Search Through Grants for New Nonprofits in South Carolina in the U.S.

Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a unique federal-state partnership providing social and economic support for a 13-state region stretching along the Appalachian Mountains from southern New York to northern Mississippi, including western North Carolina.

Established by the United States Congress in 1965, when Appalachia was considered "a region apart" from the rest of the nation, ARC has worked to bring Appalachia's 26 million people into America's economic mainstream.

Area Development Program

ARC’s Area Development program relies on a flexible “bottom up” approach to economic development, empowering Appalachian communities to work with their state governments to design impactful investment opportunities supporting our mission and investment priorities.

Within the scope of our Strategic Plan, ARC’s Area Development program makes investments in two general areas: critical infrastructure and business and workforce development. Critical infrastructure investments mainly include water and wastewater systems, transportation networks, broadband, and other projects anchoring regional economic development. Business and workforce investments primarily focus on entrepreneurship, worker training and education, food systems, leadership, and other human capital development.

ARC Strategic Plan

A comprehensive strategic planning process involving federal, state, and local officials and citizens resulted in, Appalachia Envisioned: A New Era of Opportunity – ARC Strategic Plan 2022-2026, which focuses investments under these five general goals:

• Building Appalachian Businesses:
  • Strengthen and diversify the region’s economy through inclusive economic development strategies and investments in entrepreneurship and business development
• Building Appalachia’s Workforce Ecosystem
  • Expand and strengthen community systems (education, healthcare, housing, childcare, and others) that help Appalachians obtain a job, stay on the job, and advance along a financially sustaining career pathway.
• Building Appalachia’s Infrastructure
  • Ensure that the residents and businesses of Appalachia have access to reliable, affordable, resilient, and energy efficient utilities and infrastructure in order to successfully live and work in the region.
• Building Regional Culture and Tourism:
  • Strengthen Appalachia’s community and economic development potential by preserving and investing in the region’s local, cultural heritage, and natural assets.
• Building Community Leaders and Capacity:
  • Invest in the capacity of local leaders, organizations, and communities to address local challenges by providing technical assistance and support to access resources, engage partners, identify strategies and tactics, and conduct effective planning and project execution.

About Us

Our Mission

The mission of The Auto Club Group Foundation is to work on behalf of our members and the communities we serve to create lasting solutions, inspire learning and provide funding in the areas of traffic safety, driver education and financial literacy.

Our History

In 1902, nine motor clubs across the country joined together to form the American Automobile Association (AAA) to protect the rights and interests of automobile users and promote better highway and traffic safety. Today, The Auto Club Group Foundation continues to support those interests by investing in traffic safety, driver education and financial literacy initiatives. The Auto Club Group Foundation which is a private Foundation, represents 14 states and 2 U.S territories, and is an integral part of AAA's evolution and success.

How We Work

Our approach to grant funding comes from a very basic principle which is to have an understanding of the goals and objectives of local communities. Our relationships, which have developed from years of community service, allow us to offer support in a more impactful and meaningful way.

The Auto Club Group Foundation, which is a private foundation, is funded by our sponsoring organization, AAA – The Auto Club Group. We award grants to organizations and initiatives that enhance our mission in the areas of Traffic Safety, Driver Education and Financial Literacy throughout our 14 U.S. states and two U.S. territories.

Priority Areas

Traffic Safety

The Auto Club Group Foundation is dedicated to supporting traffic safety programs and initiatives that make our roadways safer for all users. The ACG Foundation strives to be responsive to emerging traffic safety issues by considering grant applications that are forward thinking and address new technology.

Financial Literacy

The Auto Club Group Foundation supports financial literacy programming in grades K – 12, empowering students with the tools they need to make sound financial decisions.

Driver Education 

The Auto Club Group Foundation wants to ensure everyone has access to quality driver education by supporting scholarships and programming needs in underserved communities.

Charitable Investments

CSX is proud to support people and organizations that in turn honor those who serve our communities. We offer monetary and in-kind resources to nonprofit organizations advocating for the betterment of our nation’s military members or community first responders, and have additional resources available to support other community efforts.

In Kind Donations

Intermodal Transportation Services

Intermodal transportation services provide applicable organizations with intermodal equipment and rail service throughout the CSX rail network, and afford these organizations an opportunity to reduce or eliminate their transportation spending.

Ideally, intermodal moves work best when freight is moving 500 miles or more. However, the in-kind moves program requires only that freight have an origin and destination within a combined 250 miles’ distance to a CSX intermodal facility.

CSX’s door-to-door product is an ideal solution for the in-kind moves program, as our trained team will pick up your freight at its origin and transport it to a terminal to be placed on an intermodal train. Then, we will pick up your freight at the destination terminal and deliver it directly to its endpoint. The door-to-door network provides service across the Eastern United States with its large nationwide network and trucking capability.

CSX will also work with you to determine the type of equipment that is an ideal fit to transport your freight. CSX has a large fleet of rail-owned containers, as well as an expansive network of channel partners that can provide equipment to fit your needs.

