Best Grants for the Arts in South Carolina

The Clancy & Theys 1949 Fund, managed by the Triangle Community Foundation, supports nonprofits in Central Florida, North Carolina, Upstate South Carolina, and Virginia. This donor-advised fund prioritizes initiatives in education, workforce development, youth programming, and community well-being, focusing on measurable impacts. The Foundation seeks to strengthen community ties and enhance quality of life by connecting donors with local organizations that address pressing needs. Both established partners and new applicants are encouraged to apply.

The First Horizon Foundation, established by First Horizon National Corp., supports communities in Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Since 1993, it has donated over $90 million to enhance lives through grants focused on arts, education, environment, financial literacy, and health services. Eligible nonprofits in various cities can apply, while individuals and certain organizations, such as K-12 schools and political groups, are excluded from funding. This foundation is dedicated to making a positive impact in the regions it serves.

The Frankenmuth Insurance Foundation Charitable Grant supports qualified charities focused on community betterment and basic human needs. Founded in 2016, it aims to enhance lives through initiatives such as affordable housing, health programs, and the arts. Organizations eligible for funding must be tax-exempt and serve areas where Frankenmuth Insurance operates. Notably, the foundation excludes support for individuals, political groups, and projects typically financed by governments, ensuring its resources benefit the wider community.

South Arts, Inc. offers Professional Development Grants for Arts Organizations to enhance the skills and knowledge of Southern arts entities. These grants aim to support operational stability and growth, focusing on organizations with budgets of $500,000 or less. Eligible applicants include a range of arts organizations within South Arts' nine-state service area. The program emphasizes first-time opportunities and requires a dollar-for-dollar cash match, ensuring a commitment to professional development in the arts.

The Yawkey Foundation's Transformational Capital Grant provides significant funding, up to $5 million, for nonprofit organizations to enhance their mission delivery through the development of impactful physical spaces. The grants are highly competitive and require compelling proposals demonstrating project need, community support, and financial commitment. Organizations must align with the Foundation's priority Areas of Giving, primarily serving Eastern Massachusetts and Georgetown County, South Carolina. Review timeframe for proposals is approximately 12-18 months.

The Fund for Southern Communities Grant supports grassroots social change organizations in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Established in 1981, this foundation offers grants and technical assistance to groups fighting discrimination, promoting worker rights, and advocating for environmental protection. Eligible organizations must be registered non-profits with 501(c)(3) tax status. The Fund prioritizes groups with budgets of $150,000 or less focused on long-term social change.

GALLO Giving

GALLO is committed to making a difference in the communities where their employees live and work and is proud to support a variety of non-profit organizations. Because of the number of deserving requests received each year, donations are primarily directed toward the community where the corporate headquarters is located – Modesto, CA. Donations are also available for organizations in Fresno, Livingston, Napa, and Sonoma in California, as well as in Chester County, South Carolina, and Canandaigua, New York.

GALLO offers corporate donations to nonprofits that support Family Well-Being, the Arts, and Overall Community Health.  

In order to help as many organizations as possible, GALLO appreciates limiting your requests to one (1) donation per year. In an effort to manage their contributions in an equitable and efficient manner, all requests must be submitted via web form. 

Grant applications undergo a thorough evaluation process, which includes assessing the organization's reputation and its adherence to the eligibility criteria listed here. Applying does not ensure the receipt of funds. 

Generally, it is not GALLO’s practice to provide donations to private or public universities, or national disasters (some exceptions may apply).  

The Patrick Family Foundation Grant supports 501(c)(3) organizations in South Carolina, focusing on arts, healthcare, education, social services, and conservation. Established in 2005, the foundation aims to enhance the community through philanthropic efforts. Eligible applicants must utilize funds for charitable purposes only, and cannot engage in political activities. The foundation prioritizes operations, programs, and capital needs to benefit underserved populations and foster cultural enrichment.

