Search Through Education Grants in Columbia, South Carolina in the U.S.

Charitable Contributions

Costco Wholesale’s primary charitable efforts specifically focus on programs supporting children, education, and health and human services in the communities where we do business. Throughout the year we receive a large number of requests from nonprofit organizations striving to make a positive impact, and we are thankful to be able to provide support to a variety of organizations and causes. While we would like to respond favorably to all requests, understandably, the needs are far greater than our allocated resources and we are unable to accommodate them all.

Warehouse Donations:

Warehouse donations are handled at the warehouse level - please consult your local warehouse for up-to-date information regarding their donations contacts and review process.

Grant Applications

If the request is under consideration, you may be contacted by staff for any additional information needed. Applications are reviewed within 4-6 weeks, and decisions are made based on several factors, including: type of program; identified community need not otherwise available; indication that evidenced based data will establish measurable results of intended outcomes; community collaboration; broad base of financial support; project budget and operating expenses.

Who We Are

The Creag Foundation is a private grant making foundation established in 2009 in Woodinville, Washington.

The founders of the Creag Foundation believe that meaningful change can only be achieved through hard work, creativity and passion. They also understand the practical mechanisms that allow charitable organizations to succeed and grow. As a group, Creag Foundation principals are dedicated to helping today’s most innovative programs improve the human condition in a wide variety of ways.

Our Focus

The broad purpose of the Foundation is to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations who are innovators in the field of human services. Our particular focus is on smaller organizations that are starting out or established organizations that are looking for funding to take their organization in a new direction.

What We Fund

/ What We Fund

The Creag Foundation is focused on innovation in the industry. We will consider proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations that are finding new ways to address societal issues facing the nonprofit community. Applicants must have held 501(c)(3) status for one year before submitting. If your organization has held 501(c)(3) status for over a year, and your believe that your organization has a new approach to an existing social problem or is addressing a previously unaddressed social issue, you are welcome to contact us and request that we consider your organization for a funding opportunity.

Mission

The DanPaul Foundation will use its resources to help train teachers and parents in early childhood development, protect children from abuse and neglect, stimulate children's personal social responsibilities, and offer them opportunities for enrichment and growth.

The Foundation will also encourage children to be concerned and informed about the environment and the underprivileged, particularly with regard to clean air and water, and adequate housing and nutrition for all.

Beliefs

The DanPaul Foundation believes that children should have ample opportunities for enrichment in their lives, and thus strives to provide many different ways to enrich and expand children's minds through direct programs and monetary support to organizations doing similar work.

We have provided or currently provide grants related to the following program areas:

• Workshops, Conferences, + Seminars: We strive to offer educational workshops, conferences, and seminars for parents and teachers on topics related to early childhood development.
• Student Scholarships: We aim to help students attending post-secondary education institutions by providing need-based and academic scholarships.
• Scientific Endeavors: We desire to advance scientific endeavors which seek to improve the quality of life for everyone in the world.
• Clean Air + Water: We hope to pass on knowledge and practical life skills to youth regarding their personal responsibility to the environment, teaching them about issues surrounding clean air and water.
• Child Advocacy: We believe in protecting children from abuse and neglect and particularly love to support programs that provide education and assistance to children as well as organizations advocating or caring for vulnerable children.
• Homelessness: We want to encourage young people to take a personal interest in seeing that adequate housing and proper nutrition, especially for the underprivileged and homeless, are available.
• Poverty + Neglect: We seek to help those in poverty as well as educate youth about their responsibility to consider the underprivileged and take care of those most in need of life's basic essentials like adequate housing and proper nutrition.
• Refugee Enrichment: We wish to help refugee youth by supporting programs that provide them enrichment and help them transition to life in a new country.

The DanPaul Foundation provides grants to 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organizations as defined by the IRS. The Foundation is interested in providing funding to programs that directly serve the health, education, development, and welfare of the world's youth.

Grants range from a few hundred dollars up to $15,000 per calendar year.

First Horizon Foundation invests in communities in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina.

