Best Large Grants for Nonprofit Organizations in South Carolina

The Studebaker National Foundation Scholarship supports students pursuing careers in automotive studies. With over $20,000 awarded for technical and trade education in auto restoration, this scholarship encourages applicants to maintain the legacy of Studebaker. Eligible candidates include those studying automotive fields or those engaged with Studebaker as hobbyists. A minimum GPA of 2.5 is required, and preference is given to members of Studebaker clubs or their relatives. Reapplications from previous recipients are allowed.

The NABG is honored to provide scholarships to Undergraduate and Graduate students enrolled full-time in Geoscience programs at an accredited college or university.

Scholarship candidates must demonstrate academic excellence and commitment to the mission of NABG. The purpose of the scholarship is to prepare candidates to be the workforce of the future.

Funding for scholarships – totaling over $300,000 – has been achieved through fundraising activities and corporate donations. 

NABG Graduate Scholarships

• Five (5) $1000 awards will be presented.

The Etta Gray Memorial Scholarship Program, established by the United Negro College Fund, aims to support students from Upstate South Carolina pursuing technical certification. This initiative honors Etta Gray's legacy and assists financially disadvantaged individuals by facilitating access to education at local technical colleges. Eligible applicants must maintain a 2.5 GPA, enroll full-time, and complete the FAFSA to demonstrate financial need. This program empowers young professionals to enhance their career prospects and income potential.

The Pichichero Family Foundation Research Development Award supports innovative research in pediatric infectious diseases, focusing on vaccine development and pathogenesis. Established in 2016, it encourages both new and established investigators to apply for grants of one to two years. Eligible applicants must be members of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS) and should aim to create novel insights into vaccine and therapeutic advancements, avoiding overlap with existing funding sources.

The John R. Kiley Memorial Scholarship, offered by the Quad Cities Community Foundation, provides need-based financial assistance of up to $1,500 for students pursuing a Bachelor's Degree. Applicants must have a GPA of at least 3.25 and be enrolled or planning to enroll in college. Iowa residents can attend any institution, while Illinois residents may attend colleges in Iowa only. This scholarship emphasizes financial need, leadership, and academic merit.

In 2025, the Community Foundation of Madison & Jefferson County awarded over $233,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors of the county’s public and private high schools. Nearly 50 different students earned money toward their college costs. Scholarships are available for a variety of applicants. Some are specific to schools, majors, need, or interests.

CFMJC scholarships may be used for tuition and related expenses like fees and required equipment at accredited colleges and universities. Room and board are not covered.

Broadway School Alumni Scholarship

Criteria evaluated:

Academic achievement, concern for school and community, essay, and financial need

Required materials: 

• 200 word essay on the role the Broadway High School (the first commissioned colored high school in the state of Indiana, located in the 600 block of North Broadway Street) played in the history of Madison; and 
• FAFSA SAI PDF upload

Scholarship amount:

• $1,100 | 1 scholarship

The NIH Blueprint and BRAIN Initiative Diversity Specialized Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Advancement in Neuroscience (D-SPAN) Award aims to support underrepresented graduate students in neuroscience. This two-phase program facilitates the completion of doctoral dissertations and transitions students to postdoctoral positions, enhancing their career development and fostering their growth into independent neuroscience researchers. Applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant's organization.

The H. Lyman Mooney Music Scholarship, offered by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, provides a $450 scholarship to a graduating senior from Marshfield High School pursuing music studies. Applicants must submit their transcripts, demonstrate financial need through FAFSA-SAI, and provide a letter of recommendation from their music teacher. The scholarship application period will reopen on January 1, 2026, for the 2026–27 academic year, aiming to support students in achieving their educational goals.

The Barbara Hodgdon Award, presented by the Shakespeare Association of America (SAA), honors exceptional scholarship in the field of Shakespeare and Performance. Established in memory of Barbara Hodgdon, this award encourages innovative research across various media and time periods related to Shakespeare's work. Eligible submissions must be authored by SAA members and published two years prior to the award presentation. This recognition promotes new discussions and insights within the realm of Shakespearean performance studies.