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation provides grants to 501(c)(3) organizations in North and South Carolina, focusing on education, healthcare, human services, and the arts. With a commitment to strengthen communities and support fiscal responsibility, the foundation aims to enhance lives through meaningful projects. Organizations must demonstrate a track record of success to be eligible for funding, which is generally awarded for special projects and capital needs.

The Summer Arts Education Project Grants, provided by the South Carolina Arts Commission, aim to enhance arts education for K-12 students during summer breaks in 2022 and 2023. Grants of up to $50,000 are available, encouraging collaborations between various organizations to expand access to arts education. Priority is given to projects that serve rural or high-poverty areas and address learning loss from COVID-19. Eligible applicants include universities, government units, and registered nonprofits.

Greenville Women Giving (GWG) is a philanthropic organization in Greenville County, SC, focused on funding impactful community projects. Grants are awarded annually based on member voting and emphasize areas such as Arts, Education, Environment, Health, and Human Services. Organizations must be tax-exempt and serve Greenville County. GWG prioritizes high-impact initiatives that foster collaboration and measurable outcomes, with a commitment to addressing community needs without discrimination. The application deadline is at the end of November each year.

The Yawkey Foundation's Strategic Investment Grant supports nonprofit organizations aiming for strategic growth through board-approved plans. Grants, ranging from $250,000 to $1 million, may fund regional expansions, collaborative efforts among nonprofits, and organizational mergers. Initial Proposals are highly competitive and must demonstrate strong leadership, proven impact, and alignment with the Foundation's Areas of Giving. Review periods for proposals can take 6-12 months, during which feedback is not provided.

The Jolley Foundation Grant offers up to $100,000 to charitable organizations that are 501(c)(3) exempt and based in South Carolina. This grant aims to address poverty and discrimination through systemic solutions, capacity-building for nonprofits, and collaborative efforts. Priority is given to projects in arts, education, health, and human services, particularly those benefiting residents of Greenville County. Applicants must demonstrate financial sustainability for their programs.

The Gambrill Foundation provides grants to 501(c)(3) organizations for religious, charitable, scientific, literary, or educational purposes, primarily within Anderson County, South Carolina. Eligible applicants must align with the Foundation's mission and demonstrate measurable community impact. Preference is given to libraries, churches, and educational institutions, particularly for capital projects. The Foundation does not fund annual appeals, endowments, or operating expenses. Grants are awarded at the discretion of the Co-Trustees.

The Professional Development and Artistic Planning Grants, offered by South Arts, support the professional growth of presenters, programmers, and curators in the Southern U.S. These grants facilitate travel to conferences, workshops, and other opportunities to enhance organizational capacity and program design. Emphasizing diversity and inclusion, South Arts encourages applications from organizations led by BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled individuals. Funding covers travel, training, and related expenses, promoting equitable access to professional development.

The BECU Foundation's People Helping People Awards honor exceptional nonprofit work in communities served by BECU. Each year, BECU members can nominate organizations for grants up to $50,000. Eligible nonprofits must be active 501(c)(3) organizations with a direct impact in Idaho, Oregon, South Carolina, or Washington. This initiative highlights the importance of community service and encourages members to recognize local heroes making a difference.

Employees Community Fund (ECF) of The Boeing CompanyOne of the largest employee-managed funds of its kind in the world, the Employees Community Fund (ECF) of The Boeing Company has been empowering employees to make a greater impact by pooling their tax-deductible donations for more than 60 years. Employee-led grantmaking committees at 20 Boeing sites- provide combined employee donations to nonprofits in their communities through ECF grants.Charitable or educational organizations can apply for grants from the Employees Community Fund (ECF) of The Boeing Company.South Carolina ChapterThe Employees Community Fund of Boeing (ECF) is a unique employee managed giving program that allows employees to make a positive difference in the communities where they live and work. ECF is an employee run non-profit managed by chapter Grantmaking committees (CGC) and governance board with each chapter having separate funding priorities and focus areas depending on local needs.ECF Focus The South Carolina ECF Chapter Grantmaking committee awards grants to non-profits that align to the following five focus areas: Arts & Culture, Civic, Education, Environment and Health & Human Services.Grants must support funding in Berkeley, Charleston or Dorchester counties, align to the ECF focus areas and all nonprofits who previously received grant awards must submit an impact report with the grant request that describes the progress made towards planned outcomes along with the tangible benefits to the community.