The Foundation is the private charitable foundation established by First Horizon National Corp., the parent company of Capital Bank and First Tennessee Bank. Since its inception in 1993, the Foundation has donated more than $90 million to meet needs and enrich lives of people in the communities we serve.

Contributions from the Foundation include the following areas:

• Arts and Culture
• Education & Leadership
• Environment
• Financial Literacy
• Health & Human Services

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

At Honda, we know the true measure of a company isn’t just great products but the impact that the company has on society. From reducing our impact on the environment to the life-saving technology in our vehicles to our associates’ community service work, we’re committed to making a difference in ways that extend across North America.

Honda Corporate Funding

Honda’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) vision is to help people fulfill their life’s potential. We do this by supporting the communities where we live and work through financial contributions and the volunteer efforts of Honda associates. Honda offers funding opportunities for programmatic support and community event sponsorships. Each request is evaluated based on its own merit, taking into consideration community needs and available funding.

Community Event Sponsorships

As a company deeply embedded in the fabric of our communities, Honda is proud to support the places we call home. We aim to sponsor community events that celebrate and uphold the rich cultures, heritages, and traditions of the communities where we live and work. By valuing each person’s unique contributions and perspectives, Honda is committed to the collective strength of our communities. In doing so, we strive to be a company that society wants to exist.

Community event sponsorship requests can include, but not limited to parades, community festivals, galas, runs, walks.

Geographic Scope

Requests for community event sponsorships can be local, regional or national in scope, but must primarily benefit communities where Honda associates live and work. Eligible requests must serve one or more of the following states, where Honda has major operations in the U.S. and a strong community presence:

Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina,  andTexas.

Mission

Driven by a philanthropic calling to support marginalized communities throughout the world, the Semnani Family Foundation partners with on-the-ground organizations and leverages its resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner that delivers the maximum benefit.

History

Guided by his grandmother Maliheh’s example and teachings, Khosrow Semnani and his wife Ghazaleh established the Semnani Family Foundation in 1993. The foundation’s first grant was issued through CARE International to an orphanage in Romania that cared for newborns affected by HIV. Over the last few decades, the foundation has continued to build upon its mission to empower the disaffected, partnering with a variety of organizations in different countries who can make the greatest impact.

In addition to its global influence, the Semnani Family Foundation established roots within the state of Utah with the founding of Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005 to provide free healthcare to thousands of uninsured people in the Salt Lake City area.

Where We Work

The Semnani Family Foundation focuses primarily on promoting health, education, and disaster relief for marginalized communities all around the world. Driven by a clear mission to adapt and serve at the global level, we have leveraged our resources to make a meaningful impact in the following countries so far:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia
• Colombia
• England
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Romania
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Uganda
• United States
• Yemen

At the heart of the Foundation lies a fervent commitment to human welfare, always prioritizing health and the needs of society’s most vulnerable.

Our Mission

The Tony Robbins Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of people often forgotten.

We’re dedicated to creating positive changes in the lives of youth, seniors, the hungry, homeless and the imprisoned population, all who need a boost envisioning a happier and deeply satisfying way of life. Our passionate staff, generous donors and caring group of international volunteers provide the vision, inspiration, and resources needed to empower these important members of our society.

Grants

Dedicated to meeting challenges within the global community, creating solutions and taking action, The Tony Robbins Foundation provides monetary donations to various organizations around the world. Funding requests are evaluated on an ongoing basis. We look for organizations that align with our mission to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of those often forgotten.

Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation collaborate with a wide range of nonprofit organizations that align with our strategic funding priorities. We prioritize our funding to activities and programs that have a broad reach and support the needs of underserved communities. We aspire to have a positive impact on the communities we serve by using our financial and volunteer resources and business expertise in collaboration with community organizations to help solve complex societal problems.

• Financial health
• Housing affordability
• Small business growth
• Sustainability

We may also support other local needs in eligible communities such as disaster relief, arts and culture, civic engagement, education, human and social services, and workforce development. However, opportunities are limited as our intent is to direct the majority of our giving within our major focus areas.

