Community Culture Development Fund

The Community Culture Development Fund (CCDF) is a City of Red Deer grant program that provides financial support to not-for-profit organizations delivering arts, culture, and heritage initiatives in our community.
The Community Culture Development Fund is a City of Red Deer gran program

Community Culture Development Fund (CCDF) has two (2) funding streams:

  1. Culture Opportunities Category – applications accepted on an ongoing basis
  2. Culture Development Category – 3-year funding cycle:
    • Next funding cycle 2029-2031

Grant funds are intended to assist organizations in their efforts to:

  • Build capacity to provide a service
  • Develop new cultural programs and services
  • Produce a community-based special event or festival
  • Act as an umbrella organization for other cultural organizations

A Definition of Culture

For the purpose of this grant, “culture” can be experienced through the formal and informal interaction of the many forms of creative expressions and exploration of our heritage as a community or as individuals.

Learn about the Culture Vision and Master Plan.

Community Culture Development Funding Opportunities

Community Culture Development Fund (CCDF) has two (2) funding streams:

Culture Opportunities Category

Purpose

Support for new opportunities and/or emerging projects related to arts and culture. These include items and/or projects that foster creativity, arts and culture and may not occur without CCDF Opportunities funding.

Opportunities may fall within the following descriptions:

  1. Capacity - Support to service providers to attend training opportunities that build talent and leadership capacity within the culture community.
  2. Equipment - One-time purchase of specialized equipment necessary for the delivery of cultural activities.
  3. Events - Support to first-time or pilot projects, or events that demonstrate significant change from previous iterations. A significant change to an event may include a new venue, a different target audience, or a revised purpose.
  4. Emergency Project Funding - One-time support for projects experiencing unforeseen challenges that could threaten their feasibility. These are time sensitive where planning was not possible.

Funding Opportunity

Up to $3000

Applications

Applicants may apply for this funding at any time – there is no deadline.  Allow up to 4 weeks from receipt of application to decision.  This category remains open annually until funds are expended.

Application Forms

Reporting

Within one month of project completion, successful applicants will be required to submit reporting forms.

Reporting Forms

Culture Development Category

Purpose

Provides support to service providers to offset project costs required to deliver culture programs and services within the community.

Funding Opportunity

Up to $30,000/year for 3 years

Applications

The application period for the 2026-2028 funding cycle is now closed. The next funding cycle is 2029-2031 and the application period will open in August 2028. 

Reporting

Annual reporting for CCDF - Development Category funding received in 2025 must be completed in the SmartSimple Platform by January 31, 2026. You will be able to access the reporting tool as early as October 2025.

Appeals

Community Development will consider appeals only in instances where the appellant believes there has been an error in fact or in process in the handling of their submission. Disagreement with a final funding decision in itself does not warrant an appeal. To make an appeal, complete your Appeal Form (pdf) and submit it to CultureMailbox@reddeer.ca.

Appeal deadline: Friday, November 28, 2025

Annual Reports

View the annual reports to learn about local culture activities that received support from the Community Culture Development Fund grant program in that year.