NOTE: Due to COVID-19, travel for professional development might not be possible. Applications will be accepted for virtual professional development opportunities as well as staff training.

New applicants are encouraged to contact the program officer to discuss eligibility prior to submitting an application. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Applications must be submitted at least 60 days prior to the project start date.

The Program

Professional Development and Artistic Planning Grants are available to support the professional development needs of Southern presenters, programmers, or curators, for strengthening program design or increasing organizational capacity. South Arts strongly believes professional development for presenters/programmers/curators is integral to success, including traveling to see new works and attending convenings. This grant program is open to film, visual arts, performing arts, traditional arts, literary arts, and multidisciplinary organizations.

This funding can support staff’s travel expenses to conferences, festivals, exhibitions, workshops, and other professional development opportunities. Funding also supports guest artists’ or guest curators’ travel expenses for onsite planning meetings with presenting organizations. These grants support travel expenses (for example, lodging and air/ground transportation), admission/registration fees, and other related expenses. In addition, these grants support expenses for virtual professional development opportunities and staff training (for example, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility training or technology training for virtual engagements).

South Arts is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. We have prioritized this commitment to ensure that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) led organizations, LGBTQIA+ led organizations, and organizations led by people with disabilities are represented as both applicants and grantees. In addition, we encourage applications for projects that engage BIPOC artists, LGBTQIA+ artists, and artists with disabilities.

NOTE: The Duke Endowment has introduced a new pre-application process for the Child and Family Well-Being program area. This deadline is listed as the 'LOI' deadline. Within 30 days of receiving your pre-application, The Duke Endowment will either invite you to submit an application for the upcoming grant cycle, or inform you that your project does not align with current priorities, thereby concluding the process.

Program Area: Child & Family Well-being

We fund implementation support for public and private child- and family-serving agencies to adopt and sustain evidence-based and evidence-informed programs shown to prevent or treat child maltreatment.

Challenge

Several programs in the United States regularly gather and share evidence of their positive impact and outcomes for children. Historically, replication of these evidence-based programs in communities has failed to reproduce the outcomes or local capacity to sustain the programs. We believe that failure often can be traced to inadequate implementation support and inattention to continuous improvement.

Approach

Child and Family Well-Being has adopted the implementation framework developed by the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN) to sustain and scale evidence-based programs for preventing and treating child abuse and neglect. Implementation support consists of activities designed to help put defined programs into practice.

Strategies

Support Implementation for Tested Programs: We fund implementation support for projects that adopt and sustain evidence-based or ‑informed models shown to prevent or treat child abuse and neglect and enhance well-being. ​“Implementation” refers to activities that are designed to put defined programs into practice. An active implementation framework answers the questions of what needs to be done (effective interventions), how to establish what needs to be done in practice, who will do the work to accomplish positive outcomes and where will effective interventions and implementation thrive. Rather than letting change happen, we work with organizations and agencies to make change happen for children and families of all races and ethnicities.

Commit to Innovation: We recognize the lack of evidence-based or ‑informed models for the range of issues children and families face and the diverse populations served. If we did not commit to innovation, we would miss opportunities to identify programs that improve outcomes. We support grantees in developing and testing innovative, tailored, data-driven approaches. We encourage models that specifically look at risks and solutions through the lens of race.

Advocate for Improvement: Many dedicated, knowledgeable professionals work in the child welfare system, but systemic challenges can inhibit their effectiveness. We use our resources and relationships to support advocacy and communications strategies that speed improvement of the prevention, early intervention and foster care systems. We believe that by working closely with government agencies and nonprofit organizations that reflect the communities served, we can enhance the spread of information and facilitate conversations within communities.

NOTE: Applications must be submitted at least five weeks before grant-funded activities begin or purchases are made. However, earlier applications are encouraged. Applicants do not need to wait until five weeks before their project starts to apply. No applications will be accepted after Monday, March 4, 2024. All grant-supported activities must be implemented between August 7, 2023 and May 31, 2024.

Purpose

The purpose of the Arts Project Support (APS) Grant from the South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) is to support an artist’s or organization’s quality arts project or program or their commitment to improving themselves and/or their work artistically. Among other things, the APS grant can be used to build and/or increase technical, online, or virtual capacity; for community arts development; and for career advancement and/or professional development for artists and arts administration staff.

Battlefield Preservation Fund

Grants from the Battlefield Preservation Fund will serve as a catalyst to stimulate efforts to preserve battlefields, viewsheds, and related historic structures and to leverage fund-raising activities.