Georgia-Pacific Foundation

Established in 1958, the Georgia-Pacific Foundation sets aside resources to improve life in the communities where we operate. We’ve worked with thousands of outstanding community-based programs, service projects and disaster relief efforts, focusing our investment in four areas we believe make the most impact:

• education
• entrepreneurship
• enrichment of community
• environment

Investment Priorities

• Aligns with GP’s mission and values
• Aligns with GP’s Four Focus Areas of giving: Education, Environment, Enrichment of Community and Entrepreneurship
• Serves communities where GP has manufacturing facilities
• Creates value by contributing to and positively impacting long term well-being and sustainability of GP communities

The Lawrence Foundation is a private family foundation focused on making grants to support environmental, human services and other causes.

The Lawrence Foundation was established in mid-2000. We make both program and operating grants and do not have any geographical restrictions on our grants. Nonprofit organizations that qualify for public charity status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or other similar organizations are eligible for grants from The Lawrence Foundation.  

Grant Amount and Types

Grants typically range between $5,000 - $10,000. In some limited cases we may make larger grants, but that is typically after we have gotten to know your organization over a period of time. We also generally don’t make multi-year grants, although we may fund the same organization on a year by year basis over a period of years.

General operating or program/project grant requests within our areas of interests are accepted. In general, regardless of whether a grant request is for general operating or program/project expenses, all of our grants will be issued as unrestricted grants.

Centene Charitable Foundation

Successful corporate citizenship happens when companies invest in the local organizations that know their communities best. The Centene Foundation works with our local partners on initiatives that focus on inclusion, the whole person and community development.

Vision

Centene’s purpose is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. The Centene Foundation is an essential part of how we pursue this purpose. We achieve measurable impact for the communities we serve through partnerships and philanthropy efforts that invest in initiatives with holistic approaches to dismantling barriers to health.

Areas of Focus

Reflecting Centene’s commitment to the needs of those who rely on government-sponsored health care and to addressing social determinants of health and health equity, preference will be given to initiatives in three distinct areas of focus.

• Healthcare Access
• Social Services
• Education

Traveling Fellowship Program

The Traveling Fellowship Program offers a special opportunity for mid-career AOFAS members to attend the AOFAS Annual Meeting and visit leading foot and ankle research and educational institutions. 

At host sites, Traveling Fellows will observe operating rooms, learn new surgical techniques alongside accomplished surgeons, and present their own research and clinical experiences. The program aims to promote professional relationships, exchange ideas, and encourage new thinking on research and clinical care topics.

The 2025 Traveling Fellows will travel from September 8-25, 2025, attending the AOFAS Annual Meeting in Savannah, Georgia; and visiting the University of South Carolina/Prisma Health in Columbia, South Carolina; Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland; and the University of Pennsylvania and the Rothman Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Our Mission

Our mission is to continue and further the philanthropic legacy of Gardner Cowles, Jr. and the Cowles family, which includes promotion of education, social justice, health, and the arts.

The Founder

The Cowles Charitable Trust was first established in 1948 by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr. (1903-1985). Born into the Cowles publishing family of Des Moines, Iowa, Mike was the youngest of Gardner Cowles and Florence Call Cowles’ six children. A newspaper editor and publisher by trade, he was committed to his family’s traditions of responsible, public-spirited, and innovative journalism as well as philanthropy. 

The Cowles Charitable Trust supports the arts, education, the advancement of ethical journalism, medical and climate research.

About

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) established the IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) to increase research capacity by programmatic expansion and networking of research activities of faculty and students at academic institutions throughout certain targeted states – with South Carolina being one of those states.

SC INBRE is achieving that goal by supporting the career development of faculty and hands-on research training of students at our network institutions through annual workshops for faculty and students focusing on career development, mentoring and other relevant topics, as well as funding opportunities available to any faculty at SC INBRE’s network institutions. 

SC INBRE Cycle IV began on September 1, 2020 and includes a statewide network of 14 member institutions, two outreach institutions and two alumni institutions. Member and outreach/alumni institutions incorporate South Carolina’s three Comprehensive Research Universities and 15 of the state’s Primarily Undergraduate Institutions, including three Historically Black Colleges and Universities. SC INBRE is administered at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia. 

