Become a Member for 2025
Help raise our collective voice and advocate for the health and sustainability of Canada’s arts & culture ecosystem.
The Canadian Arts Coalition is a federal, collaborative, ad-hoc and non-partisan advocacy body of people united in the belief that the future of our citizens, their towns and cities, and the country itself depends on rich, vibrant and diverse arts and heritage communities. .
The Coalition’s membership is for organizations and individuals that wish to be united in the advancement of the overall health of Canada’s arts & culture ecosystem. We do so through policy discussion, proactive advocacy and government relations, and public education.
WHY JOIN THE CANADIAN ARTS COALITION?
The Coalition relies on the strength of its membership. Our ability to coordinate effective and representative sector advocacy efforts is a direct result of the investment and the contributions from the membership. Your membership investment contributes to a more equitable collective voice for arts advocacy in federal policy.
Whether you’re an arts service organization (ASO), organization or individual – perhaps you do advocacy already, or perhaps not at all – the Coalition empowers individuals with the tools to do more effective advocacy in their riding and, as part of a wider collective, ensure that the sector is heard by Parliamentarians in Ottawa.
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS & OPPORTUNITIES
In addition to planning and implementing an annual Arts Day on the Hill (where Coalition members advocate to politicians in Ottawa), we work with the regular Government budget lifecycle and hold regular meetings with the membership to inform policy asks and positions, data and storytelling. Throughout the year, Members can participate in the Coalition’s efforts at a level that feels comfortable and within capacity – ranging from simply investing the membership fee to support the cause, being proactive on consultation calls, participating in Volunteer Working Groups, meeting with their MP, and more. Every member has the opportunity to:
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- Attend member-only consultations to put our brains together on policy development and direction, data and research, advocacy storytelling and more;
- Attend member-only consultations to put our brains together on policy development and direction, data and research, advocacy storytelling and more;
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- Receive Calls-to-Action for grassroots and collective advocacy engagement and training;
- Receive Calls-to-Action for grassroots and collective advocacy engagement and training;
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- Access summary resources on key political shifts and policy lifecycles such as: the election, pre-budget cycle, Fall Economic Statement, etc.;
- Access summary resources on key political shifts and policy lifecycles such as: the election, pre-budget cycle, Fall Economic Statement, etc.;
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- Collaborate with peers for sustained momentum of the Coalition, by joining one of our optional member-volunteer working groups (Data and Research, Membership and Outreach, Fundraising, Arts Day Planning, Communications);
- Collaborate with peers for sustained momentum of the Coalition, by joining one of our optional member-volunteer working groups (Data and Research, Membership and Outreach, Fundraising, Arts Day Planning, Communications);
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- All members receive the same communications and opportunities for engagement within the Coalition, and we encourage members to participate in the Coalition in a way that meets your capacity.
In 2025, we will also be preparing for federal election engagement.
Join the growing list of continued and new members for our 2025 year and ensure that the sector is accurately represented in the Coalition’s efforts:
“The Association for Opera in Canada has long believed in the importance of the Canadian Arts Coalition, which is why I volunteer to serve on its Steering Committee. The CAC has an accessible membership structure that levels the playing field, bringing the entire sector together regardless of size or budget to speak as one in the halls of power, with a clear message for collective impact and results.” Christina Loewen, Executive Director, Association for Opera in Canada
“My membership in the Coalition enables me to contribute to the ongoing success of the creative sector with which I have been engaged for over three decades. The satisfaction that comes from engagement with a community I love is indispensable to me.” Sandy Crawley, Actor, Musician and Arts Activist
“As Executive Director of the Brampton Arts Organization and a passionate community activator and artist being part of the Canadian Arts Coalition continues to be an incredible experience. It has provided invaluable opportunities to connect with peers across the sector, grow our advocacy skills, and build meaningful relationships to strengthen support for arts and culture in Canada. Together, we’re making a tangible impact and amplifying the voice of the creative community. Get involved!” Michael Vickers, Brampton Arts Organization
Membership runs from January – December.
MEMBERSHIP CONTRIBUTIONS & FEES
Membership contributions support the Canadian Arts Coalition’s ability to coordinate an engaged membership of various arts organizations and individuals. They also enable CAC to retain Government Relations professionals so that the sector, the public, and policymakers can hear the diverse voices of Canada’s arts and culture communities.
The Canadian Arts Coalition’s membership includes small and large organizations, as well as individual artists and arts supporters. The Membership Committee drafted this fee schedule to remove financial barriers to participation by providing more tiers of membership.
While the cost of membership is based on your organization’s budget from the last fiscal year, we recognize that some organizational budgets can sometimes fluctuate greatly based on awarded grants, project costs, and other factors. Should your last fiscal year’s budget be exceptional, please self-identify which membership tier applies most appropriately.
We want your membership in the Coalition to be sustainable.
We also encourage everyone joining or renewing their membership to consider sponsoring another organization that may not have the financial resources to join or to top up your membership and contribute directly to greater inclusivity and equity at the CAC.
If you have any questions about the membership tiers, how to self-identify, sponsorship, and/or whether a membership is suitable for your organization, do not hesitate to contact us.
*Please also read more notes on the categories below.
| MEMBERSHIP TYPE | ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION |
| Organizations $10M+ | $5,000 |
| Organizations $5M – $9.9M | $4,000 |
| Organizations $2M – $4.9M | $2,500 |
| Organizations $1M – $1.9M | $2,000 |
| Organizations $500,000 – $999,999 | $1,500 |
| Organizations under $500,000 | 2/10ths of 1% based on previous year’s expenses |
| Individual Researchers and Cultural Entrepreneurs | $250 |
| Individuals | $100 |
| Artists and Students | $50 |
For Organizations:
- Determining your fiscal year: base your membership category on an estimated budget that feels most fair to you. You will be asked, on a trust-based approach within the membership intake form, to identify your annual organizational budget and calculate the amount on your sign-up form.
- For organizations with budgets over $500,000, your annual membership fees are specified in the chart above.
- For organizations with budgets under $500,000, the cost of membership is (2/10 of 1%) applied to your organizational budgets from last fiscal year: or example, a budget of $250,000 (250,000 x 0.002 would be $500/year).
- If you are in a position to contribute more, you can top-up your annual membership to help equitably support other organizations and individuals.
- If your organization is not in a financial position to contribute the full monetary amount, please contact us with a very short email-proposal and we can assess on a needs-basis and work with you so you can participate in the Coalition as you would like to!
- Invoices are sent through our financial partner, Business / Arts. Contributions are payable within 90 days of the year with the intention to allow for more easeful cashflow, approvals, and different organizational fiscal years.
For Individuals:
- You have the option of paying any amount between $50 – $250 depending on your self-identified category above. Please choose an annual amount that feels fair and appropriate for you.
