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SC Arts Commission Grants Programs

Purpose
To support new or expanded projects and partnerships that positively impact artistically based cultural tourism.

Description
South Carolina is a state with outstanding cultural resources, and the economic future of our state can be positively impacted by how we utilize those resources. Data presented at the 2004 SC Governor's Conference on Tourism and Travel revealed that approximately 13% of tourists who travel to SC come to take advantage of our cultural resources. Other data reveals that annually, 30 million people visit SC destinations, which directly brings $4.2 billion in income & wealth in all of the travel and tourism sectors. National data from the Travel Industry Association of America reveals that cultural tourists spend more money and stay longer.

Studies conducted by SC Department of Parks, Recreation, & Tourism (PRT), World Travel and Tourism Council, and South Carolina Competitiveness Initiative identifies the need for strategic utilization of our cultural resources as well as the need for partnership and collaborative processes, cultural resource awareness, planning, and cultural product development to further stimulate economic development. Additionally, The Economic Impact of the Arts in South Carolina, a study completed in 2002 for the SC Arts Commission, noted that arts, through many means, contribute $1.9 billion to South Carolina's economy. Each of these studies indicates that our wealth of cultural resources coupled with the state's largest industry, tourism, can be utilized as an economic development strategy called Cultural Tourism, which is defined as travel which is motivated entirely or in part by artistic and heritage-related offerings of a community or region.

The SC Arts Commission has established a Cultural Tourism Initiative to support projects and partnerships that positively impact artistically based cultural tourism. This initiative builds upon the SC Arts Commission strategic plan for the arts which has the broader aim of "Improving the state's cultural resources" and "Improving the conditions for economic growth".

Goals of Cultural Tourism Initiative

Cultural Tourism funding is intended to support artistically-based projects that:

• expand and market existing cultural offerings to increase cultural tourism.
• develop and market new cultural offerings to attract cultural tourists.
• build or enhance partnerships that:
• increase in-state cultural tourism
• attract new cultural tourists (non-residents of SC)
• collect data to support a cultural tourism project.

Partnerships can be between, but not limited to, culture, tourism, & business organizations; &/or public & private sector organizations, &/or local, state, federal agencies/municipalities.

Eligible Activities

Activities may include, but are not limited to:

• uses of media and technology for cultural tourism activities.
• staffing of cultural tourism projects.
• packages/special promotions for collaborative tourism events.
• feasibility studies for cultural tourism activities.
• target marketing for cultural tourism activities.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant must have production or presentation of arts events or service to the arts as its primary organizational mission; OR be the primary provider of general, multidisciplinary arts programs and/or services within a particular community or region.

Applicant must be:



• A nonprofit, charitable arts organization that is currently registered with the Office of the Secretary of State of South Carolina that has its own federal tax exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service; OR


• A nonprofit, charitable arts organization that is currently registered with the Office of the Secretary of State of South Carolina that applies through a tax exempt fiscal agent organization;OR


• A unit of government that has production or presentation of arts events or service to the arts as its primary organizational mission.

Applicant must have completed at least one full fiscal year in operation prior to application.

Restrictions
Applicant must not be a college, university or state agency.

Deadline & Grant Period

March 15 for projects beginning 7/1/07. All projects must be completed by 6/30/08.

Applications must be postmarked or hand-delivered to the SC Arts Commission offices before 5:00 PM, no later than the stated date, or, when the deadline occurs on a weekend or holiday, no later than the next business day.

Funding Range: Up to $10,000

Match
1:1 (applicant:SC Arts Commission); 50% of the applicant's match must be cash.

Grant Payments

Payment will be on an expense reimbursement basis only. Grantees may submit a maximum of two interim payments, totaling no more than 80% of the grant award. Final grant payment will be released upon receipt and approval of grantee’s final report.

Filing Fee
None

Review Process

Please contact your SC Arts Commission county arts coordinator for guidance on completing the application form.

The initial staff review of applications focuses on eligibility, accuracy and detail of budget, clarity of narrative, completeness of packet, compliance with grant requirements, and confirmation of required support materials. A panel composed of SC Arts Commission program staff, management, and a representative from the SC Arts Commission Board of Commissioners will review and rate grant applications on the basis of specific criteria listed in the guidelines. Funding recommendations will be determined by panel consensus. Final funding decisions will then be presented to the Board of Commissioners for approval.

