Appendix “A”
Town of
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
The
Celebrate Markham category consists of not-for-profit festivals/events that
promote and recognize
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).
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 social/health, 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 social/health, 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 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