Term Arts Education Project Grants

The Term Arts Education Project Grants offered by the South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) aim to strengthen arts education for preschool (3K-4K) and K-12 students within the state of South Carolina. Designed for implementation during the academic school term—defined as July 1, 2026, through May 15, 2027—these grants support initiatives both during and beyond the regular school day. The SCAC, a state agency dedicated to promoting equitable access to the arts across South Carolina, leverages this program to enable arts organizations and non-arts institutions alike to contribute meaningfully to student learning and development through the arts. The purpose of the grant is to expand access to quality arts education, enhance curriculum through arts integration, and ensure alignment with South Carolina’s 2026 College- and Career-Ready Visual and Performing Arts Proficiency Standards. Programs must also address the “Profile of the Ready Kindergartener” for any preschool components. Eligible activities may include workshops, artist residencies, performances, exhibitions, non-summer arts camps, and the acquisition of critical supplies or equipment. Funded projects should feature significant instructional or experiential arts components spanning visual, performing, media, design, folk and traditional arts, and creative writing disciplines. Grants provide up to $15,000 in funding and require a 1:2 match from grantees, meaning each dollar from SCAC must be matched with 50 cents from the grantee, at least half of which must be cash. Funds may be used for artist and educator salaries, instructional materials, transportation, scholarships, and indirect costs up to 10%. However, funds may not be used for fundraising events, food, construction, or stipends/gift cards for students. Importantly, the grant cannot be used to cover costs already funded under SCAC’s Summer Arts Education Project Grant program. Eligible applicants include South Carolina-based nonprofit organizations, colleges and universities, and units of state or local government that are either registered with the South Carolina Secretary of State as charities or can provide proof of exemption. Fiscal sponsorship is permitted with appropriate documentation. All applicants and fiscal agents must possess a Unique Entity ID (UEI), and separate UEIs are required unless under local government or school district oversight. Individual artists, schools, school districts, and SCAC staff or commissioners are not eligible. Applications are submitted online through SCAC’s grants portal, hosted on the Foundant platform. The application deadline is April 23, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Applicants must designate a primary contact who is a direct employee or active volunteer of the applying organization. Consultants or external representatives may not serve in this role. The review process prioritizes projects that serve one or more of SCAC’s Opportunity Initiative counties and those that serve rural or high-poverty student populations. Proposals are scored on need, goals, activity detail, timeline, student engagement, educational alignment, evaluation methods, and budget realism. Strong partnerships and previous project growth are also weighed. Applicants are encouraged to consult the SCAC Arts Learning & Accessibility Director, Amanda Noyes ([email protected] | 803.734.8675), before submission. Final grant decisions are based on panel evaluations using SCAC’s scoring rubric. Awards are issued with up to 80% disbursed before the final report submission. This grant does not recur automatically, but future cycles are anticipated. Applicants should avoid overlap with summer programming and ensure all activities conclude by May 15, 2027.

Align programming with SC academic standards; prioritize underserved or rural student populations; serve Opportunity Initiative counties if possible.