Railroad Equipment and Materials

CSX occasionally donates materials, supplies and used railroad equipment based on availability. The online in-kind application can be used to request the donation of railroad-related items, including retired rail cars when available. Please note that rail, rail ties and spikes are not available for donation or purchase. Applicants will be contacted if the requested item becomes available within 90 days of their online submittal. At that time, arrangements will be made to transfer possession of the requested item. All applicants will be asked to re-submit their application at a later date if the requested item does not become available within the 90-day period.

Who We Are

Established in 1974, Coastal Community Foundation works to create vibrant communities along South Carolina’s coast by identifying the challenges facing the region and bringing together resources to address them. Coastal Community Foundation is the largest community foundation in South Carolina, managing more than 700 funds established by individuals, families and organizations and awarding tens of millions of dollars in grants and scholarships each year.

Catalyst Grant Program

Since its launch in 2020, the Catalyst Grant program has awarded more than $4.2M to support nonprofits’ large-scale projects addressing community-wide issues through collaborative, equitable and innovative approaches. The grants are available to nonprofits serving Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, or Jasper counties and ensure multi-year funding, often exceeding a hundred thousand dollars per year.

Catalyst Grant proposals are accepted in one of two categories, Community Innovation or Strategic Capacity Building, and are reviewed by a committee of community members who evaluate the proposals, conduct a site visit with follow-up questions and make recommendations to the Foundation.

Overview

Sports tourism is a valuable yet underutilized and underdeveloped segment of the state’s overall tourism industry. Sporting events provide a twofold benefit to the state. In the short term, they provide direct revenues through sales, admissions or accommodations tax collections. In the long term, they provide greater exposure for South Carolina’s tourism destinations and encourage future leisure travel to the state.

Destinations such as Rock Hill serve as compelling evidence of the positive impact of the development of sports tourism through the successful recruitment of sporting events. Given South Carolina’s widespread Interstate access, increasing airline services and abundance of man-made and natural venues for sporting events, there is significant potential to further develop this segment of the state’s tourism industry.Purpose

The purpose of this grant program is to provide financial assistance to nonprofit tourism or sports-related organizations, applying through their respective local government, for the recruitment of new sporting events in South Carolina that will generate a significant additional economic impact to local communities through participant and visitor spending and also enhance the quality of life for South Carolina residents.

Grant

This grant program will provide a 1:1 match up to $50,000 per event for common sporting event recruitment costs such as bid fees, event advertising and equipment rentals directly related to the event. This grant will provide a match for actual expenditures if the bid is successful.

SCPRT will accept applications for both bidding and hosting grants year round.   However, hosting applications may not be submitted earlier than 270 days before or later than 90 days before the event’s start date.  Only successful bids qualify for the bidding grants, and those applications must be submitted within 180 days of the signed letter of intent from the Right’s Holder recognizing a partnership between the Right’s Holder/Event Organization and the hosting destination.  

Perdue Farms is a fourth-generation, family owned U.S. food and agricultural company. We were founded on trust—a value that carries through everything we do. Through our two operating divisions, Perdue Foods and Perdue AgriBusiness, we’re making steps every day toward our goal of becoming the most trusted name in food and agricultural products. Our path forward is about getting better, not just bigger.

We're Committed to Being Careful Stewards. Stewardship is one of our company's core values. Our stewardship platform, "We believe in responsible food and agriculture®," challenges us to continually improve. Learn more about the progress we've made in the areas of food, environment, animal care, people, community and our partners.

What we support

We believe in putting our resources where there is a direct benefit to a broad-based spectrum of the community.

• We strive to strengthen our communities by focusing our efforts on agriculture and the environment, education, fighting hunger and poverty, health and social services, and public safety
• We also support organizations that celebrate the heritages and cultures of our communities

Our Responsibility

• Food Producing: Quality Food
• Environment: Protecting the Environment
• Animal Care: Providing for the Welfare of Animals
• People: Caring About Others

Detailed Program Description

Grants of up to $2,500 for organizations to make arts programs accessible to persons with disabilities.

The Southeast is home to some of the world’s more diverse and vibrant artistic communities. At South Arts, we believe that the arts are for everyone. The arts enrich the lives of people of all abilities and backgrounds. In our commitment to amplifying the success of the Southeast’s arts ecology, South Arts offers micro-funding to supplement the efforts of arts organizations throughout our service area.

Art making is for everyone too! South Arts encourages arts organizations to hire artistic personnel of all abilities at all levels; for these grants in particular, we encourage arts organizations to work directly with artists who identify as disabled. 

Through our partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, South Arts offers small grants that compliment existing efforts by arts organizations to include audiences and artists with disabilities. Accessibility micro-grants are available to support Nonprofit, 501c3, arts organizations located within the South Arts Service region states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. This funding program is open to a wide variety of organizations, including community cultural organizations, museums, performing arts presenters, theatre companies, visual arts and music organizations. Priority funding will be given to new applicants to South Arts.

