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Metcalf Foundation - Performing Arts Program: Strategic Experimentation Fund

Supports experimentation for performing arts organizations

Offered by
The George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation
Official source: metcalffoundation.com

Source change captured

Funding available
$ 40,000
Deadline
Unspecified
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Who can apply
Professional theatre organizations.
See full eligibility

Overview

The Strategic Experimentation Fund Phase 1 supports Toronto performing arts organizations with up to $40,000 for experimentation. It helps organizations test responses to challenges through iterative experiments, data collection, and sense-making.

At a glance

Funding available

Maximum funding
$40,000
Financing goals
  • Develop a new program or service
  • Increase social or community impact
  • Enhance an existing program
  • Improve governance or administrative structure
  • Conduct research and development activities
  • Strengthen organizational capacity
  • Ensure financial sustainability
  • Conduct research or evaluation activities

Eligible candidates

Location
  • Toronto
  • Ontario
Eligible Industries
All industries
Annual revenue
All revenue ranges
Organisation size
2 employees minimum
Audience
  • Canadians
Legal structures
Non-profit
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
Culture and Arts
Target groups
Artists / creatives, Nonprofits / charities
Scope
Local, Regional

Receipt of requests is now closed

Get notified about updates to this grant.

Availability timeline

2026
Periods: 2

Latest changes

SEF guidelines and deadlines updated

The Strategic Experimentation Fund page now points to a detailed 2026 Phase 1 application guide, while key eligibility, funding, deadline, and application instructions that were previously shown on the page are no longer visible there.

See more

The Strategic Experimentation Fund now shows a 2026 Phase 1 application guide with fuller details, including the request limit of up to $40,000, the application deadline of July 21, 2026 at 2:00 pm ET, and the grant notification date of October 8, 2026. The page content that previously displayed eligibility rules, Q&A dates, application instructions, the grants database link, and phase details is no longer visible on the main program page. The new guide also makes the funding structure explicit: budgets must include an unallocated amount of 15% of the total budget request, administration fees can be up to 10%, and eligible expenses include external human resources, direct experiment implementation, and data collection, analysis, and sense-making. The eligibility focus remains Toronto-based performing arts organizations, including theatre, dance, music, or opera organizations and related service, production, training, or festival organizations, with a minimum of three years of history,

Official source: metcalffoundation.com
July 6, 2026

Eligibility

Who is eligible?

  • Professional theatre organizations.
  • Professional dance organizations.
  • Professional music organizations.
  • Professional opera organizations.
  • Creation, production, professional training, and service organizations working between and among these disciplines.

Who is not eligible

  • Organizations currently participating in SEF 2024.

Eligible expenses

  • External human resources needed to support the design and implementation of the experiments.
  • Direct implementation costs for the experiments.
  • Data collection, analysis, and sense-making costs.
  • Administration fee up to 10% of the total budget request.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

  • Ongoing operating expenses unrelated to the proposed project.
  • Debt repayment.
  • Endowments.
  • Capital projects.

Eligible geographic areas

  • City of Toronto.
  • Greater Toronto Area organizations with a significant presence in Toronto.

Activities funded

  • Phase 1 experimentation to determine a unique challenge, outline hunches, propose initial responses, and design iterative experiments.
  • Data gathering and sense-making activities.
  • Phase 2 amplification as a future option after Phase 1.

How to apply

  • Complete the project budget template found at https://metcalffoundation.com/downloads.
  • Include the organization’s current operating budget, condensed to no more than two pages and not from CADAC.
  • Include the organization’s most recent financial statements.
  • Email one PDF file with all materials to grants@metcalffoundation.com by July 21, 2026, at 2:00pm ET.

Documents Needed

  • The organization’s current operating budget, condensed to no more than two pages and not from CADAC.
  • The organization’s most recent financial statements.
  • A completed project budget template.

Selection criteria

  • The strongest applications clearly articulate a current challenge.
  • The strongest applications identify one or more proposed responses to the challenge.
  • The strongest applications outline experiments that will help determine the potency of the responses.
  • The strongest applications provide appropriate data and learning strategies to support sense-making of experiment outcomes.

Processing and Agreement

  • Applications will be reviewed by Metcalf, assisted by an advisory panel from the performing arts community.
  • Funding decisions will be made by the Metcalf board and decisions are final.
  • Successful grantees will be notified in early October 2026.
  • Successful grantees will receive an email confirmation of receipt after submission; if confirmation is not received within three business hours, applicants should contact Heather Dunford at grants@metcalffoundation.com.

Additional information

  • Successful grantees will be required to discuss their intentions with Metcalf before using the unallocated amount.
  • The unallocated amount must be 15% of the total budget request toward late-stage Phase 1 activities that are unknowable at the time of the original application.
  • Applications will be reviewed by Metcalf, assisted by an advisory panel from the performing arts community.
  • Funding decisions will be made by the Metcalf board and decisions are final.

Contacts

grants@metcalffoundation.com

Official sources

Strategic Experimentation Fund - Metcalf Foundation

Program guide

Performing ARTS Program (2026)
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Frequently Asked Questions about the Metcalf Foundation - Performing Arts Program: Strategic Experimentation Fund Program

What is the Metcalf Foundation - Performing Arts Program: Strategic Experimentation Fund?

The Strategic Experimentation Fund Phase 1 supports Toronto performing arts organizations with up to $40,000 for experimentation. It helps organizations test responses to challenges through iterative experiments, data collection, and sense-making.

How much funding can be received?

Metcalf Foundation - Performing Arts Program: Strategic Experimentation Fund Funds up to $40,000 of admissible expenses.

Who is eligible for the Metcalf Foundation - Performing Arts Program: Strategic Experimentation Fund program?

To be eligible for the Metcalf Foundation - Performing Arts Program: Strategic Experimentation Fund program, you must: Professional performing arts organizations in Toronto. Minimum two FTE staff and three years of history. Valid CRA charitable registration required.

What expenses are eligible under Metcalf Foundation - Performing Arts Program: Strategic Experimentation Fund?

External human resources needed to support the design and implementation of the experiments. Direct implementation costs for the experiments. Data collection, analysis, and sense-making costs. Administration fee up to 10% of the total budget request.

Who can I contact for more information about the Metcalf Foundation - Performing Arts Program: Strategic Experimentation Fund?

You can contact The George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation by email at grants@metcalffoundation.com.

Where is the Metcalf Foundation - Performing Arts Program: Strategic Experimentation Fund available?

The Metcalf Foundation - Performing Arts Program: Strategic Experimentation Fund program is available the province of Ontario.

Is the Metcalf Foundation - Performing Arts Program: Strategic Experimentation Fund a grant, loan, or tax credit?

Metcalf Foundation - Performing Arts Program: Strategic Experimentation Fund is a Grant and Funding