Open Call for School Arts Support Grants Program (US)

Funding Information

• Grant amount: Up to $2,500 per grant, a school may receive up to two SAS grants for a total of $5,000 per fiscal year.

Uses of the Funds

• SAS grant funds may be used, in one of the following ways:
  • Materials/Equipment/Supplies. Examples could include:
    • Arts materials that will enhance teaching the Visual and Performing Arts Standards
    • Supplies/equipment for an arts-enhanced or arts -integrated lesson
  • Professional Development Opportunities. Examples could include:
    • Membership in state or national arts education associations
    • Conference, travel, and hotel fees for state or national conferences (travel and hotel must follow the S.C. state travel guidelines and rates).
    • Substitute teacher costs to allow for peer-to-peer planning for arts rich learning opportunities.
  • Arts Residencies
    • Grant recipients must use members of the S.C. Arts Directory for grant-funded activities.
    • SAS Grant funds can purchase materials to support the arts residency.
  • Creative Arts Therapy Project/Experience
    • Grant recipients must use members of the S.C. Arts Directory for grant-funded activities.
    • A letter of support from your school’s guidance counselor will be required if pursuing an art therapy project the letter will need to include the following information:
      • A statement of support from the guidance counselor of the proposed Creative Arts Therapy Project/experience.
      • Details about the school’s policy on mandated reporting if a student were to disclose information during the art therapy experience that requires immediate action to ensure their safety and well-being.
      • A commitment to obtaining verbal consent from parents for a credentialed therapist to deliver programming in their child’s classroom.
  • SAS grant funds cannot be used for:
    • Direct student services such as field trips or registration/travel fees for an arts event
    • Purchase of food
    • Purchase of clothing

Geographical Focus

• Schools in SCAC FY25 Opportunity Initiative Counties:
  • Allendale, Bamberg, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clarendon, Dillon, Edgefield, Hampton, Jasper, Laurens, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Saluda, Williamsburg

Eligibility Criteria

• The applicant must be a public, private, or charter K-12 school in South Carolina.
  • Private and charter schools must:
    • be currently registered with the S.C. Secretary of State’s Office.
    • reflect S.C. as the primary address on all current official organizational documents
• 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.
  • Individual public schools may use their school district’s Unique Entity ID and do not need to register separately.
• An arts teacher within the school or an arts professional from outside of the school must serve as a partnering expert in the art form that will be utilized.
  • If a school wishes to apply and does not have an arts teacher,

Ineligibility Criteria

• Arts in Basic Curriculum schools are not eligible to apply.

Application Requirements 

• All School Arts Support grant applications are required to include a letter of support from the school’s principal.
• This letter must state:
  • Explanation of the need for the grant
  • Declaration of support for the grant
  • Agreement and understanding that this grant funding is reimbursement based
• Formatting instructions:
  • Letter must be on the applying school’s letterhead
  • Letter must be dated
  • Must be physically signed by the school’s principal
  • Font size cannot be smaller than 11 pt.
  • Font type is limited to Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman.
  • Acceptable file types to upload: .pdf

For more information, visit SCAC.