• South Dakota-based nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status and in good standing.
• Organizations are eligible to apply after 1 year of operating as a 501(c)(3) and providing public arts or cultural programming in South Dakota.
• Units of state or local government.
• Federally recognized tribal governments.

Funding categories and application materials are based on organizational budget size, with award amounts generally up to 10% of annual operating expenses.

Funding Tiers

• Category 4: $10,000–24,999 annual budget - Minimum award: $1,500
• Category 3: $25,000–99,999 annual budget - Minimum award: $2,750
• Category 2: $100,000–299,999 annual budget
• Category 1: $300,000+ annual budget - Maximum award: $40,000

Grants provide operating funds for South Dakota nonprofit arts and cultural organizations for two consecutive years. Next application cycle, January 2028.

Your application is reviewed by a panel of arts and community professionals from across South Dakota and beyond. Panelists read applications carefully and score them using a shared rubric so every applicant is evaluated fairly and consistently.

Use these materials to understand how applications are reviewed, what strong organizational applications demonstrate, and how to self-review before submitting. The goal of panel review is not to compare organizations to one another, but to understand how well each applicant uses public funding to serve their community through the arts.

What panelists look for
Panelists focus on six main areas:

1. Who you serve and why it matters: They look at who your organization reaches and how your work benefits your community.
2. What you do and how well you do it: They review your programs and activities and look for evidence of quality through your narrative and support materials.
3. Community impact: Panelists consider how your organization makes a positive difference and how your work aligns with SDAC’s goals, such as access to the arts, lifelong learning, and community vitality.
4. Support for artists and learning: They look at how you pay, hire, or otherwise support artists, and how you contribute to arts education or learning opportunities.
5. Organizational capacity: Panelists review how your organization is staffed and managed, and whether you have the systems in place to carry out your work and manage grant funds responsibly.
6. Financial stability: Panelists review a staff-prepared financial summary to see whether your projected budget is realistic and balanced. They do not review your raw financial documents.

Important Things to Know

• Panelists only review the materials required for your category. They will not expect or look for extra documents.
• Staff calculate your eligible operating expenses and request amount in advance, so panelists are not deciding how much you should request.
• Applications are scored based on clarity, completeness, and how well they respond to the questions—not on writing style or grant-writing experience.
• Smaller organizations are not held to the same documentation expectations as larger organizations. 

• Answer each question clearly and directly
• Use examples to show impact
• Include relevant, easy-to-understand support materials
• Show realistic planning and budgeting
• Match the scale of the organization 

Curious as to whether or not your organization is eligible to apply? Contact us ahead of the next application cycle that opens in January 2028.

Kate Vandel
Grants Manager
kate.vandel@state.sd.us
(605) 773-5925

Holly Briggs
Grants Specialist
holly.briggs@state.sd.us
(605) 773-4874