SDAC: Project Grants

SDAC: Project Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: South Dakota Arts Council
Amount: Up to US $5,000
Last Updated: January 18, 2026

Summary

The South Dakota Arts Council (SDAC) offers Project Grants to support nonprofit organizations in presenting arts activities that serve the public. These grants aim to enhance community well-being through the arts, promote cultural engagement, and foster innovation. Eligible applicants include South Dakota nonprofit organizations designated as federally tax-exempt. The SDAC prioritizes projects that employ local artists, reach diverse audiences, and contribute to the state's cultural landscape. Funding is not available for capital improvements or projects already completed.

Overview

South Dakota Arts Council South Dakota Arts Council encourages the development of new projects and those which strengthen existing arts programs. The SDAC funds quality arts projects that: Employ professional artists, especially those living in South Dakota.Focus on underdeveloped arts disciplines.Recognize and relate to the cultural needs of the state and community.Make the arts available to new, minority, and geographically isolated audiences.Bring the arts into schools with the support of the local school.Reach beyond a town’s boundaries to attract new audiences.Train local talent to follow through on future projects.Include financial contributions from participants of workshops.Advance the role of the arts in economic development efforts.Enhance cultural and heritage tourism. Project Grant Project Grants assist South Dakota nonprofit organizations in presenting an activity in any arts discipline(s) that serves the general public and meets specific needs of the applicant organization. The funding category is designed to: Enable nonprofit organizations in South Dakota to reach the public more effectively through special arts projects.Recognize and assist artistic endeavors of excellence that contribute to quality of life in the applicant’s community or region.Accommodate projects with creative/innovative potential

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Eligible applicantsSouth Dakota nonprofit organizations thatare seeking funds for a single arts activity andare designated as federally tax-exempt under the IRS Section 501(c)(3), units of government, or nonprofit educational institutions may apply for a Project Grant. Nonprofit organizations without 501(c)(3) status may apply under the auspices of a qualifying organization which then becomes responsible for all fiscal and contractual arrangements.South Dakota Organizations that for logical reasons share a 501(c)(3) tax ID number with another organization are eligible to apply for project grants provided that the relationship between the organizations is real and not contrived merely for the purpose of each writing a separate grant proposal. Appropriate examples include but are not limited to:college/university organizations and departments that for practical reasons share the school’s nonprofit status and tax number; an organization that functions independently but has a legal working relationship with a parent company whose tax number it shares; a consortium of separate organizations each with its own board of directors which for fiscal purposes share the same tax number.]South Dakota Arts Council encourages the development of new projects and those which strengthen existing arts programs.

Ineligibility

Organizations may apply for only one Project Grant per granting cycle. Recipients of Arts Challenge Grants, Importation of Musicians Grants, and Statewide Services Grants are not eligible to apply for Project Grants.South Dakota Arts Council DOES NOT fund:Capital improvements, new building construction, endowment funds, or fundraising efforts.Tuition assistance and scholarships for which the primary purpose is to generate academic credit.Prize money for competitions.Projects already completed.Performances and workshops which are available to the public only through a subscription season ticket or membership.Projects involving travel outside the state, except when projects involve South Dakota Arts Council cooperative projects with neighboring states, Professional Development Grants, Technical Assistance Grants, Artist Grants, Artist Collaboration Grants or Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grants.Arts activities that occur during a religious service. Religious organizations may apply for a grant but only for arts components that do not occur as part of a religious service. Activities that are open to the public are encouraged.