The Calgary Kiwanis Music Festival scholarship program helps to recognize competitors’ outstanding performances. Scholarship funds can help competitors further their musical ambitions by assisting with the costs of training, music, instruments, and the many other expenses they incur. Over $55,000 was awarded at the 2009 Music Festival. All funds came from private and corporate donors.

There are “single class” or “multiple class” scholarships. Single class scholarships are assigned to a particular class. In the case of multiple class scholarships, participants from more than one class within the same discipline compete for the scholarship.

There are two ways supporters can participate in the Calgary Kiwanis Music Festival’s scholarship program: by becoming an annual scholarship donor, or by establishing a trust scholarship.

Annual Scholarships

Many donors establish annual scholarships. They make an annual donation, and the funds are disbursed as a scholarship in that same year. Persons and businesses that contribute annual scholarships are contacted each year and given the opportunity to renew their scholarship. There are three levels of scholarships: Junior ($50, for students between the ages of 6 and 11), Intermediate ($75, ages 12 to 16) and Senior ($100+, ages 17 and over and Advanced Standard).

Trust Scholarships

The Calgary Kiwanis Music Festival Association administers a scholarship fund that was established in 1978. The fund was transferred to The Calgary Foundation in 1996. Contributions made to the fund are retained by The Calgary Foundation in perpetuity and the income earned (net of administrative expenses) is disbursed to the Festival annually. In typical years, the Festival receives about 5% of the fund’s value. Funds may only be disbursed as scholarships, and are awarded in the name of the original donor(s). It is possible to start a trust scholarship by investing an initial capital amount and adding to the capital annually so that the amount held in trust reaches the point where it can support a scholarship. Trust scholarships are often established in memoriam.

Performance Requirements

Scholarships are awarded at the discretion of the adjudicator(s). To receive a scholarship, competitors must have received a gold certificate (first-place standing) and have obtained a minimum mark of 88. The total amount awarded in scholarships to any one competitor may not exceed $7,000. Scholarships are not awarded in non-competitive classes.

Since scholarships are awarded at the discretion of the adjudicator(s), there is the possibility that the adjudicator(s) may determine no competitor performed at the required standard. in this case, the scholarship may be awarded in another class.  In the event there is no suitable class to transfer the scholarship to, the funds will be held over for the following year’s Festival.

Assigning the Scholarship

Many of our scholarship donors wish to support a specific discipline (for instance, strings), a category within a discipline (vocal solo: Canadian art song), or a certain age or grade level (musical theatre: 14 years and under, or piano: grade 3 standard). If the donor has no preference, the scholarship is assigned to the discipline or class where it is needed most. Mary Ross, Executive Director, will work closely with you to ensure your scholarship is assigned to a class or classes that reflect your wishes. While many classes have scholarships permanently assigned to them, there are many that do not.

Tax Receipting

The Calgary Kiwanis Music Festival is a registered charitable organization (registration number 12953 9235 RR0001). Donors establishing an annual or trust scholarship receive a charitable tax receipt for the full amount of their contribution.

Deadline

Typically, annual scholarships must be established by January 1 in order to be awarded at that year's Festival. Trust scholarships must either be established one year prior to the distribution date or, if the donor desires that a scholarship be awarded the same year the trust is created, the amount of the award must also be received.

2009 Scholarship Recipients