Community Capital Grant

The Applicant must:

• Be a registered non-profit organization.
• Have resided or operated within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo for at least one year.
• Have operations within and provide services to residents of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.
• Provide services that contribute to the priorities set forth in Council’s Strategic Plan or other Council approved plans.
• Not hold unrestricted net assets in excess of the organization's annual operating expenses, as reflected in the financial statements of the most recent fiscal period prior to application unless the total unrestricted net assets are less than $50,000.

The Community Investment Program will not fund:

• Individuals (with the exception of Games Legacy Grant).
• For-profit organizations.
• Political organizations.
• Federal and provincial governments, and affiliated bodies.
• Applicants that have overdue or incomplete accounting or reporting requirements related to any grant previously awarded by the Municipality.
• Applicants who request funding for programs or services that are provided by a group or organization that is already funded by the Municipality.
• Applicants who request funding for programs or services that conflict or compete with other programs or services funded or provided by the Municipality.
• Applicants that do not demonstrate adherence to policy, strategic priorities and relevant outcome measurements.
• Applicants who request funding for programs, activities or facilities which are the mandate or responsibility of the federal or provincial governments, including but not limited to health care, education, religious, housing and childcare programs and facilities.
• Applicants who request funding for debt retirement, depreciation or financing charges.
• Applicants who request funding for retroactive payments (i.e., costs incurred before Grants are approved), with the exception of Games Legacy Grants.
• Applicants who request funding amounting to more than 75% of the budget of the program, project, event, service or facility operations (with the exception of Games Legacy Grant).
• Applicants that do not meet the minimum eligibility requirements.

Community Capital Grants are subject to the following funding limitations:

• Up to 50% of total planning and design costs for the capital project.
• Up to 50% of total construction costs for the capital project.
• Up to 50% of total land purchase costs for the capital project.

The amount of the grant is subject to the availability of funds.

Stage 1 – Application Submission

1. Review these guidelines to ensure your organization is eligible for grant funding.
2. All grant applications will be submitted through the CIP Grant Portal. CIP will notify you via email when the application is available in the CIP Grant Portal. Log in to your CIP Grant Portal account and complete the application.
3. Submit the application, including required attachments, related budgets for January-December of the grant year, and Financial Statements of the most recent fiscal year end (Year-end date must fall between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023). The CIP Grant Portal will accept applications until 4:30 p.m. on November 1, 2023. Late applications will not be eligible.
4. CIP will conduct a preliminary review of the application and supporting documents to ensure eligibility and completeness.
5. If clarification on the submitted application is required, you will receive an email notifying you that revisions have been requested. Please log in to the CIP Grant Portal to provide clarifications. The CIP Grant Portal will accept requested revisions until 4:30 p.m. on November 24, 2023.
6. All complete and eligible applications will move forward to Stage 2 – Application Scoring and Ranking.

Stage 2 - Application Scoring and Ranking

1. A review panel consisting of subject matter experts from Municipal departments will complete application scoring based on established assessment criteria.
2. Eligible applications will be prioritized based on the highest ranking and greatest positive impact on the community.
3. CIP will finalize the grant recommendations to be presented to the Approval Committee for Stage 3 – Approval Committee Review and Final Decision.

Assessment Criteria (See Appendix A for Scoring Sheet template)

Stage 3 – Approval Committee Review and Decisions

1. At the final stage of the application process, the Approval Committee will assess and approve the successful grant applications in accordance with the budget set by Council and Council’s Strategic Plan.
2. Applicants will be notified of the Approval Committee’s decision and their assessment score by January 15, 2024.
3. There is no appeal of the Approval Committee’s decision.

Formal concerns with the grant approval process may be addressed by submitting a complaint under the Whistleblower Policy LEG-150.

Grant funding will be disbursed only to recipients in accordance with the terms and conditions of the agreement.

The following must be satisfied and will be verified by the Municipality prior to awarding of grant funding:

• Property taxes must be current and paid.
• Utility bills must be current and paid.
• There must not be a related unresolved order to comply with the Land Use Bylaw, Building Code, Fire Code, Community Standards Bylaw or other regulation.
• Applicant must not be a party to a legal dispute with the Municipality.
• All necessary municipal permits and permissions must have been received for the project and are closed and without deficiencies. 

Exceptions to the above will be at the discretion of the Municipality on a case-by-case basis.

A successful applicant will be required to complete and/or upload the following in the CIP Grant Portal:

• Certificate of Insurance within 30 calendar days of execution of grant agreement.
• Quarterly Status Report, on or before 30 days following the end of the calendar quarter, until the project is complete.
• Capital Project Costing Report on or before April 30 of the year following the end of the term. 
• Financial Statements determined by the total grant thresholds that the recipient receives from CIP for the grant year: 
  • < $100,000 – Summary of Revenue and Expenditures.
  • $100,000 - $499,999 – Review Engagement Financial Statements.
  • >$500,000 – Audited Financial Statements.

A commemorative plaque or sign may be required to be displayed at the facility or site, or on the equipment, acknowledging the financial support from the Municipality.

CIP may require additional reporting on a case-by-case basis.

Any reporting requirements not met by the recipient may result in termination of the grant or ineligibility to receive grants in the future.

All funds not used for the approved purpose must be returned to the Municipality, as per the guidelines below unless the Municipality approves, in writing, their use for another purpose:

• Amounts below $2,500 may be forgiven.
• Amounts greater than $2,500 and below $25,000 may be requested to be repaid in full or be subject to reduction in future requests.
• Any amounts over $25,000 will be requested to be repaid in full.

A condition of accepting funding is that the Municipality has the authority to examine recipients’ records at any time to ensure funds are being used in the manner originally agreed upon. Any funds not used as described in the agreement may have to be returned.