The Lowcountry Artistic Vitality Grant, offered by the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, aims to support a diverse range of arts organizations within the Lowcountry. Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) public charities that demonstrate artistic vitality and have completed at least one full fiscal year of operations. Grants range from $5,000 to $25,000, emphasizing unrestricted general operations funding that allows organizations to address their most pressing needs.

The Yawkey Foundation offers Program and Small Capital Grants to nonprofit organizations making meaningful impacts in Health Care, Education, Human Services, Youth and Amateur Athletics, Arts and Culture, and Conservation and Wildlife. Grants can be up to $100,000 and support projects aligned with the nonprofit’s mission. Organizations are encouraged to submit Initial Proposals during designated periods, demonstrating strong leadership and community impact, particularly in underserved regions of Eastern Massachusetts.

The Pete and Sally Smith Foundation Grant supports charitable initiatives in education, environment, and medical research within Rhea County, Tennessee, and Oconee County, South Carolina. Eligible organizations must be 501(c)(3) exempt and submit applications online. The foundation prioritizes funding for scholarship programs, educational initiatives, land conservation, and research on kidney disease and Alzheimer's. Applications are accepted year-round, with a review meeting held annually in September.

The Robert B. and Ruth K. Lee Foundation Grant aims to enhance the quality of life in Greenville County, South Carolina. Established in 2000, the foundation supports diverse areas including arts, education, health, and human services. With no geographic limitations, it primarily funds programs benefiting the local community. Grants typically range from $2,000 to $5,000, emphasizing initiatives for the elderly, children’s programs in the arts, and literary projects. Organizations must be 501(c)(3) exempt to be eligible.

The Community Foundation for the CSRA offers funding to support charitable organizations in Georgia and South Carolina. With a focus on arts, education, health, and services for people in need, the foundation encourages innovative proposals. Grants may reach up to $15,000, supporting impactful community initiatives. Organizations must demonstrate long-term benefits and meet specific eligibility criteria, ensuring funds are used effectively to enhance community welfare and quality of life for residents.

The Joseph J. Miller Foundation Grant supports diverse charitable initiatives for both Jewish and non-Jewish organizations in South Carolina. Established in 1973, this grant prioritizes local groups, especially those in Elloree, and focuses on areas including arts, education, health, and human services. Organizations must be 501(c)(3) exempt, with equal funding allocated to Jewish and non-Jewish entities. This commitment reflects a strong dedication to community development and support.

South Arts Inc

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, South Arts is a nonprofit regional arts organization empowering artists, organizations, and communities, and increasing access to arts and culture.

In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the State Arts Agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee — with additional funding from other public and private donors such as the Doris Duke Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and Mellon Foundation — South Arts supports artists and organizations through a rich and responsive portfolio of grants, fellowships, and programs. Why? Because South Arts believes that the arts elevate the region, increasing connectedness and inspiring meaningful change in the process.

Our mission: Advancing Southern vitality through the arts.

Arts in Community Grants

Program Description

Arts in Community Grants are designed to support deeper engagements between Southern communities and artists. Through these grants supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, we aim to increase access to the arts, expand audiences for artists, and broaden our reach. Eligible projects require a Southern artist/company visiting another Southern state for public activities, offering access to arts programming by professional artists. Funding supports Southern film directors, traditional artists, visual artists, performing artists, or writers:

• film (documentary, fiction, experimental, and animation),
• traditional arts (music, dance, storytelling, and visual arts/crafts),
• visual arts (crafts, drawing, experimental, painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed media),
• performing arts (theater, music, opera, musical theater, and dance), and
• literary arts (fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry).

