Program Guidelines – Community War Memorial funding

Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) is committed to honouring those who served Canada in times of war, military conflict and peace, and to keeping the memory of their achievements and sacrifices alive for all Canadians. The objective of the Commemorative Partnership Program (CPP) is to provide funding to organizations undertaking remembrance initiatives. These guidelines are to be used by organizations that wish to apply for funding related to the construction, restoration or expansion of a community war memorial. Separate guidelines are available for community engagement projects.

Eligible recipients

Eligible recipients are non-profit and for-profit organizations, in Canada or abroad, as well as Canadian provinces, territories and municipalities. Individuals and federal organizations are not eligible for funding.

Eligible projects

To be eligible, the project must commemorate the achievements and sacrifices of those who served Canada post-Confederation (1867). The project may be related to the construction, restoration or expansion of a community war memorial. It must also be of a finite duration, with clear start and end dates.

Eligible projects may be assessed against the following criteria:

• The applicant has the capacity to deliver the project.
• The project objectives are specific and realistic and clearly support the objective of the CPP.
• The project will engage youth, Veterans, Canadian Armed Forces members and/or the general public in recognizing all those who served in Canada's efforts during war, military conflict and peace.
• The project will have noticeable impact and reach.
• Where agreements for collaboration are required to ensure the successful delivery of the project, contributors have confirmed their participation.
• The proposed budget is reasonable and sufficiently detailed.

Advice from conservation experts may be considered in the review process.

Ineligible projects

A project is not eligible if:

• the memorial is dedicated solely to an individual;
• the memorial is of national significance;
• it is on federal land, with the exception of Reserves;
• it establishes a requirement for ongoing funding;
• it is completed before the application is submitted; or
• its revenues cover or exceed expenditures.

Eligible expenditures

IMPORTANT: Eligible expenditures must be directly related to the project. Only expenditures incurred from the date of receipt of an application to the end of the agreement period may be considered for reimbursement. Priority will be given to expenditures related to the structure, accessibility and safety of the site.

Examples of eligible expenditures include:

• professional fees;
• administrative expenditures (e.g. printing, photocopying, fax, mail);
• equipment and machinery rental expenditures;
• reasonable travel expenditures inherent to the success of the project;
• salaries or wages, consistent with activities undertaken;
• design or assessment fees, consistent with activities undertaken and time required;
• expenditures related to the relocation of a monument, when warranted;
• construction expenditures.

Ineligible expenditures

Ineligible expenditures include, but are not limited to:

• expenditures related to the purchase of land or buildings;
• expenditures related to the construction of buildings or parks;
• operational expenditures; or
• expenditures related to landscaping, benches, garbage cans, and fencing for enhancement purposes.

IMPORTANT: The Government of Canada will not, under any circumstances, assume responsibility for a community war memorial that was funded through CPP.

Funding

Funding may be approved in part or in entirety and is subject to the availability of resources in any given fiscal year. Funding decisions may be based on the number and quality of applications received.

The form of payment (grant or contribution) will be determined based on such elements as the amount of funding provided, the risk associated with the project, the project’s complexity and the management capacity of the applicant.

Up to 50% of eligible expenditures, not exceeding a maximum of $25,000, may be reimbursed. A minimum of 25% of the applicant’s portion of the overall project cost must be cash, while up to 25% can be contributions made in-kind.

VAC encourages and supports projects led by Indigenous communities to honour the achievements and sacrifices of Indigenous Peoples who served. For war memorial projects in Indigenous communities, recipients may be reimbursed up to 100% of eligible expenditures, not exceeding a maximum of $50,000. Please contact the CPP staff at cpp-ppc@veterans.gc.ca for more information.

For projects involving the construction of a new war memorial, VAC will require that inscriptions be in both official languages.

For projects involving the construction of an addition or a new war memorial, applicants may be required to provide the following information in support of an application: documentation to identify ownership of the new or expanded monument; and documentation to identify roles and responsibilities related to the ongoing maintenance of the new or expanded monument.

Recipients must adhere to these guidelines and the conditions set out in the funding agreement, including the submission of a final report that demonstrates the results achieved.

Application

Please review the guidelines and apply through the virtual portal. You can submit your funding application and supporting documents through the portal.

Please note that we no longer accept applications by mail or email.

To speak to CPP staff, call toll free:

• 1-866-522-2122 (English)
• 1-866-522-2022 (French)

To be considered, applications must be duly completed. VAC will acknowledge receipt of applications and may solicit additional information. Only applications deemed complete will be assessed.

Veterans Affairs Canada aims to notify applicants in writing of its funding decision within 12 weeks, provided that an application is deemed complete.

Applications for Community War Memorial funding up to $10,000 are accepted year round.

For more information on application deadlines, please contact CPP staff by email.

Final report

A final report must be submitted at the conclusion of the project. The report will enable the organization to fulfill its obligation of accountability to VAC. The report will serve to measure the results and accomplishments of the initiative.

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