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SC Arts Commission Grants Programs

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FY09 Cultural Tourism Initiative

 

The SC Arts Commission established a cultural tourism initiative in 2005 which helps to link arts and tourism in communities across the state, understanding that the promotion of arts and cultural projects serves to attract new cultural tourists, stimulate local economies, and create renewed pride and recognition of the value of the arts and cultural resources of South Carolina communities. To date, the SC Arts Commission has awarded over $215,000 to communities statewide.

The Cultural Tourism initiative builds upon the SC Arts Commission's strategic plan for the arts which has the broader aim of "Improving the state's cultural resources" and "Improving the conditions for economic growth".

Goal of Cultural Tourism Initiative
Support the development and enhancement of arts centered tourism products, projects and partnerships which attract cultural tourists and generate expenditures to positively impact local, regional or statewide economies.

 

Grants are intended to fund:

• Market research or marketing activities
• New cultural tourism products that stimulate community economic impact by attracting cultural tourists, generating direct visitor expenditures,
• Existing cultural tourism products that stimulate community economic impact by attracting new cultural tourists, increasing expenditures, lengthening stays, or extending seasons
• Collaborative/partnership projects involving multiple organizations across different sectors (arts, tourism, travel, hospitality, retail, etc.) that attract new cultural tourists, increase expenditures, lengthen stays, or extend tourism seasons
• Projects that increase cultural tourists' awareness of and participation in the arts and result in increased expenditures, lengthened stays, or extended tourism seasons

 

Cultural Tourism Initiative (CLT) Workshops

Cultural tourism workshops are presented in locations across South Carolina. Each workshop presentation provides a brief overview of the cultural tourism industry and an understanding of the different entities involved with cultural tourism. The workshop provides a hands-on approach to creating new cultural tourism projects and details the CLT grant program guidelines and application.

All CLT workshops are free of charge and open to the public. Registration is required. Individuals from various sectors (e.g., arts, travel, tourism, hospitality, retail, civic, etc.) are welcome. Potential applicants for CLT grants, especially first-time applicants, are strongly encouraged to attend the workshop. The same workshop will be presented at five different locations.

 

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Types of Grants: Planning Grant and Implementation Grant

 

Planning Grants

Planning grants are available for organizations that already have defined the general content and theme for an appropriate arts-centered cultural tourism product/project but need to conduct necessary research and planning. The planning phase allows for the development of a plan that details the content, approach, and specific programmatic components of the new or revised cultural tourism product/project, leads to its implementation and makes the case for long-term potential success.

Planning grants are made up to $5,000.

Planning grants may support activities connected with planning, including but not limited to:

• Market development research
• Audience evaluation
• Data collection necessary to inform the plan's outcomes
• Product development
• Collaborative partnerships
• Consultants

 

Cultural Tourism Planning Checklist (Microsoft Word document)
This resource document may aid you in the planning process but should not be substituted for the planning grant application.

 

Implementation Grants

Implementation grants are available for implementing a cultural tourism product/project which is designed to attract cultural tourists, has demonstrable economic impact and makes the case for long-term potential success.

Implementation grants are made up to $10,000.

Implementation grants may support activities including, but not limited to:

• marketing
• packages/special promotions
• uses of media and technology
• evaluation or assessment

 

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Eligibility Requirements

• Applicant must have production or presentation of arts events or service to the arts as its primary organizational mission; OR be the primary provider of general, multidisciplinary arts programs and/or services within a particular community or region.
• Applicant must be
• A nonprofit, charitable arts 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 arts 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 local government that has production or presentation of arts events or service to the arts as its primary organizational mission;
• Applicant must have completed at least one full fiscal year in operation prior to application.

Restrictions

• Applicant must not be a college, university or state agency.
• Funding for this grant category is limited to a total of three grant awards to a single organization with an ineligibility period of two years after the last award.
• Applications for previously funded projects must detail sufficient documented success to date, detail significant enhancement of the original product/project, demonstrate reasonable and significant evolution of the product/project concept.
• Any previously funded organization may apply for funding of a new product/project. In such cases, the application will not be subject to the restriction immediately above and will be reviewed as a new grant proposal. Successful completion of a previous project will, however, be a factor in the review process.

