The South Carolina Arts Commission is seeking applications for its Arts Industry Operating Support Grant Program.
Donor Name: South Carolina Arts Commission
State: South Carolina
County: Allendale County (SC), Bamberg County (SC), Calhoun County (SC), Edgefield County (SC), Hampton County (SC), Lee County (SC), Marlboro County (SC), Saluda County (SC), Union County (SC), Williamsburg County (SC)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 02/26/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The purpose of the grant is to help strengthen arts organizations that bring ongoing arts experiences and services to individuals, communities, and other organizations throughout the state via three (3) years of support for basic operations for applicants ranging from emerging to established arts organizations with primary missions involving these artistic functions:
- producing,
- service,
- presenting,
- and/or education.
Funding Information
Up to $45,000.
Grant Period
July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027.
Uses of Funds
- Grantees may use these funds for any general operating expense related to their arts programming, such as staff salaries, paying the electric bill, printing programs, buying supplies, etc.
- Arts programming expenses might include (but are not limited to) concert series, visual arts workshops, a season of theatrical productions, or other activities and initiatives conducted with the primary intention of providing arts experiences to the community.
- This grant is not intended to support programming that is not arts-focused (although it may contain artistic elements).
Allowable Expenses
- Costs that an organization must cover to perform its primary, day-to-day activities that generate revenue.
- Administrative costs.
- Office supplies.
- Salaries for administrative/artistic personnel.
- Commissions.
- Marketing and advertising.
- Research and development costs.
- Rent.
- Utilities.
- Contract/consultant services.
- Insurance premiums.
- Everyday repairs to equipment.
- Travel expenses related to normal business activities.
- Property tax.
- Accessibility operating expenses: expenses accrued to improve the quality of being easily reached, entered, or used by people who have a disability.
Geographical Areas
Priority will be given to projects in SCAC’s Opportunity Initiative Counties:
- Allendale
- Bamberg
- Calhoun
- Edgefield
- Hampton
- Lee
- Marlboro
- Saluda
- Union
- Williamsburg.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for this grant, an organization must fit all the following criteria:
- Be a current operating support grantee.
- Have a primary mission focused on the arts OR serve as the primary arts provider in their community
- Be either
- a unit of local government
- a nonprofit community-based arts organization
- currently registered as a charity with the SC Secretary of State’s Office Note: Applicants who are exempt from this registration must upload their registration exemption approval.
- reflecting SC as the primary address on all current official organizational documents
- with federal tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service applying through a tax exempt fiscal agent/receiver organization Note: Applicants who are applying through a fiscal agent/receiver will need to submit a letter that outlines the working relationship and responsibilities of both parties.
- Have completed at least one fiscal year of programming.
- 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. 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.
- 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.
For more information, visit SCAC.