Final Report

All grantees are required to file a Final Report (PDF) (How To Use PDFs) at the end of the grant period. The Final Report Due Date is printed on your contract. Failure to file the final report by the due date will result in cancellation of the award and repayment of funds received. SCAC will not fund applicants who have outstanding final reports. Submit only original final report forms with original signatures. Do not submit copies or fax your final report form.

How to Apply

Before applying you are strongly advised to discuss the project with your county coordinator to determine whether your project meets the guidelines.

Please review the following steps carefully in preparing your application materials. Failure to include the required application materials will result in disqualification of your application. Only complete applications will be accepted.

1. Three Forms

Originals, completed and signed. Forms are in Portable Document Format (PDF). How To Use PDFs

1. Grant Application for Organizations.
2. Organization Profile. Statistical information for the Service Area Profile section is available at www.census.gov; select "SC" under State & County Quick Facts, then select your county.
3. Detailed Budget for your project. Itemize all expenses and sources of revenue.

2. Narrative

Narrative should not exceed 4 pages; typeface should be no less than 10 point, margins one inch, single spaced; questions should be answered sequentially and by letter.

Explain your overall project. Include information that describes the community where the project will take place, project goals, target audience activities and evaluation methods; project timeline; marketing plans; potential for sustainability and/or replication; income and expense budget; other pertinent information.

Evaluation Criterion: Cultural Tourism projects should be deliberate, well planned, and designed to engage the visitor. 40 points

• Applicant clearly explained the project, described the community, and showed the project's ability to impact cultural tourism growth in the community and/or region.
• Applicant included project goals, identified a clear target audience, described activities likely to be effective and used appropriate evaluation methods.
• Applicant included a timeline, marketing plans, replication and sustainability information and other pertinent information that helped make the project understandable.
• Applicant included an accurate, feasible income and expense budget that reflected the project.

Show how the project relates to your organization’s mission and how the project will meet the goals of Cultural Tourism.
Evaluation Criterion: Cultural Tourism projects should be a natural fit within an organization and utilized as a strategic approach to meeting its mission and purpose. 10 points

Applicant showed how the project, as a strategic organizational approach to meeting its mission and purpose, addressed the goals of Cultural Tourism.

Describe how this project proposes to generate revenue or increase economic activity in the community and/or region. Using current statistics as baseline data, present measurable economic impact goals for the project and show how the proposed economic impact will be evaluated and sustained.

Evaluation Criterion:
Cultural Tourism projects should provide economic stimulation or growth to the community and/or region. 30 points

• Applicant clearly described how the project proposes to generate revenue or increase economic activity.
• Applicant used accurate and appropriate data as a base for economic impact projections.
• Applicant provided realistic economic impact goals and included how the impact will be evaluated and sustained.

Describe key project partners and their role. (Think about how local professional artists, arts and cultural institutions, government, businesses and a diverse cross-section of the community could be included as partners in the project).

Evaluation Criterion:
Cultural Tourism projects should include appropriate partnerships. 20 points

Applicant described project partners, and their specific role in the project. (Partnerships demonstrated accessibility and inclusiveness.)

3. Letters of Support

• Submit a signed one page letter of support from your organization's board stating how the board as a whole will support this work.
• Submit a signed one page letter of support from the board or director of each partnering organization stating their role in the project.

4. SC Charities Letter

Unless applicant is a unit of government, include a copy of applicant's current SC Registration as Charitable Organizations letter. The letter must be renewed annually with the SC Office of the Secretary of State in accordance with the provisions of the SC Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act.

5. IRS Tax-Exempt Letter

A copy of applicant's IRS tax-exempt letter
OR
If applying through a fiscal agent,

1. A copy of fiscal agent's IRS tax-exempt letter
2. A copy of a letter of agreement, signed by both the applicant and the fiscal agent that outlines the working relationship and responsibilities of both parties.

Submit completed applications to:

Cultural Tourism Initiative
SC Arts Commission
1800 Gervais Street
Columbia, SC 29201

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NOTE: Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Submit only original application forms with original signatures. Do not submit copies or fax your application.