ABC Schools Advancement is a grant from the South Carolina Arts Commission that supports ABC-Certified Schools in South Carolina in their commitment to making the arts an integral part of the basic curriculum and daily classroom instruction. The program provides $13,000 per school to fund ongoing comprehensive planning, strategic projects, and implementation of standards-based arts education initiatives, including artist residencies.

Eligible applicants are limited to the 66 current ABC-Certified Schools in South Carolina. Schools seeking certification must apply through The ABC Institute before becoming eligible for this grant.

ABC Schools Advancement Grants | South Carolina Arts Commission ABC Schools Advancement Grants To support ABC-Certified Schools in their commitment to making the arts an integral part of the basic curriculum and daily classroom instruction ABC Schools Advancement grantees are part of the larger Arts in Basic Curriculum (ABC) Institute , which is overseen by a steering committee of approximately 50 members including artists, educators, school administrators, representatives of higher education, business leaders, and governmental representatives.

These grants support ABC-Certified Schools in their commitment to implementing standards-based arts curricula and to making the arts an integral part of the basic curriculum and daily classroom instruction. ABC Schools Advancement grants provide support for ongoing comprehensive planning, strategic projects, and implementation of standards-based arts education initiatives, including but not limited to artist residencies.

Currently there are 66 ABC-Certified Schools in South Carolina , some of which have been ABC schools since the Institute’s inception as the ABC Project. Grant guidelines are subject to change until the application opens. Only ABC-Certified Schools are eligible to apply for SCAC’s ABC Schools Advancement Grants.

To learn how to become an ABC-Certified School, visit The ABC Institute’s website. 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.

* Learn about the Unique Entity ID (UEI) 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. Individual public schools may use their school district's Unique Entity ID and do not need to register separately.

ABC Certification runs on a three-year cycle; ABC Schools Advancement grants are awarded annually, with separate contracts issued each year. To be eligible for continued funding, existing ABC Schools Advancement grantees must answer a set of application questions as part of each year’s final report. 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. If you are hiring artists or teaching artists SCAC grant recipients that are schools or school districts are required to 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 Verified Teaching Artists on the Arts 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 Verified Teaching Artists.

Note: If working in a school environment, always check with the individual school or district about policies related to hiring artists, arts organizations, and teaching artists. Learn more about the S. C.

Arts Directory Additional Requirements of This Grant ABC Schools Advancement grantees are expected to participate in the broader ABC network, sending representatives to meet with colleagues from other current and former ABC schools for professional development days during the school year. There are no specified priority areas for this grant category. Note: This deadline applies to both new applicants and existing grantees.

All current (FY24) ABC Advancement grantees must answer a set of application questions as part of their FY24 final report by the deadline to be eligible for FY25 ABC Schools Advancement grant funding. Applications may be submitted until 11:59 p. m.

(Eastern Time) on the deadline date. However, staff members are not available to assist you with questions or technical difficulties after SCAC closes at 5 p. m.

July 1, 2024-May 15, 2025 Awards may vary from year to year and are contingent on availability of funds. Each dollar awarded must be matched with $2 cash. No in-kind expenses are allowed as part of the applicant’s match in this category.

Funds from another SCAC grant may not be used as matching funds. Applications are accepted through our grants portal, which uses Foundant . New to Foundant?

For frequently asked questions, registration instructions, and other helpful information, we highly recommend visiting the Grants Portal FAQ before you begin working in the system. PLEASE NOTE: You are urged to consider the Review Criteria (detailed in the “Review Process” section of these guidelines, under “After You Apply”) as you prepare your application materials.

These criteria will be used to evaluate your application and determine the funding of your proposal. Your Grants Portal Account Applicants must have an active account in our grants portal (Foundant). If you have previously used Submittable to apply for other SCAC grants or programs, please note that Foundant is a different system.

Your Submittable credentials will not work; you will need a Foundant account to apply for this grant. If you have used the grants portal as both an artist and for a school or organization, be sure you log on with the correct account to apply for this grant. Starting Your Application Your application questions for FY25 funding will be part of your FY24 final report.

You will receive instructions with notification that your final report has been assigned within the grants portal and is ready for you to complete. The SCAC Grants Team will assign the FY25 ABC Schools Advancement grant application to the grant contact person for the applicant school. That contact person must have an active account in our grants portal, as a contact for that applicant school, to be assigned the grant application.

After the grant application has been assigned, you will receive an email notification with instructions on how to access, complete, and submit the grant application. Review Process & Criteria The Grants Team will review submitted applications for completeness and compliance with guideline and application requirements.

SCAC program staff will then develop recommended award amounts based on the published review criteria, the availability of funds, and the number of ABC Certified Schools. Recommendations will be presented to the board of commissioners, which makes final award decisions. Award notification is expected after the June 2024 board meeting , pending completion of the state budget process.

SCAC staff will review applications to confirm that: The applicant meets the eligibility requirements. The proposed spending priorities align with the stated purpose of this grant category. The proposed use of funds meets the requirements as stated in the grant guidelines.

If You Receive a Grant Award If your application is funded, you (and/or your fiscal agent/receiver, if applicable) will enter into a contractual agreement with the South Carolina Arts Commission. All parties agree to comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, statutes, regulations, executive orders, provisions, and requirements stated in the contract.

You will receive notification and instructions when your contract is available in the grants portal. You must submit your completed contract packet, including signatures and other documentation as instructed, by the date indicated in the system. You must also complete all other assigned follow-ups by the due date.

Please note: Any significant revisions to grant-funded activities must be approved in writing, in advance , by the SCAC. Significant revisions to grant-funded activities must be emailed to grants@arts. sc.

gov to be processed for approval or denial. Additional details about managing an SCAC grant are available on our agency website. Payments are reimbursement-based.

This means any expenses must be financed up front by the grantee and/or a cooperating entity. An accurate final report, listing only expenses allowable under the program guidelines for the certified time period, must be submitted in order to receive payment for the grant award. ALL GRANTEES are required to submit a final report at the end of the grant period.

The final report due date is stated in the grant contract. Failure to submit an accurate and complete final report by the due date will result in cancellation of the award and repayment of any funds received. SCAC will not fund applicants who have outstanding final reports.

Note: ABC Certification runs on a three-year cycle, but ABC Schools Advancement grantees are required to file a final report at the end of each annual grant period . Submission of the application portion of your annual final r eport is required to be eligible for a grant award the following year. The reporting process also prepares your school for recertification and allows SCAC to measure the impact of its grantmaking.

If you are seeking advisement, please contact Arts Learning & Accessibility Director Amanda Noyes (803. 734. 8675 | anoyes@arts.

sc. gov ) before submitting an application. If you have submitted an application, and/or you have a current grant, please contact the Grants Office (803.

734. 8695 | grants@arts. sc.

gov ). We also highly recommend a visit to our Grants Coaching webpage , for category-specific information for grant applicants, and opportunities for one-on-one assistance . Did you miss a group call or session?

Look for the video link to access a recording of that presentation.