In the words of the deed of gift, the prizes are intended "to encourage Canadians of outstanding achievement in the fields of the Arts, the Humanities or the Social Sciences to make further contribution to the cultural or intellectual heritage of Canada".
The terms of reference are interpreted as follows: In other words, the prize is not intended as an "end of service" reward or as recognition for one great accomplishment.
The prizes are accessible to qualified persons from Aboriginal Peoples and diverse cultural and regional communities.
Members are chosen to ensure fair representation of gender, the two official languages, the various regions and cultures of Canada, and the various types of artistic and scholarly disciplines.
Committee members are among the most accomplished individuals in their respective fields and, ideally, have interests that extend beyond the confines of a single discipline.