Data Analytics Student-Initiated Training Award (SITA)

The South Carolina IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (SC INBRE) and the SC INBRE Data Analytics component of the Bioinformatics Core solicits applications for the Student-initiated Training Award (SITA) program. This program is designed to enrich the academic experience of students and to better prepare future generations of researchers, investigators, and entrepreneurs throughout the SC INBRE network. SITA applications must engage in advancing their Data Analytics skills within the frame work of a research project. The project should not include data acquisition and should only focus on the development of skillsets to analyze the data using modern analytics tools such as AI and Machine Learning. The learning objectives of the proposal project must fit within the area of data analytics that include statistical approaches, computational methods, Artificial Intelligence, or Machine Learning. 

Up to ten new SITA awards will be made throughout the state. SITA awards support Data Analytics training for undergraduate or graduate students.

Funding

Up to ten awards of $5,000 each will be awarded

The Foundation is dedicated to providing financial assistance to organizations committed to improving our world. Solutions to the problems of today's world still lie in the values of innovation, practicality, hard work, and compassion.

The Foundation considers applications for grants in the following areas:

• Education
• Social Service
• Health care
• Civic and cultural
• Environmental

The categories above are not intended to limit the interest of the Foundation from considering other worthwhile projects. In general, the Foundation guidelines are broad to give us flexibility in providing grants.

The majority of our grants are made in the U.S. However, like Dr. Scholl, we recognize the need for a global outlook. Non-U.S. grants are given to organizations where directors have knowledge of the grantee.

Watson-Brown Foundation Scholarship

The Watson-Brown Foundation, through creativity, diligence and financial support, labors to improve education in the American South by funding its schools and students, preserving its history, encouraging responsible scholarship, and promoting the memory and values of our spiritual founders.

The primary mission of the Watson-Brown Foundation is providing need and merit-based scholarships to select Georgia and South Carolina students attending accredited four-year colleges and universities in the United States.

In 1970, Brown established the Watson-Brown Foundation primarily to provide “college opportunities for underprivileged boys and girls.” Named for Thomas E. Watson and J.J. Brown, the Foundation awards annually more than $2.4 million in merit and need-based college scholarships to students from a eighteen county region of Georgia and South Carolina. Walter Brown also set a precedent for preservation, especially as it related to the history of the South. Today, the Foundation owns and operates three historic sites in Georgia and explores history through the eyes of the men who created them. Finally, the Foundation operates a grant program that encourages responsible scholarship on the South and supports historic preservation. 

Funding

Scholarship funds in the amount of $3,000 will be mailed to a recipient’s college or university of choice twice yearly: once in the Fall semester (July) and once in the Spring semester (January). Scholarship funds cannot be rolled over into subsequent semesters or pooled for future use. Each recipient will have up to $3,000 of funding available for each eligible semester.

Scholarship funds may only be used to cover approved cost of attendance expenses for a recipient’s first four eligible years of undergraduate study. The number of eligible funding semesters awarded to new recipients is determined based on the applicant’s total years of post-secondary education completed as of the initial semester of award eligibility, shown below:

• Zero years of post-secondary education completed: eight potential semesters of eligibility.
• One year of post-secondary education completed: six potential semesters of eligibility.
• Two years of post-secondary education completed: four potential semesters of eligibility.
• Three years of post-secondary education completed: two potential semesters of eligibility.

A recipient will have a period of five consecutive years to use all eligible semesters of funding. This period begins with the first semester of attendance following acceptance as a Watson-Brown Scholarship recipient. This period ends if one of the following criteria is met:

• A recipient attends college for the total number of eligible semesters awarded.
• A recipient exceeds the five consecutive year period available to use their scholarship funds.
• A recipient graduates from an undergraduate academic program.

About

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) established the IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) to increase research capacity by programmatic expansion and networking of research activities of faculty and students at academic institutions throughout certain targeted states – with South Carolina being one of those states.