Cumberland Community Foundation ("CCF") manages more than 60 scholarship endowment funds created by local individuals, families, civic organizations, and corporations who want to provide a path to higher education for future generations. 

Each year, Cumberland Community Foundation announces more than $1,000,000 in college scholarships to students from southeastern North Carolina.

Lula T. and James L. Crosby Scholarship Fund

Any high school in Cumberland, Hoke or Harnett counties.

Cumberland Community Foundation ("CCF") manages more than 60 scholarship endowment funds created by local individuals, families, civic organizations, and corporations who want to provide a path to higher education for future generations. 

Each year, Cumberland Community Foundation announces more than $1,000,000 in college scholarships to students from southeastern North Carolina.

Janie Chavis Lucas Scholarship

Graduating high school seniors.

Cumberland Community Foundation ("CCF") manages more than 60 scholarship endowment funds created by local individuals, families, civic organizations, and corporations who want to provide a path to higher education for future generations. 

Each year, Cumberland Community Foundation announces more than $1,000,000 in college scholarships to students from southeastern North Carolina.

Susan Townsend Barnes Scholarship

A senior graduating from any in-person, on-site accredited High School in Cumberland County.

Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc

The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation supports the artist’s legacy through a variety of initiatives, including exhibitions, loans of artworks, research and publications, conservation, grants, educational programs for the public and the scholarly community, and the publishing of a catalogue raisonné. It is dedicated to promoting greater public interest in and understanding of the visual arts.

Established and endowed by the artist during her lifetime (1928-2011), the Foundation became active in 2013, on the closing of Frankenthaler’s estate. As the principal beneficiary of Frankenthaler’s estate, the Foundation maintains an extensive collection of her work in a variety of mediums, as well as her collection of works by other artists and original papers and materials pertaining to her life and work.

Cultural Resilience Grant

The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation supports public engagement with the visual arts through philanthropic, educational, curatorial, and research initiatives. It has expanded its grantmaking to sustain museums and visual arts institutions, supporting exhibitions, scholarship, and education across the field. The Foundation’s grantmaking priorities are currently organized across three areas:

• Climate Action and Sustainability
• Visual Arts & Education
• Cultural Resilience
  • Unrestricted support to sustain institutional capacity and core programming across the visual arts field. 
  • The Foundation provides unrestricted support to organizations whose core work is centered in the visual arts. These grants are intended to sustain exhibitions, programs, and institutional activities; support staffing, operations, and organizational capacity; and to maintain continuity during periods of reduced public funding and broader pressures affecting the arts and culture sector.
    • Cultural Resilience support is not project-based and does not require a defined initiative. 

Cumberland Community Foundation ("CCF") manages more than 60 scholarship endowment funds created by local individuals, families, civic organizations, and corporations who want to provide a path to higher education for future generations. 

Each year, Cumberland Community Foundation announces more than $1,000,000 in college scholarships to students from southeastern North Carolina.

The Justin Richard Lopes University of South Carolina Award

Graduating senior from any high school in Cumberland County.

Medina Sunrise Rotary Fund

Established by Medina Sunrise Rotary Club to provide scholarships for Medina County seniors.

Amount: Varies

• $1,000-$2,000

Number of awards:

• Varies

Renewal:

• No

Coming Together Diversity Scholarship Fund

Established by Coming Together, an organization created in 1993 to promote racial harmony and cultural awareness in our community, to provide scholarships for students in Akron Public Schools.

Amount:

• $1,200

Number of awards:

• 1

Renewal:

• No

Cumberland Community Foundation ("CCF") manages more than 60 scholarship endowment funds created by local individuals, families, civic organizations, and corporations who want to provide a path to higher education for future generations. 

Each year, Cumberland Community Foundation announces more than $1,000,000 in college scholarships to students from southeastern North Carolina.

Rev. Henry Hudson Bobbitt Scholarship

Graduating senior from any high school in Cumberland County.

