Financial Hardship Assistance Information
actOUT! KW understands that those in our community may suffer financial difficulty from time to time. Finances can present challenges to meeting primary needs, much less discretionary activities. actOUT! KW acknowledges the role of the arts in the personal, physical, and emotional development of a child/youth. It is the philosophy of actOUT! KW that no child/youth should be turned away due to cost or affordability.
As a non-profit charity, actOUT! KW works hard to manage the expenses of the organization in order to deliver quality programs at a reasonable cost. Although we rely on program fees and ticket sales to fund our organization, actOUT! KW will consider various forms of payment arrangements to ensure that all children and youth can participate.
How To Apply
To be considered for Financial Assistance, the parent or guardian of the child/youth must submit a request (by letter or email) to the Chair of actOUT! KW. The financial hardship request will be kept confidential. Only the members of the actOUT! KW Board will have knowledge of the request.
Board Chair: chair@actoutkw.com
844 Frederick Street, Kitchener, ON N2B 2B8
The letter should include the following:
Child’s name, age, and grade at school (in order to qualify for financial hardship assistance the child/youth must be aged 17 or less at the time of application)
Parent/Guardian’s name, address, phone number, and e-mail address
Reason for the request, including a declaration of family income
Program considered for enrollment
Proposed payment plan, if any (e.g. amount of fee assistance requested)
Upon receipt of the letter, the Chair will review with the actOUT! KW Board members. The Board will vote to approve, modify, or deny the request. An official quorum of the board must be present to decide a hardship request. The Chair will communicate the decision and any related payment plan by letter or email to the Applicant.
The Parent/Guardian shall make payment as required in the decision letter to actOUT! KW via cash, cheque, or e-transfer to treasurer@actoutkw.com.
Limitation on Financial Assistance
Financial assistance is only available to children/youth aged 17 or under at the time of application. All approved requests will expire at the end of each production, workshop, or summer camp. Financial assistance recipients should expect to pay an amount reflective of their financial position.
The participant must consistently attend rehearsals and follow the Actor Credo. Parents must adhere to the Code of Conduct. Some programs require a Family Commitment to assist with the show by volunteering at least 10 hours of their time. Examples of volunteer work include painting sets, finding props, making/altering costumes, and filling show week roles (backstage, ticketing, etc). For productions, the ability to attend most rehearsals and all of show week is mandatory before committing to a production.
The decision to offer financial assistance is solely at the discretion of the actOUT! KW Board.
Confidentiality
All financial arrangements are to be kept confidential between the recipient(s) and the actOUT! KW Board.
Payment Plans
If no assistance is required aside from the request for a payment plan in installments (where full payment will be made before Show Week), the Treasurer can approve directly without the need for a Board vote.
Treasurer: treasurer@actoutkw.com
844 Frederick Street
Kitchener, ON
N2B 2B8