SC INBRE is achieving that goal by supporting the career development of faculty and hands-on research training of students at our network institutions through annual workshops for faculty and students focusing on career development, mentoring and other relevant topics, as well as funding opportunities available to any faculty at SC INBRE’s network institutions. 

SC INBRE Cycle IV began on September 1, 2020 and includes a statewide network of 14 member institutions, two outreach institutions and two alumni institutions. Member and outreach/alumni institutions incorporate South Carolina’s three Comprehensive Research Universities and 15 of the state’s Primarily Undergraduate Institutions, including three Historically Black Colleges and Universities. SC INBRE is administered at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia. 

Developmental Research Project Program (DRPP) Pilot Projects (PP) 

In anticipation of pending renewal, the South Carolina IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (SC INBRE) Developmental Research Project Program (DRPP) solicits applications for the 2025-26 award cycle. The DRPP will support two funding mechanisms designed to grow faculty-led research projects and provide biomedical research training opportunities for undergraduate students: Research Projects (RP) and Pilot Projects (PP). PP awards are smaller than RPs yet offer more flexibility. 

Award amounts and number of anticipated awards

Four different PP awards will be funded for 1 year:

• Curriculum Development Awards: For faculty. Support the development of new courses or incorporation of Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) into an existing course at a PUI. Funding: $15,000 for one year.
• Launch Awards: For faculty. Support for generation of key preliminary data needed for a grant submission or data needed to address a previous grant review. Funding: $15,000 for one year.
• Bioinformatics Pilot Projects (BIPP): For faculty. Support collection or analysis of large biomedical data sets. Funding: $15,000 for one year.
• Mentored Student Pilot Projects (MSP): For students. Small, well-defined projects written, submitted and carried out by students with the guidance of a mentor. Funding: $3,000 for one year.

Anticipated total number for awards to be made:

• NINE at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (FOUR Pilot Projects – any combination of above options – to faculty and FIVE MSP to students) and
• SIX at Comprehensive Research Universities (THREE – any combination of above options – to faculty, THREE to students)

PP awards to faculty can be competitively renewed for 1 year. 

About

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) established the IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) to increase research capacity by programmatic expansion and networking of research activities of faculty and students at academic institutions throughout certain targeted states – with South Carolina being one of those states.

SC INBRE is achieving that goal by supporting the career development of faculty and hands-on research training of students at our network institutions through annual workshops for faculty and students focusing on career development, mentoring and other relevant topics, as well as funding opportunities available to any faculty at SC INBRE’s network institutions. 

SC INBRE Cycle IV began on September 1, 2020 and includes a statewide network of 14 member institutions, two outreach institutions and two alumni institutions. Member and outreach/alumni institutions incorporate South Carolina’s three Comprehensive Research Universities and 15 of the state’s Primarily Undergraduate Institutions, including three Historically Black Colleges and Universities. SC INBRE is administered at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia. 

Mentored Student Pilot Projects (MSP)

In anticipation of pending renewal, the South Carolina IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (SC INBRE) Developmental Research Project Program (DRPP) solicits applications for the 2025-26 award cycle. The DRPP  will support two funding mechanisms designed to grow faculty-led research projects and provide biomedical research training opportunities for undergraduate students: Research Projects (RP) and Pilot Projects (PP). PP awards are smaller than RPs yet offer more flexibility.

Funding

One of four different PP awards funded for 1 year, the Mentored Student Pilot Projects (MSP), specifically for students, are small, well-defined projects written, submitted and carried out by students with the guidance of a mentor. Funding: $3,000 for one year.

About

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) established the IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) to increase research capacity by programmatic expansion and networking of research activities of faculty and students at academic institutions throughout certain targeted states – with South Carolina being one of those states.

SC INBRE is achieving that goal by supporting the career development of faculty and hands-on research training of students at our network institutions through annual workshops for faculty and students focusing on career development, mentoring and other relevant topics, as well as funding opportunities available to any faculty at SC INBRE’s network institutions.

SC INBRE Cycle IV began on September 1, 2020 and includes a statewide network of 14 member institutions, two outreach institutions and two alumni institutions. Member and outreach/alumni institutions incorporate South Carolina’s three Comprehensive Research Universities and 15 of the state’s Primarily Undergraduate Institutions, including three Historically Black Colleges and Universities. SC INBRE is administered at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia. 

