CBT: Arts and Culture Program - Community Grants (Formerly called Arts Funding to Communities )

CBT: Arts and Culture Program - Community Grants (Formerly called Arts Funding to Communities )

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Columbia Basin Trust
Amount: Up to C $2,500
Last Updated: January 13, 2026

Summary

The CBT Arts and Culture Program supports local artistic and cultural projects that benefit Basin communities. This funding aims to empower artists, address local issues, and enhance community engagement in arts initiatives. Eligible applicants include individuals and organizations based in the Columbia Basin Trust region, with an emphasis on original creative works. Projects should prioritize innovative solutions while adhering to application guidelines. This initiative fosters cultural awareness and strengthens the local arts landscape for lasting community impact.

Overview

Arts and Culture Program - Arts Funding to Communities Objectives: Fund individual or group projectsRespond to unique local issuesProvide funds to artists, or to arts and cultural groupsInvolve more artists in local arts projects and arts decision makingRaise awareness of artists as belonging to the Basin and being interpreters of Basin culture Funding is available for: Any local artistic or cultural project benefiting Basin artists or communities. At least one of the outcomes must be a priority listed on the application form. Local arts councils make recommendations to CKCA about which projects to support based on the strength and quality of the applications.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. To be eligible for funding, the primary emphasis of project proposals must be on arts and culture.The applicant’s primary residence must be in the Columbia Basin Trust region (ourtrust.org/map), and the applicant must have lived in the region for at least 12 continuous months prior to submitting an application.CKCA funding is open to individuals of all artistic disciplines, as well as arts and culture organizations. Minors must have a parent or legal guardian apply on their behalfApplicants are not required to be a member of any arts council or a member of any registered society or group.Funding is designed to support projects, not operating costs or existing deficitAny artistic or cultural projects must contain original creative works with projected proceeds of sales (if applicable) included in the budget as a source of revenue.CKCA will only fund the development and production of marketing, advertising and promotional materials as part of a larger arts and culture project, not as a stand-alone project.CKCA funding can only be used to support travel expenses inside the Basin. Projects that involve travel outside the Basin must clearly detail other (non-CKCA) revenues on the budget to cover the out-of-Basin travel costs (with some exceptions for Touring grants).

Ineligibility

The following are not eligible for funding support through CKCA Arts & Culture Grant Programs: Retroactive fundingNote: Although the research or planning process may be under way before June 1, the project activities must take place from June 1 onward and be completed by the end date in the program you are applying for. Project completion timeframes are detailed in the application forms for each program. Applications from governments and their agentsProjects using creative mechanisms to solve social issues, or which replace funding conventionally covered by government or other agencies.Art therapy projects or projects of a primarily social natureAny school-based activities including, but not limited to, curriculum delivery and extracurricular activities (with the exception of: Artists in the Classroom)Capital expenditures (with the exception of: Minor Capital Arts).Projects with unbalanced budgets Debt retirement, or reservesExisting deficits or the regular operating expenses of an ongoing activityPaying the costs of fund-raising activitiesActivities of religious organizations that primarily serve their membership and/or their direct religious purposes, unless the community at large will benefit significantlySabbatical leavesAmateur sportsLibrary acquisitions, construction, and capital purchasesSupport for individual academic or dissertation researchProjects which create a dependency on CKCA or the TrustBinding of periodicals