Festivals Program Grants

About This Grant

Purpose

To provide support for a broad range of arts activities at festivals that take place in—and have an impact on—S.C. communities, increasing opportunities for public engagement and participation in arts and culture.

Please Note

Grant guidelines are subject to change until application opens.

• Eligibility

  1. The applicant must be
     • a unit of state or local government, OR
     • a nonprofit organization
       1. currently registered as a charity with the S.C. Secretary of State’s Office
          Note: Applicants who are exempt from this registration must upload their registration exemption approval.
       2. reflecting S.C. as the primary address on all current official organizational documents
       3. with federal tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service
          OR
          applying through a tax-exempt fiscal agent/receiver organization
          • Note: Applicants who are applying through a fiscal agent/receiver must submit a letter outlining the working relationship and responsibilities of both parties.

  2. In accordance with federal government policy, all organizations – including (but not limited to) private schools, public school districts, government entities, and nonprofit organizations – must provide a valid UEI number* to receive an SCAC grant award.

     *Learn about the new grant requirement: Unique Entity ID (UEI)

     Note: If an applicant organization is using a fiscal agent/receiver, separate UEI numbers must be provided for both the applicant organization and the fiscal agent/receiver. Exceptions to separate UEI numbers are organizations run by a local government or a school district.

• Restrictions

  The applicant must be a nonprofit arts organization or unit of state or local government, not an individual artist.

  Requirements

  • The festival must be held in South Carolina.
  • The festival must have identifiable arts activities (visual, media, performing, literary, and/or folk and traditional arts).
  • The festival must compensate visual, media, performing, literary, and/or folk and traditional artists.
  • The festival must be open to the public and include some aspect of free arts programming.

• Use of Funds

  Allowable activities are limited to:

  • Arts programming, temporary art installations, commissions, or licensing fees for original works
  • Artistic, administrative, technical, marketing salary support and/or contractual fees paid to artists, musicians, curators, programmers, and/or arts presenters/performers including travel and lodging.
  • Event production costs for equipment/venue rentals and operation; sound, lighting, stage rigging, visual/digital components, and insurance for the arts programming only.
  • Marketing including but not limited to graphic design services, advertising space, digital/print promotional materials, website, social media, printing, or publications
  • Items or services ensuring program accessibility as mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which includes captioning, translation, visual enhancements, interpreters, and listening guides.

  Unallowable activities include but are not limited to:

  • Non-arts activities
  • Food and beverages, including alcohol
  • Festivals organized for or by political parties
  • Trade fairs, events of a commercial nature, and consumer shows
  • Events that are produced solely as fundraisers, or that contribute to endowments
  • Organization’s season or a seasonal series of presented or produced programs
  • Competitions and award ceremonies
  • Cash prizes, purchase/awards, plaques
  • Re-granting
  • Sports and recreation activities and related events
  • Scholarship programs, pageants, conferences, symposiums, or seminars
  • Showcases or recitals for individual schools, including fairs, bazaars, fetes, or open house events
  • Festivals already receiving operating support through the S.C. Arts Commission
  • Events that are restricted to private or exclusive participation (by invitation and/or purchase requirements that exceed the cost of a typical, standard ticket to an event/performance).

• Additional Requirements of this Grant

  Any activities carried out within this grant must align with state guidelines regarding COVID-19.

• Priority

  Special consideration will be given to festivals in underserved communities; those communities in which people lack arts programs, services, or resources due to geography, economic conditions, cultural background, socio-political circumstances, disability, age or other demonstrable factors. The term “community” can refer to a group of people with a common heritage or characteristics, whether they live in the same location or not.

  Priority will be given to applicants that have projects in SCAC’s Opportunity Initiative Counties:
  

  • Allendale
  • Bamberg
  • Calhoun
  • Cherokee
  • Clarendon
  • Dillon
  • Edgefield
  • Hampton
  • Jasper
  • Laurens
  • Lee
  • Marion
  • Marlboro
  • Saluda
  • Williamsburg

• Deadline & Grant Period

  Deadline

  November 15, 2023

  Applications may be submitted until 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on the deadline date. However, please be aware that staff members will not be available to assist you with questions or technical difficulties after SCAC closes at 5 p.m. that day.

