Honouring a 15 Year Partnership
Honouring a 15 Year Partnership
A shared commitment to Canada’s cultural sector through artsvest
As National Partners of theartsvest program from 2011 to 2025, the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Government of Canada have been instrumental in the development of a national program that strengthens Canada’s cultural sector and advances public-private partnerships in communities across the country.
artsvest is Business / Arts’ signature mentorship and training program, designed to help small cultural organizations build and sustain meaningful relationships with business. Through mentorship, training, peer learning, and practical tools, artsvest helps organizations strengthen skills in sponsorship, fundraising, governance, and organizational resilience. The program supports organizations in growing revenue, deepening community connections, and building long-term cross-sector partnerships.
Over 15 years, the Government of Canada’s forward-looking investment has helped establish a strong foundation for artsvest, enabling thousands of organizations to build more resilient and diversified operating models. This work has sparked new partnerships between businesses and cultural organizations and contributed to significant growth in private sector support for the arts.
To date, 3,260 organizations have participated in artsvest, resulting in 6,403 new business partnerships and more than $28.25M in new private sector investment. Combined with regional matching funds, the program has generated a total impact of $39.3M for Canada’s cultural sector.
Program Highlights from 2022 to 2025
The most recent phase of this partnership was a four-year investment of $1.8 million from Canadian Heritage, and represents the program’s largest and most impactful phase to date.
Key outcomes include:
- A national program supporting 840 arts organizations
- 1,800+ individuals engaged in training (staff, board members, and volunteers)
- Participation from 12 provinces and territories (all except Nunavut)
- 70% of organizations serving equity-deserving communities
- 66% serving rural, remote, or under-served communities
- 35 national webinars and 33 peer sessions, with over 5,000 registered participants and views
- Training across sponsorship, fundraising, marketing, governance, HR, finance, EDIA, advocacy, change management, and organizational leadership
- 245 mentoring relationships, including an Indigenous mentorship circle with 54 Indigenous mentors and participants from across Canada
- 1,055 local partnerships between businesses and cultural organizations
- Enhanced regional delivery in seven jurisdictions: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, Ontario, City of Toronto, and City of Greater Sudbury
- 189% average ROI for regional government partners through the matching program
- Approximately $1.2 million in direct annual economic impact
The artsvest program is a clear example of successful public-private partnership in action. For every dollar invested by the federal government, an additional $2.70 is generated from businesses and partners. The result is stronger cultural organizations, deeper and longer-lasting partnerships between the business and cultural sectors, and more resilient communities across the country.
We remain deeply grateful to the Government of Canada for their 15 years of support for artsvest. The incredible momentum we built together will continue into the next phase of artsvest, as we embark on a new partnership with the Canada Council for the Arts. Learn more about artsvest here.
