Download a copy of this Policy here.

Download a copy of the application form here.

 

   Requirement for this Policy

1. The primary charitable activity of OMMC is advancement of education. This objective will be attained through conduct of an annual training course, operation of an internet web-site which includes educational material among the displayed information and the annual award of small grants to support OMMC members’ education and training beyond that available through the annual course. This policy sets out the procedures governing the award of the grants.

Goal of the Policy

2. The goal of the grants policy is to support Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) museum staff and volunteers and other OMMC members in undertaking professional development and personal learning opportunities through attending professional museum/archives education courses or technical museum/archives training or attending related seminars conducted by universities, colleges, museum associations or major museum institutions. Such learning will advance an individual’s body of knowledge related to the performance of their duties at a CAF museum or OMMC member museum or will advance the overall level of professionalization among the staff at those museums. The learning opportunity may happen in Canada or in another country.

Eligible Expenses

3. Eligible expenses include:
a. Tuition fees or seminar attendance fees;
b. The cost of transportation to and from the place where the learning opportunity will occur; and
c. The cost of meals and accommodation at that location.

Ineligible Expenses

4. Ineligible expenses include:
a. Costs associated with attending the annual OMMC training course; and
b. Payment of salary, wages or reimbursement for donated time.

Applicant Eligibility and Application Requirements

5. Eligibility. An applicant must be a member of the staff (registered volunteer or employee) of a CAF museum or an individual or institutional member of OMMC. Directors of OMMC are not barred from applying for a grant. If a director is awarded a grant, it will not be considered in any way as financial compensation for his/her work as a director.

6. Application details. The application form is attached at Annex A to this policy. The applicant should complete all fields on the application form. The application must provide details of the purpose to which the grant funds will be applied. If for an education course or technical training session, the application will describe it, name the institution or facility and state the intended outcome in terms of knowledge or skill to be gained. If for a seminar, the application will name the organization conducting it and state the intended gain in knowledge. See the application form for full description of all required information. The applicant should complete the application personally, rather than having it written for her or him. If desired, a recommendation letter from the curator or director can accompany the application.

7. Costs. The application must include anticipated costs by line item. Personal motor vehicle costs for approved travel will be reimbursed at the current rate posted by the National Joint Council (NJC) (“Treasury Board” rates applicable to the Public Service of Canada, the RCMP and the Canadian Armed Forces) at the time of application for the province where the applicant resides. Visit the NJC Internet web site www.njc-cnm.gc.ca, find the Travel Directive, see Appendix C. See also OMMC Policy 2, Financial Administration.

8. Application Delivery. The application must be signed and dated by the applicant and delivered to the OMMC head office by surface mail (address as stated above), by fax (250-655-1493), or as a portable document format (.pdf) attachment to an e-mail message sent to ommcinc2@gmail.com. The Secretary will forward all applications to the Chair of the OMMC Education Grant Committee. Applications may also be made directly to the Committee Chair.

Education Grants Committee

10. The Education Grants Committee is established by the Board of Directors by resolution. The Chair of the Committee will be a director of OMMC. The Committee will include two other persons, both of whom will be members of military museum staff. At least one of the committee members will be highly qualified in museum management, operations or curatorship. The committee will examine all applications, determine the anticipated benefit of the training to the individual and the museum and decide approval or disapproval. The Chair will inform the applicant within 30 days of the application date as to its success or failure. Should a member of the Committee apply for a grant, the applicant will be excluded from any discussion of the request.

Advertising the Grants Program

11. The grants program will receive a specific page on the OMMC internet web-site. When the page is established, the OMMC Bulletin will carry a link to that page and a brief description of the program. If the program is fully subscribed in a calendar year, subsequent issues of the Bulletin will carry a notice that further applications will not be considered until the following calendar year.

 

Grant Ceiling and Disbursement

 

12. Awards will not exceed $500 each. The maximum amount available for distribution is $2,500 per calendar year, awarded on a first come, first served basis. An eligible applicant may receive only one grant in a calendar year. An institution may only apply to fund one staff member/volunteer per learning opportunity. OMMC will not pre-approve funding for an entire degree or certificate program. Each constituent course must be applied for as an individual application. It is strongly recommended that applications be made at least 60 days prior to the start of the learning opportunity. On an exceptional basis, retroactive applications may be made up to three months after the close of the course, training session or seminar.

 

13. OMMC encourages exercising the principle of cost sharing and strongly recommends that applicants also apply for financial assistance from other organizations such as their respective provincial museums association, in the interest of making the OMMC education grants fund more widely available. Individual and institutional members should explore the support grants offered by the Canadian Museums Association (CMA). CMA support grants are not usually available to paid staff members of the CAF museums.

 

14. Upon conclusion of the learning opportunity, the applicant will submit a signed and dated written report on the actual benefit of the education or training and its intended use, along with copies of receipts for all expenses intended to be covered by the grant. Only costs actually incurred, up to a limit of $500, will be reimbursed to the applicant. When this report has been received and approved by the committee, the Chair will forward a request for reimbursement to the Treasurer.

 

Limitations

 

15. The OMMC Education Reserve, the source of funds for the education grants, was not and is not organized to provide funds to named individuals, to support employees of a business company, to benefit relatives or to provide a benefit to members of a private club, a trade union or a cooperative.

 

Policy Review

 

16. This policy will be reviewed not more than five years after approval.

Approval

 

17. This policy was approved by the Board of Directors of OMMC at its meeting 15 December 2016.
Attachment: Annex A - Application for OMMC Education Grant