Deadline & Grant Period

Deadline is March 15, 2008 for projects beginning 7/1/08. The grant period for all projects must be completed by 6/30/09.

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.

Review Date: The review date is scheduled for May 13, 2008

Funding Range
Planning Grants: Up to $5,000
Implementation Grants: Up to $10,000

Match

1:1 (applicant:SC Arts Commission); 50% of the applicant's match must be cash.

Grant Payments

Payment will be on an expense reimbursement basis only. Grantees may submit a maximum of two interim payments, totaling no more than 80% of the grant award. Final grant payment will be released upon receipt and approval of grantee's final report.

Filing Fee
None

Review Process

The initial staff review of applications focuses on eligibility, accuracy and detail of budget, clarity of narrative, completeness of packet, compliance with grant requirements, and confirmation of required support materials. A panel composed of representatives of the SC Arts Commission and other professionals representing the fields of arts, travel and/or tourism 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.

 

Final Report

All grantees are required to file a Final Report (PDF) (How To Use PDFs) at the end of the grant period. Additional supplemental questions must be answered as part of the final report and will be included in your grant package. 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.

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. You are also strongly advised to attend a Cultural Tourism Workshop.

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.

1. Three Forms

   Originals, completed and signed. Forms are in Portable Document Format (PDF). How To Use PDFs

   
   
   • Grant Application for Organizations.
   
   
   • Organization Profile. Statistical information for the Service Area Profile section is available at www.census.gov. Select "SC" under State & County Quick Facts, then select your county.
   
   
   • Detailed Budget for your project. Itemize all expenses and sources of revenue.
   
   
2. Narrative

   Each item in the Narrative should be identified by the appropriate number/letter and topic heading.

   Applicants must complete either 2-A for Planning Grants or 2-B for Implementation Grants.




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2-A. Narrative for Planning Grants

The Planning Grant narrative must not exceed 3 pages; typeface must be no less than 12 point, margins one inch, single spaced; questions should be answered sequentially by number, 2A, 1-7.



1. Summarize your overall cultural tourism product or project idea.
2. Describe how it would meet the goal of the Cultural Tourism Initiative.
3. What key questions must be answered in order to ensure success of the future project? (e.g. Do we know our target audience? How can we find important information about our audienceWhat marketing methods will attain the best results? How will we track cultural tourists? How will we measure economic impact?)
4. Who will be involved in the planning process?
5. When will the planning process be completed?
6. When do you anticipate that the plan will be utilized to implement a cultural tourism project?
7. Provide a detailed work-plan for this planning project that includes a timeline. Include details on key meeting dates and participants; any needs assessment strategies, etc. Not included in page count.
   Sample work-plan format:
   

   What is the task	Who is responsible for completing the task	When is the task to be completed	How will the task be monitored and evaluated	Other information as needed




Evaluation Criteria for Section 2-A, Questions 1-7: Planning grant applicants will be evaluated based on the extent to which the proposed planning framework, methods, and analyses are logical, well integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the project. Each question will be rated as follows:


 

40 points

• Applicant clearly summarized the overall cultural tourism product or project idea.
• Applicant described how the product or project meets at least one of the goals of the Cultural Tourism Initiative.

20 points

• Applicant identified relevant key questions that must be answered in order to ensure success of the future project

15 points

• Applicant identified who will be involved in the planning process
• Applicant identified when the planning process will be completed when the plan could be utilized to implement a cultural tourism project

25 points

• Applicant provided a detailed work-plan for this planning project that included a feasible timeline appropriate to proposed tasks.
• Applicant's timeline demonstrated how and when key questions will be answered.
• Applicant provided an accurate, appropriate and feasible budget



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2-B. Narrative for Implementation Grants

Narrative must not exceed 5 pages; typeface must be no less than 12 point, margins one inch, single spaced; questions should be answered sequentially by number 2B, 1-5.

