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1. PURPOSE STATEMENT
The purpose of this Policy is to outline the guidelines and process for the Town's
Financial Assistance for Recreation (FAR) program, aimed at ensuring that all youth in
the Town of Salisbury, regardless of their financial circumstances, have equal access to
recreational opportunities.
2. DEFINITIONS
- "Canada Child Benefit Statement (CCB)" means a document provided by the
Government of Canada to eligible families or individuals who have children. The
Canada Child Benefit is a tax-free monthly payment designed to help Canadian
families with the cost of raising children;
- "Chief Administrative Officer" means the head of the municipal administration.
The individual is the only employee who reports directly to Council "CAO";
- "Clerk/Treasurer" means the employee appointed to oversee financial and
accounting procedures and serve as the municipal Clerk, pursuant to section
74(1) and 76(1) of the Local Governance Act, SNB 2018, c.18.;
- "Director of Recreation and Wellness" means the head of the Department of
Recreation and Wellness;
- "Donation" means, pursuant to the Canada Revenue Agency, a cash gift in the
net-amount of a donation to the FAR program, minus any recognition or benefit
that is received, and therefore eligible for a receipt for tax purpose(s);
- "Family" means a household unit living at the same address and/or with the
same dependent(s), for the purposes of the FAR program;
- "Gas, Equipment, and Tournament Grant ("GET")" means the specific grant
dedicated to funding gas costs, hotel and/or motel costs, and/or equipment costs;
- "Individual Child Grant" means a grant offered by Canadian Tire JumpStart,
designed to help individual children and their families with limited financial means
to participate in sport;
POLICY
Department:
Recreation & Wellness
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR
RECREATION POLICY
Effective Date: May 1, 2024
Last Reviewed Date: March 10, 2025
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- "Low-Income Cut-Offs (LICO)" means a statistical measure used in Canada to
assess the economic well-being of individuals and families. LICOs help identify
those who may be experiencing financial hardship or living in poverty;
- "Recipient" means an individual recipient or child who is receiving a grant
through the FAR program;
- "Registration Assistance Grant (RAG)" means the specific grant dedicated to
funding the registration cost(s) of a given leisure activity;
- "Sponsorship" means, pursuant to the Canada Revenue Agency's definition,
when a business makes a donation toward the cost of a charity's activity or event
and, in return, the charity advertises or promotes the business's brand, products
or services
3. ELIGIBILITY
General Requirements:
- The beneficiaries must live within the Town of Salisbury.
- Children must be between the ages of 4 - 18 years old at the time of the
recreation activity taking place.
- Funding is allocated to sustained programs that involve a sport, art, membership,
leisure activity, education component, and/or physical activity.
- Programs or memberships should be a minimum of four weeks in duration and
include at least one session per week. In the case of camps, the program must
last at least five consecutive days for consideration.
- Recipients shall receive up to $300 per calendar year under the FAR program,
and families may be eligible for up to $500 per calendar year.
- Approval and amount(s) of funding is subject to funding availability and is offered
on a first-come, first-serve basis. Priority will be given to applicants who meet
Low-Income Cut-Offs and/or who have not previously received FAR funding.
- All grants are subject to the approval of the Town of Salisbury's Director of
Recreation and Wellness or equivalent, pursuant to this Policy.
Financial Requirements:
- In order to maximize equitable funding amongst families who need it most,
families who meet JumpStart's specific financial criteria, using the Canada's Low-
Income Cut-Offs (LICO), will be asked to first apply for JumpStart's Individual
Child Grant prior to applying for Registration Assistance Grant (RAG) funds
through the FAR program. The FAR program will then cover the remaining
registration cost(s) not covered by JumpStart's Individual Child Grant. These
recipients will also be pre-approved for up to $300 from the Gas, Equipment, and
Tournament Grant (GET), minus the amount given to cover the cost of
registration.
- Recipients who do not fall within Revenue Canada's Low-Income Cut-Offs
(LICO) will be eligible to apply for up $200 per recipient.
List of eligible activities, programs, and memberships:
- Organized sports (through an association, club, or school):
o Baseball
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o Ice Hockey
o Field Hockey
o Basketball
o Football
o Soccer
o Pickleball
o Tennis
o Volleyball
o Cricket
o Lawn bowling
o Golf
o Field Hockey
o Martial Arts
o Badminton
o Rugby
o Lacrosse
o Wrestling
o Track & field
- Swimming lessons
- Summer camps
- March break camps
- Sport camps
- Dance classes
- Cheerleading
- Art classes
- Gym memberships
- Fitness classes
- Theatre programs
- Other program(s) at the discretion of the Director of Recreation and Wellness
4. APPLICATION PROCESS
RAG:
Applications:
- Applications for registration costs are accepted up to three times per year.
- Applications submitted where the program has concluded will not be reviewed.
- Applicants will be required to disclose financial need, which may include
providing a current copy of the Canada Child Benefit and/or income statement.
Under exceptional circumstances, alternative confirmation of eligibility will be
accepted on a case-by-case basis, at the sole discretion of the Director of
Recreation and Wellness.
- Applicants are required to apply using an online form providing details related to
the programming, financial need, etc. The Town reserves the right to change the
application questions at their discretion.
Timelines:
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- Applicants are eligible to request funding year-round up to their allotted
maximum.
- Funding decisions are made within four weeks of the application.
- The annual funding allocation shall be evenly distributed across each quarter of
the Town's fiscal year.
