Libraries Engagement Grants

The Libraries Engagement Grant, offered by the South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC), aims to support public engagement projects led by libraries. This grant encourages collaborations between libraries and artists or arts organizations to foster community participation in artistic and cultural activities. While the document does not explicitly state the SCAC's overall mission or theory of change, the grant program's focus on public engagement, artistic development, and community access to arts aligns with the typical mission of an arts commission to cultivate and support the arts within a state. The target beneficiaries of this grant are public libraries and, by extension, the communities they serve in South Carolina. The impact goals include stimulating partnerships, encouraging community participation in arts, and providing artistic development opportunities. The grant prioritizes projects in SCAC’s Opportunity Initiative Counties, indicating a strategic focus on underserved or specific geographical areas within the state. Public libraries, public library authorities, and non-profit organizations managing public library authorities are eligible applicants, provided they meet specific registration and tax-exempt status requirements. The grant focuses on funding public engagement activities across a wide range of art forms, including dance, music, visual arts, literature, media arts, and traditional arts. This broad scope highlights a commitment to diverse artistic expression and accessibility. Additional requirements for projects include providing opportunities for participants to develop their own artistic skills or produce their own work, offering artistic development to artists through residencies or workshops, and utilizing the arts in new contexts. These requirements underscore the grant's emphasis on hands-on engagement, skill-building, and innovative approaches to art delivery. Expected outcomes and measurable results, while not explicitly detailed with specific metrics in the provided text, can be inferred from the grant's objectives. Successful projects would likely result in increased community participation in arts and cultural activities, stronger partnerships between libraries and arts organizations, enhanced artistic skills among participants, and new avenues for artistic expression and engagement within communities. The grant size of up to $2,500, coupled with tiered matching requirements (1:3, 1:2, or 1:1 depending on the county), suggests a model that encourages local investment and shared responsibility in project funding. The grant period of August 23, 2024 – May 31, 2025, allows for sustained project implementation within an academic year framework.