100% Municipally funded grants and contributions financial information and notice

Notice

For the following grants and contributions, the amounts listed in this section represent actual grants and contributions disbursed in the specified year by the Corporation of the City of Ottawa, under Section 107 of the Municipal Act. The recipients listed in this section are the organizations or aggregate groupings of private households / individuals who received the funds directly from the City of Ottawa, without the City receiving goods or services in return. The administration of grant and contribution programs funded wholly by the City is governed by the corporate Grants and Contributions Policy.

The information reported may differ from information reported elsewhere on ottawa.ca or to Committee and Council for the following reasons:

• Certain programs report allocations when they are approved
• Final payments to recipients could differ. Certain programs combine municipal grants and contributions with other types of funding when reporting their activity
• Certain recipients listed are sponsors who redistribute the funds to other organizations or private households / individuals
• Payments made may relate to a program that occurred in a prior year, and likewise, payments related to a program could occur in a future year
• Negative amounts represent funds returned to the City

Financial information does not include the following:

• Purchases of service, which are conditional payments for services delivered by non-governmental organizations for services that are part of a City program, or for which the City has some other form of direct responsibility
• Federal and Provincial programs, where money flows through the City of Ottawa
• Goods in kind, services, assets and subsidies provided by the City that are not associated with funding programs

Policy statement 

The City of Ottawa (“the City”) is committed to a consistent, effective, risk management -based approach to the design and delivery of grant and contribution (G&C) programs. 

Purpose 

The objective of this Policy is to put forth a governance framework that ensures: 

• Appropriate internal controls exist for the development and administration of G&C programs 
• Funds are only transferred as part of a program that has been approved by City Council 
• All G&C programs accurately reflect City Council priorities 
• Clear roles and responsibilities are established across the City for the administration of G&C programs 
• Guidance and direction are provided for establishing, managing and monitoring G&C programs 
• Complete and accurate documentation are declared as Official Business Records. 
• Any systemic issues are identified and resolved 

This framework creates an appropriate balance between process controls and flexibility to achieve accountability, transparency, impartiality, and effectiveness. 

Application 

This Policy applies to all G&C programs, which are 100% funded by the City, and to all staff involved in the administration of G&C programs. 

G&Cs are payments, which are made under Section 107 of the Municipal Act, 2001, where the City does not directly receive goods or services in return. The beneficiaries of G&Cs are City residents or local organizations, not the City itself, as a corporation. Municipal G&Cs are prohibited to commercial corporations pursuant to section 106 of the Municipal Act, 2001. 

Local boards or agencies of the City are distinct organizations, and therefore need to have their own policies relating to G&Cs. This Policy does not apply to the annual Business Improvement Areas (BIA) levies, however, G&C programs administered by local BIAs and 100% funded by the City are subject to this Policy. 

Policy exemptions 

Payments made pursuant to legislation or regulations other than the Municipal Act, 2001, are exempt from this Policy, such as those made under the Conservation Authorities Act or the Ontario Works Act, 1997. 

Subsidy programs obtaining funding from sources other than the City are also exempt. 

In-kind goods or services are exempt from this Policy. 

Public Private Partnerships are governed by the Public Private Partnership Policy and Procedures and are therefore not subject to this Policy. 

Payments for services delivered where the City’s Procurement By-Law 

Policy requirements 

Program approval 

All G&C programs must be approved by Council. G&Cs, which are 100% City may only be transferred as part of a program that has been approved by Council. On-going G&C programs need to be re-affirmed once per Term of Council. 

Program design 

G&C programs should be transparent and impartial. The Grants and Contributions Procedures provide the detailed requirements for program design, monitoring and reporting. Deciding whether a program will provide a grant or a contribution should be based on a risk assessment of the overall program, the applicants and the recipients. 

Program monitoring 

Funding provided through a G&C program cannot be allocated to recipients in the absence of a legally binding document. The recipient is required to sign off on the terms and conditions of funding, in order to ensure consistent and equitable oversight and monitoring. 

Program Owners are responsible for monitoring recipient compliance with the terms and conditions of the funding. The nature and frequency of contact with each recipient is contingent on the risk associated with the recipient and the G&C program. 