Projects require an artist or artist ensemble and a host or partner organization. Project must include at least two in-person or live, virtual public activities – both a public presentation (a film screening, performance, reading, or exhibition) and an educational/community engagement activity (a workshop, demonstration, lecture, facilitated discussion, or master class). The grant requires a dollar-for-dollar cash match.

The CFCSRA: Women in Philanthropy Grant supports organizations that enhance the lives of women and children in Georgia and South Carolina. With over 200 members, the initiative funds high-impact projects while emphasizing collaboration and community engagement. Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations or similar entities. The grant does not support individual grants, capital campaigns, or projects typically funded by government sources. This initiative aims to cultivate generosity and strengthen local nonprofits.

Yawkey Foundation

The story of Tom and Jean Yawkey and their impact on the lives of children and families goes back over eight decades to the commitments they made to the people of Massachusetts, New England, and Georgetown County, South Carolina. The Yawkeys’ love for these communities, and their quiet sense of responsibility for those in need, is captured in the careful steps they took to ensure that their legacy would live on through the work of the Yawkey Foundation. The Yawkeys were perhaps best known for their longtime ownership of the Boston Red Sox. More quietly, but with just as much passion and commitment, Tom and Jean Yawkey were also engaged in an unwavering dedication to those most in need.

Today, the Yawkey Foundation remains as committed as ever to continuing to honor Tom and Jean Yawkey and their commitment to those in need. Having awarded more than $620 million to-date in charitable grants to organizations focused on Health Care, Education, Human Services, Youth and Amateur Athletics, Arts and Culture, and Conservation and Wildlife, the Yawkey Foundation is committed to preserving and sustaining the charitable values of the Yawkeys by investing in impactful nonprofits providing resources, opportunity, and dignity to the vulnerable and underserved.

Program and Small Capital Grants

Program and Small Capital Grants support high-impact, strategic, and responsive nonprofit organizations in delivering their core missions through discrete and timebound projects. Program & Small Capital Grants help address an immediate need that is critical to the organization’s work.

Program and Small Capital Grants may fund a discrete timebound program need, one small project, or a piece of equipment aligned with a nonprofit’s purpose. These grants are extremely competitive, and the Yawkey Foundation will receive many more compelling Initial Proposals than it will be able to fund. Initial Proposals should demonstrate an awareness of and alignment with the Yawkey Foundation’s mission and Areas of Giving. Additionally, the most competitive Initial Proposals will reflect a nonprofit’s strong leadership and proven impact in providing direct services and programs for unmet needs in underserved regions aligned with the Yawkey Foundation’s geographic priority areas, including Gateway Cities in Eastern Massachusetts.

Nonprofits may submit only one Initial Proposal to the Yawkey Foundation during a calendar year, irrespective of the Type of Grant. Organizations that have not been previously funded by the Foundation in recent years are encouraged to submit Initial Proposals for Program & Small Capital Grants to familiarize the Foundation with its work before submitting an Initial Proposal for Strategic Investment or Transformational Capital.

Areas of Giving: Human Services; Youth & Amateur Athletics; Education; Conservation & Wildlife; Arts & Culture; and Health Care.

Arts & Culture Support

When he purchased the Red Sox in 1933, Tom Yawkey also bought one of Boston’s greatest attractions: Fenway Park. The Yawkeys worked hard to ensure its preservation and today it remains Major League Baseball’s oldest and most beloved ballpark, a testament to the couple’s appreciation of cultural institutions. Much of the Yawkeys’ early philanthropy in arts and culture revolved around the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, an organization to which Tom and Jean lent early support and where they both served on the Board of Directors. The spirit of baseball history and civic pride is also reflected in the Foundation’s support of the 1967 Impossible Dream exhibit, which commemorates the remarkable Red Sox season that re-energized Boston and united generations of fans.