The NIOSH K01 grant offers vital support for early-career researchers in occupational health, providing 'protected time' for mentorship and professional development. This funding aims to bridge the gap from postdoctoral training to independent research, fostering the next generation of investigators. By emphasizing skill enhancement and independence, the program plays a crucial role in advancing safety and health research. Applicants must articulate their mentorship needs and demonstrate the potential for increased autonomy in their research careers.

Jim Chenot Attitude for Gratitude Scholarship Fund

Established as a tribute to the late Jim Chenot, former WAPS-FM "Summit" on-air personality and business underwriting sales representative who passed away in 2016, to provide scholarships for Akron Public Schools seniors with a focus on raising awareness for those who have overcome obstacles that may have prevented them from fully realizing their healthy potential. Applicants are asked to share their stories of well-being and gratitude through essays, poetry, songs, podcasts or video.

Amount:

• Varies ($500-$1,000)

Number of awards:

• Varies

Renewal:

• No

The George S. Souten Performing Arts Scholarship, offered by the Four County Community Foundation, supports high school seniors from Armada, Capac, Imlay City, and Romeo who plan to major or minor in performing arts. Applicants must demonstrate a strong background in the arts and submit an essay. Awardees will be recognized during the Foundation's Scholarship Celebration in May and at their respective high school awards events.

The AGA: Student Abstract Award offers a $500 travel grant to graduate students, medical students, and residents (up to postgraduate year three) presenting at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW). It aims to inspire interest in gastroenterology research by recognizing outstanding abstracts, with the top scorer honored as the Student Abstract of the Year and awarded an additional $1,000. Applicants must be sponsored by an AGA member and may only submit one abstract.

MetroWest Health Foundation

The MetroWest Health Foundation is an independent health philanthropy whose mission is to improve the health status of the community, its individuals, and families through informed and innovative leadership.

The foundation meets the health needs of our region's residents by supporting community-based and community driven programs. We encourage and foster leadership on critical health issues. We are a grantmaker, convener and facilitator, working to provide resources, information, ideas and advocacy for community change. Since its inception in 1999, the foundation has provided more than $50 million in financial support that helps residents and their families lead healthier lives.

MetroWest Health Foundation: Medical/Clinical Scholarship

Scholarships are provided to students who are residents of one of the 25 towns in our MetroWest service area. Students must be accepted into an eligible medical, or clinical program at an accredited academic institution.

Tuition scholarships are awarded for a maximum of up to $4,000 per academic year. Students can receive a maximum of 4 scholarships. Applicants are eligible to reapply on an annual basis.

The ASHP Foundation offers Professional Advancement Scholarships for up to 13 graduating pharmacy students to attend the 2025 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. Each recipient will receive full meeting registration and $1,000 for travel expenses. This initiative aims to enhance professional development and networking opportunities for future pharmacists, facilitating their engagement with the pharmacy community and furthering their education in patient care.

The Gates Scholarship (TGS) is a prestigious last-dollar scholarship launched by the Gates Foundation in 2017, aimed at empowering high school seniors from low-income backgrounds. By covering financial barriers, it supports exceptional student leaders in pursuing their college education. The program not only provides funding but also engages scholars with resources and services throughout their academic journey, fostering their growth into future leaders. TGS exemplifies the Foundation's commitment to educational equity and student success.

Edith Wiskind English Literacy Scholarship Fund

Established in memory of Edith Wiskind, a former English teacher, to provide scholarships for Summit County students, with preference given to those pursuing a degree in English.

Amount:

• $2,500

Number of awards:

• 1

Renewal:

• No

The OREF/John W. Brown Early-Stage Investigator Grant supports innovative research in musculoskeletal health, encouraging early-stage investigators to submit proposals utilizing enabling technologies. Established by the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation, this grant honors John W. Brown's contributions to orthopaedics. With a maximum funding of $100,000 over one or two years, the grant aims to enhance clinical practice and improve patient outcomes through groundbreaking research.

John T. and Julia A. Spellman Scholarship Fund

Established to provide scholarships for ambitious high school seniors in Summit County.

Amount:

• $2,000

Number of awards:

• Varies

Renewal:

• May be renewable for the college term.