South Arts has prioritized the following:

• South Arts prioritizes applications from BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ identifying organizations.
• South Arts prioritizes applications from organizations led by persons with disabilities or organizations that provide significant programming to artists or audiences with disabilities.
• South Arts is committed to funding artists organizations in rural communities (with populations under 50,000).
• Primary consideration will be given to new applicants.

Usage of Funds

Grants awards may reimburse the applicant for any combination of qualifying expenses incurred during the grant period. Projects may include but are not limited to the following:

Programs

• Usage of large print or braille program materials for patrons/audiences with low vision
• Artist/consultant fees to provide accessibility training or audits
• Transportation of constituents or performers with disabilities
• Preparation for special exhibitions (i.e. space modifications or accessibility audit)
• Audio description
• Sign language interpretation
• Website accessibility
• Docent training for visual or audio enhancement
• Consultant fee to develop an overall accessibility plan for your organization
• Inclusive programming
• Staff training to learn about accessibility as it relates to programming, operations, or facilities modifications (i.e. travel to a workshop and/or training)
• Other accommodations that make programs accessible

Facilities Enhancements

• Accessibility signage for exterior and/or interior space
• Modification of restroom(s) signage
• Modification to drinking fountain(s) signage
• Installation of Braille plaques

For more than 20 years, The Baltimore Life Companies have viewed community involvement as our responsibility, not only through financial support of local organizations, but through our employees’ commitment to volunteerism. To further demonstrate our belief in good corporate citizenship, Baltimore Life has established a community grants program to help nonprofit organizations enhance the quality of life in communities—Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, and the surrounding communities—where our employees live and work.

Grants of up to $500 will be awarded to multiple organizations. Our grants program is a continuation of Baltimore Life’s long-standing tradition of giving back to our communities.

Founded in 1999, the Sundt Foundation was created to give Sundt employee-owners a way to give back to the communities where they live and work. Today, the Sundt Foundation remains true to its original mission, fostering a sense of connection and belonging in our local communities. The Sundt Foundation provides volunteer and grant opportunities to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in its regional areas.

Giving Guidelines

Employee-owner committees are responsible for Foundation grantmaking designated in the areas of youth development, hunger & nutrition, basic needs & social services, and military & veterans.

Perdue Farms is the family-owned parent company of Perdue Foods and Perdue AgriBusiness. Perdue Farms are dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for everyone we touch through innovative food and agricultural products.

Through Perdue Farms Perdue, Harvestland and Coleman Natural food brands; through Perdue Farms agricultural products and services; and through Perdue Farms stewardship and corporate responsibility programs, Perdue Farms are committed to making Perdue the most trusted name in food and agricultural products. At Perdue, Perdue Farms believe in responsible food and agriculture.What We Support

• We strive to strengthen our communities by focusing our efforts on agriculture and the environment, education, fighting hunger and poverty, health and social services, and public safety
• We also support organizations that celebrate the heritages and cultures of our communities
• We may give additional preference to organizations in which our associates have direct involvement, but the overarching consideration is the betterment of the community

Grants Overview

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation supports the vision and legacy of Mr. Van Every by making meaningful gifts to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations in North and South Carolina which strengthen our communities, demonstrate fiscal responsibility, exhibit strength in leadership and have a proven track record of success.

Human and Community Service, Education, Healthcare and Rehabilitation and Arts, Culture and History are the Foundation’s primary areas of focus. A very limited portion of our funding supports organizations that fall outside these perimeters.

Areas of Focus

Education

As Americans, we find ourselves living in an increasingly competitive global economy. Students are entering a highly competitive job market. The unemployed and underemployed are seeking new career opportunities that require enhanced skills.

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation is addressing these issues by supporting colleges, universities and nonprofit organizations that provide quality affordable education and job re-training programs for individuals seeking degrees or certificates. We believe that education is critical to the future success of our children, families, communities, state, and nation.

Healthcare/Rehabilitation

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation is committed to improving the health and quality of life for individuals residing in North and South Carolina.

We respond to our commitment by investing in programs and services that focus on medical innovation, research, education, rehabilitative care, prevention, wellness and substance abuse.

Human & Community Service

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation is committed to improving lives and strengthening communities in North and South Carolina.

We support organizations that address the underlying causes of a myriad of social issues, meet the critical needs of people in their service area and focus on creating financially stable and healthy families.

Arts, Culture, History

Arts, culture and history promote creativity, innovation, exploration and diversity while improving the quality of life for residents of our communities. Dynamic performances and museums as well as other cultural and historic venues engage and inspire audiences, building bridges throughout our region. Arts education plays a pivotal role in enriching the lives of children and provides them with a well-rounded education and the creativity they will need to lead in a global economy.

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation recognizes the important role that arts, cultural and historic organizations play in our communities and supports select organizations that provide quality experiences for residents of North and South Carolina.

