Purpose
To help schools acquire the supplies, materials/equipment, or professional development needed to address learning loss gaps in the arts; promote innovation in the arts classroom; and/or support arts integration initiatives to remediate core subject areas.
Who's Eligible
Most public, private, and charter schools in S.C.
Funding
Up to $2,500 per grant request; Individual schools are eligible to receive up to two (2) grants ($5,000 total) per fiscal year
Matching Requirement
1:2 (grantee:SCAC); no match for qualifying schools (see note)
To help schools acquire the supplies, materials/equipment, or professional development needed to address learning loss gaps in the arts, promote innovation in the arts classroom, and/or support arts integration initiatives to remediate core subject areas.
Please Note
Grant guidelines are subject to change until the application opens.
How is this grant different from Arts Teacher Support grants?
Formerly the Arts Teacher Support grant, this grant category is now also open to non-arts teachers who are interested in exploring arts integration in their classrooms. Additionally, the SAS grant can support school-wide initiatives/projects that promote arts integration, innovation, and address learning loss in the arts.
Although there is not one singular definition for arts integration, the SCAC finds that the Kennedy Center’s comprehensive definition of Arts Integration is a worthy model. To read more how their definition has evolved, please visit their website and read “What is Arts Integration?“
Arts in Basic Curriculum schools are not eligible to apply.
School Arts Support Grants should have a strong connection to addressing COVID related learning loss in and through the arts, promoting arts innovation, and/or increasing capacity to utilize arts integration as a teaching practice.
Priority may be given to:
Applications for the School Arts Support grant are received on a rolling basis. Application reviews take place during the first full week of each month (second full week of January 2024).
Here are some time-specific deadlines:
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.
Awarded applicants can expect contracts at the time of notification.
August 7, 2023–May 31, 2024
All grant purchases and activities must be complete by May 31. If you have a program (for example, a teaching residency) occurring after May 31, please reach out to K-12 Coordinator Amanda Noyes (803.734.8675 | anoyes@arts.sc.gov), before applying.
Up to $2,500 per grant, a school may receive up to two SAS grants for a total of $5,000 per fiscal year (see Restrictions section of these guidelines for details)
Federal funding note: This grant might be funded using federal dollars. The SCAC will notify the grantee if federal dollars are used. In the event federal dollars are used, the grantee’s match must not consist of federal funding.
1:2 (grantee:SCAC)
*Exception: No match is required for schools on this S.C. Department of Education list of schools with low-income student populations above 70%.
Are you wondering what makes for a strong application?
The SCAC recommends using the FY24 School Arts Support Grant Evaluation Rubric as a guide when writing your application. Grant panelists will score your application responses based on the criteria within this rubric.
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.
Helpful Hint: The primary contact person for this grant should be the arts teacher who will administer the grant activities. To ensure the correct person is listed as the primary contact for your application, that person should be the one to log on and click the “Apply” button to start the application. The primary contact person for this grant should be the person who will:
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. SCAC program staff and management 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 four (4) to five (5) weeks, 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 any expenses must be financed up front by the grantee and/or a cooperating entity.
An accurate Final Report, listing only expenses allowable under the program guidelines for the certified time period, must be submitted in order to receive payment for the grant award.
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.