For Artists

1. The applicant must be
   • a practicing artist or teaching artist in dance, music, opera, musical theatre, theatre, visual arts, design arts, crafts, photography, media arts, literature, and/or folk & traditional arts;
   • a legal resident of the US and SC with a permanent residence in the state for at least one year prior to the application date and throughout the grant period; and
   • 18 years of age or older at the time of application.
2. The applicant must not be a degree-seeking, full-time student during the grant period.

For Organizations

Your organization may apply if it meets all these requirements:

1. has a primary mission focused on the arts
2. is a nonprofit community-based arts organization
   • currently registered with the SC Secretary of State’s Office
   • reflecting SC as the primary address on all current official organizational documents
   • 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 will need to submit a letter that outlines the working relationship and responsibilities of both parties.

3. has completed at least one fiscal year of programming
4. has a valid DUNS number.

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

For All Applicants

1. Applicants may submit only one SCAC Arts Emergency Relief Grant application.
2. Applicants may not duplicate emergency funds.
   • Example: If your organization’s facility rental is $1000, you may not receive $1000 for that month’s rent from an SCAC Arts Emergency Relief Grant and $1000 for that same month’s rent from another source of emergency funds (such as the NEA or SouthArts). You could, however, receive $500 from SCAC and $500 from another source, for a total of $1000 for that month’s rent.

For Artists

1. Eligible financial losses include, but are not limited to, those which – due to the COVID-19 pandemic – resulted from an inability to
   • teach in-person arts classes or workshops;
   • participate in paid residencies;
   • perform, curate, or otherwise participate in paid gigs;
   • display work in art galleries or museum shows;
   • sell work at craft fairs or artistic conventions;
   • offer services as a teaching artist;
   • provide technical support to an artistic endeavor.

   Please note: Artists will need to provide documentation of lost income, with dollar amounts shown. This can include, but is not limited to

   • Canceled contracts
   • Emails and/or screenshots confirming cancellations
   • Receipts, tax documents (please crop out or obscure any confidential or sensitive information, such as your Social Security number), or other written proof of previous income from an event, on which to base your expected income from that event during the grant period; e.g.,
     • A tax document showing income from a 2019 event, along with emails or screenshots confirming cancellation of the 2020 event
     • Receipts for art sales from March through June 2019, along with evidence of cancellations or closures preventing art sales from March through June 2020
     • A tax document showing income from a previously-taught class, along with emails or screenshots confirming cancellation of that class scheduled during the grant period

   Helpful Hint: To be eligible for the maximum award of $1,000, you will need to submit documentation that shows losses of at least $1,000. You do not need to submit documentation for all losses during the grant period.

2. The applicant must not have full-time employment beyond their work as an individual artist (a minimum of 50% of the applicant’s taxable income must come from their work as an artist).
3. Only individual artists may apply for this grant. Ensembles, groups, or artist collaboratives may not apply.

For Organizations

1. Universities, schools, and units of government are not eligible for this grant unless they currently receive operating support funding (FY2020 General Operating Support – GOS, Operating Support for Small Organizations – OSS, or Statewide Operating Support – SWO).

Priority will be given to applicants

• Located in* (and/or, for organizations, serving individuals or communities located in) the SC Arts Commission’s Opportunity Initiative Counties:
  
  • Allendale
  • Bamberg
  • Calhoun
  • Clarendon
  • Dillon
  • Edgefield
  • Hampton
  • Jasper
  • Lee
  • Marion
  • McCormick
  • Newberry
  • Saluda
  • Union
• Located in* (and/or, for organizations, serving individuals or communities located in) the federally-designated Promise Zone counties:
  • Allendale
  • Bamberg
  • Barnwell
  • Colleton
  • Hampton
  • Jasper
• (For organizations) Serving populations
  • in rural areas or urban clusters (as defined by the US Census Bureau) OR
  • in high-poverty areas (20% or more of population served live below the poverty line) OR
  • with disabilities OR
  • in institutions (including hospitals, hospices, assisted living facilities, correctional facilities, and homeless shelters) OR
  • living on a military base OR
  • with limited English proficiency.
• Who have participated in the Americans for the Arts COVID-19 Economic Impact Survey by the application deadline

*“Located in” refers to an individual’s residence or an organization’s location.