Program reporting 

G&C funding reports are posted on Ottawa.ca annually. These reports provide the names of all recipients and the funding payments made during the previous year. This allows the public to see G&Cs awarded and G&C programs available across the City, supporting the Transparency and Accountability Policy. 

Responsibilities 

City Council 

• Approve and re-affirm all G&C programs 
• Review and approve any substantive changes to existing G&C programs 

Program owners 

• Maintain compliance with the Grants and Contributions Policy and Procedures in the development, administration, monitoring and documentation of programs 
• Ensure all G&C programs are approved by Council 
• Design and evaluate G&C programs 
• Work with Legal Services to ensure appropriate documents are in place for all G&Cs, which outline terms and conditions of funding, and ensuring that agreements are updated, as required 
• Monitor recipient compliance with the terms and conditions of funding 
• Ensure that funding agreements or equivalent are signed by recipients prior to the release of funds 
• Ensure that appropriate staff sign funding agreements prior to the release of funds 
• Provide an annual attestation (by email, template or other written means) to Grants and Contributions Compliance Coordinator (GCCC) confirming that the requirements of the Grants and Contributions Policy and Procedures have been verified   
• Adhere to the process outlined in Appendix B: Employee Declaration for Conflicts of Interest Pertaining to Grants and Contributions, where a potential or real conflict of interest is declared by the employee 
• File Appendix B: Employee Declaration for Conflicts of Interest Pertaining to Grants and Contributions and the Manager’s (HR Level 5 or above) approval as an Official Business Record in RMS or appropriate SharePoint Online site 
• Review and approve the annual G&Cs reports prior to posting on Ottawa.ca 
• Notify the Grants and Contribution Compliance Coordinator (GCCC) of new or changing G&C programs in a timely manner 
• Retain all documentation required by this Policy and the Grants and Contributions Procedures as Official Business Records in an approved records repository (RMS or SharePoint)

Grants and Contributions Compliance Coordinator (GCCC) 

• Post G&C program recipients and payments annually, on Ottawa.ca, by June 30th of the following year 
• Promote and facilitate collaboration among departments and the sharing of best practices 
• Coordinate an annual meeting of G&C Program Owners to share best practices for program administration 
• Engage in internal stakeholder consultations to solicit feedback on emerging issues and process improvements 
• Maintain the Grants and Contributions Program Register 
• Address contraventions of the Grants and Contributions Policy with the Program Owner 
• Escalate any serious contraventions to the department General Manager and the Policy owner 
• Review the annual compliance self-assessment checklists or attestations from Program Owners to determine if there are any compliance issues requiring management’s attention 

Finance Shared Services (Finance Services Department) 

• Ensure the City’s financial coding structure is used appropriately and consistently 
• Provide support to departments in reviewing financial information 
• Assist departments in the budget reconciliation and payment process 
• Coordinate the review of financial data for client departments prior to posting on Ottawa.ca 

Legal Services 

• Work with Program Owners to ensure appropriate documents are in place for all G&Cs, which outline the terms and conditions of funding 
• Ensure that all documents contain appropriate provisions related to insurance, audit, privacy, accessibility and occupational health and safety 
• As requested by the Program Owner, review, stamp and initial all G&C funding agreements as “Approved for Execution” 
• Support departments and the GCCC as required 

Employee’s Manager 

• Where a potential or real conflict of interest is declared by the employee, adhere to the process outlined in Appendix B: Employee Declaration for Conflicts of Interest Pertaining to Grants and Contributions 

Program Owner’s Manager 

In the event that a Program Owner declares a conflict of interest, the Program Owner’s Manager is responsible to discuss mitigation measures as appropriate with the employee. The Program Owner’s Manager files evidence of the decision and any supporting documentation as an Official Business Record in RMS or appropriate SharePoint Online site. 