Bioinformatics Pilot Project Program

The South Carolina IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (SC INBRE), SC INBRE IV solicits applications for the Bioinformatics Pilot Project Program. This program is designed to stimulate the application of genomics and bioinformatics methods by supporting research and student training through the SC INBRE and South Carolina Clinical & Translational Research (SCTR) networks, networks as well as at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) across South Carolina. BIPP proposals must focus on Biomedical Science and fit within the broad scientific focus areas of SC INBRE: Biochemistry/Cell and Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, Bio/Biomedical Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, and Neuroscience. In addition, proposed BIPP projects must provide opportunities for students (undergraduate or graduate) to gain research experience.

Up to five new BIPP awards will be made throughout the state. BIPP awards support independent, faculty-driven research and provide research training to students and/or postdoctoral fellows in Bioinformatics.

Funding

Up to 5 awards of $10,000 each will be awarded.

About

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) established the IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) to increase research capacity by programmatic expansion and networking of research activities of faculty and students at academic institutions throughout certain targeted states – with South Carolina being one of those states.

SC INBRE is achieving that goal by supporting the career development of faculty and hands-on research training of students at our network institutions through annual workshops for faculty and students focusing on career development, mentoring and other relevant topics, as well as funding opportunities available to any faculty at SC INBRE’s network institutions. 

SC INBRE Cycle IV began on September 1, 2020 and includes a statewide network of 14 member institutions, two outreach institutions and two alumni institutions. Member and outreach/alumni institutions incorporate South Carolina’s three Comprehensive Research Universities and 15 of the state’s Primarily Undergraduate Institutions, including three Historically Black Colleges and Universities. SC INBRE is administered at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia. 

Developmental Research Project Program

The South Carolina IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (SC INBRE), SC INBRE IV solicits applications for the Developmental Research Project (DRP) Program designed to foster faculty research programs at SC INBRE network institutions. DRP proposals must focus on Biomedical Science and fit within the broad scientific focus areas of SC INBRE: Biochemistry/Cell and Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, Bio/Biomedical Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, and Neuroscience. In addition, proposed DRP projects must provide opportunities for students (undergraduate or graduate) to gain research experience.

Up to TEN new Awards will be made: SIX to faculty at Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) and FOUR to faculty at Comprehensive Research University (CRU) – TWO at Clemson University, TWO at the Medical University of South Carolina. DRP Awards support independent research and career development for selected faculty. It is expected that DRP awardees will utilize SC INBRE support to establish their independent research programs and, in the process, provide research training to students and/or postdoctoral fellows in the Biomedical Sciences.

Funding

Up to 6 awards of $50,000 each will be awarded to faculty at PUIs and up to 4 awards of $50,000 each will be made to faculty at CRUs (2 at Clemson University and 2 at MUSC). CRU awards will be supplemented per institutional agreement with SC INBRE.

About the Foundation

Jesse W. Couch lived a life of zeal, honor, and dedication to the betterment of his community. The Couch family now humbly stewards the foundation he created to carry on his legacy of service for future generations. We believe that impact is best accomplished through partnerships with local organizations that know the people and communities they serve. We invest in and support efforts to protect the environment, further conservation and preservation initiatives, and save historical architecture that preserves community heritage. We also support initiatives that promote wellness and mental health and organizations seeking to provide and further education for all communities.

Annual Grant Focus

Each year, we seek to partner with and support non-profit organizations making an impact in the focus areas listed here.  The focus areas for 2025 are:

• Animal Wellbeing: We are dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations that nurture compassion and respect for all living animals. We must have animal-focused organizations that advocate for animal rights and provide humane treatment across all spectrums.
• Early Childhood Education: We are looking for schools that are providing young children with a creative and balanced approach to education. Things we love in early childhood curriculums:
  • Life Skills
  • Collaboration With Their Peers and Teachers   
  • Having Fun   
  • Montessori Teachings   
  • Project Based Teachings   
  • Diversity   
  • More Time Outside   
  • Less Screen Time
• Teachers: Teachers are essential to providing children with the best possible education. We must invest in their future and are always looking for teams that help them succeed in educating future generations.
• Get Outside: Being outside can improve memory, fight depression, lower blood pressure, and more! We support organizations that facilitate and encourage more outdoor activities that help create healthier communities. 

