80 Funding Programs For Artists in 2021

No that’s not a typo, we have details for funding programs for artists, businesses and nonprofits.

The majority of these programs are grants, keep in mind that you can add various tax credits to these grants to save more money to help you reach your purpose, dreams and goals.

There is a little bit of everything for artists here, it really does not matter what your discipline is, from digital gaming to music to books, so take some to read through what we have put together for you and see what programs are a good fit for you and make them work.

Canadian Artist Incentives

When it comes to giving money to corporations, arts-based entrepreneurs, non-profits, and professional artists, the Canadian government is amazing at handing out money. The application and qualifying processes are easy in most cases. Be sure to read over this list a few times to make sure you understand what you may or may not be qualified for because the list is a bit long.

To make sure that you don’t get overwhelmed, keep your records and supporting documents organized when you’re applying for these grant programs.

2021 Artist Incentives

FACTOR Collective Initiatives – Digital Marketing

Canadian artists and music entrepreneurs can receive help to gain a greater profile. This program funds projects to make Canadian music more accessible through digital platforms.

FACTOR – Songwriter Development

This program offers a subsidy that can be used towards a year of initiatives for songwriters such as international and domestic travel for co-writing trips and sessions, workshops, songwriting camps and eligible showcases.

Canada Book Fund (Support for Organizations: Internships) – Canadian Heritage

This program serves to reinforce the efficiency and infrastructure of the book industry in Canada by contributing to the promotion and marketing of books written by Canadian authors.

Government of Canada, Canadian Heritage – Canada Book Fund (CBF) – Support for Publishers: Business Development

This component of the CBF is put in place to ensure the sustainable marketing and production of books written by Canadian authors by balancing the costs of publishing within Canada.

Ontario Creates – Film Fund – Development Stream

This fund supports activities that contribute to the production of films in Ontario. They provide support to producers in Ontario for all stages of development.

Ontario Creates – Film Fund – Marketing and Distribution Initiative (MDI)

The MDI is intended to help Ontario Creates Film Fund producers to make meaningful contributions to the marketing and distribution of projects through all the steps to their release.

Ontario Creates – Trillium Book Award

This award was established by the Ontario government to help increase the awareness of the diversity and quality of writers and writing in Ontario.

Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit – Canada Revenue Agency

This tax credit was made to establish Canada as the location of choice for video and film production that employs Canadians and strengthens the industry to secure funding.

Telefilm Production Program

Production companies in Canada can receive support to finance the production and/or post production stages of their film projects.

Telefilm Canada – Production Program – Indigenous Stream

Telefilm set aside funding with the aim to increase the diversity of their supported projects by filmmakers in Canadian Indigenous communities.

Telefilm Export Assistance Program

This program provides funding to support distribution companies that have received the rights of exploitation for eligible feature films made in Canada to selected foreign territories.

Telefilm Canada – Short-Term Compensation Fund for Canadian Audiovisual Productions (STCF)

This temporary fund was launched to minimize the lack of insurance coverage due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its interruption in filming and the abandonment of productions in the audiovisual sector.

Telefilm Canada – Talent to Watch Program – Festival Selection Stream

Film projects that were made by an up-and-coming director that has submitted a short film project to a recognized film festival and was chosen among all submitted films can receive financing.

Telefilm Canada – Talent to Watch Program – Selective Stream

Film projects that have been chosen among other recommended projects by any designated industry partners for various components of this program can receive financing.

Telefilm Canada – Theatrical Documentary Program

Canadian production companies that are looking for financing to create a feature-length documentary can receive support for production and post-production.

Telefilm Canada – Marketing Program

Canadian production and distribution companies can receive support from this program to help finance the marketing and distribution of their film projects.

Telefilm Canada – Theatrical Exhibition Program

This program was designed for Canadian commercial exhibitors to support the programming of films made in Canada in theatres across the country and foster access to these works to the public.

Telefilm Canada – Participation in International Festivals and Events Support Program

Canadian distributors, producers, and sales agents can receive support from this program for their projects that have been officially selected at an international festival.

EURIMAGES – European Cinema Support Fund and Telefilm Canada – Selective Aid for Canada-France Co-productions (Mini-treaties)

Through Eurimages Council of Europe, the program supports the co-production of cinematographic works between Canadian production companies and at least one other European Cinema Support Fund member country.

