Cultural Districts Grants

South Carolina Arts Commission
For more than 50 years, the agency has worked to build a thriving arts environment that benefits all South Carolinians, regardless of their circumstances or where they live.
We help artists and arts providers offer unique arts experiences to residents and visitors. From free poetry readings and gallery crawls to sweetgrass basketry workshops and ticketed dance, music, or theatre performances, they create an environment that contributes to quality of life from three “corner” counties of Oconee, Horry, and Beaufort to the 43 arranged inside.
Since 1967, the SCAC has awarded more than $132 million in grants to artists, arts organizations, school districts, schools, and teachers!
Purpose
This grant supports a broad range of creative placemaking endeavors led by S.C. Cultural Districts, including—but not limited to—festivals, performances, workshops, and public art projects. All programming must be located within a Cultural District’s approved boundaries and align with its strategic plan.
Projects should:

• Integrate arts, culture, or design activities.
• Include non-arts partnership(s).
• Engage the public.
• Involve artists, designers, or culture bearers.

Each S.C. Cultural District may submit only one (1) application per cycle.
Grant funds must be used for actual project costs, defined as consumable and non-consumable items needed to complete the proposed project.
Funding type: Expense reimbursement.
1:2 (grantee:SCAC)
A 1:2 match means that for each SCAC dollar granted, the grantee must match with $0.50 of their own funds. For example, if the total project cost is $15,000, the applicant may request $10,000 and must provide the remaining $5,000 from other sources.
At least 50% of the applicant’s match must be cash.
Funds may not be matched with another SCAC grant.
If you are hiring artists or teaching artists
For all grant-funded activities (including group lectures, demonstrations, performances, residencies, and short-term arts teaching experiences), the use of S.C. Arts Directory members is required for school and school district grantees and encouraged for grantees that are organizations.
Artists identified 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. For any grantee whose grant-funded activities are for K-12 student services, SCAC encourages the use of Verified Teaching Artists. Many school districts require the use of SCAC Verified Teaching Artists for classroom residencies. If working in a school environment, always check with both the individual school and the school district about policies related to hiring artists, arts organizations, and teaching artists. Learn more about the S.C. Arts Directory.
Indirect Cost Limitation
No more than 10% of the total grant funds may be used for indirect costs (general overhead expenses not directly tied to the project). The remaining 90% must go toward direct costs, which are necessary to carry out the funded project.
Examples of direct costs: Artist fees, program supplies, travel for project activities, and venue rental.
Examples of indirect costs: Administrative salaries not directly working on the project, office rent, utilities, and general office supplies.
This ensures that most of the funding directly benefits the project while allowing some flexibility for necessary overhead costs.
Compliance with State and Federal Laws
All grant applicants must ensure their applications, proposed projects, and any related materials comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. This includes SC Code § 16-15-305 (2024), which prohibits the dissemination of obscene materials.
Obscene content is strictly prohibited in grant applications and any proposed project activities. Applications that include materials or activities determined to be obscene will not be reviewed or considered for funding.
No component of an SCAC-funded project, including those funded with SCAC funds and those funded with matching funds, can fall into this category. Failure to comply with these regulations may result in the termination of funding and other legal consequences.
We strongly encourage all applicants to carefully review the full legal text of SC Code § 16-15-305 (2024), to ensure their proposals are in full compliance.

Eligibility

The applicant must be a current S.C. Cultural District in good standing.
Good Standing: The Cultural District must be in good standing as determined by the SCAC. Good standing includes, but is not limited to:Completed annual reports.Full, active steering committees (steering committee must have at least five members and be composed of organizations and individuals that represent the interests of the district).
The applicant must be a unit of local government.
The applicant may not be the authorized nonprofit district liaison, but the liaison may serve as a collaborator on the application.
The applicant must have a valid Unique Entity ID.
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 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.
Eligible expenses
These include, but are not limited to:Contractual fees paid to artists, musicians, curators, programmers, arts presenters, performers, facilitators, designers, or consultants, 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 or print materials, website or social media.

Ineligibility

Commissioners and staff of the S.C. Arts Commission and members of their immediate families are not eligible to apply for any individual SCAC programs, grants, fellowships, or services that provide financial support or career recognition.
Ineligible expenses
These include, but are not limited to:
Salaries for city employees.Non-arts activities.Food and beverages, including alcohol.Events organized for or by political parties.Trade fairs, events of a commercial nature, and consumer shows.Endowment funds or events that are produced solely as fundraisers, or that contribute to endowments.Competitions and award ceremonies.Cash prizes, purchases/awards, plaques.Re-granting.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).Interest on borrowed money.Lawsuits.Disposal of assets.Clothing (not including costumes for theatre projects).Credit card processing fees.Capital expenses or purchases.