Eligible Activities

National Trust Preservation Fund grants are awarded for planning activities and education efforts focused on preservation. Grant funds can be used to launch new initiatives or to provide additional support to on-going efforts.

Planning

Supporting existing staff (nonprofit applicants only) or obtaining professional expertise in areas such as architecture, archaeology, engineering, preservation planning, land-use planning, and law. Eligible planning activities include, but are not limited to:

• Hiring a preservation architect or landscape architect, or funding existing staff with expertise in these areas, to produce a historic structure report or historic landscape master plan.
• Hiring a preservation planner, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce design guidelines for a historic district.
• Hiring a real estate development consultant, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce an economic feasibility study for the reuse of a threatened structure.
• Sponsoring a community forum to develop a shared vision for the future of a historic neighborhood.
• Organizational capacity building activities such as hiring fundraising consultants, conducting board training, etc.

Education and Outreach

Support for preservation education activities aimed at the public. The National Trust is particularly interested in programs aimed at reaching new audiences. Funding will be provided to projects that employ innovative techniques and formats aimed at introducing new audiences to the preservation movement, whether that be through education programming or conference sessions.

Guidelines

Grants from National Trust Preservation Funds (NTPF) are intended to encourage preservation at the local level by supporting on-going preservation work and by providing seed money for preservation projects. These grants help stimulate public discussion, enable local groups to gain the technical expertise needed for preservation projects, introduce the public to preservation concepts and techniques, and encourage financial participation by the private sector.

A small grant at the right time can go a long way and is often the catalyst that inspires a community to take action on a preservation project. Grants generally start at $2,500 and range up to $5,000. The selection process is very competitive.

Eligible Activities

National Trust Preservation Fund grants are awarded for planning activities and education efforts focused on preservation. Grant funds can be used to launch new initiatives or to provide additional support to on-going efforts.

Planning: Supporting existing staff (nonprofit applicants only) or obtaining professional expertise in areas such as architecture, archaeology, engineering, preservation planning, land-use planning, and law. Eligible planning activities include, but are not limited to:

• Hiring a preservation architect or landscape architect, or funding existing staff with expertise in these areas, to produce a historic structure report or historic landscape master plan.
• Hiring a preservation planner, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce design guidelines for a historic district.
• Hiring a real estate development consultant, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce an economic feasibility study for the reuse of a threatened structure.
• Sponsoring a community forum to develop a shared vision for the future of a historic neighborhood.
• Organizational capacity building activities such as hiring fundraising consultants, conducting board training, etc.

Education and Outreach: Support for preservation education activities aimed at the public. The National Trust is particularly interested in programs aimed at reaching new audiences. Funding will be provided to projects that employ innovative techniques and formats aimed at introducing new audiences to the preservation movement, whether that be through education programming or conference sessions.

NOTE: Please contact the program administrator (under the When to Submit section) prior to submitting your Letter of Intent to discuss your proposed project.

Our Work

The BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation was established in 2001. The Foundation issues grants to support projects that aim to promote the health of South Carolinians and to increase access to health care for the economically disadvantaged. 

Our Vision

To bridge health and health care in South Carolina. 

Our Mission

The mission of the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation is to promote and support healthier South Carolinians, particularly the economically vulnerable, by supporting solutions to address gaps in health care and serving as an agent of change to support innovation and value-added public-private partnerships. 

Our Values

We have a unique position as a statewide health funder that allows us to support select systemic population health issues and approaches across South Carolina.

• We look to partner with grantees to both increase effectiveness towards better health outcomes and contribute to organizational and programmatic sustainability.
• We seek to support efforts that represent community and statewide priorities that are locally determined, culturally relevant and data-informed solutions.
• We support efforts that generate data, connect learning to action, and use data for continuous improvement.
• We recognize that improving health is complex and is influenced as much by one's environment as it is by the individual therefore we look to have an array of projects that are designed to provide direct care to the economically vulnerable and address policy, systems, and environmental changes.
• We prioritize efforts that will support future generations of South Carolinians.
• We are a catalytic funder, supporting projects as they gain sustainability by leveraging funds from key partners and we value innovative projects that can expand to multiple geographic areas in South Carolina.

• Support safety net providers to provide primary physical and mental health care.
• Implement evidence-based or innovative models to increase accessibility of health care services.