Creative Export Canada – Canadian Heritage

Projects that generate export revenues can receive funding from Creative Export Canada to help creative industries in Canada reach people around the world.

Canada Media Fund Convergent Stream – Anglophone Minority Incentive

This incentive was made to help encourage television convergent production by both minority and majority official language sectors.

Canada Media Fund Convergent Stream – Versioning Program

This program was made to increase the revenue that is earned by producers in Canada through international and national sales and, through language versioning, increase the reach of existing programming to Canadians.

Canada Media Fund Convergent Stream – International Coproduction and Codevelopment Incentives

Canada Media Fund’s financing along with Canada’s co production treaties provide opportunities for producers in Canada and their counterparts from around the world to share talent and resources to tap into new markets.

Canada Media Fund Experimental Stream – Accelerator Partnership Program

Producers of digital media projects that are funded through the Canada Media Fund’s Experimental Stream can be provided with better access to capital, market, and mentorship.

Canada Media Fund Experimental Stream – Development Packaging Program: Short Form Scripted Series

Independent producers can receive help from the Development Packaging Program to assist with the creation of high-quality original scripted short-form series. This will help projects to be in a better position to attract financing, partners, distribution, and move the project into production.

Canada Council for the Arts, Global Affairs Canada, and Canadian Heritage – Frankfurt 2020: Canada Guest of Honour Special Initiative for Canadian Artists

Canadian groups, artists, and organizations can receive support for any artistic engagements in Germany.

Canada Council for the Arts, Global Affairs Canada, and Canadian Heritage – Frankfurt 2020: Canada Guest of Honour Special Initiative for German Cultural Organizations

This program supports non-commercial organizations in Germany that wish to present Canadian culture and arts in Germany.

Canada Council for the Arts, Global Affairs Canada, and Canadian Heritage – Frankfurt 2020: Incentive for Purchasing Translation Rights and for Publishing in German

The Canada Council, in partnership with Canadian Heritage, offers an initiative for funding for the translation of Canadian non-literary and literary works into German.

Canada Council for the Arts – Prizes

Every year over 200 Canadian scholars and artists receive awards for a broad range of prizes from the Canada Council as a recognition of their journey for excellence and innovation.

CPTC (Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit) – Canadian Heritage

The CPTC encourages the making of film and television programming in Canada and the development of an active independent production sector by providing eligible productions with a fully refundable tax credit.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Animating Historic Sites

Funding is provided through this program to art collectives, organizations, or professional artists to animate or re-imagine selected historic sites in Toronto.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Artists In The Library

Arts organizations, professional artists, and collectives that are working in any discipline can receive a grant of $10,000 to undertake any community-engaged artist residencies within selected Toronto Public Library branches.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC), Toronto District School Board (TDSB), and Prologue to the Performing Arts – Artists in the Schools

The TAC and the TDSB have partnered together to host a four-week festival that includes, mentorships, artist residencies, and special arts presentation events. This festival gives students an opportunity to explore connections with the places, people, happenings, and histories of the city through art.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Community Arts Annual Operating

The TAC’s Community Arts Program gives support to non-profit arts organizations, both unincorporated and incorporated, in Toronto that are engaged on an ongoing basis in community arts.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Creative Communities Project Grants

This program provides funding to collectives and non-profit organizations in Toronto to pursue a time-limited or one-time art project that enables public engagement and participation in arts and culture.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Creative Communities Multi-Year Operating

The TAC’s Creative Communities Program provides support to non-profit professional arts organizations in Toronto that are engaged on an ongoing basis.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Dance Annual Operating

Toronto’s incorporated and unincorporated non-profit dance organizations that are engaged in the production, creation, preservation, and presentation of dance and other contributing activities for the development of dance, dance audiences, and dance artists can receive support for their programming and operations.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Dance Multi-Year Operating

Toronto’s non-profit dance organizations that are engaged in the production, creation, preservation, and presentation of dance and other contributing activities for the development of dance, dance audiences, and dance artists can receive multi-year operating support for their programming and operations.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Long-Term Dance Projects

Established and mid-career professional organizations, choreographers, and collectives can be provided with the opportunity to develop and present a dance program of works or dance work over an extended period of time.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Dance Projects

