approval.
Table Sponsorships
& Council Promotion
While a single organization can submit multiple requests, the maximum funding in any one year cannot exceed $4,000.
A Grant/Sponsorship made by the Town does not automatically translate into implied funding in subsequent years.
If overspending occurs in any
category, the Town’s Expenditure Control Policy will take effect.
Table Sponsorship
Table Sponsorships are classified as fundraising
galas/dinners/receptions that promote or celebrate positive aspects of the
Table Sponsorships have an upset limit of $3,000 per organization. During the Budget process, the list of Table Sponsorship events supported in the current year will be submitted for approval for the following year. However, inclusion in the budget does not automatically translate into a sponsorship guarantee. An appropriate number of councillors/senior staff must be able to attend the event before funding is given final approval. If the appropriate attendance cannot be met, the Town can elect not to follow through with the sponsorship. As a result, the administration of Table Sponsorships should continue reside in the Mayor’s Office.
Requests not on the approved Budget list may be accommodated during the year assuming there are sufficient funds available within the annual budget envelope. A report will be presented to Council for each of these events.
Eligibility Requirements for Table Sponsorships
·
The
entity requesting the funding must declare their not-for-profit status
·
The
funding must be used to serve a recreational, cultural or economic benefit to
the community
·
The
benefits of the program and/or special event must accrue to Town residents or
business community
·
Funding will not be provided to any political
party/event
Council Promotion
This category encompasses all other requests for grant funding such as Travelling Teams, Advertising and Major Temporary Support. Funding is to be capped at $1,000 per request (with the exception of Advertising at a maximum of $250) and will be administered through the Clerk’s department. Staff will approve and monitor all requests that meet guidelines and are within the approved budget envelope and individual funding limits. Staff will prepare status reports to Committee on all requests received and approved. Any request over $1,000 is to be approved by Council.
The following additional guidelines apply to these distinct areas:
Events - Grant requests sponsored or supported by a Member of Council, or senior Town staff, that do not fall into the Celebrate Markham category. A Member of Council is to be involved with the event.
Travelling Teams - Community Groups/teams/athletes
competing at a national or international level and the support is capped at a
maximum of 50% of the cost of the wearing apparel to a maximum amount of
$1,000. Funding is restricted to
individuals residing in
Advertising - Requests for Financial assistance
toward the cost of advertising in a community newspaper, yearbook, event
program and miscellaneous funding. The
advertisement must identify that it is from the Mayor and Members of Council. Funding for this category is to be capped at
$250 per request.
Major Temporary Support - items with extraordinary justification, bridge financing or other unforeseen circumstances. There should be no budget allocation for Major Temporary Support and any funding would have to come from any operating surplus or reserves.
Council Promotion/Grants Eligibility
Requirements
·
The
entity requesting the funding must declare their not-for-profit status
·
The
entity’s programs must address a community need or provide a direct benefit to
the Town (not applicable to Travelling Teams and Advertising)
·
The
funding must be used to serve a recreational, cultural or economic benefit to
the community (not applicable to Travelling Teams and Advertising)
·
The
benefits of the program and/or special event must accrue to Town residents or
business community (not applicable to Travelling Teams and Advertising)
·
Funding
will not be provided for:
Ø
groups/organizations/events that are primarily
of a religious nature
Ø
any organization outside the Town of
Ø
groups which are part of a national or similar
organization unless the grant funds will be utilized within the Community
Ø
services that fall within the criteria of
Ø
issues that fall within the domain of existing
Federal, Provincial, and Regional funding (i.e. education, social/health
services, international aid)
Ø
any political party/event
Council Promotion/Grants Submission
Requirements
Before Approval:
·
each
organization requesting financial assistance must apply in writing to the
Clerk’s department
·
The
organization must have an identifiable and accountable system of controls and
lines of authority
·
The
organization must submit a budget and previous year’s financial statements
·
The
group/organization must have a clearly defined set of goals and objectives for
the program/activity and should specify how they will be achieved
·
The
organization should be able to identify the “outcomes” or the impact to service
users and/or the community of the proposed program/activity and demonstrate
how proposed outcomes are consistent with the Town’s goals and priorities
·
The
organization must have a demonstrative system to monitor and review actual
results to see if they are in compliance with the goals and objectives
identified in the application
·
The
organization must demonstrate the ability and determination that it has
explored other sources of financial support from the private sector, other funders,
and other levels of government
·
The
organization must notify the Town of any conflict of interest situations or
other contentious situations that may require the organization to seek legal
counsel or may be the subject of media attention
After Approval:
·
All groups or organizations receiving a Town
grant must acknowledge the funding on all promotional material. If an event is scheduled, Town signage must
be present (to be provided by the Town)
·
The
organization should be prepared to submit a brief report identifying how the
program/activity met its goals and objectives and to provide a financial
accounting of funding
·
The
organization shall make available for audit by the Town in a reasonable time,
the organization’s books of accounts and supporting documentation for at least
three years to show the receipt and disbursement of funds
·
The
organization should be available for an on-site meeting during the funding
year, if requested
·
The
organization must not dispose of any surplus Town funds without prior approval
of the Town, nor direct funding towards other programs
·
The
organization must return to the Town any funds as a direct result of the
termination of all or part of the program/activity for which Town funding has
been awarded