Grants

Grant Information

The SMCAC strives to provide funding to all qualified applicants. Grants are awarded throughout the fiscal year, which runs from July 1 – June 30. Grants for Non-Profit Organizations, Arts Education Programing Grants and Sponsorships will be accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. Organizations may apply for a grant at any time during the fiscal year or in the first quarter of the next fiscal year in order to accommodate summer events. We encourage applicants to apply as early as possible so that if denied, reapplication is possible for the next window.

If the grant requests exceed our funding, we will refer to a rubric for evaluating applications and make awards to the top-scoring applications. Applications will be reviewed on the schedule shown below. Requests will be evaluated at SMCAC public board meetings, held on the second Thursday of the month at 5 pm. Approved grant processing will be initiated within 14 days of approval. Initial payments of 75% of the total grant amount will be dispensed upon contract execution. The remaining 25% will be awarded upon review of a final report after the program’s completion. The SMCAC caps awards to any single recipient at a maximum of $5000 per fiscal year, across award categories.

Grant Review Schedule

Applications received by:

• August 31 will be reviewed in September

• October 31 will be reviewed in November

• December 31 will be reviewed in January

• April 30 will be reviewed in May

*Grant disbursement may be impacted by the timing of our annual MSAC grant delivery. Every effort will be made to disburse approved grant funding as close to approval as possible.

Grants for Non-Profit Organizations

This grant opportunity is for registered nonprofit organizations presenting arts programs or projects in St. Mary's County or for the benefit of St. Mary's County citizens. All funded programs and projects must be open to the public and must meet specific eligibility criteria.

Qualified non-profit organizations are eligible to receive up to $5000 per fiscal year.

Arts Education Programs

The Arts Education Programs Grant opportunity is designed to support quality programs and performances provided by visiting performers, artists, authors, poets, master teachers, and professionals in the areas of music, visual art, drama, dance, and literature for the educational enhancement of St. Mary’s County residents. Programming must be above and beyond the typical curriculum of a school, senior center, or library.

Qualified applicants are eligible to receive up to $3000 per fiscal year.

If you have any questions about the granting process, contact the Executive Director at director@smcart.org or call 240-309-4061 during regular business hours.