City of Charleston outlines 2027 grant rules, deadlines for nonprofit applicants

Andrew Jones, the City of Charleston’s director of budget and management, led a public workshop on the two grant programs the city will fund for calendar‑year 2027 and urged nonprofits to meet documentation and deadline requirements.

Jones said the city administers two separate programs: Community Assistance grants (paid from the City’s general fund) and State Accommodations Tax grants (A‑tax), funded by the 2% state lodging tax the state remits to the city. "The deadline for both programs is July 10 at 5:00 p.m.; Submittable will close and we will not accept late applications," Jones said.

The session laid out who may apply and what reviewers look for. To qualify, organizations must be nonprofit per IRS designations (for example, a 501(c)(3)), registered with the South Carolina Secretary of State’s Division of Public Charities and submit required documents via Submittable, including an IRS determination letter, the state registration or a screenshot showing good standing, an organizational chart, and a board roster. Staff warned that missing documentation can result in denial and that the city’s internal audit division reviews grantee final reports and supporting proof of payment (invoices plus receipts or canceled checks).

Community Assistance grants are intended to fill public‑service gaps the City does not provide directly. Jones said awards generally range from $1,000 to $10,000 and are scored on community need (30%), community impact (30%), alignment with City goals (15%), feasibility (15%) and sustainability (10%). "We score these based on how the benefit your service is providing," he said.

A‑tax grants are restricted by state law to tourism promotion, marketing to out‑of‑market visitors (defined in the workshop as outside a 50‑mile radius), promotion of arts and cultural events, and construction or operation of civic/cultural facilities. The City is using a revised, more objective scoring process developed with the College of Charleston’s Office of Tourism Analysis and the Convention & Visitors Bureau. Jones described the A‑tax scoring weights: economic impact (50%), media/marketing impact (20%), tourism panel assessment (20%) and community impact (10%). A minimum score threshold of 25 is required for an award.

Staff gave guidance on common documentation questions attendees raised. Applicants must quantify audience reach and provide verifiable metrics (for example, Google Analytics or publisher/viewership figures) to support advertising claims. For events, economic impact calculations should include expected visitors multiplied by average daily spend and length of stay; the College of Charleston will assist with data verification. Jones also advised applicants to disclose other city funding sources when prompted on applications.

Workshop participants asked about award history and committee selection. Jones said the previous cycle saw roughly 91 Community Assistance applications with approximately 75 awards and about 50 A‑tax applications with roughly 31 awards; award lists are published in the city’s budget documents. He explained the advisory and review structure: staff screens applications for eligibility, an external review committee scores eligible applications, recommendations go to the A‑tax advisory committee (established under state law and including hospitality industry representatives and a council member chair) and the full City Council considers the budget.

Key calendar dates provided were: application deadline 5:00 p.m. July 10; staff review July–September; public review by the A‑tax advisory committee and a City Council public hearing in late October (the City Council hearing was identified as Oct. 27); draft budgets to City Council on Nov. 17; first reading of the budget Dec. 1; and final report deadlines in January for the prior year’s awards. Jones warned that award contracts must be returned by May 31 or an organization will forfeit the award for that year. Community Assistance payments are typically issued by March 1 (subject to returned contracts and good standing); A‑tax awards are disbursed quarterly as funds are remitted by the state.

Lori Smith of Explore Charleston introduced herself and offered follow‑up help with analytics and tourism data for applicants. Staff promised to post slides and the workshop recording on the City of Charleston website and to provide contact information for follow‑up questions.

What happens next: applicants should prepare one complete Submittable application per organization, include verifiable metrics for out‑of‑market advertising and proof of payment documentation, and plan to attend the late‑October review meetings or the Nov. 17 budget hearing if they wish to speak publicly about their application.