Grants & Funding

This stream will provide funding for projects that support one or more of the following:

• promote vibrancy, energy and enthusiasm in the community of Medicine Hat
• emphasize the community and celebrate living in Medicine Hat
• promote recreation, leisure, social, arts, cultural or opportunities vital to the well-being and quality of life in Medicine Hat
• promote a sense of belonging in the community
• create increased knowledge of community
• deepen awareness of opportunities and challenges, and the factors that impact change
• increase appreciation for the community
• generate interest for residents to get more actively involved in their community

This stream will provide funding for projects that are larger in scale (i.e.: expect to have an audience of more than 500 residents) and support one or more of the following:

• promote vibrancy, energy and enthusiasm in the community of Medicine Hat
• emphasize the community and celebrate living in Medicine Hat
• promote arts, cultural or community gathering experiences vital to the well-being and quality of life in Medicine Hat
• increase appreciation for the community
• generate interest for residents to get more actively involved in their community

The deadline for applications is Friday, January 31, 2025, by 3 p.m. Late applications will not be considered. Only application forms completed in full will be accepted. 

Minimum and maximum amounts have not been established for individual grants. 

All applicants must submit a completed Community Vibrancy Grant application. Procedures include the following:

• access and complete the application form available at medicinehat.ca/grants
• ensure that you complete the entire application form and attach all relevant documents as noted
• if applicable, ensure that applications have been signed by two people, the person completing the application on behalf of the organization and the Board President or Chair
• ensure that you save a copy of your completed application form and a copy of these guidelines for your records

Please note, no handwritten applications or reports will be accepted.

Please read the following section carefully. Applications for a Community Vibrancy Grant must meet the following eligibility criteria: 

Projects must:

• reflect the spirit of City Council’s Strategic Plan 2023-2026
• take place within the City of Medicine Hat limits/boundaries
• support one or more of the objectives outlined above.

 Applications must:

• identify the initiative’s anticipated deliverables and outcomes
• be made by individuals, organizations or groups of individuals and organizations, who live in or around Medicine Hat
• provide a budget statement of projected expenses and revenue, including any projected shortfall of funds
• describe any community partnerships and/or funds secured from other organizations/individuals
• be not-for-profit in nature

Applications must not

• involve the recruitment of permanent staff
• involve major capital expenditures ($500 maximum)
• involve activities for the purposes of fundraising for other causes

• use the funds for the purpose for which they were requested
• be responsible for the planning and execution of the proposed project
• if the project cannot be completed as described in the application, the City must be notified as soon as possible to discuss return of funds
• maintain separate accounting for the proposed project
• acknowledge the support of the City of Medicine Hat in the promotion of the approved project
• keep the receipts for all expenses paid for with the grant for seven (7) years as the City of Medicine Hat may ask to see those receipts as evidence of purchase
  • If the City of Medicine Hat asks for those receipts, they are to be provided within 30 days
  • If the grant recipient does not produce the receipts, they may be required to repay the grant dollars to the City of Medicine Hat
• submit a final report evaluation, and a financial statement to the City of Medicine Hat within 60 days of the event/project completion for each year of your grant 
  • the final report documents to be completed are available at www.medicinehat.ca/grants 
  • ensure the final financial summary shows the actual revenue and expenses

Total microgrant dollars available each year is $10,000 for EACH of the two funding categories.

Please read the following section carefully. Applications for a Community Microgrants must meet the following eligibility criteria: 

Eligible events for the Community Arts and Culture microgrant are:

• barrier free to all such music performances, theatre acts, and art shows.
• projects, events, and experiences that are co-created with others, such as community art projects. community band concerts, or heritage tours. 
• projects, events, and experiences that honour Indigenous culture. 
• projects that create and promote beautiful and clean spaces and inspire pride.
• projects and experiences that advance artists in the community such as multicultural music festivals or cultural dance performance.
• projects that animate the community, such as street parties, outdoor movie nights, or murals.

Eligible events for the Neighbourhood Connections microgrant are:

• Events that foster respect and celebrate diversity, such as a neighbourhood multicultural fashion show or dinner, storytelling projects that involve aging adults and youth, etc.
• Events that build relationships and opportunities for neighbours to connect, such as build a free library, host a movie night in a local park or backyard, host a 'meet the neighbours' event, etc.
• Events that offer the sharing of residents' skills and knowledge, such as host a free yoga session, host a community kitchen in your neighbourhood, host a bird house building challenge, host a 'bake-off challenge' for all youth in your neighbourhood, etc.
• Events that foster neighbourhood and/or community pride, such as historical neighbourhood tours, community clean-up activities, neighbourhood beautification projects, host a free neighbourhood garage sale, etc.

As per page 8 on the guidelines and criteria page, we encourage grant recipients to use the phrase "funded in part by a City of Medicine Hat Microgrant" and the Microgrant logo as part of their marketing efforts. 

• Logo files

An FCSS municipality must ensure that local initiatives, processes, or services meet all the requirements set out in the FCSS Act. In particular, the Act requires that FCSS supports social initiatives that are preventive and that they enhance the social well-being of individuals and families through promotion or intervention strategies provided at the earliest opportunity.

• FCSS Act
• FCSS Regulations
• FCSS Handbook
• FCSS Measures Bank with Provincial Priorities
• FCSS Outcomes Model

Organizations applying through this process must:

• Be a registered Non-Profit Organization or Society in good standing.
• Have resided, operated within, and/or served the residents of the City of Medicine Hat for at least one year.
• Have an open membership for its organization and provide opportunities that are accessible to all.
• Have a primary municipal mandate to provide sports, recreation, arts, cultural, family, economic development, environmental, tourism, and/or community services.
• Not be in unresolved litigation with the City.
• Be in good financial standing.
• The applicant must not be in arrears to the City unless a repayment plan has been approved and is being followed.

Project funding requests will be evaluated based on:

• Community need
• Community benefit
• Strategic alignment
• Risk management
• Fiscal and organizational sustainability

For full details, view the application guidelines

Priority will be given to projects that align most closely with the evaluation criteria. Applicants should address these criteria in their applications, keeping in mind that the criteria are not weighted equally.