How to Apply for a Grant from SC Humanities

The grants program has always been the foundation of SC Humanities’ public support of the humanities, and we have funded a variety of projects, from major documentaries broadcast on national public television to small-scale genealogies and oral histories at the local level. 

SC Humanities awarded its first grant in the spring of 1973 and recently has awarded approximately $200,000 a year in grant monies.

Below, you will find our grant guidelines and applications. Visit our Grant FAQ section or contact T.J. Wallace at tjwallace@schumanities.org if you have questions.

Major Grants

Major Grants are for public humanities programs that are large in scale. Awards are in sums between $5,000 and $15,000.

Mini Grants

Mini Grants are to support public humanities programs of modest cost. Awards are $5,000 or less. 

Planning Grants

Planning Grants are awarded to support preliminary work in designing a project that warrants detailed planning because of its length, scope, or cost. Awards are $5,000 or less. 

Fast Track Literary Grants

Fast Track Literary Grants are intended to support new or existing public literary programs such as (but not limited to) writers series, festivals, conferences, workshops, or writer’s residencies at schools. Awards are $3,000 or less.

Speakers Bureau Grants

The Speakers Bureau: Humanities Out Loud grants use simplified forms. Applications may be submitted at any time and are reviewed within two weeks.

Themed Requests for Proposals

SC Humanities is offering themed requests for proposals on the topic “Innovation and the Humanities – Shining a Cultural Light on Technology and Change.”

Accessibility and Inclusion Grants

Accessibility and Inclusion Grants are intended to support making public humanities programs and collections more accessible to diverse public audiences. They are accepted on a rolling basis and are reviewed within two weeks.

Major Grants

Major Grants are for public humanities programs that are large in scale. Awards are in sums between $5,000 and $15,000. Major grants are reviewed twice yearly, usually in September (deadlines in August) and February (deadlines in January). 

The Major Grant application and guidelines are available for download in Word format, below. 
Please read through these materials carefully.

Major Grant Application Deadlines

Wednesday, January 10, 2024 – One electronic** copy (including ALL sections and appendices) of the completed application should be submitted by email to tjwallace@schumanities.org and info@schumanities.org.
This deadline is for programs that start after March 15, 2024.

Wednesday, August 7, 2024 – One electronic** copy (including ALL sections and appendices) of the completed application should be submitted by email to tjwallace@schumanities.org and info@schumanities.org. This deadline is for programs that start after November 1, 2024.

EFFECTIVE APRIL 4, 2022, ALL APPLICANTS FOR MAJOR GRANTS WILL NEED TO PROVIDE A UNIQUE ENTITY ID (UEI). LEARN MORE.

**The required electronic submission is subject to reasonable exception. If you cannot provide an electronic application, please contact the office at 803-771-2477 for instructions on submitting a hard copy application.

**Drafts are strongly encouraged and will be accepted any time prior to the deadline listed above. Drafts can be submitted by email, fax, or mail.

Mini Grants

Mini Grants are to support public humanities programs of modest cost. Awards are $5,000 or less. Mini Grants are reviewed monthly with deadlines on the first business day of the month. 

The Mini Grant application and guidelines are available for download in Word format, below.
Please read through these materials carefully.

Mini Grant Application Deadlines

Mini Grant applications are accepted monthly on the first business day of the month for programs starting after the 15th of the following month. 

EFFECTIVE APRIL 4, 2022, ALL APPLICANTS FOR MINI GRANTS WILL NEED TO PROVIDE A UNIQUE ENTITY ID (UEI). LEARN MORE.

One electronic** copy (including ALL sections, I-IV) of the completed application should be submitted by email to tjwallace@schumanities.org and info@schumanities.org

**The required electronic submission is subject to reasonable exception. If you cannot provide an electronic application, please contact the office at 803-771-2477 for instructions on submitting a hard copy application.

Themed Requests for Proposals

Innovation and the Humanities: Shining a Cultural Light on Technology and Change

South Carolina Humanities seeks proposals from interested institutional or nonprofit applicants designed to investigate the intersection of the humanities and innovation in all its forms, from social innovation to technological innovation.

Invention and innovation are key components of human history. As the rate of innovation increases, new opportunities and challenges appear, and the disciplines of the humanities can help us process those changes. The humanities are alive, and they are relevant to society today.

Awards are in sums between $5,000 and $15,000.

The full RFP, grant guidelines, and application for  “Innovation and the Humanities – Shining a Cultural Light on Technology and Change” are available for download, below. Please read through these materials carefully.

Themed Requests for Proposals Deadlines

Wednesday, January 10, 2024 – One electronic** copy (including ALL sections and appendices) of the completed application should be submitted by email to tjwallace@schumanities.org and info@schumanities.org.
This deadline is for programs that start after March 15, 2024.

