The Banff Centre applauds increased arts and culture funding in Federal budget    

Banff, Alberta, March 20, 2013 -- The Government of Canada announced today that the cap for the Endowment Incentives Matching Program, administered by the Department of Canadian Heritage, will grow from $10.0 million to $15.0 million over five years. The increase will benefit Banff Centre artists, as well as arts organizations across the country.  

“Minister James Moore has been a strong advocate for arts and culture, and he has proven his support again with this significant increase in the Government of Canada’s funding for the Endowment Incentives Matching Program,” says Jeff Melanson, president of The Banff Centre. “Partnership programs like this, matching private donor dollars with support from the Government of Canada, enable institutions like The Banff Centre to bring Canadian art and ideas to the world. This program extension will benefit all arts organizations, while particularly encouraging small to midsized institutions to build stronger endowments and financial support.”

The endowment incentives component of the Canada Cultural Investment Fund helps promote corporate philanthropy and private investment in the arts by providing government grants to match private donations. This year, The Banff Centre Foundation received $1.2 million in federal matching funds from the Endowment Incentives Matching Program, funding that has supported training in artistic disciplines including theatre, music, film and media, and the visual, literary, and Indigenous arts. The funding was a 100 per cent match for $1.2 million in private donor support for Banff Centre endowments.  

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