Deadline

May 15, 2020

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 5:00 p.m. that day.

Grant Period

March-June 2020

Funding

For Artists

Up to $1,000

SCAC artist grant awards are considered taxable income.

For Organizations*

• Up to $500 for organizations with an operating budget of $75,000 or less for the last completed fiscal year.
• Up to $1,000 for organizations with an operating budget over $75,000 for the last completed fiscal year.

*Funding for FY20 operating support grantees (FY2020 General Operating Support – GOS, Operating Support for Small Organizations – OSS, or Statewide Operating Support – SWO) will be based on a formula that considers the current operating support grant amount and budget expenses last reported to SCAC (FY19).

Grant awards will be based on:

1. panel review of the applications
2. (for organizations) size of the applicant’s operating budget
3. availability of funds, and
4. Board approval.

Matching Requirements

None

The applicant must have an active account in the Foundant system.

If you have previously used Submittable to apply for other SCAC grants or programs, please note that Foundant is a different system. Your Submittable credentials will not work; you will need a Foundant account to apply for this grant.

If you have used the Foundant system as both an artist and as a contact for an organization, be sure you log on with the correct account to apply for this grant.

1. Follow the “Apply” link below. The online grants management system 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 “Arts Emergency Relief” in the list of available grant applications, and click the “Apply” button to the far right.

Grants Office staff will review applications for completeness of submission and compliance with guideline and application requirements.

Applications will then be evaluated by a review panel, based on the published criteria.

Staff will develop funding recommendations based on evaluation scores and availability of funds. Recommendations will be presented to the Board of Commissioners, which makes final award decisions.

The SC Arts Commission anticipates notifying awardees of funding within two weeks of the application deadline.

Review Criteria

For Artists

• Applicant indicates a commitment to craft and level of activity in their artistic field.
• Applicant shows evidence of income lost during March – June 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Access to other sources of emergency relief
• Number of dependents
• Priority categories
  • Applicant resides within an SC Arts Commission Opportunity County
    
    • Allendale
    • Bamberg
    • Calhoun
    • Clarendon
    • Dillon
    • Edgefield
    • Hampton
    • Jasper
    • Lee
    • Marion
    • McCormick
    • Newberry
    • Saluda
    • Union
  • Applicant resides within a federally-designated Promise Zone county
    • Allendale
    • Bamberg
    • Barnwell
    • Colleton
    • Hampton
    • Jasper
  • Applicant has participated in the Americans for the Arts COVID-19 Economic Impact Survey

For Organizations

• The applicant’s mission statement and organizational activities indicate a commitment to the arts as the organization’s primary focus.
• Applicant shows evidence of income lost March – June 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Access to other sources of emergency relief
• Priority categories
  • The organization serves populations
    • in rural areas or urban clusters (as defined by the US Census Bureau) OR
    • in high-poverty areas (20% or more of population served live below the poverty line) OR
    • with disabilities OR
    • in institutions (including hospitals, hospices, assisted living facilities, correctional facilities, and homeless shelters) OR
    • living on a military base OR
    • with limited English proficiency.
  • Applicant is located in (and/or serves individuals or communities located in) an SC Arts Commission Opportunity County
    
    • Allendale
    • Bamberg
    • Calhoun
    • Clarendon
    • Dillon
    • Edgefield
    • Hampton
    • Jasper
    • Lee
    • Marion
    • McCormick
    • Newberry
    • Saluda
    • Union
  • Applicant is located in (and/or serves individuals or communities located in) a federally-designated Promise Zone county
    • Allendale
    • Bamberg
    • Barnwell
    • Colleton
    • Hampton
    • Jasper
  • Applicant has participated in the Americans for the Arts COVID-19 Economic Impact Survey.

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 our online grants management system. 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 given.

Please note: Any significant revisions to grant-funded activities must be approved in writing, in advance, by SCAC.

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

Grant Payments

Payment will be released upon receipt and approval of the grant contract.

Funding Credit

This grant program is funded in part by a generous award from the SC Arts Foundation. In addition to giving credit to the SC Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts, credit must also be given to this source in all advertising, news releases, printed materials, and promotion and publicity. Details about the SC Arts Foundation are available on our website at SouthCarolinaArts.com/foundation/.

Note: No Final Report is required for Arts Emergency Relief Grants.