Their legacy in arts and culture has come to life in recent decades through support to the Boston Children’s Museum, the Museum of Science, and the New England Aquarium. The Yawkey Foundation continues to support cultural institutions and community organizations that enrich the lives of children and families by inspiring curiosity, creativity, and a lifelong sense of wonder and appreciation for the world around them.

Yawkey Foundation

The story of Tom and Jean Yawkey and their impact on the lives of children and families goes back over eight decades to the commitments they made to the people of Massachusetts, New England, and Georgetown County, South Carolina. The Yawkeys’ love for these communities, and their quiet sense of responsibility for those in need, is captured in the careful steps they took to ensure that their legacy would live on through the work of the Yawkey Foundation. The Yawkeys were perhaps best known for their longtime ownership of the Boston Red Sox. More quietly, but with just as much passion and commitment, Tom and Jean Yawkey were also engaged in an unwavering dedication to those most in need.

Today, the Yawkey Foundation remains as committed as ever to continuing to honor Tom and Jean Yawkey and their commitment to those in need. Having awarded more than $620 million to-date in charitable grants to organizations focused on Health Care, Education, Human Services, Youth and Amateur Athletics, Arts and Culture, and Conservation and Wildlife, the Yawkey Foundation is committed to preserving and sustaining the charitable values of the Yawkeys by investing in impactful nonprofits providing resources, opportunity, and dignity to the vulnerable and underserved. The Yawkey Foundation is committed to providing support for program and small capital needs connected to a nonprofit’s established mission and proven program/service delivery connected to the mission.

Program and Small Capital Grants

Program and Small Capital Grants support high-impact, strategic, and responsive nonprofit organizations in delivering their core missions through discrete and timebound projects. Program & Small Capital Grants help address an immediate need that is critical to the organization’s work.

Program and Small Capital Grants may fund a discrete timebound program need, one small project, or a piece of equipment aligned with a nonprofit’s purpose. These grants are extremely competitive, and the Yawkey Foundation will receive many more compelling Initial Proposals than it will be able to fund. Initial Proposals should demonstrate an awareness of and alignment with the Yawkey Foundation’s mission and Areas of Giving. Additionally, the most competitive Initial Proposals will reflect a nonprofit’s strong leadership and proven impact in providing direct services and programs for unmet needs in underserved regions aligned with the Yawkey Foundation’s geographic priority areas, including Gateway Cities in Eastern Massachusetts.

Nonprofits may submit only one Initial Proposal to the Yawkey Foundation during a calendar year, irrespective of the Type of Grant. Organizations that have not been previously funded by the Foundation in recent years are encouraged to submit Initial Proposals for Program & Small Capital Grants to familiarize the Foundation with its work before submitting an Initial Proposal for Strategic Investment or Transformational Capital.

Areas of Giving: Human Services; Youth & Amateur Athletics; Education; Conservation & Wildlife; Arts & Culture; and Health Care.

Health Care Support

Access to high quality health care, particularly for those disadvantaged members of the community, was an issue of great importance to Tom and Jean Yawkey. Tom Yawkey was instrumental in the founding of Georgetown Memorial Hospital, which brought much-needed health care to the rural area of Georgetown, South Carolina. In addition, the Yawkeys first lent their extraordinary support to Dr. Sidney Farber by initiating the Red Sox relationship with Dr. Farber, and laid the groundwork for establishment of The Jimmy Fund in 1953. That relationship lasted throughout both of their lifetimes and continues to this day.

The Yawkey Foundation continues to support medical institutions, including transformational construction and renovation projects to help leading medical institutions expand their footprints and ability to provide expert medical care. Understanding the real link between medical needs and behavioral health needs, particularly in children, the Foundation has also played a leading role in supporting organizations providing access to behavioral and mental health treatment programs.