Arts Commission Grants for Organizations
American Masterpieces in South Carolina Grant Guidelines
- American Masterpiece Dance Grants will provide funding to South Carolina dance companies, college and university dance ensembles, or South Carolina presenters in partnership with a South Carolina dance company for the reconstruction or restaging of a historically and artistically significant dance work by an American choreographer of national or international reputation.
- Purpose
-
- To support the reconstruction or restaging of historically and artistically significant American dance works for presentation to South Carolina audiences.
- To engage and expand adult and student dance audiences by presenting work-in-progress showings and other educational programming.
- To foster creative partnerships between South Carolina presenters and dance companies.
- Description
- This program will provide grant funds to help qualified performing groups and presenters acquire, prepare, and present to the public significant American works of choral music, musical theatre, and dance. The project will capitalize on the "American Masterpieces" branding that has been developed by the National Endowment for the Arts through an integrated, statewide marketing effort and will engage local schools and school districts to develop K-12 educational links with funded projects.
NOTE: American Masterpiece Dance grant recipients must commit to attend a meeting (to be determined) before September 2007 to discuss engaging and expanding dance audiences. At least two members of the organization should plan to attend. A mix of board, staff and artists would be ideal.
- Eligibility Requirements
- Applicant must be:
- A nonprofit, charitable organization that is currently registered with the Office of the Secretary of State of South Carolina that has its own federal tax exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service; OR
- A nonprofit, charitable organization that is currently registered with the Office of the Secretary of State of South Carolina that applies through a tax exempt fiscal agent organization; OR
- A unit of government.
- College and university departments are eligible, but only one
application per department will be accepted.
Special note for College and University applicants:
College and University applicants may also apply to Dance USA for a American Masterpieces: Dance - College Component Grant. The deadline for applications to Dance USA is Monday, May 21, 2007.
- Funding Eligibility
- Up to $10,000
- Match
- All grants must be matched at least 1:1 (applicant:SC Arts Commission).
- Deadline
- June 15, 2007
- Applications must be postmarked or hand-delivered to the SC Arts Commission offices before 5:00 PM, no later than the stated date, or, when the deadline occurs on a weekend or holiday, no later than the next business day.
- Filing Fee
- None
- Grant Payments
- Funds support a project's development and restaging expenses from July 1, 2007-June 30, 2008. While funding can only be requested for project activities that will take place between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008, we understand that this kind of work often cannot be completed within a 12-month period. It is not necessary for the entire project to be completed by June 30, 2008. For example, grant funds might be used during the grant period to help support acquisition, setting, and rehearsal of the choreography for performances taking place during the following fiscal year (2008-2009).
Final Report
All grantees are required to file a Final Report (PDF) (How To Use PDFs) at the end of the grant period. The Final Report Due Date is printed on your contract. Failure to file the final report by the due date will result in cancellation of the award and repayment of funds received. SCAC will not fund applicants who have outstanding final reports. Submit only original final report forms with original signatures. Do not submit copies or fax your final report form.
- Review Process
- Please contact your SC Arts Commission county coordinator for guidance on completing the application form.
The initial staff review of applications focuses on eligibility, accuracy and detail of budget, conformity to guidelines, clarity of narrative, completeness of packet, compliance with grant requirements, and confirmation of required support materials.
- A panel composed of SC Arts Commission program staff and management will review and rate grant applications on the basis of specific criteria listed in the guidelines. Funding recommendations will be determined by panel consensus. Final funding decisions will then be presented to the Board of Commissioners for approval.
- How to Apply
- Before applying you are strongly advised to discuss the project with your county coordinator to determine whether your project meets the guidelines.
- Please review the following steps carefully in preparing your application materials. Failure to include the required application materials will result in disqualification of your application. Only complete applications will be accepted.
- Required Application Materials
- Each page/item of materials must be labeled with the name of the applicant and be submitted in a format suitable for copying.
- Typeface must be legible, and no less than 12 point type with 1” margins.
- Do not use 3-ring binders, folders, or bind the application materials in any way other than with binder clips or paper clips.
The application package must include one complete collated set of items as follows:
- Two Forms
Originals, completed and signed. Forms are in Portable Document Format (PDF). How To Use PDFs- Grant Application for Organizations
- Detailed Budget for your project. Itemize all expenses and sources of revenue.
- Narrative
A two-page description of the project, which addresses all of the applicable Review Criteria listed below. Please be specific about where you are in the process of acquiring the permissions for the work (including choreography, music, sets and costumes).
Review Criteria:
- Artistic and historical significance of the work.
- Ability of the applicant to acquire the necessary permissions to reconstruct or restage the work
- Quality of the artists, arts organizations, and dance work that the project will involve.
- Appropriateness of the project to the organization's mission, audience, and community.
- Ability of the applicant to complete the project successfully, including the appropriateness of the budget, the quality and clarity of the project goals and design, the resources involved, and the qualifications of the project's personnel.
- Potential of the project to broaden access to the arts by presenting dance that otherwise would not be available to the South Carolina public.
- Potential to enhance the experiences of the audience and participants by providing opportunities to learn about the work and its place in American dance history (through educational materials and programming, open rehearsals, etc.)
- Potential of the project (if applicable) to serve as a model for the cooperation among dance artists and presenting organizations
- Project Timeline
Timeline for the project, including development, work-in-progress showings, premiere and performances. If any portion of the complete project will occur after the end of the grant period, it must still be included in the timeline.
- Support materials
- One press/promo packet for the applicant company and/or presenter
- One DVD or VHS video documentation of proposed work
- One DVD or VHS video of performance by applicant company
- Biographical Sketches or Résumés of Key Personnel
Résumés should not exceed 2 pages each. - SC Charities Letter
Unless applicant is a unit of government, include a copy of applicant's current SC Registration as Charitable Organizations letter. The letter must be renewed annually with the SC Office of the Secretary of State in accordance with the provisions of the SC Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act. - IRS Tax-Exempt Letter
A copy of applicant's IRS tax-exempt letter
OR
If applying through a fiscal agent,- A copy of fiscal agent's IRS tax-exempt letter
- A copy of a letter of agreement, signed by both the applicant and the fiscal agent that outlines the working relationship and responsibilities of both parties
- Submit completed applications to:
- American Masterpieces in SC Grants Program
South Carolina Arts Commission
1800 Gervais Street
Columbia, SC 29201
IMPORTANT NOTE: Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Submit only original application forms with original signatures. Do not submit copies or fax your application.
