FOPL inquired of Library & Archives Canada about public library eligibility for these grants.
Here is their answer:
“Good afternoon Mr. Abram:
Thank you for your interest in Library and Archives Canada’s (LAC) Documentary Heritage Community Program (DHCP). Your correspondence was forwarded to my attention in order to provide clarity with respect to the Program’s eligibility.
LAC has defined ineligible DHCP recipients as :
“Businesses, government and government institution (including municipal governments and Crown Corporations), museums without archives, and universities and colleges are not eligible to apply under the DHCP.”
The Program is designed to support institutions/organizations/associations that do not have a regular source of funding. It therefore excludes entities that receive regular sources of funding from any level of Government (i.e., “government and government institution –including municipal governments and Crown Corporations”). LAC describes “regular sources of funding” as institutions/organizations/associations that appear in the annual budgets of any level of government and that receive funds without an application process. It is important to note that organizations and associations who receive funding through grants or contributions from any level of government and who are administered independently, are still eligible under the DHCP. Given the definition above, you are correct, public libraries are ineligible to receive funding from the DHCP; however publicly funded archives and museums with archives are ineligible as well.
Please note that professional associations that are incorporated bodies that represent the interest of archivists, librarians, historians, authors or information managers and/or that are dedicated to their professional development, are eligible under the DHCP and it is possible for ineligible organizations to provide support for projects administered by eligible recipients. This support may be in the form in-kind or financial contributions, but funds may not be transferred to ineligible organizations.
Regards,
Kimberley
Kimberley Macies
Kimberley.Macies@bac-lac.gc.ca
Directrice générale p.i.
Relations avec les intervenants, Support aux communautés et collaboration
Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
*******
A/ Director General
Stakeholder Relations and International Affairs and Supporting Communities and Collaboration
Library and Archives Canada”
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So, the upshot is that your public library can become eligible by partnering with an eligible institution or association.
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A Library & Archives Canada national program for grants. There are two financial thresholds within the Program: Contributions below $15,000 (small) and contributions between $15,000 and $100,000 (large).
Grants: The Documentary Heritage Community Program (DHCP)
What’s new?
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is investing $8,698,000 million over five (5) years to implement the Documentary Heritage Communities Program (DHCP) to ensure Canada’s continuing memory is documented and accessible to current and future generations by adopting a more collaborative approach with local documentary heritage communities. The program will be delivered in the form of contributions, which are based on eligibility criteria.
The contributions will support the development of Canada’s local archival and library communities by increasing their capacity to preserve, provide access to and promote documentary heritage and will provide opportunities for local documentary heritage communities to evolve and remain sustainable and strategic.
The Documentary Heritage Community Program (DHCP)
- Program objectives
- Application deadline
- How to apply
- Eligibility
- Service standards
- Public acknowledgement of financial support
- Funding History
- Supporting documentation
- Contact us
Program objectives
The Documentary Heritage Community Program (DHCP) ensures that Canada’s continuing memory is documented and accessible to current and future generations by adopting a more collaborative approach with local documentary heritage communities. The program will be delivered in the form of contributions that will support the development of Canada’s local archival and library communities by increasing their capacity to preserve, provide access to and promote local documentary heritage. Additionally, the Program will provide opportunities for local documentary heritage communities to evolve and remain sustainable and strategic.
The DHCP provides financial assistance to the Canadian documentary heritage community for activities that:
- Increase access to, and awareness of Canada’s local documentary institutions and their holdings; and
- Increase the capacity of local documentary heritage institutions to better sustain and preserve Canada’s documentary heritage.
Application deadline
Application cycle will last 12 weeks, beginning on June 12, 2015 and closing on September 4, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
How to apply
DHCP Guidelines have been created to help applicants through the application process.
The following three documents must be completed and submitted with the supporting documents, listed in the Application Checklist, as part of the application process:
Completed application forms must be sent no later than the application deadline date. Signed hard copies sent by mail or courier, or hand-delivered, must be postmarked by the deadline date. If the application is sent electronically, the embedded sent date must be no later than 11:59 p.m. pacific time on the deadline date.
Project proposals are reviewed once each cycle, for more details on the review process, please consult the DHCP Guidelines.
Eligibility
For applicant and project eligibility, please refer to the DHCP Guidelines.
Service standards
LAC has set service standards for the timely delivery of the acknowledgement of receipt, funding decision and payment processes. The following service standards have been set for the DHCP.
Acknowledgement
Our goal is to acknowledge receipt of your application form within 15 calendar days.
Decision
Our goal is to issue official written notification of funding decisions within 11 weeks of the program’s application deadline date.
Payment
Our goal is to issue payments within 28 calendar days of the successful fulfillment of requirements outlined in the contribution agreement.
Note: For contributions over $15,000, a 15% holdback may be imposed and will be paid upon completion of the project and receipt of the final assessment and financial report. The Program may provide advanced funding based on a demonstrated need; please refer to the DHCP Guidelines for more information.
Our performance target is to meet these standards for the majority of files. The achievement of these service standards is a shared responsibility. All required documentation must be submitted in a timely fashion.
Public acknowledgement of financial support
The Recipient is required to acknowledge publicly the financial assistance of the Government of Canada. In any promotional programs, advertising and publicity for the activities funded under this program. Acknowledgement shall be given to LAC in a manner reflecting Canada’s contribution. This acknowledgement shall be in both official languages. For more information, please consult the Guide on the Public Acknowledgment of Financial Assistance from Library and Archives Canada.
Funding history
Once selected projects are completed, they will be listed below. Note that project descriptions are listed in the language in which they were provided.
- 2015-2016 [Currently ongoing]
Supporting documentation
- Final Assessment & Financial Reporting (Coming soon)
- Conditions of a Contribution (Coming soon)
Contact us
The Documentary Heritage Communities Program
Telephone: 819-997-0893 or 1-844-757-8035 (toll-free in Canada and the US)
TTY: 613-992-6969 or 1-866-299-1699 (toll-free in Canada)
Fax: 819-934-5835
Email: contributions@bac-lac.gc.ca