Professional dance organizations, artists, and collectives can receive funding for the production, creation, and presentation of dance works and projects in Toronto that supports the development of professional dance.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Indigenous Arts Projects

This program is an annual multi-disciplinary project grant for Indigenous collectives, artists, and organizations. It was designed to increase access to and participation in TAC’s funding by Indigenous artists, while at the same time increasing the creation and presentation of Indigenous art in Toronto.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Literary Arts Projects

TAC provides project funding through its Literary Program to non-profit, professional, literary collectives and organizations in Toronto to pursue time-limited or one-time literary projects that involve the production, presentation, and activities that contribute to Toronto’s literary arts.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Literary Arts Writers Program

This program supports writers through the making of new literary works or works that are already in progress in the literary genres of fiction, including short stories, novels, graphic novels, and children’s literature, poetry, literary non-fiction, and other oral traditions such as dub, storytelling, spoken-word, and rap.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Newcomer and Refugee Arts Engagement

This program provides support to collectives and organizations that engage newcomers and refugees with art and supports the inclusion and integration of refugees and newcomers to Toronto through the arts.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Open Door

The Open Door grant program gives support to projects that demonstrate provocation, innovation, artistry, creative partnership & collaboration, experimentation, risk-taking, and the sharing of leadership and knowledge. The program provides catalyst funding for any ideas that have the potential to create change in the arts sector.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) and Ryerson University’s Faculty of Communications and Design (FCAD) – TAC-FCAD Digital Solutions Incubator

Through the partnerships between TAC and FCAD, this program was created to encourage art organizations to consider the creative possibilities that can be unlocked by the use of design thinking and technology.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – TAC Leaders Lab

The TAC Leaders lab was created to enhance the capacity of leaders within the arts and culture sectors in Toronto. It was designed for professional artists who demonstrate the potential to drive change within their communities, organizations, or art sectors.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Theatre Annual Operating

Incorporated and unincorporated professional non-profit theatre organizations that are engaged in the production, creation, and presentation of theatre, and activities that will contribute to Toronto theatres, theatre audiences, and theatre artists. Both operations and programming can receive funding support.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Theatre Multi-Year Operating

Multi-Year Operating support can be provided to professional theatre organizations that are engaged in the production, creation, and presentation of theatre, and activities that will contribute to Toronto theatres, theatre audiences, and theatre artists. The aim of the program is to encourage long-term planning and vision to provide theatre organizations with stability.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Theatre Projects

Non-profit, professional theatre organizations and collectives in Toronto can receive funding from the Theatre Projects program for the production, creation, and presentation of theatre works and other projects that will support Toronto’s development of professional theatres.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Playwrights Program

This program supports Toronto playwrights for the writing of theatrical plays.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Visual and Media Arts Annual Operating

Non-profit, professional, media, and visual arts organizations that are engaged in the distribution and exhibition of contemporary media and visual artworks, support of the production of media and visual artworks and activities that will contribute to Toronto’s development of media and visual arts, audiences, and artists can receive Annual Operating support.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Visual and Media Arts Multi-Year Operating

Multi-Year Operating support can be given to non-profit, professional, media, and visual arts organizations that are engaged in the distribution and exhibition of contemporary media and visual artworks, support of the production of media and visual artworks and activities that contribute to Toronto’s development of media and visual arts, audiences, and artists.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Visual and Media Arts Projects

Toronto non-profit, professional visual media/art collectives, and organizations can receive funding to pursue time-limited or one-time projects that involve the distribution or exhibition of contemporary media and visual arts and/or activities that contribute to Toronto’s development of the visual media/arts.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Visual Artists Program

Visual artists who have an independent, professional art practice can receive support for the production/creation of new work or the completion of works in progress. The funds are given to cover the costs of production/creation and materials.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) – Media Artists Program

Media artists can receive support from this program for the production/creation of new work or the completion of works in progress. The funds are given to cover the costs of production/creation, including materials and subsistence.

Government of Canada – Programming: Professional Arts Festivals and Performing Arts Series Presenters – Canada Arts Presentation Fund

This program provides support to existing professional arts festivals and performing arts series presenters, to provide a variety of professional artistic experiences to Canadians.