 

1. Describe the activity for which your organization is requesting funding and explain how the activity meets the goal of the Cultural Tourism Initiative.
• Outline the goals of this activity
• Provide strategies to obtain this goal
• How will this proposed activity be sustained in future years
2. Identify and explain your target audience(s)
• What is the basis of research for identifying this audience as an appropriate and realistic target?
• Provide projections for targeted audience(s) participation and explain your rationale for these projections
• How will you collect, use and retain data from target audience?
3. Marketing
• Include a marketing plan with a timeline which links marketing efforts directly to the target audience(s)
• What methods will be used to evaluate and assess the effectiveness of your marketing efforts
4. Economic Impact and Measures
• Describe how the actions of cultural tourism/tourists will lead to increased measurable economic activity.
• Provide specific measurable economic impact goal(s). (Use current statistics as baseline data to develop measurable economic impact goals; source must be cited)
• Link economic impact goals with the activities of cultural tourism/cultural tourists.
• How will you measure the economic impact? What tools or methodology will be utilized?
5. Organization and Collaboration
• Explain how the proposed activity relates to your organization's mission and purpose and indicate if it is included in your current organizational strategic plan.
• List key collaborators or partners, their specific roles and financial contributions, if any.



Evaluation Criteria for Section 2B, Questions 1-5: Implementation grant applicants will be evaluated on the overall strategic approach to cultural tourism economic development. Applicants will be rated as follows:


25 points

Applicant clearly described the activity, provided other pertinent information that helped make the activity understandable and explained how the activity meets at least one of the goals of the cultural tourism initiative.

• Applicant outlined the goals of this activity
• Applicant provided appropriate strategies to obtain the goal
• Applicant included sustainability information

 

20 points

Applicant clearly identified, described and explained a rationale for the target audience.

• Applicant demonstrated appropriate market research to identify an appropriate and realistic potential audience
• Applicant provided realistic projections for targeted audience participation.
• Applicant described appropriate methods for collecting, using and retaining data from targeted audience.

 

15 points

Applicant identified appropriate marketing activities.

• Applicant included a marketing plan with timeline which links marketing efforts directly to the target audience(s).
• Applicant demonstrated appropriate methods to evaluate and assess the effectiveness of their marketing efforts.

 

30 points

Applicant demonstrated likely increases in economic activity in the community and/or region resulting from the project.

• Applicant provided realistic measurable economic impact goals and used accurate and appropriate data as a base for developing those goals.
• Applicant clearly linked the measurable economic impact goals to the activities of cultural tourism/tourists.
• Applicant described how the economic impact goals will be measured and evaluated. (Does the project increase hotel occupancy, restaurant or other types of retail usage by cultural tourists? Does the project increase ticket sales to out–of-town cultural tourists? How will you know?)
  

 

10 points

Sound internal and external infrastructures support cultural tourism.

• Applicant affirmed the existence of a current strategic plan and explained how the project serves as a strategic organizational approach to meeting its mission and purpose.
• Applicant listed project collaborators or partners, their specific role, and included individual letters of support for each partner. Letters must be on the organizations' letterhead. (Think about how partnerships demonstrate accessibility and/or inclusiveness and how local professional artists, arts and cultural institutions, government, businesses and a diverse cross-section of the community could be included as partners in the project.)

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3. Letters of Support
• Submit a signed one page letter of support from your organization's board stating how the board as a whole will support this work.
• Submit a signed one page letter of support from the board director or director of each partnering organization stating their specific role and financial contribution. The letter of support must be on the partnering organizations letterhead and dated within 60 days of the application deadline. A single letter signed by all partners is not acceptable.


4. 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.



5. IRS Tax-Exempt Letter
   A copy of applicant's IRS tax-exempt letter
   OR
   If applying through a fiscal agent,
   a. A copy of fiscal agent's IRS tax-exempt letter
   b. 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:

Cultural Tourism Initiative Grant Program
SC Arts Commission
1800 Gervais Street
Columbia, SC 29201

NOTE: Incomplete applications and applications that do not follow font and page restrictions will not be accepted. Submit only original application forms with original signatures. Do not submit copies or fax your application.