Employees involved in program administration 

• Notify their Manager or Supervisor and Program Owner in a timely manner of any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest to determine any mitigation measures, where required 
• Review and complete Appendix B: Employee Declaration for Conflicts of Interest Pertaining to Grants and Contributions 

Monitoring/Contraventions 

All staff involved with G&C programs are responsible for maintaining compliance with the Grants and Contributions Policy and Procedures. Program Owners are responsible for ensuring that their program(s) complies with this Policy and the Grant and Contributions Procedures, and for providing an annual attestation(s) to this effect when submitting information for the financial report. The GCCC will monitor compliance with the Policy through the annual reporting process. For G&C programs, the Program Owner will be consulted by the GCCC prior to the General Manager being notified of potential non-compliance. 

All Program Owners must retain appropriate documentation as Official Business Records for all G&Cs. An annual self-assessment must be conducted to ensure all required elements of program approval, design, monitoring and evaluation are supported and documentation is complete and accurate. 

The Grants and Contributions Program Compliance Checklist (Appendix A of the Grants and Contributions Procedures) is a tool to assist program owners in ensuring compliance with this Policy. 

Legislative and administrative authorities 

Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25, as amended 
Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.56 
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, S.O. 2005, c.11 
Delegation of Authority By-law 
Procurement By-Law  

Recordkeeping requirements  

As per the Records Management Policy, Official Business Records generated as a result of the execution of this policy must be declared as such in the appropriate SharePoint site, RMS (Records Management System) or approved business system.  

Definitions 

Contributions: Conditional transfer payments to an individual or organization that are subject to being accounted for or audited. Performance objectives and reporting requirements must be specified in a funding agreement. 

Grant or Contribution Programs: Programs approved by City Council that  provide funding to local organizations or individuals for projects or initiatives that help to achieve Council priorities and City program objectives. The City does not directly receive goods or services in return for G&C payments. The beneficiaries of G&Cs are City residents or local organizations who receive the funding, not the City itself, as a corporation. 

Grants: Unconditional transfer payments to an individual or organization that are not subject to being accounted for or audited. Recipients are required to sign off on the terms and conditions of funding and may need to report on results achieved for accountability purposes. 

Program Owner: The departmental staff member who is responsible for administering the G&C programs or supervising the staff who handle the program administration. 

Grants and Contributions Reporting

The City of Ottawa is committed to the delivery of grant and contribution programs.

The city supports a number of Council approved grants and contributions programs. Each program is administered by one of the city departments within a well-defined framework supporting transparency and accountability.

Reporting

Reporting of grants and contributions program payments occurs annually by June 30th for the previous year on Ottawa.ca pages.

There are eight portfolios within the Grants and Contributions program that are reported individually.  Each portfolio may involve multiple departments depending on the nature of each program.:

• Rural Programs
• Recreation Programs
• Other
• Planning
• Environment
• Economic Development
• Culture
• Social

A list of programs for this portfolio for the 2023 Grants and Contributions reporting period is provided below:

2023 Grants and Contributions Report

Grants and Contributions Reporting

The City of Ottawa is committed to the delivery of grant and contribution programs.

The City supports a number of Council approved grants and contributions programs. Each program is administered by one of the City departments within a well-defined framework supporting transparency and accountability.

Reporting

Reporting of grants and contributions program payments occurs annually by June 30th for the previous year on Ottawa.ca pages.

There are eight portfolios within the Grants and Contributions program that are reported individually.  Each portfolio may involve multiple departments depending on the nature of each program.:

• Rural Programs funding
• Recreation Programs funding
• Other funding
• Development, planning and building funding 
• Environment funding
• Economic Development funding
• Culture funding
• Social funding

A List of programs for this portfolio for the 2022 Grants and Contributions reporting period is provided below:

2022 Grants and Contributions Report

Grants and Contributions Reporting

The City of Ottawa is committed to the delivery of grant and contribution programs.

The City supports a number of Council approved grants and contributions programs. Each program is administered by one of the City departments within a well-defined framework supporting transparency and accountability.

Reporting

Reporting of grants and contributions program payments occurs annually by June 30th for the previous year on Ottawa.ca pages.

There are eight portfolios within the Grants and Contributions program that are reported individually.  Each portfolio may involve multiple departments depending on the nature of each program.:

• Rural Programs funding
• Recreation Programs funding
• Other funding
• Development, planning and building funding 
• Environment funding
• Economic Development funding
• Culture funding
• Social funding

A List of programs for this portfolio for the 2021 Grants and Contributions reporting period is provided below: