South Carolina Arts Grants

The Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville's Compass Society Grant program is designed to fund collaborative, visionary projects that create significant and sustainable impacts across various aspects of the community's quality of life. This program aligns with the Foundation's mission to drive future-focused opportunities, aiming to build a better community for future generations. It emphasizes collective action, requiring organizations to work together to achieve outcomes greater than any single entity could accomplish alone. The grant targets a broad range of beneficiaries across Jackson, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, and Morgan counties in the Greater Huntsville area. Projects are expected to address multiple focus areas within the Foundation's Quality of Life Framework, which includes Arts & Culture, Basic Needs, Economic Opportunity, Education, Environment, Health & Wellness, Neighborhoods & Communities, and Recreation. The overarching impact goal is to strengthen the community by investing in programs that provide essential services, foster growth, and enrich lives holistically. Priority for funding is given to projects that demonstrate visionary, collaborative, and high-impact characteristics. "Visionary" projects create innovative, future-focused programs, while "collaborative" projects involve three or more partners, not necessarily all nonprofits. Projects must also span at least three of the Foundation's Quality of Life focus areas. "High-impact" initiatives are those that can affect a large number of people through scalable, ripple-effect transformations, indicating a strategic focus on widespread and lasting change. The expected outcomes and measurable results revolve around these priority areas. Projects are anticipated to produce innovative solutions, foster strong community partnerships, and demonstrate a broad reach across multiple quality-of-life indicators. The Foundation's strategic priorities and theory of change are rooted in the belief that collaborative, innovative, and impactful initiatives, guided by a future-focused vision, are essential for sustainable community development. By funding projects that meet these criteria, the Community Foundation aims to empower organizations to drive meaningful transformation and enhance the overall well-being of the Greater Huntsville area.

This funding opportunity supports public libraries in South Carolina to collaborate with artists and arts organizations, fostering community engagement through various artistic and cultural activities.

The Charleston County Community Development Program has announced the opening of the application period for the 2025-2026 Urban Entitlement Funding Request for Applications (RFA). This program supports projects that align with the goals of the county's Consolidated Plan for Program Years 2021–2025. Applicants must clearly identify which goal their project addresses and include measurable outputs. Additionally, applications should specify whether the funding request is for Charleston County, the City of North Charleston, or both jurisdictions. The application window runs from November 25, 2024, at 4:00 PM EST to January 6, 2025, at 12:00 PM EST. Funding is available through several programs, including the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME), Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO), and Emergency Solutions Grant (HESG). Each program has specific requirements, and applicants must submit all documents electronically via the Urban Entitlement Application in Neighborly. Signed forms must include an authorized representative’s signature. HESG applicants must also obtain an endorsement letter from the Lowcountry Continuum of Care, with requests due by December 13, 2024, at 12:00 PM EST. The required documents vary by program and include forms such as the Application Certification, Financial Statement Form, and budget templates specific to each grant type. Additional details can be found in Section 5 of the RFA Instructions. Workshops will be held to assist applicants on December 3, 2024, at City Hall in North Charleston and December 5, 2024, at the Charleston County Council Chambers. These sessions provide an opportunity to learn more about the application process and ask questions. Applicants may also submit written questions about the RFA process to Community Development staff by December 13, 2024, at 5:00 PM EST. Answers will be posted in an addendum on December 20, 2024. Town hall meetings will be hosted in participating jurisdictions to discuss program funding and gather community input, with meetings scheduled throughout November and December 2024. Projects must align with the Consolidated Plan's goals and provide measurable results. All applications and supporting materials must be submitted by the January 6, 2025, deadline through the designated portal. Late submissions will not be accepted. For additional information or support, applicants can email CommunityDev@CharlestonCounty.org or call (843) 202-6960.

The Anderson County Watershed Protection Council is offering grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 for projects that protect or restore water quality in the Savannah River watershed, increase citizen awareness, and empower communities to collect and share water quality data, with priority given to proposals closest to the spill site.

The Spartanburg County Foundation offers Continuous Improvement Grants of up to $25,000, aligning with its vision to help all Spartanburg County residents achieve their human potential. These grants focus on three amplified areas: quality of life, educational achievement, and economic mobility. The Foundation's strategic priority is to support organizations that demonstrate alignment with this mission, provide services to Spartanburg County residents, respond to these three areas with data-informed approaches, utilize comprehensive measurement tools, and can leverage multiple funding sources. The target beneficiaries are residents of Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Impact goals include improving overall well-being, reducing barriers to academic success, and enhancing potential for upward economic mobility within the community. The theory of change is that by supporting initiatives in these key areas, the Foundation can foster a community where residents have access to opportunities for personal and economic growth. The grant prioritizes initiatives that enhance quality of life, such as community and cultural programs, activities promoting physical and mental health, and resources for household stability. Examples include accessible outdoor spaces, care for uninsured individuals, Spanish-speaking staff for diverse populations, mobile food markets, and assistance with housing and utilities. The expected outcomes in this area are improved physical and mental health, increased community engagement, and greater household stability for residents. Educational achievement is another key focus, aiming to reduce academic barriers and improve educational outcomes for K-12 students, provide access to post-secondary education and careers, and support return-to-learn adults. This includes mentoring, out-of-school programs, summer learning initiatives, internships, and access to GED completion, internet, and academic materials. Measurable results would include increased academic success rates, higher rates of post-secondary enrollment, and greater access to educational resources for all ages. Economic mobility initiatives are designed to improve financial self-sufficiency, promote asset building, and ensure access to affordable transportation. This involves supporting job training and certification, job search and placement services, financial coaching, small and minority business development, homeownership assistance, and programs to supplement or provide transportation in rural areas. The expected outcomes are increased financial stability, asset accumulation, and improved access to employment opportunities for Spartanburg County residents. The grant duration for all projects is one year.

This funding opportunity supports South Carolina artists in launching or enhancing arts-based business initiatives that promote career satisfaction and sustainability.

This funding opportunity supports South Carolina nonprofit organizations, colleges, and government units in providing arts education programs for preschool and K-12 students during the summer, enhancing access to quality arts instruction aligned with state educational standards.

Open Granting Community Impact Grants by the Greenwood County Community Foundation are available for a wide range of grant requests that align with the foundation's guidelines. This open category is particularly for programs and projects that do not fit within the other specified categories. Organizations that have not received funding from GCCF in the current calendar year are encouraged to apply, promoting a diverse range of initiatives beneficial to Greenwood County residents. Grant renewed every year. Grant Annual opening/ closing deadline: October 1st to October 31st.

The City of Conway Economic Development Grant Program for 2024-2025 is now open for applications, aiming to drive economic growth and enhance the quality of life within the Conway, SC community. This grant program is designed to support various projects and activities that stimulate economic activity and benefit local organizations. The overarching mission of the program is to foster a thriving Conway by investing in initiatives that create a positive economic impact. The target beneficiaries for this grant program are local organizations within Conway, SC, including charities, nonprofits, chambers of commerce, and similar entities. The program's impact goals are centered on supporting economic development programs, expanding or recruiting new businesses, and facilitating special events that draw attention and activity to the city. By supporting these organizations, the program seeks to strengthen the local economy and improve the community's overall well-being. The program's priorities and focuses include funding for economic development programs such as small business incubators and activities to expand or recruit new businesses. It also covers economic development staff salaries and benefits, special events like festivals, parades, conferences, conventions, sporting events, and arts/cultural events within the City of Conway. Additionally, travel for the purpose of recruiting business is a permissible use of funds, highlighting the program's commitment to attracting new opportunities. The expected outcomes of this grant program are a more vibrant and economically active Conway. Measurable results would include an increase in new businesses, expansion of existing businesses, a rise in local employment, and a greater number of successful community events that enhance the city's appeal. The program's strategic priorities are clearly aligned with fostering a robust local economy through direct investment in growth-oriented initiatives and community enrichment. The foundation's strategic priorities and theory of change are rooted in the belief that targeted investments in local organizations and economic development initiatives will directly lead to a stronger, more dynamic community. By providing financial support for key activities, the City of Conway aims to create a ripple effect, where initial investments lead to sustained economic growth, increased civic engagement, and an improved quality of life for all residents. This approach emphasizes collaborative efforts between the city and local organizations to achieve shared prosperity.

The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SSARE) Education Grants program is designed to fund education and outreach activities that benefit the sustainable agriculture community. This grant directly aligns with SSARE's mission to promote efforts in farmer innovations, community resilience, business success, agricultural diversification, and best management practices. The core objective is to support projects that develop sustainable agriculture systems or move existing systems towards sustainability. The primary beneficiaries of these grants are farmers and farming communities, including those involved in indigenous agriculture producing for community food systems. Academic institutions, non-profits, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), 1890 land-grant university faculty/extension cooperators, 1862 land-grant universities, other colleges and universities, and government agencies are eligible to apply, acting as facilitators for these educational initiatives. The impact goals are centered on fostering a more sustainable, resilient, and economically viable agricultural sector through knowledge dissemination and practical application. Education Grants prioritize projects that clearly articulate what is being taught, to whom, and how the goals will be accomplished. Focus areas include experiential learning (demonstrations, on-farm tours, field days, workshops), integrative approaches (conferences, seminars, course curriculum), and reinforcement methods (fact sheets, bulletins, videos, online technologies). SSARE also encourages proposals on quality of life topics, such as heirs property, farmers’ markets, food hubs, local/regional processing, and urban agriculture systems, emphasizing the social health of farming systems. Expected outcomes include the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices, enhanced farmer innovation, increased community resilience, improved business success for agricultural enterprises, and greater agricultural diversification. Projects should yield results that are realistic, acceptable to farmers, logical, and capable of leading to tangible actions and benefits described in the proposal. The grant projects are strictly focused on education and outreach, with no research component, and are paid by reimbursement of allowable expenses. The foundation's strategic priorities are evident in the grant requirements, which mandate that project outcomes focus on sustainable agriculture systems and clearly demonstrate how education and outreach efforts will be implemented and evaluated. The theory of change underpinning this program is that by providing targeted education and outreach, knowledge and best practices will be transferred to farmers and communities, leading to the development and widespread adoption of sustainable agricultural methods and improved quality of life within farming systems. Project maximums are $50,000, with a duration limited to two years. Applicants from the Southern region, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, are eligible. Farmers involved in these projects must have farming/ranching as their primary occupation or part-time farming with at least $1,000 of documented annual income from their operation, with exceptions for indigenous agriculture.

The City of Charleston’s Accommodations Tax (A-Tax) Grant Program aims to positively impact tourism within the City of Charleston by funding projects from non-profit organizations. This program is supported by the 2% lodging tax imposed by the State of South Carolina. The program's mission aligns with enhancing the city's appeal as a tourist destination, thereby contributing to the local economy and cultural vibrancy. The primary beneficiaries of this grant are non-profit organizations that can propose projects related to tourism. The ultimate impact goal is to strengthen Charleston's tourism sector by supporting activities and services that attract and cater to visitors. This includes a broad range of initiatives designed to improve the tourist experience and promote the city's unique attractions. The program prioritizes activities directly related to tourism. These include advertising and promotion to draw more visitors, supporting arts and cultural events that showcase the city's heritage, and maintaining facilities crucial for civic and cultural activities. Additionally, the grant focuses on enhancing health, safety, and public services for tourists, providing essential transportation shuttles, and operating visitor information centers. Addressing waterfront erosion control and repair is also a key area of focus, highlighting the program's commitment to preserving the city's natural and historical assets. Expected outcomes include an increase in tourist numbers, greater engagement with local arts and culture, improved public services for visitors, and better-maintained tourist infrastructure. While specific measurable results are not detailed in the provided information, the focus on "positively impacting tourism" suggests that success would be measured by indicators such as visitor satisfaction, event attendance, and the overall economic contribution of tourism. Personnel costs and items normally provided by the county or municipality are ineligible for funding, ensuring the grants support new or supplementary tourism-focused initiatives.

This funding opportunity supports 4K preschool providers in South Carolina to create arts-integrated learning experiences for young students and provide professional development for teachers, particularly in designated counties.

This program provides funding for events and projects that promote tourism in Mauldin, helping to attract visitors and boost the local economy.

The 2025 Community Grants program, offered by the Community Foundation for the CSRA, invites applications from organizations dedicated to serving individuals in specific counties of Georgia and South Carolina. This program directly aligns with the Foundation's mission to support various community needs, encompassing arts/culture/history, education/youth enrichment, health/environmental, and people in need. The Foundation seeks to foster innovative and high-quality programs that deliver positive, tangible impacts within these strategic areas, ultimately aiming for community betterment and individual empowerment. The target beneficiaries for this grant program are individuals residing in Aiken and Edgefield counties in South Carolina, and Burke, Columbia, Richmond, and McDuffie counties in Georgia. The Foundation aims to achieve significant impact goals, such as enhancing cultural and historical engagement, providing educational and enrichment opportunities for disadvantaged children, youth, and adults, improving health and environmental outcomes, and offering essential human services to vulnerable populations. Through these grants, the Foundation intends to address critical community challenges and improve the quality of life for residents in its service area. The program prioritizes several key areas. In arts, culture, and history, it encourages innovative and high-quality initiatives. For education and youth enrichment, the focus is on programs that provide educational opportunities and skills training for disadvantaged individuals, including job skill training, after-school programs, leadership development, tutoring, GED, and literacy initiatives. Within health and environmental, the Foundation supports areas such as environmental research, animal services, sustainable gardens, medical clinics, drug rehabilitation, and programs for individuals with disabilities and mental illness. Finally, the "People in Need" category broadly supports human service programs, including those addressing hunger, housing insecurity, financial assistance, homelessness, and re-entry programs for recently incarcerated individuals. The expected outcomes of the Community Grants program include a measurable increase in access to educational resources, improved health indicators, enhanced cultural participation, and greater support for vulnerable populations. For instance, educational programs are expected to lead to improved literacy rates or job placement success. Health initiatives anticipate better access to medical services or environmental conservation efforts. Programs for people in need are expected to provide stable housing, food security, or financial independence. The Foundation's theory of change posits that by investing in these critical areas through local organizations, it can foster a stronger, more resilient, and equitable community for all residents within its geographic focus. Requests for funding should not exceed $15,000 to maximize the reach of the grants.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations and destination marketing groups in Fairfield County, South Carolina, to develop projects that attract tourists and boost the local economy through targeted advertising and enhanced recreational and cultural experiences.

The South Carolina Arts Commission is offering the ArtsNOW Schools Advancement Grants of $10,000 to $100,000 over three years to ArtsNOW Partner Schools in South Carolina, to support arts integration, professional learning, curriculum mapping, and planning through innovative practices.

The Opportunity Grants by the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, offering up to $10,000 for a 12-month period, are designed to stimulate and support new or existing programs, projects, or capital investments of nonprofit organizations serving Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, and Jasper Counties in South Carolina, excluding general operating support, religious, political activities, and scholarships among others.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations and government agencies focused on improving health and well-being for families, particularly children and their caregivers, in Spartanburg County, South Carolina.

The City of North Charleston's Accommodations Tax Grants program is designed to allocate revenue generated from the state's 2% lodging tax, specifically for activities that promote and support tourism within the city. These funds are intended to enhance the visitor experience and stimulate economic activity directly related to the tourism sector. The program's mission is inherently aligned with fostering a vibrant tourism economy, ensuring that the tax contributions from visitors are reinvested into services and initiatives that benefit them and the local tourism infrastructure. This strategic allocation of funds reflects a foundational commitment to leveraging tourism as a driver for local development and cultural enrichment. Target beneficiaries of these grants are non-profit organizations operating within or serving the City of North Charleston. These organizations are expected to implement projects and services that directly or indirectly benefit tourists and the broader tourism ecosystem. The impact goals include increasing visitor satisfaction, promoting local arts and cultural events, enhancing public services for tourists, and improving tourism-related infrastructure. By supporting non-profits, the program aims to engage a diverse range of community stakeholders in the collective effort to promote North Charleston as an attractive destination. The program's priorities and focuses are clearly outlined, emphasizing several key areas of tourism-related activity. These include advertising and promotion of tourism, promotion of arts and cultural events, support for facilities that host civic and cultural activities, additional health, safety, and public services for tourists, transportation shuttles, visitor information centers, and waterfront erosion control and repair. These focus areas demonstrate a comprehensive approach to tourism development, addressing both promotional aspects and essential support services and infrastructure. While specific measurable results are not detailed in the provided information, the expected outcomes are implicitly linked to the stated priorities. For instance, increased advertising and promotion should lead to higher visitor numbers or longer stays, while support for cultural events could result in greater attendance at these events. Improvements in public services and infrastructure are anticipated to enhance the overall visitor experience and satisfaction. The Accommodations Tax Advisory Committee, composed of hospitality industry representatives, plays a crucial role in reviewing applications and making recommendations, suggesting an emphasis on projects with tangible benefits for the tourism sector. The City of North Charleston's strategic priorities, as evidenced by this grant program, center on the sustainable growth and enhancement of its tourism industry. The underlying theory of change is that by reinvesting lodging tax revenues into targeted tourism-related activities and infrastructure, the city can attract more visitors, provide a better experience for them, and ultimately stimulate local economic growth. This approach involves empowering non-profit organizations to deliver services and programs that align with these goals, thereby creating a collaborative framework for tourism development and community benefit.

This funding supports Southern nonprofit organizations and government entities in enhancing their artistic programming and professional development through travel and training opportunities.