Program Area: Child & Family Well-being

We fund implementation support for public and private child- and family-serving agencies to adopt and sustain evidence-based and evidence-informed programs shown to prevent or treat child maltreatment.

Challenge

Several programs in the United States regularly gather and share evidence of their positive impact and outcomes for children. Historically, replication of these evidence-based programs in communities has failed to reproduce the outcomes or local capacity to sustain the programs. We believe that failure often can be traced to inadequate implementation support and inattention to continuous improvement.

Approach

Child and Family Well-Being has adopted the implementation framework developed by the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN) to sustain and scale evidence-based programs for preventing and treating child abuse and neglect. Implementation support consists of activities designed to help put defined programs into practice.

Strategies

Support Implementation for Tested Programs: We fund implementation support for projects that adopt and sustain evidence-based or ‑informed models shown to prevent or treat child abuse and neglect and enhance well-being. ​“Implementation” refers to activities that are designed to put defined programs into practice. An active implementation framework answers the questions of what needs to be done (effective interventions), how to establish what needs to be done in practice, who will do the work to accomplish positive outcomes and where will effective interventions and implementation thrive. Rather than letting change happen, we work with organizations and agencies to make change happen for children and families of all races and ethnicities.

Commit to Innovation: We recognize the lack of evidence-based or ‑informed models for the range of issues children and families face and the diverse populations served. If we did not commit to innovation, we would miss opportunities to identify programs that improve outcomes. We support grantees in developing and testing innovative, tailored, data-driven approaches. We encourage models that specifically look at risks and solutions through the lens of race.

Advocate for Improvement: Many dedicated, knowledgeable professionals work in the child welfare system, but systemic challenges can inhibit their effectiveness. We use our resources and relationships to support advocacy and communications strategies that speed improvement of the prevention, early intervention and foster care systems. We believe that by working closely with government agencies and nonprofit organizations that reflect the communities served, we can enhance the spread of information and facilitate conversations within communities.

Truist Foundation

The Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation's (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, the foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. The Truist Foundation's grants and activities focus on building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses.

Inspire Awards

We’re collaborating with MIT Solve to kick off our third year of the Inspire Awards. Nonprofits from across the country are invited to pitch their solution to advance workers through career navigation and workforce development.

This year’s Inspire Awards challenge aims to improve resources and wraparound services for workers seeking reskilling, upskilling, and career transitions to uplift themselves—and their families. For workers looking to develop skills to help them adapt to industry changes, career navigation and workforce development solutions can make an impact. These tools can aid smoother career transitions, foster economic mobility, and empower workers to pursue personal growth.

2025 Truist Foundation Inspire Awards Challenge Question

How are nonprofits providing innovative solutions for the reskilling, upskilling, and career navigation needs of adults who are in the middle or late stages of their careers?

Challenge Dimensions

We are seeking innovative nonprofit solutions that improve resources and wraparound services for adults who are in the middle or late stages of their careers seeking reskilling, upskilling, and career navigation support, including:

• Wraparound Services – Supporting unemployed and underemployed individuals on their journey to economic mobility through innovative and comprehensive resources including transportation support, childcare, mentorship, mental health services, and more.
• Coalition Building – Generating greater buy-in and support for workforce navigation efforts through coalitions, promoting communication and collaboration across diverse sectors and stakeholders including businesses, nonprofits, and government entities.
• Career Navigation – Enabling workers to navigate their career choices more easily, helping to facilitate informed decisions about which high-quality jobs and career trajectories best suit them.
• Upskilling and Reskilling – Providing accessible, high-quality, skill-building and training opportunities for those transitioning between careers or facing unemployment.

Here are the grants for this challenge

• First place: $250,000
• Second place: $150,000
• Runners-up: $25,000
• Audience favorite: $75,000

Who We Are

Established in 1974, Coastal Community Foundation works to create vibrant communities along South Carolina’s coast by identifying the challenges facing the region and bringing together resources to address them. Coastal Community Foundation is the largest community foundation in South Carolina, managing more than 700 funds established by individuals, families and organizations and awarding tens of millions of dollars in grants and scholarships each year.

Lowcountry Unity Fund

The Lowcountry Unity Fund was created in response to the 2015 attack on Emanuel A.M.E. Church where nine black worshippers were murdered by a white supremacist. The Fund promotes long-term solutions that address systemic issues contributing to racism and economic inequality. Programs in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties that focus on addressing these issues will be considered for mini-grants up to $5,000. Mini-grants are intended to support new or existing programs that utilize collaboration and partnership. Eligible programs will demonstrate how partnerships are being developed or strengthened to address structural racism and economic inequality.

The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive.

Our Mission

To conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund

To make the highest possible impact on the climate and biodiversity crises, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is committed to advancing solutions and supporting partners throughout the Appalachians to connect and conserve vital wildlife habitat, build resilience to the impacts of climate change, and generate new job and recreation opportunities for communities.