GET:
The Gas, Equipment, and Transportation (GET) grant is intended to cover costs that
may be prohibitive to accessing recreation opportunities but are generally not eligible for
comparable funding programs.
Application and Application Process:
- Applicants are required to apply using an online form providing details related to
the programming, financial need, etc. The Town reserves the right to change the
application questions at their discretion.
- Applications for funding for GET are accepted on an ongoing basis while funds
permit.
- Incurring expenses does not guarantee funding. Successful applicants will
receive a notification of approval, although funds are not disbursed until proof of
payment, unless funding is provided specifically for gas expenses in the form of
gift card.
Timelines:
- Applicants are eligible to request funding year-round up to their allotted
maximum.
- Funding decisions are made within ten business days.
5. EVALUATION PRIORITIZATION MATRIX
The Administration of the FAR program is subject to available funds. As such, the Town
has an Evaluation Prioritization Matrix that serves as a structured tool designed to guide
the assessment process of applications submitted to FAR. This matrix ensures a
comprehensive and consistent approach to inform funding decisions that align with the
program's objectives and priorities.
In the order of priority, funding decisions will be prioritized based on the following
factors:
i.
Low income
a) Utilizing Revenue Canada's Low-Income Cut-Offs (LICO),
applications that assist low-income applications will be prioritised
to leverage other funding (e.g.: JumpStart) and ensure equitable
access to recreation.
ii.
Activity that takes place within the Town of Salisbury
a) Priority will be given to those participating in activities located
within the Town of Salisbury. In the event of a lack of facility to
offer a sport, an equivalent organization serving Salisbury directly,
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at the discretion of the Director, shall constitute an activity taking
place within Salisbury.
iii.
Multiple sport/activities
a) Priority will be given to those who are participating in multiple
sport/activities within a given year, as this often requires
additional funding. However, applicants may only receive up to
their annual allowance from the FAR program.
6. FUNDING DISPERSMENT
In the event of an approval for registration costs, the Town shall make a cheque(s)
payable to the organization directly. The Town shall provide confirmation of contribution
for the applicants registration purposes.
In the event of an approval under the GET stream, the Town shall re-imburse costs
upon proof of payment. In exceptional circumstances, at the discretion of the Director of
Recreation and Wellness, the funds may be provided upfront.
In the event of a declination of funding, the Town shall notify the applicant in writing.
7. SIGNING AUTHORITY
Funds shall be administered by the Director of Recreation and Wellness. All funds shall
be administered by Town employees as in-kind contributions to the Program, but shall
not constitute funds in the Town's General Operating Fund.
The following outlines the signing authority:
Item
First Signature
Second Signature
Cheques
Director of Recreation and
Wellness
OR
Chief Administrative Officer
Clerk/Treasurer
OR
Chief Administrative Officer
Bank Account Authorization Director of Recreation and
Wellness
Clerk/Treasurer
8. GOVERNANCE
The FAR Program shall be administered by the Town of Salisbury's Recreation
Department, with oversight from the Town's Community Enhancement Committee, who
is accountable to Salisbury Town Council.
The FAR program shall produce a publicly available annual report, summarizing
fundraising efforts and disbursement summaries.
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The following outline the responsibilities of the FAR Program:
Municipal Council
- Revise and adopt the FAR Program Policy as required;
- Authorize the allocation of municipal resources to administer the program;
- Approve and revise Terms of Reference of the oversight committee, being the
Community Enhancement Committee, as may be required.
Department of Recreation and Wellness:
- Prepare an Annual Report of the FAR program;
- Ensure sustainability of the program by administering fundraising efforts;
- Review FAR applications and allocate funding pursuant to this policy.
Community Enhancement Committee:
- The Committee, in collaboration with the Director of Recreation and Wellness, is
responsible for assisting with the FAR program fundraisers, sponsorship
solicitation, and program promotion.
- The Committee is responsible for recommending proposed changes to the
Director to bring forward to Council as may be required.
9. FUNDRAISING AND SPONSORSHIPS
The Town recognizes the importance of sponsors and donors to administer the FAR
program.
Personal & Organizational Donations:
- All donations shall be noted, unless otherwise requested to be omitted, in the
annual report.
- All donations shall be included in a social media post by the Town of Salisbury, at
least once per annum.
- All donations shall be recognized by the Town and its FAR recipients by way of a
thank-you card/note.
- All personal donations, pursuant to the Canada Revenue Agency, are eligible for
a Charitable Tax Receipt.
- Pursuant to the Canada Revenue Agency guidelines on receipts for charitable
purchases, organizations shall receive receipts for tax purposes for donations,
but shall not receive additional promotion(s), unless they become a presenting
sponsor, pursuant to the appropriate section of this Policy.
Presenting Sponsors:
- Organizations that wish to become a presenting sponsor shall be recognized on
promotional material for the FAR program, including but not limited to: printed
pamphlets, on all social media posts promoting FAR (by way of a logo), and in
text/presentations related to the program. Presenting sponsors shall make a
donation of at least $5000 per annum, which shall be considered a sponsorship.
- This $5000 contribution shall be considered "special recognition", pursuant to the
Canada Revenue Agency's guidelines on sponsorships or donation.
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Organizations are not eligible to receive a donation receipt for these contributions
as they are considered recognition and/or advertising and must therefore be
considered an advertising expense for the contributor.
- No presenting sponsor shall be accepted for more than $5000 per annum.
Contributions that exceed $5000 shall not receive additional recognition and shall
be considered an organizational donation, which shall be considered an
organizational donation.