How and Why Giving Back to Communities is Important to O’Reilly

From O’Reilly Auto Parts’ inception, O’Reilly co-founder C.H. “Chub” O’Reilly instilled the culture of maintaining high standards for every endeavor, including the area of building civic pride. With Chub’s good example to guide them, all four of his children adopted a business and family philosophy of “giving back” to the community as the Company grew and prospered. Supporting a large number of charitable organizations in all communities in which we operate has long been a focal point for O’Reilly Auto Parts. In order to make an even greater impact, the O’Reilly Automotive Foundation was established in 2020.

O’Reilly Automotive Foundation, Inc.

Impact

The O’Reilly Automotive Foundation complements O’Reilly Auto Parts’ role as the Friendliest Parts Store in Town. The Foundation serves as an additional conduit to connect with, support, and strengthen the communities in which O’Reilly Auto Parts’ team members and customers live and work. The Foundation continues the philanthropic legacy of the O’Reilly family as dependable community partners, seeking to support critical services in times of need to build stronger communities.

Mission

The O’Reilly Automotive Foundation strives to have a lasting, positive impact in the communities where O’Reilly Auto Parts’ team members and customers live and work by supporting organizations and programs which address issues critical to improving the quality of life for underserved and underrepresented individuals and families. In particular, the Foundation will concentrate its giving in support of organizations and programs addressing economic stability and mobility, workforce development, health and social services, and disaster relief.

Economic Stability and Mobility

Advocating for and endowing programs which provide assistance with issues including hunger, homelessness, and poverty for the economic betterment of the communities in which we operate.

Workforce Development

Promoting programs which aid in workforce readiness, technical training, and literacy, including children’s literacy, to ensure the continuance of an educated society and a capable, innovative workforce.

Health and Social Services

Championing and prioritizing matters of health, including mental and behavioral health, access to basic needs such as medical and dental care for underprivileged communities, and providing funding for organizations focused on childhood development and children’s advocacy as well as care and support for victims of domestic violence.

Disaster Relief

Providing funding and visibility to organizations specializing in providing relief from natural disasters and state of emergency, including providing temporary shelter, food, water, and hygiene or sanitation products to those affected and aiding in cleanup efforts.

Application Requirements

We will consider three principal types of grants:

Project Support Grants support specific projects or programs aligned with our mission. These requests may include some funds earmarked for the overhead costs associated with running a project.

General Operating Support Grants provide limited general operating support for the core operations or organizations whose missions and activities are aligned with our mission. These grants will often help the grantee build organizational, programmatic, and fundraising capacity. Operating support is not intended to help organizations in fiscal crisis. Applicants must have a current strategic or business plan that clearly outlines the organization’s goals and presents a plan for achieving results. Operating support grants must not exceed 15% of an organization’s total agency budget.

Capital Support Grants provide limited support for capital campaigns to fund the acquisition and construction of facilities, existing property renovation, or the purchase of major equipment. The program has a comprehensive approach to funding capital initiatives, which also includes funding for increased program capacity. A feasibility study may be required for capital initiatives to be considered.

Pew Biomedical Scholars 

The Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences provides funding to young investigators of outstanding promise in science relevant to the advancement of human health. The program makes grants to selected academic institutions to support the independent research of outstanding individuals who are in their first few years of their appointment at the assistant professor level.

Based on their performance during their education and training, candidates should demonstrate outstanding promise as contributors in science relevant to human health. Strong proposals will incorporate particularly creative and pioneering approaches to basic, translational, and applied biomedical research. Candidates whose work is based on biomedical principles but who bring in concepts and theories from more diverse fields are encouraged to apply.