Approximately one-third of the U.S. population lives in or within 100 miles of the Appalachians, including an estimated 36 million people that rely on the region for sources of drinking water. The landscape contains the world's largest remaining expanses of temperate broadleaf mixed forest and provides habitat to a wide diversity of plants of animals, many of which are listed as rare, threatened, or endangered. Conserving this landscape is critical for nature and for the people that live and work there.

However as climate change drives ecosystem instability, plants and animals are shifting their ranges northward, and people are having to find ways to adapt to complex and intertwined challenges. TNC and many others have been working to conserve vital Appalachian habitats for decades. Now we must ramp up our efforts and coordinate with partners across the Appalachians for maximum impact.

To succeed in these efforts, TNC’s Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund offers two grant programs for conservation and community organizations, municipalities, Federally Recognized Tribal Nations, and local and state agencies in the Appalachians who are working to protect and conserve this region:

• The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program
• The New York Climate Resilience Grant Program

Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program

The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program provides grants of up to $100,000 for fee and easement acquisition projects throughout the Appalachians.

Equitable Conservation and Community Benefits

Conservation organizations are increasingly acknowledging the importance of incorporating social equity in their missions, partnerships, and projects and evolving how they work to have better outcomes for people and nature.

TNC defines community benefits as the positive outcomes that directly result from or are included within conservation projects as experienced by local communities and people. This is particularly important for historically marginalized communities, communities with limited access to nature, communities experiencing heightened impacts of climate change due to systemic underinvestment and poor infrastructure, and Indigenous communities. 

RCA program funding will support projects that demonstrate meaningful community engagement, work with those historically excluded from conservation, and lead to a fairer distribution of benefits for people and communities.

Some examples of community benefits include improved and greater access to nature, protection of drinking water sources, recreational and resource-based economic opportunities, flood mitigation, engagement in cross-cultural initiatives, or protection of lands that will meet community-defined conservation needs. We encourage projects with meaningful community benefits that are integrated with the land protection goals.

Project Evaluation

Projects will be evaluated  according to their capacity to deliver land protection outcomes aligned with the program goals, including:

• Location:
  • the project is located within TNC’s Appalachians Program boundary and is in or near a mapped focal area.  Projects outside of focal areas will also be considered.
• Resilience:
  • the percentage of the total project area that is part of the Resilient and Connected Network.
• Connectivity:
  • adjacency to protected lands or other attributes that will lead to landscape connectivity over time (e.g., the project is a necessary acquisition for advancing a local or regional plan that aims to protect a critical conservation corridor).
• Collaboration:
  • evidence of engagement with other organizations, community groups, or local governments (including, but not limited to, shared funding).
• Community:
  • project elements that directly engage and or benefit people, especially vulnerable or marginalized communities.
• Timeline:
  • the project will close within 12 months from the start of the grant agreement term.
• Feasibility:
  • likelihood that the project will close and the costs seem reasonable.

What does this program do?

This program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Small means that the business has fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue.

What kind of funding is available?

There is no maximum grant amount; however, smaller requests are given higher priority. There is no cost sharing requirement. Opportunity grants are limited to up to 10 percent of the total Rural Business Development Grant annual funding.

How may funds be used?

Enterprise grants must be used on projects to benefit small and emerging businesses in rural areas as specified in the grant application. Uses may include:

• Training and technical assistance, such as project planning, business counseling and training, market research, feasibility studies, professional or/technical reports or producer service improvements.
• Acquisition or development of land, easements, or rights of way; construction, conversion, renovation of buildings; plants, machinery, equipment, access for streets and roads; parking areas and utilities.
• Pollution control and abatement.
• The capitalization of revolving loan funds, including funds that will make loans for start-ups and working capital.
• Distance adult learning for job training and advancement.
• Rural transportation improvement.
• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

Opportunity grants can be used for:

• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

Consumer Financial Education Fund

The Consumer Financial Education Fund supports projects that relate to consumer financial education, with an emphasis on issues related to just and equitable banking, basic banking, financial literacy, access to financial services, retail banking accounts, and underbanked and/or vulnerable populations. 

Funding

It is expected that most proposals will be for 12-month grant periods; however, multi-year proposals are encouraged where appropriate. The maximum grant amount is $100,000, even for multi-year proposals.

South Carolina Arts Commission

Vision

We envision a South Carolina where the arts are valued and all people benefit from a variety of creative experiences.

Mission

The mission of the South Carolina Arts Commission is to promote equitable access to the arts and support the cultivation of creativity in South Carolina.

Art of Community: Rural SC Grants

Purpose

This grant supports arts-based projects throughout rural South Carolina that use the arts to address issues and challenges in rural communities. The project must serve the rural community in which the applicant is located.

Grant-funded activities should:

• expand community access to the arts in rural areas and
• include a public engagement component and
• engage a project steering committee to lead the project.
  • A project steering committee is the group of people who will be collaborating on and leading this project.
  • This group should have a strong understanding of the project and the applicant organization.
  • The project steering committee is responsible for, but not limited to, providing advice and direction, setting the project timeline and budget, monitoring the quality of the project, evaluating, and monitoring success of the project, and defining project outcomes.

