Rocky View County offers grant funding to help non-profit community organizations provide recreational services to County residents, including operating costs and capital costs associated with building and enhancing recreation facilities and community halls located in the County. The County also provides support to community organizations and projects that reflect the diverse needs of our communities.
Types of Funding
Capital Funding
Available to cover the costs of creating future recreational benefits. Capital funding applies to major projects that involve purchasing, building, or significantly renovating a recreational or cultural facility, including studies, project management, materials and labour.
Eligible organizations for capital funding:
- Non-profit organizations that offer programs and services to County residents.
- Neighbouring municipalities, First Nations and Métis Settlements who offer programs and services to County residents.
- School boards overseeing infrastructure that serves County residents and is accessible to
the public.
Operational Funding
Available to cover the ongoing costs of running a facility or program, such as utilities, maintenance, insurance, salaries and wages, programming costs, and marketing.
Eligible organizations for operational funding:
- Non-profit organizations that offer programs and services to County residents.
Community Enhancement Funding (spring intake only)
Available to fund initiatives that offer enriching cultural and community experiences, including programs and events. This can include program supplies, facility rentals, event insurance, and marketing.
Eligible organizations for community enhancement funding:
- Non-profit organizations that offer programs and services to County residents.
For full details on what is and is not eligible for funding, review the County’s Community Recreation and Culture Funding Policy.
How to Apply
Facilities and organizations must apply annually, in the spring or fall, to be eligible. If the below deadline dates fall on a weekend or statutory holiday, applications will be accepted until the end of the next business day.
- Spring deadline: March 1, 4:30 P.M.
Note: Community Enhancement applications are only accepted once per year, in the spring. - Fall deadline: October 1, 4:30 P.M.
Submit your application, along with any required supporting documents as outlined on the application form, to recreation@rockyview.ca.
Organizations can apply for up to two grants per calendar year:
- One Capital Assistance Grant, and
- Either an Operational Assistance Grant or a Community Enhancement Grant
If you need assistance, contact us at recreation@rockyview.ca or 403-230-1401 and ask for the Recreation Department.
Application Review Process and Timeline
- The Recreation, Parks and Community Support department reviews submissions for compliance with the funding policy. If additional information is required, we will contact the primary contact noted on the application.
- Accepted applications are presented to the Recreation Governance Committee for consideration.
- Applicants will be notified in writing of the Committee’s decision at the email address provided on the application.
- If your funding was not approved, we will advise you on the reason(s) and work with you to strengthen your application before the next funding deadline.
Emergency Funding
Emergency funding can be requested at any time of the year if your facility is unable to remain open to the public due to a safety concern. Emergency funding requests are considered for unexpected expenses that are causing the eligible organization or facility to be unable to operate and provide their regular programming.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the recent updates for the Community Recreation and Culture Funding Program?
Policy C-317 was updated in October 2023 to better support our communities.
Some of the key changes include:
- Capital projects are now defined as being either small, medium, or large, depending on the expected cost of the total project.
- The cost sharing contribution from organizations for capital projects has also been updated. Organizations that are located in the County will be required to raise the following percentage of the total project cost based on the size of the project:
- Small capital projects have a total project cost of less than $500,000 and require a 50% contribution of the total project cost from the organization.
- Medium capital projects have a total project cost of $500,001 to $1 million and require a 30% contribution of the total project cost from the organization.
- Large capital projects are projects in excess of $1 million and require a 15% contribution of the total project cost from the organization.
- The cost sharing contribution from organizations for capital projects has also been updated. Organizations that are located in the County will be required to raise the following percentage of the total project cost based on the size of the project:
- Salaries and wages have now been included in eligible expenses for the Operational Assistance Grant.
- School projects must receive approval from their respective School Board. School boards are required to now provide formal written requests for any funding projects on school owned lands.
- The County is committed to providing funding to organizations that are in need. The updated Policy includes a recommendation from the Recreation and Parks Master Plan in which organizations must demonstrate financial need by operating at a deficit, or up to a 20% surplus.
If my organization is not in Rocky View County, can I still apply for funding?
Organizations that are located outside of Rocky View County, but serve County residents through their facility or programming, are eligible to apply for funding.
Can an organization apply more than once a year?
Yes. Organizations can apply for one Capital Assistance Grant, and either an Operational Assistance Grant or Community Enhancement Grant each calendar year.
Community Enhancement Funding applications are only accepted for the March application program.
What if I don’t have audited financial statements?
Although the County prefers audited statements, if audited statements are not available, unaudited financials will be accepted as part of the application package. Applications without financial statements will be considered incomplete and may not be recommended for funding.
Do I have to present my application?
Only if your funding requests is $100,000 or more. You will be notified if you need to attend a funding meeting.
Who decides what funding is approved?
The Recreation Governance Committee approves funding applications at their June and December meetings. Grant funding decisions made by the Committee are final. Meeting dates are posted on our website and Committee meetings are livestreamed.
If your funding request is approved, you will receive a notification letter at the email address provided on the application.
If my funding request was approved, how do I receive my money?
If you applied for operational or community enhancement funding, your organization will receive a cheque four to five weeks after the approval from the Recreation Governance Committee.
If your funding approval was for a capital project, cheques are issued for the approved expenses once the receipts are submitted. Based on the funding approval, the applicants will receive up to 50 per cent of the submitted receipts, excluding GST, until the approved funding amount has been reached. For more information, please email recreation@rockyview.ca.
If my funding request was not approved, can I apply again?
Yes. We will advise you on the reason(s) your funding was not approved and work with you to strengthen your application before the next funding deadline.
What is a consumable and why is it not eligible?
Consumable items are defined as items that are not essential for the core operations of the facility or program. These can include clothing, food items, gifts, trophies, flowers, temporary decorations, and other items that do not impact the day-to-day operations of the organization.
How does the capital cost sharing contribution work?
An organization that receives a Capital Assistance Grant is required to contribute to the cost of the project. This contribution can be made through other grant funding, sponsorships, donations, cash contributions, or other fundraising initiatives. For more details, please email recreation@rockyview.ca.