Government of Canada – Programming: Presenter Support Organizations – Canada Arts Presentation Fund

Existing presenter support organizations can receive support from this program to help with services and activities that help arts presenters to professionally grow within their field.

Government of Canada – Canada Arts Presentation Fund (CAPF) – Development

This program gives support for the emergence of arts presenters and presenter support organizations for the under-served communities or artistic practices.

Canada Heritage – Creative Export Envelope Funding Opportunity (for existing CAPF recipients only)

Existing CAPF recipients can receive supplemental support that contributes to a favorable environment for Canadian cultural exports through the international promotion of Canadian artists.

IDEABOOST

The IDEABOOST Accelerator is a four-month Bootcamp in Toronto. The curriculum is custom-made for each of the six media-focused start-ups per cohort and is powered by an experienced team consisting of mentors, investors, executives, and staff.

Musication – Various Programs

French-language composers, songwriters, recording business owners, or artists can receive funding from Musication to help pay for production and recordings, marketing and promotion, artistic development, international and domestic business development.

Canada Wide Artist Grants

Canada Heritage Business Innovation Canada Periodical Fund

This program provides financial support to small and medium-sized printed magazines and digital periodical publishers to encourage innovation to adapt to changing conditions in the market.

Canadian Heritage Collective Initiatives: Canada Periodical Fund

This program provides funding to organizations for projects that are designed to raise the overall sustainability of the Canadian print magazine and non-daily newspaper industries.

Canadian Heritage Canada Book Fund: Support for Organizations

This program contributes to the promotion and marketing of books written by Canadian authors. It also serves to strengthen the efficiency and infrastructure of the book industry in Canada.

Canadian Heritage Accessible Digital Books: Support for Organizations

The goal of this program is to encourage the book industry in Canada to integrate accessible features for publishing into the production and distribution of digital books, both ebooks, and audiobooks, that are easily used by everyone, including readers that are living with print disabilities.

Canada Book Fund Support for Publishers: Publishing Support

This fund assists the ongoing marketing, production, and distribution of books written by Canadian authors. Additional funding is available based on export sales and is also available as part of the Publishing Support.

Canada’s Music Incubator Artist Entrepreneur

Emerging Artists and bands within all music genres can receive support from the Artist Entrepreneur Program to help build their careers and businesses. The main focus of the program includes networking, mentoring, and collaboration.

Canada’s Music Incubator Artist Manager

Emerging managers, transitioning industry professionals, and self-managed artists can receive help to develop insights, career-building skills, and networks. This is an eight-week program that provides mentorship in an active Toronto artist management company.

FACTOR the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings

The FACTOR organization helps to financially support Canadian recording songwriters, labels, artists, event producers, publishers, and distributors. The program has a wide variety of funding to support your goal.

Radio Starmaker Fund

This non-profit organization is looking to give emerging Canadian artists with star potential the last push that they need to make it in the music industry. Managers and labels are also welcomed to apply.

SOCAN Foundation Grants

This foundation offers grants to support the spread and enhance the appreciation for music made in Canada both at home and abroad. These grants are available for music publishers, creators, organizations, and individuals.

Ontario Arts Council

The Ontario Arts Council has 61 grant programs for various purposes and disciplines within the art industry for organizations and individuals.

Ontario Artist Tax Credits

Ontario Creates Ontario Book Publishing Tax Credit

This is a refundable tax credit of 30% on qualified expenses that occur during a tax year for eligible literary work by a book publishing company in Ontario.

Ontario Film & Television Tax Credit

This tax credit is a refundable credit that is based on qualifying labour expenses that have been made by a qualified production company for productions within Ontario.

Ontario Production Services Tax Credit

The Ontario Production Services Tax Credit is a refundable credit based on qualifying production expenses, such as service contracts, labour, and tangible property expenses, that have been made by a qualifying corporation in Ontario with respect to an eligible television or film production.

Ontario Computer Animation & Special Effects Tax Credit

This is a refundable tax credit that equals 18% of the qualified labour expenses for eligible computer animation and special effects activities that are made by a qualified corporation within a tax year for an eligible production.

Ontario Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit

This is a simple and straightforward tax credit for corporations that are based in Ontario that is creating an interactive digital product, 40% of eligible expenses can be claimed if the company marketed and developed their own product.