Projects

Projects must support one or more of the following artistic disciplines:

• Dance (choreography or performance)
• Music (composition or performance)
• Opera/musical theatre (production or performance)
• Theatre (performance or playwriting)
• Visual arts (painting, drawing, mixed media, sculpture, or printmaking)
• Crafts (ceramics, fiber, glass, leather, metal, paper, plastic, or wood)
• Photography
• Design arts (architecture, fashion, graphic, industrial, or interior)
• Media arts (film, animation, including production or screenwriting)
• Literature (poetry or prose)
• Spoken word/slam poetry
• Time-based arts (installation, sound, video art, animation, film, computer generated art, or performance art)
• Public art (ephemeral or permanent)

All projects must:

• include a public engagement component AND
• provide opportunities for
  • participants to develop their own artistic skills and/or produce their own artistic work; OR
  • artistic development for artists through activities such as residencies or workshops; OR
  • using the arts in new contexts.

Immediate Needs Grants

These grants support organizations that meet the fundamental needs of people experiencing poverty in South Carolina. Organizations that receive funding in this category are delivering programs providing resources associated with life and health, education and skills, or access and participation.

Criteria

• Has identified and is filling a gap in resources within a community.
• Regularly solicits feedback from participants and uses feedback for improvement.
• Programs have clear measure of success.
• Has a clear focus area: programming addresses immediate needs associated with life and health, education and skills, or access and participation.

Access and Participation: 

Examples include programs that provide access to reliable transportation, access to information, legal services, assistance obtaining identifying documents, free or affordable child care, and assistance navigating systems essential to participating in daily life.

Education and Skills:

Examples include organizations that provide quality basic childhood education, promote literacy, offer technical training, executive functioning support and acquisition of life skills/essential skills.

Life and Health:

Examples include programs providing health care, end of life care, safe and sanitary housing, quality mental health support or treatment, food/ access to quality nutrition, safety and security, and crisis assistance.

Funding Parameters

If your organization is eligible to apply, staff will determine the request amount based on the organization’s budget, programs and service area.

Organizations that qualify for consideration for funding must be able to demonstrate the following:

• A clear understanding of poverty in the community being served.
• Programming that is well-informed by the use of research and/or best practice models.
• Clear measurements of success.
• Partnerships with other nonprofits, businesses, faith-based organizations and/or government entities.
• Programs engage the community that is being served.
• Evidence of other funding sources or potential sources.
• A commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in both organizational practices and program delivery.
• Clear Connection to the Foundation’s Mission and values
• All programs are open to and accessible to all individuals experiencing poverty who qualify for program services regardless of race, country of origin, religion, or citizenship status.
• Able to provide documentation of nonprofit status.
• Organization has been fully operating for at least one (1) year.
• An operating budget.
• Recipients of services are in South Carolina.
• Align with Together SC’s guiding principles and best practices for nonprofits in South Carolina.
• Organizations adhere to lobbying limits established by the federal government for organizations with a 501(c)(3) designation.

Term Arts Education Project Grants

This grant supports quality arts education programs for preschool (3k- 4k) and/or K-12 students during the school term (including beyond the school day), through both traditional providers (arts organizations) and other organizations (e.g., social service, health, community, education) that utilize the arts to meet the educational, developmental, and social needs of preschool (3k-4k) and/or K-12 students. This grant supports projects occurring during the school term 2025-2026. For the purposes of this grant, a term is defined as an academic year.

Activities should:

• Expand student access to arts education opportunities; and
• Complement, augment, or advance standards-based arts instruction or arts integration aligned with school curriculum; and
• Be focused on or include significant components of quality instruction and/or experiences in the visual arts, performing arts, media arts, design arts, folk and traditional arts, and/or creative writing; and
• Address South Carolina’s 2017 College and Career Ready Standards for Visual and Performing Arts Proficiency.
• If applying for or including preschool programming, address South Carolina’s Profile of the Ready Kindergartener.

Examples of eligible in-school and after-school activities include, but are not limited to:

• Workshops
• Artist residencies
• Performances
• Exhibitions
• Acquisition of critical equipment or supplies
• Program planning
• Professional learning for educators, instructors, artists and/or administrators
• Camps (non-summer camps)

Funding

• Up to $15,000 
• Matching Requirement: 1:2 (grantee:SCAC)
• This funding category is highly competitive.

The Program

Professional Development and Artistic Planning Grants are available to support the professional development needs of Southern presenters, programmers, or curators, for strengthening program design or increasing organizational capacity. South Arts strongly believes professional development for presenters/programmers/curators is integral to success, including traveling to see new works and attending convenings. This grant program is open to film, visual arts, performing arts, traditional arts, literary arts, and multidisciplinary organizations.

