Summary of the Evaluation of Canada Cultural Investment Fund 2018-19 to 2023-24
Overview
Launched in 2001, the Program aims to encourage private sector investment, partnership, and sound business practices to help arts and heritage organizations.
The program had 3 components:
- Endowment Incentives ($18.5M to $20M / year)
- Provides matching funds to arts organizations, of up to one dollar for every dollar raised from private donors, to contribute to endowments.
- Strategic Initiatives ($3M to $4M / year)
- Helped arts and heritage organizations improve their business practices, and diversify revenues through partnerships.Footnote 1
- Limited support to endangered arts organizations (unfunded)
- Meant to support professional organizations facing closure with viable business and restructuring plans. No funding allocated during the evaluation period.
Findings
Relevance
The Arts sector plays a vital role in the Canadian society and economy.
The Program addresses important and distinctive needs of arts sector organizations by fostering sustainability and partnerships, while increasing capacity and financial health.
The Endowment Incentives component is unique at the federal level in providing financial incentives which leverage private funding for arts organizations.
However, high funding demands outweigh available resources:
- Average requested amounts per year over the evaluation period: $31.6M
- Total funding approved per year: $19.6M
The Limited Support for Endangered Arts Organizations went unused during the 6-year evaluation period, despite rising bankruptcies in the sector.
Bankruptcies in the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector increased from 2018 to 2023:
- 52 in 2018
- 114 in 2023
The program was particularly critical during the pandemic, but post-pandemic trends are threatening the stability of arts organizations:
- Decreased Attendance
- Rising Costs
- Declining Donations
- Labour issues
There are opportunities to further improve equitable access to funding, particularly for smaller organizations, equity groups and Indigenous communities.
Effectiveness
Overall, the Program has achieved its expected outcomes. It contributed to Canadians appreciating and investing in arts organizations.
While Canadians donating to arts organizations declined over the periodFootnote 2:
- 31% in 2017
- 20% in 2021
Donations to Program recipients increased by $2.4M from 2018-19 to 2023-24.
- 76% of all organizations funded during the period had created an endowment since 2001.
- $189M leveraged from private sector donations.
- $117,5M provided in total matching grants.
- $239M income generated by endowment funds and distributed to arts organizations.
Gaps in data hindered reporting on results.
The Strategic Initiatives component enabled arts organizations to develop partnerships, create and share resources to improve business practices:
- supported 113 projects;
- brought together 1,054 partners; and
- benefited 44,903 organizations.
Efficiency
The Program was delivered efficiently overall:
- low administrative ratios;
- positive client experiences; and
- met most service standards.
The Endowment Incentives component’s unique funding model of matching private donations stands out as strategic to support sector sustainability.
It supports self-sufficiency and resilience particularly in times of crisis and financial instability.
Larger arts organizations receive most Endowment Incentive funding. Smaller organizations and equity groups face increased barriers.
Recommendations
The evaluation offers 3 recommendations to the Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural Affairs.
- Investigate further options to enhance supports for the arts sector, particularly for smaller arts organizations, including those representing Indigenous peoples and equity groups.
- Improve data collection tools and methods to strengthen performance measurement, reporting, and decision making by further disaggregating data (particularly for equity groups and Indigenous communities).
- Explore the usefulness of the Limited Support for Endangered Arts Organizations component to better address the needs and gaps in the arts sector.
© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Canadian Heritage, 2025.
Cat. No. CH7-77/2025-1E-PDF
ISBN 978-0-660-78150-1