City’s Arts, Culture & Heritage Fund (ACHF) Grant Program Accepting Applications for Second 2024 Funding Round

The City of Windsor will accept applications for the second of two 2024 funding rounds for the Arts, Culture & Heritage Fund (ACHF) grant program from Monday, June 24, to Friday, July 19, 2024. $59,000 in grant funding is available in this round.

This funding stream awards project grants to deserving individuals and cultural organizations to help stimulate creative and economic growth in Windsor, contributing to a prosperous economy and to making Windsor an attractive and affordable place to live. Completion of funded projects often results in assets, products, programs and initiatives being available for public engagement. From films to photography collections, novels to performances, exhibitions to virtual programs, the ACHF makes a difference in the community by supporting local, innovative and creative works and initiatives.

Once again this year, $118,000 will be awarded, with $59,000 available in each of two funding rounds. To date, the ACHF program has awarded $1,009,000 in grant funding to 453 individual arts, culture and heritage projects in Windsor. This includes:

• 33 community arts-based programs funded, including multi-genre festivals, events, workshops and more
• 76 visual arts projects and initiatives funded, including practice, exhibitions, photography, sculpture and more
• 61 literary arts projects and initiatives funded, including multi-genre writing, editing, publishing, storytelling, podcasts and more
• 76 performing arts projects and initiatives funded, including theatre, dance, opera and more
• 119 musical arts projects and initiatives funded, including songwriting, recording, albums, videos, concerts, composition and more
• 58 film arts projects and initiatives funded, including pre-production, production, post-production, distribution, screenings, festivals and more
• 30 heritage and culture projects and initiatives funded, including multicultural celebrations, cultural exchanges, historic walking tours and more.

The ACHF program is fully accessible through the online platform at www.ACHFWindsor.ca. The application link goes live when each application round opens. Applicants have the ability to complete the application, attach supporting documents and materials, and submit and receive confirmation of submission online.

Mandatory Consultation

In order to be considered, applicants must be residents of the City of Windsor and consult with Culture staff prior to submitting a project for funding, and before the application deadline. Consultations are conducted via email, once application rounds open, and help ensure applicants and projects meet program eligibility requirements in advance of applicants taking time to complete an application. Interested applicants should email culturalaffairs@citywindsor.ca for a consultation, and should first be familiar with the program guidelines, available online.

Virtual Public Information Session

To assist first-time ACHF applicants, a virtual public information session will be offered Wednesday, June 26, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. During this session, a program coordinator will review the guidelines, key priorities and objectives, and the application and adjudication process. Attendance is not mandatory, and this session is intended for first-time applicants only. Those wishing to attend will need to RSVP to receive a link to facilitate participation. Please RSVP to culturalaffairs@citywindsor.ca by email. 

Ongoing Opportunity for Sponsor, Donor, Community-Builders with the ACHF:

As the ACHF program continues to evolve, the City invites support from those individuals, organizations, businesses and corporations that have expressed an interest in supporting arts, culture and heritage in Windsor in the past. There are two possible opportunities for partnership between sponsors, donors and community-builders in connection with the ACHF grant program. 

Those who wish to register as a Patron will be provided with information on funded ACHF projects that are seeking additional funding support to realize their project goals and increase community impact. City staff will facilitate a meeting between interested parties to see what possibilities exist. 

Those who wish to register to become an ACHF Partner will have the opportunity to donate a funding amount to the ACHF funding stream, which will increase available funding in a given round, thus increasing opportunities for additional creators and projects to receive funding. The ACHF Jury will adjudicate all funding requests, and City staff will work with ACHF Partners to determine the best fit for donations in any given round. 

Those wishing to take advantage of this unique opportunity to direct support to Windsor’s arts, culture and heritage creative community, are asked to reach out to culturalaffairs@citywindsor.ca to begin the conversation.  

Quotes:

“For the third year in a row, $118,000 will be awarded to individuals and organizations through the City’s ACHF program, helping us to build on the City of Windsor’s proud history of investment in our creative community. The results of the program speak for themselves, with just over $1 million in funding awarded to over four hundred and fifty innovative projects since the program launched. Council is Building Windsor’s Future through significant overall investment in arts, culture and heritage. I look forward to seeing which creators and projects are chosen this time around to help build our City up through creative works and initiatives.” - Mayor Drew Dilkens

“We remain very proud of the ACHF program, and grateful for Council’s ongoing support and investment. As always, we encourage applications from new and experienced creatives to support projects that will have a positive impact on the community, and we look forward to seeing an exciting batch of proposals submitted.” - Michelle Staadegaard, Manager, Culture and Events

Further details on the ACHF program objectives, application process, eligibility requirements, consultations and current deadlines are available online at www.ACHFWindsor.ca. To learn more about culture and heritage services at the City of Windsor, visit www.CityWindsor.ca or contact 311.