This funding can support staff’s travel expenses to conferences, festivals, exhibitions, workshops, and other professional development opportunities. Funding also supports guest artists’ or guest curators’ travel expenses for onsite planning meetings with presenting organizations. These grants support travel expenses (for example, lodging and air/ground transportation), admission/registration fees, and other related expenses. In addition, these grants support expenses for virtual professional development opportunities and staff training (for example, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility training or technology training for virtual engagements).

South Arts is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. We have prioritized this commitment to ensure that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) led organizations, LGBTQIA+ led organizations, and organizations led by people with disabilities are represented as both applicants and grantees. In addition, we encourage applications for projects that engage BIPOC artists, LGBTQIA+ artists, and artists with disabilities.

About Us

Founded in 1974, Coastal Community Foundation works with people and organizations who want to make a lasting difference through philanthropy. We are rooted in the community from 40+ years of experience in the Lowcountry. Our proactive approach to donor services, fund flexibility and opportunities to engage with the community make us the partner of choice for hundreds of donors in coastal South Carolina.

Southern Lowcountry Grants

Competitive grant programs are for organizations serving Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties. Unless otherwise specified, organizations are allowed and encouraged to apply for general operating support.

The Beaufort Fund

CCF’s largest grantmaking program in the Southern Lowcountry has three categories intended to suit the needs of small, large and first-time applicants.

Since it was established in 1998, The Beaufort Fund Grant Program has distributed more than $11 million in the Southern Lowcountry region across Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties. Applications are accepted in three categories, a structure intended to suit the needs of small, large and first-time applicants. This approach allows the selection committee to evaluate organizations that are similar in fiscal scope, life cycle and programmatic impact within each category.

Grant Categories

Requests for each of the following categories may be for programmatic or general operating support:

Genesis Grant

This grant supports strategic growth and/or expansion to increase the impact of a program that has already been proven successful. This grant may also support a project that addresses a community need in a new or creative way. Applicants may request up to $10,000 of support from this category.

Operational Grant

This grant is only available to organizations that have applied to The Beaufort Fund previously. Nonprofits may request up to $25,000 of support from this category.

First-Time Grant

This grant is only available to nonprofits that have not applied to the Beaufort Fund previously or have not received funding in the last five years. Nonprofits may request up to $15,000 of support from this category.

Mission

The CCME Foundation works to improve the health of individuals and communities. We provide charitable grants to nonprofit organizations to build upon or undertake new projects that improve access to health care and health-related services for our neighbors in the Carolinas. Funding is prioritized in accordance with the Foundation’s recently adopted Promising Practices Framework. We welcome all eligible applicants, especially community-based organizations in earlier stages of development.

Introduction

Our funding organization, The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence, was founded in 1984 to improve the quality of health care for Carolinians. That important work continues today. CCME has remained focused on reinvesting in our people and communities we serve to better support our mission. Thus, CCME Foundation was created in 2019 as a separate non-profit organization to provide grants to qualified entities in the Carolinas.

Grants and funding

The CCME Foundation provides charitable grants to nonprofit organizations in North Carolina and South Carolina seeking to improve health quality and equity. Grants range from $5,000 to 50,000 per organization. We prioritize projects that focus on measurable outcome improvements and have a high impact on health care improvements and access, particularly for uninsured and underserved populations.

The type of projects we fund:

CCME Foundation awards grants to eligible non-profit organizations that work to improve healthcare for individuals and communities through measurable outcome improvement projects. These projects include service, demonstration, education and clinical programs producing high-impact results on healthcare outcomes. Funding is prioritized based on a project's potential impact on healthcare improvements and access for individuals and communities, particularly the uninsured and under-served population.

Funding Priorities

Our focus is on a program that demonstrates improved health care quality with clear goals and measurable outcomes. Priority areas include programs that:

• Improve access to health care services to the unserved and under-served
• Hospital/provider/clinic
• Improve understanding of health issues
• Demonstrate improvement through measurable outcomes of stated goals

Types of programs the CCME Foundation might fund include those that:

• Improve healthy lifestyles and quality of life
• Increase access to culturally and linguistically appropriate care
• Implement consumer centered care and decision making
• Improve dissemination of education and health related information
• Improve patient safety

 AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation Grant

Mission and Focus Areas

The AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation is dedicated to preventing and mitigating adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which will help drive positive outcomes for children's health and help set a stronger foundation for a lifetime of wellness. In addition to preventing and mitigating ACEs, it promotes protective and compensatory childhood experiences (sometimes referred to as “PACEs”), which can counteract the effects of ACEs.

Grants are made based on three pillars:

• Empowered families - Work to ensure that families have the resources they need to thrive through:
  • Skills development
  • Safe communities
  • Stable housing
  • Connection to vital resources
• Healing behaviors - Work to ensure that families can meet challenges and improve well-being by addressing:
  • Mental health
  • Substance use
  • Physical abuse and violence
  • Emotional abuse
• Access to health care - Work to ensure that families receive equitable, high-quality services, including:
  • Better access to care
  • Culturally-appropriate services
  • Maternal health

Learn more about these pillars and the Foundation's commitment to addressing aces.