• Support projects to increase the number of health care professionals.
• Support health care career development through evidence-based or innovative approaches to advance skills.

Improving the Quality and Value of Health and Health Care

• Quality improvement projects that yield cost and resource efficiencies through innovative approaches and solutions.

• Support projects that foster environments and settings that encourage healthy eating and active lifestyles.
• Support projects that focus on the integration of mental health and adverse childhood experiences.
• Support projects that focus on population health improvement through intentional collaboration across multiple sectors to connect the non-health factors that influence health.

• Support projects to inform, influence and support our Areas of Focus and/or our Mission. These projects may fall outside of an established area of focus yet would generate value-added information relevant to the health needs of the economically vulnerable population in South Carolina.

What does this program do?

This program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Small means that the business has fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue.

What kind of funding is available?

There is no maximum grant amount; however, smaller requests are given higher priority. There is no cost sharing requirement. Opportunity grants are limited to up to 10 percent of the total Rural Business Development Grant annual funding.

How may funds be used?

Enterprise grants must be used on projects to benefit small and emerging businesses in rural areas as specified in the grant application. Uses may include:

• Training and technical assistance, such as project planning, business counseling and training, market research, feasibility studies, professional or/technical reports or producer service improvements.
• Acquisition or development of land, easements, or rights of way; construction, conversion, renovation of buildings; plants, machinery, equipment, access for streets and roads; parking areas and utilities.
• Pollution control and abatement.
• The capitalization of revolving loan funds, including funds that will make loans for start-ups and working capital.
• Distance adult learning for job training and advancement.
• Rural transportation improvement.
• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

Opportunity grants can be used for:

• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

Purpose

Arts Education Project (AEP) Grants fund projects and programs that use the arts to meet the educational, developmental and social needs of K-12 students. AEP grants support quality arts education programs in both traditional arts education settings (schools, arts organizations) and other organizations that utilize the arts to advance learning in students (social service, health, community, education or other organizations).

Activities should

• Expand student access to arts education opportunities; and
• Complement, augment, or advance standards-based arts instruction or arts integration activities delivered to students during the course of the school day curriculum; and
• Be focused on or include significant components delivering quality instruction and/or experiences in the visual arts, performing arts, media arts, design arts, folk and traditional arts or creative writing; and
• Address South Carolina’s 2017 College and Career Ready Standards for Visual and Performing Arts Proficiency.

Examples of eligible in-school and afterschool activities include, but are not limited to:

• Workshops;
• Camps;
• Artist residencies;
• Public art projects;
• Performances;
• Exhibitions;
• Acquisition of critical equipment or supplies;
• Program planning;
• Professional development for instructors, artists and/or administrators.

Purpose

The purpose of the Summer Arts Education Project Grant from the South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) is to support quality arts education programs for K-12 students between school years, through both traditional providers (arts organizations) and other organizations (e.g., social service, health, community, education) that utilize the arts to meet the educational, developmental, and social needs of K-12 students. This two-year grant supports projects occurring during the summers of 2022 and 2023.

Activities should

• Expand student access to arts education opportunities; and
• Complement, augment, or advance standards-based arts instruction or arts integration activities delivered to students during the course of the school day curriculum; and
• Be focused on or include significant components delivering quality instruction and/or experiences in the visual arts, performing arts, media arts, design arts, folk and traditional arts, or creative writing; and
• Address South Carolina’s 2017 College and Career Ready Standards for Visual and Performing Arts Proficiency.

If you are hiring artists:

Starting in Fiscal Year 2022 (July 2021), SCAC Arts in Education grant recipients must use members of the S.C. Arts Directory for grant-funded group lectures, demonstrations, performances, classroom residencies, and short-term arts teaching experiences. Artists labeled as Certified Teaching Artists on the Directory have been additionally vetted by SCAC through the submission of sample lesson plans, recorded teaching samples, and letters of recommendation; we encourage but do not require grant-funded teaching artist residencies to employ Certified Teaching Artists. Additionally, Arts Access SC Teaching Artists have trained with Arts Access SC to provide children, youth, and adults with disabilities quality arts experiences. Note: Schools should check with their district office about policies related to hiring artists, arts organizations, and teaching artists.

Funding

Up to $50,000 ($25,000 per summer)

Matching Requirements

• 1:2 (grantee:SCAC)
• At least 50% of the applicant’s match must be cash.
• Funds from another SCAC grant may not be used as matching funds.