Ideas with the potential to produce an unusually high impact are encouraged. Selection of the successful candidates will be based on a detailed description of the work that the applicant proposes to undertake, evaluations of the candidate’s performance, and notable past accomplishments, including honors, awards, and publications. In evaluating the candidates, the National Advisory Committee gives considerable weight to both the project proposal and the researcher, including evidence that the candidate is a successful independent investigator and has the skill set needed to carry out their high-impact proposal.

Funding from the NIH, other government sources, and project grants from nonprofit associations do not pose a conflict with the Pew scholars program.

Funding

The current grant level is $300,000.

An award of $75,000 per year for four years will be provided to the sponsoring institution for use by the scholar, subject to annual review of the scholar’s progress. Grant agreements will be issued in August of the award year. The awarded funds may be used at the discretion of the Pew scholar, for personnel, equipment, supplies, or travel directly related to the scholar's research and as to best advance his or her research and career.

• The amount of the award that may be used for the principal investigator’s salary is limited to $12,500 per year (including benefits) or $50,000 over the duration of the grant. There are no limits on student or postdoctoral salaries.
• Not more than 8 percent ($24,000) of the total award value may be allocated for facilities and administration (F&A) charges or indirect costs (IDCs).
• Should the funds not be immediately required, they may be accumulated and carried over through the grant period and, with written approval of the program office, the grant may receive a no-cost extension for one additional year (without additional funds).
• Subawards are allowed.

During the four-year grant term, program participants are required to attend an annual meeting held in March or April. All eligible expenses for attendees’ travel, lodging, and meals are paid by Pew. The meeting provides Pew scholars with an opportunity to present their research and for scientific collaboration and exchange with other scholars and members of the National Advisory Committee.

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.

Dashanna K. McNeil Memorial Scholarship

Dashanna K. McNeil dedicated her life to caring for others through her practice in nursing and was a source of inspiration and hope for many people.

After graduating from Conway High School in 1995, she completed the LPN licensure program from the Conway School of Practical Nursing Program that same year. Dashanna continued her education by completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of South Carolina. She later completed a Masters in Nursing and a Masters in Public Health from the University of Phoenix.

Dashanna loved nursing and sharing her talents and leadership in healthcare systems in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, District of Columbia, Maryland, Tennessee, and California. Her love and passion for healing encouraged her to start and incorporate the McNeil Healthcare Institute with the purpose of educating future certified nursing assistants.

The Dashanna K. McNeil Memorial Scholarship exists to honor her life and to encourage those who share her commitment to nursing through their studies and pending careers.

TSF, through the generosity and philanthropy of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association (STSA), is offering this award that will provide up to $40,000 per year for up to two years to support the research fellowship of a resident for general surgery or cardiothoracic surgery residents who have not yet completed cardiothoracic surgical training. No additional funds will be paid out for indirect, fringe, or other expenditures. During the fellowship, the resident will work in a cardiothoracic surgical clinical or laboratory research program. STSA membership is not required; however, applicants must meet STSA membership eligibility requirements.These awards are designed to provide salary and/or direct experimental support for surgical trainees who wish to acquire investigational skills. Although a specific research program is required as the major component of the application, emphasis in making the award is placed on the potential of the applicant, based on prior accomplishments, and the quality of the educational experience for the applicant. Particular emphasis is placed on evidence of supervisory interaction in preparation of the application, the extent to which research training and a productive educational experience is convincingly described, and the training environment. Additional criteria include the probability of successful project completion and an assessment of the importance of the particular educational effort toward the advancement of cardiothoracic surgery.The TSF/STSA Resident Research Fellowship provide support of up to $40,000 per year for up to two years. Requests for support for a single laboratory year are discouraged unless this represents the second of two consecutive research years. If two years of funding are requested and awarded, a progress report approved by the chairperson of the TSF Research Committee is required prior to release of payment for the second year. The applicant must be willing to present their research at the STSA Annual Meeting.The awarded funds must be used solely for the direct expenses related to the proposed research project, including salary, services, and supplies; no additional funds will be provided. The award is not to be used to cover indirect expenses, fringe benefits, or expenditures that are not related to the project.