To promote these pillars, the Foundation prioritizes nonprofit organizations that work to end ACEs by supporting families and children and equipping them for an emotionally healthy future.

Get more information about the types of projects the foundation funds.

Funding

The Foundation expects to make one-year project-specific grants totaling up to $1.945 million, with awards ranging from $100,000 to $250,000.

Who We Are

The roots of the Community Foundation for the CSRA run deep in Augusta and its surrounding communities. For more than 25 years, we have faithfully connected the philanthropic spirit of our community members with nonprofits and community initiatives throughout Richmond, Columbia, McDuffie and Burke counties in Georgia and Aiken and Edgefield counties in South Carolina. All of our work is grounded in our collective desire to enhance the quality of life for all residents of our region — for today and tomorrow.

Inspired by Mission – Succeeding Through Action

Long supported by the generosity of the Masters Tournament – as well as other organizations and individuals throughout our region – the Community Grants program provides dependable funding for necessary and outstanding philanthropic work by local non-profits. These grants are distributed through a competitive process designed to help nonprofit organizations meet their mission.

Funding Priorities

Arts/Culture/History:

Recognizing the positive impact arts, cultural and historical organizations have on a community, we welcome innovative and high-quality applications in this area.

Education/Youth Enrichment:

We welcome applications from organizations that provide enrichment and educational opportunities to disadvantaged children, youth and adults. Examples include: job skill training and/or placement, after school or summer programs, leadership, tutoring, GED and literacy programs.

Health/Environmental:

Some examples of programs in this funding area include: environmental research or management, animal services, programs that support sustainable community and backyard gardens, medical clinics, drug rehabilitation programs, medical programs for persons with disabilities, and mental illness.

People in Need:

This category is generally, but not exclusively for human service programs that work with people in need. Examples include feeding, housing, financial assistance, programs serving the homelessness, and programs for recently incarcerated individuals.

Funding

We do not set a minimum amount for grant awards. We ask that requests not exceed $15,000. We will only accept one grant application per 501(c)(3) per Community Grants Program cycle.

Breaking the Cycle grants are designed for organizations creating and sustaining pathways to economic mobility and self-sufficiency. Eligible organizations deliver proven programs that disrupt the cycle of poverty and support long-term, sustainable economic change for individuals, families and/or communities.

Funding Parameters

Organizations should request the amount that meets their needs and will make the most impact on the proposed program, taking into consideration the median grant size for grants in this focus area is typically $25,000. Staff will work with eligible applicants to determine the best request amount.

Criteria for Organizations

• A deep understanding of the complex, multi-faceted issues that surround poverty in the community they serve is reflected in the organization’s values, practices and programming.
• Programming is comprehensive and multi-layered in its approach to breaking the cycle of poverty.
  • Examples include integrated services and two-generation approaches for families.
• Programs have clear short and long-term goals, distinct indicators for success, and can clearly show how participants are moving out of poverty.
• Program is informed by research — using long-term data gathered from successful internal implementation and/or based on emerging/best practice models.
• Organization carries out effective, ongoing program evaluation and adapts based on lessons learned and participant feedback.
• Organization demonstrates effective collaboration and partnerships (both formal and informal) with other organizations.

Mission

The mission of Southern Partners Fund (SPF) is to serve rural Southeastern communities and organizations seeking social, economic and environmental justice by providing them with financial resources, technical assistance, training and access to systems of information and power. There are two central ideas embraced in the democratic philanthropy of Southern Partners Fund: compassion and community. Compassion implies an understanding or concern for community members lacking local political power to impact the decisions that affect their lives. Community relates to the things that bring us and hold us together.

Purpose

The Purpose of SPF Grantmaking is to:

• Develop and nurture grassroots community-based leaders and organizers.
• Build the capacity of rural, grassroots community organizing groups and leaders.
• Strengthen rural communities and people.
• Develop equitable peer relationships, which support real transformation toward a just society.

Hubert E. Sapp Regular Grants Cycle

Hubert Ellis Sapp, a transformative visionary and grassroots organizer, was instrumental in turning the concept of Southern Partners Fund, a democratically led foundation directed by grassroots leaders, into a reality. To honor his legacy in the wake of his passing in February of 2021, we are honored to add his name to our Regular Grant Cycle, which from here on, will be referred to as the Hubert E. Sapp Regular Grant Cycle. 

• Applicants may request general support or project support.
• Applicants must have operating budgets of $350,000 or less to receive general support.
• Organizations with operating budgets over $350,000 can apply for project support only.

Members of SPF’s grants committee will contact organizations being considered to schedule a site visit, required for new applicants, or phone interview. SPF’s grants committee, made up of SPF members, makes grants decisions during a September grants panel meeting, which are then ratified by the Board. Groups will be notified of grants decisions after October 1st, 2024.

If an organization has received five consecutive years of regular grant cycle funding, it must take a year off before making a new RGC grant request.