Purpose
To stimulate partnerships between libraries and artists and arts organizations and encourage rural/small communities to participate actively in artistic and cultural activities
Who's Eligible
Public libraries, public library authorities, network of public library authorities, or organization managing a public library authority (details below)
Funding
Up to $2,500 within a fiscal year
Matching Requirement
1:2 (grantee:SCAC)
To support public library-led projects that stimulate partnerships between libraries and artists and arts organizations that encourage communities to participate actively in artistic and cultural activities in small and/or rural areas of the state.
Please Note
Grant guidelines are subject to change until the application opens.
Libraries serving small communities are identified as those with a service area population of 25,000 or less and a rural community is defined as one that is more than, or equal to, five miles from an urbanized area. An eligible library must be located within the following counties to apply:
This grant funding cannot be used for:
The RLPE grant can be used to fund public engagement activities involving any of the following artforms: dance, music, opera, musical theatre, theatre, visual arts, design arts (architecture, fashion, graphic, industrial, or interior), crafts, photography, media arts, literature, playwriting/screenwriting, media productions, spoken word/slam poetry, time-based art (installation, sound, experimental film, video art, computer-based technology, or performance art), and/or folklife/traditional arts.
Funding will be considered for a broad variety of activities, for example:
Libraries must provide a physical space for the community to experience and interact with artistic content and programs or to create their own art. Works of visual and performing art may be temporary exhibits, permanent installations, programs or performances offered in the library, or parts of a library’s viewable collections.
Funds can also be used to hire professional artists or presenters such as those listed on SCAC’s Arts Directory and Teaching Artist Roster. It is strongly encouraged to use members of the S.C. Arts Directory for grant-funded group lectures, demonstrations, performances, classroom residencies, and short-term arts teaching experiences.
Presenters can be individuals, organizations, artists, or educators. Programs may include interactive performances, workshops, concerts, or informational presentations.
Artists labeled as “Verified Teaching Artists” on the S.C. Arts Directory have been additionally vetted by SCAC through the submission of sample lesson plans, recorded teaching samples, and letters of recommendation; we encourage but do not require grant-funded teaching artist residencies to employ Verified Teaching Artists.
Any activities carried out within this grant must align with state guidelines regarding COVID-19.
Projects must:
Priority will be given to individuals or organizations that have projects in SCAC’s Opportunity Initiative Counties:
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.
All grant-supported activities must be implemented between September 11, 2023 and May 31, 2024.
Up to $2,500
1:2 (grantee:SCAC – the grantee must match each SCAC dollar with fifty cents of their own funds)
Are you wondering what makes for a strong application?
The SCAC recommends using the FY24 Rural Libraries Public Engagement Grant Evaluation Rubric as a guide when writing your application. Grant panelists will score your application responses based on the criteria within this rubric.
Applicants should tell us (narrative section tied to project detail points):
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.
The applicant must have an active account in our Grants Portal.
Not quite ready to apply? You can preview the application before you create an account or start an application.
The Grants Team will review submitted applications for completeness and compliance with guideline and application requirements. A combination of SCAC program staff and external panelists 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 in five (5) weeks after the grant application has been submitted as detailed in the “Deadlines & Grant Period” section of these guidelines.
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.
Payments are reimbursement-based. This means 50% of expenses must be financed up front by the grantee and/or a cooperating entity.
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.
We also highly recommend a visit to our Grants Coaching webpage, for
Missed a group call or session? Look for the video link to access a recording of that presentation.