Whether your Society has five members or hundreds, the OAA is here to help! On this page, you will find a number of resources for your Local Society and answers to your most frequently asked questions.
Special Project Funding
The Special Project Funding (SPF) program, coordinated by the OAA Communications and Public Education Committee (CPEC), is intended for the Local Architecture Societies. It is awarded to carry out special projects or events (i.e. not continuous initiatives) that cannot be covered by current assets of a Local Society, and further the OAA’s objective to establish classes, schools, exhibitions, or lectures in, and promote public appreciation of, architecture and the allied arts and sciences. It requires submission of an Annual Report in early January each year.
Deadline 1: Friday, January 31, 2025
Applications will be reviewed in February by CPEC against the criteria and requirements. If funding is granted, the decision will be communicated to the Society by the end of March. For 2025, OAA Council had budgeted a total of $38,000 to be allocated among those Societies applying for Deadline 1. (Any funding must be used within one year of the request being received.) In addition, there is $25,000 available for recurring requests, which, if approved, are guaranteed for three years.
Deadline 2: Friday, July 25, 2025
Applications will be reviewed in August by CPEC against the criteria and requirements. If funding is granted, the decision will be communicated to the Society by the end of August. For 2025, OAA Council had budgeted a total of $38,000, in addition to any funding left over from Deadline 1, to be allocated among Societies applying for Deadline 2. (Any funding must be used within one year of the request being received.) Any remainder of the $25,000 available for recurring requests is also available.
Each application will be evaluated on the individual merits of the proposal and how it addresses the objectives of the Association, with priority given to projects excelling under the following criteria:
- potential to increase public awareness/appreciation of architecture and the allied arts & sciences
- innovation, creativity, and relevance;
- ability to attract attendance and successfully run event/initiative—especially given the constraints of the pandemic and the need for physical distancing and other social gathering requirements; and
- alignment to goals, priorities, and themes of the five-year strategic plan, which include Climate Action and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
Please note: if a Society submits multiple proposals, each one will be evaluated individually. Societies are asked to mark those requests in order of priority or preference.
If a Society is requesting an SPF for an initiative that involves an agreement or contract with a third party, that agreement must also be provided to the OAA for review before final approval of any funding. It is possible that the Public Awareness Funding route may be more appropriate.
Over the years, the number of requests for Special Project Funding has grown considerably, as well as the amount of funding that has been requested collectively. OAA Council appreciates the level of local involvement that is being demonstrated through these special projects and is pleased to provide the funding to help make them happen.
If you would like the OAA Communications and Public Education Committee to consider a Special Project Funding proposal, please fill in the application through the links below (or provide a response that includes all the information outlined therein) and return it before the specified deadline to ArchGrad@oaa.on.ca.
Special Project Funding Application
Past Approved SPF Projects
Annual Reports
Annual Reports 2023
Annual Reports 2022
Annual Reports 2021
Annual Reports 2020
Annual Reports 2019
Annual Reports 2018
Annual Reports 2017
Each year, Local Architectural Societies are requested to submit an Annual Report to the OAA Council as a mechanism for reporting and the purpose of sharing information and activities with the other Societies during the Annual Society Chairs Meeting.
The Annual Report contains details of recent Society activities, a report on the use and outcome of any previous year’s Special Project Funding, and a financial report.