Wednesday, August 7, 2024 – One electronic** copy (including ALL sections and appendices) of the completed application should be submitted by email to tjwallace@schumanities.org and info@schumanities.org. This deadline is for programs that start after November 1, 2024.

EFFECTIVE APRIL 4, 2022, ALL APPLICANTS FOR SCH@50 GRANTS WILL NEED TO PROVIDE A UNIQUE ENTITY ID (UEI). LEARN MORE.

**The required electronic submission is subject to reasonable exception. If you cannot provide an electronic application, please contact the office at 803-771-2477 for instructions on submitting a hard copy application.

**Drafts are strongly encouraged and will be accepted any time prior to the deadline listed above. Drafts can be submitted by email, fax, or mail.

Planning Grants

Planning Grants are awarded to support preliminary work in designing a project that warrants detailed planning because of its length, scope, or cost. Awards are $5,000 or less. Planning Grants are reviewed monthly with deadlines on the first business day of the month. 

The Planning Grant application and guidelines are available for download in Word format, below. 
Please read through these materials carefully.

Planning Grant Application Deadlines

Planning Grant applications are accepted monthly on the first business day of the month for programs starting after the 15th of the following month. 

One electronic** copy (including ALL sections, I-IV) of the completed application should be submitted by email to tjwallace@schumanities.org and info@schumanities.org

EFFECTIVE APRIL 4, 2022, ALL APPLICANTS FOR PLANNING GRANTS WILL NEED TO PROVIDE A UNIQUE ENTITY ID (UEI). LEARN MORE.

**The required electronic submission is subject to reasonable exception. If you cannot provide an electronic application, please contact the office at 803-771-2477 for instructions on submitting a hard copy application.

Fast Track Literary Grants

Fast Track Literary Grants are intended to support new or existing public literary programs such as (but not limited to) writers series, festivals, conferences, workshops, or writer’s residencies at schools. Awards are $3,000 or less.

The Fast Track Literary Grant application and guidelines are available for download in Word format, below.
Please read through these materials carefully.

Fast Track Literary Grant Application Deadlines

For the FY2024 Fiscal Year, applications will be accepted quarterly on the following deadlines:

Friday, December 1, 2023 (for programs that start after January 15, 2024)
Friday, March 1, 2024 (for programs that start after April 15, 2024)
Monday, June 3, 2024 (for programs that start after July 15, 2024)
Monday, September 2, 2024 (for programs that start after October 15, 2024)

EFFECTIVE APRIL 4, 2022, ALL APPLICANTS FOR FAST TRACK LITERARY GRANTS WILL NEED TO PROVIDE A UNIQUE ENTITY ID (UEI). LEARN MORE.

Submissions are accepted by email until 5:00 p.m. on the deadline. Email tjwallace@schumanities.org and info@schumanities.org.

South Carolina Arts Commission

The Fast Track Literary Grant also receives support from the South Carolina Arts Commission. The South Carolina Arts Commission is the state agency charged with creating a thriving arts environment that benefits all South Carolinians, regardless of their location or circumstances. For more information, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com.

Speakers Bureau Grants

The Speakers Bureau: Humanities Out Loud program uses simplified forms. Applications may be submitted at any time and are reviewed within two weeks by SC Humanities staff. Read more about this special program opportunity by following the link below.

Speakers Bureau: Humanities Out Loud

One of SC Humanities’ longstanding program priorities is the Speakers Bureau. Through this program, some of South Carolina’s finest scholars travel throughout the state to share their interests and knowledge of the humanities and to spark discussions about human values, traditions and cultures.

Accessibility and Inclusion Grants

SC Humanities’ Accessibility and Inclusion Grants are intended to support making public humanities programs and collections more accessible to diverse public audiences. Funds can be used for such activities as translation and captioning services, ASL interpreters, materials for the visually impaired, student transportation expenses, and childcare to make programs more accessible to families. This is not an exhaustive list. Grant funds CANNOT be used for construction costs. Awards are currently $1,000 or less.

TheAccessibility and Inclusion Grant application and guidelines are available for download as an editable pdf form, below.
Please read through these materials carefully.

Accessibility and Inclusion Grant Application Deadlines

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. The program for which funds are requested must take place at least 45 days after the application is submitted. Email the application to tjwallace@schumanities.org.

This is a competitive application process. Submission of an application does not guarantee receipt of funding. Notification of your application’s status will be made approximately 2 weeks after the submission date.

One electronic** copy of the completed application should be submitted by email to tjwallace@schumanities.org and info@schumanities.org

ALL APPLICANTS FOR ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION GRANTS WILL NEED TO PROVIDE A UNIQUE ENTITY ID (UEI). LEARN MORE.

**The required electronic submission is subject to reasonable exception. If you cannot provide an electronic application, please contact the office at 803-771-2477 for instructions on submitting a hard copy application.