SC Humanities is pleased to announce that the maximum award amount for Major, Mini and Planning Grants will be raised, effective July 1, 2023. The maximum amount for Major Grants will be $15,000, and the maximum amount for Mini and Planning Grants will be $5,000. Previously, the maximum award amount was $10,000 for Major Grants and $2,500 for Mini and Planning Grants. SC Humanities Board of Directors voted to raise the amount of the awards at a February 2023 Board Meeting in Florence.
Major Grants are awarded for larger scale public humanities programs, such as major exhibits, conferences, documentaries, or festivals. Mini Grants are awarded for public humanities programs of modest cost. Some examples include public lectures at local libraries or museums, small exhibits, a reading and discussion program, or student camps. Planning Grants are awarded to support preliminary work in designing a project that warrants detailed planning because of its length, scope, or cost. Frequently, major documentary projects, statewide conferences, or large traveling exhibits have gotten their start in South Carolina with a Planning Grant from SC Humanities.
The Board made the decision to raise the maximum award amounts for Major, Mini, and Planning Grants to respond to the rising costs of programs and events and to align SC Humanities with other state humanities councils whose grant award amounts have been raised over the last several years.
Executive Director Randy Akers said, “Over the years, SC Humanities has periodically examined costs in doing public programs and have tried to adjust our grant funding level appropriately. SC Humanities believes Major, Mini, and Planning Grants have an important role in reaching communities throughout the state and are pleased that we still have funds to make those grant awards.”
Mini and Planning Grants are accepted monthly on the first business day of the month. The raised award amount will be implemented with the July 1 deadline. The next Major Grant deadline is Wednesday, August 9, 2023 for programs that start after November 1, 2023. More information about the Grants Program of SC Humanities can be found on our website on the How to Apply page.
The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c) 3 organization is governed by a volunteer 20-member Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and/or supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually. South Carolina Humanities receives funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as corporate, foundation and individual donors. The National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.