  Grant Period

  January 1, 2024 – May 31, 2024

• Funding & Match

  FUNDING

  Up to $7,500

  MATCHING REQUIREMENTS

  1:1 (grantee:SCAC)

  • Up to 50% of the grantee’s match may be through an in-kind donation of materials and/or contracted services.
  • An example of “in-kind” is a contracted fee that is waived or discounted as a donation to your project.
  • Funds may not be matched with another SCAC grant or with any federal funds.

• Grant Criteria

  Are you wondering what makes for a strong application?

  The SCAC recommends using the FY24 Festivals Program Grant Evaluation Rubric as a guide when writing your application. Grant panelists will score your application responses based on the criteria within this rubric.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted through our grants portal, which uses the Foundant platform.

New to Foundant? For frequently asked questions, registration instructions, and other helpful information, we highly recommend visiting the Grants Portal FAQ, before you begin working in the system.

• Your Grants Portal Account

  The applicant must have an active account in our Grants Portal.

  • If you have previously used Submittable to apply for other SCAC grants or programs, please note that the grants portal is a different system. Your Submittable credentials will not work; you will need a grants portal account to apply for this grant.
  • If you have used the grants portal as both an artist and as a contact for a school or organization, be sure you log on with the correct account to apply for this grant.

• Support Materials

  Please submit support materials/work samples that best showcase the organization’s ability to carry out the festival and its arts components. Uploads can include:

  • The website and/or social media handles or channels for the festival
  • A sample or template of the artist(s) and the festival’s memorandum of understanding or contract
  • Festival site permission, rental, contract forms, etc.
  • Proof of permits, approvals, or other forms of application

  All work samples should be current (less than five years old).

• Starting Your Application

  1. Follow the “Apply” link below. The grants portal will open in a new browser tab or window.
  2. Log on, then click the “Apply” link at the top of your Applicant Dashboard.
  3. Find “FY24 Festivals Program” in the list of available grant applications, and click the “Apply” button to the far right.

After You Apply

• Review Process

  The Grants Team will review submitted applications for completeness and compliance with guideline and application requirements. A review panel of arts and non-profit leaders will evaluate the applications based on the published review criteria and priority areas. An applicant’s panel comments are available to them upon request. Staff will then develop funding recommendations, based on these evaluations and the availability of funds. Final funding decisions are approved by the deputy director. Award notification is expected within four (4) weeks of submission date.

• If You Receive a Grant Award

  If your application is funded, you (and your fiscal agent/receiver, if applicable) will enter into a contractual agreement with the South Carolina Arts Commission, and you must comply with all requirements stated in that contract. You will receive notification and instructions when your contract is available in the Grants Portal. You must submit your completed contract packet, including signatures and other documentation as instructed, by the date indicated in the system. You must also complete all other assigned follow ups by the due date.

  Please note: Any significant revisions to grant-funded activities must be approved in writing, in advance, by the SCAC. Significant revisions to grant-funded activities must be emailed to grants@arts.sc.gov to be processed for approval or denial.

  Additional details about managing an SCAC grant are available on our agency website.

  Grant Payments

  • An initial 50% of the grant award will be released upon receipt and approval of a completed contract packet.
  • The remaining 50% will be paid on an expense reimbursement basis, released upon receipt and approval of a completed final report. This means 50% of expenses must be financed up front by the grantee and/or a cooperating entity.

  Final Report

  ALL GRANTEES are required to file a final report at the end of the grant period. The final report due date is stated in the grant contract. Failure to submit an accurate and complete final report by the due date will result in cancellation of the award and repayment of any funds received. SCAC will not fund applicants who have outstanding final reports.

I’m Here to Help!

• If you are seeking advisement before submitting an application, please contact Arts Industry Director La Ruchala Murphy (803.734.8762 | lmurphy@arts.sc.gov).
• If you have submitted an application, and/or you have a current grant, please contact the Grants Team (803.734.8695 | grants@arts.sc.gov).

Grants Coaching

We also highly recommend a visit to our Grants Coaching webpage, for

• category-specific information for grant applicants,
• topic sessions, and
• opportunities for one-on-one assistance.

Missed a group call or session? Look for the video link to access a recording of that presentation.