Best Public Policy Grants in South Carolina

Public charities and government units in South Carolina can seek funding for education, STEM learning, and environmental stewardship projects that strengthen local communities. Vulcan Materials Company Foundation supports K–12 and higher education initiatives, environmental programs, and efforts involving Vulcan employees in areas where the company operates, which include parts of South Carolina.

Nonprofit public charities serving adults in South Carolina with workforce development or small business support programs can apply for Truist Foundation grants of more than US $15,000. Truist Foundation provides U.S.-based 501(c)(3) organizations with funding for career pathways, reskilling and upskilling, and strengthening racially diverse and women-owned small businesses, including policy and systems-focused initiatives.

The Scott and Isabelle Black Fellowship at Harvard Kennedy School supports students in two-year degree programs focused on addressing societal issues such as homelessness, poverty, and education. Awarded based on merit and financial need, this fellowship aims to cultivate future leaders in government and nonprofit sectors. It encourages studies that explore the causes and solutions to problems affecting vulnerable populations, ensuring that graduates are equipped to make a meaningful impact in their communities.

The Robert C. Seamans, Jr. Fellowship in Science, Technology, and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School supports students excelling in research and management at the intersection of technology and public policy. This fellowship fosters future leadership in these critical areas, ensuring a commitment to addressing pressing public challenges. Applicants from diverse backgrounds are encouraged, as the program is designed to promote inclusivity and recognizes the importance of varied perspectives in policy-making.

The Public Policy & International Affairs (PPIA) Scholarship at Harvard Kennedy School is designed for alumni of the PPIA Junior Summer Institute. This scholarship aims to support both U.S. and international students by considering merit and financial need. Harvard Kennedy School is committed to fostering leadership and public policy expertise, making a significant impact on global societal issues. Recipients must have participated in the PPIA program to be eligible for this limited funding.

Public policy and higher education graduate students in South Carolina interested in LGBT+ issues can access fellowship support for study through Harvard Kennedy School. Harvard Kennedy School scholarships and fellowships, including the Margaret Traub and Phyllis Dicker LGBT+ Graduate Fellowship, are merit- and need-based and open to both U.S. and international students committed to the LGBT+ community.

Graduate students pursuing public policy or related higher education studies, including those from South Carolina, can apply for Harvard Kennedy School’s Kennedy Fellowships and Presidential Scholarships; awards vary by financial need for tuition support. Applicants must first complete an HKS admission application and demonstrate exceptional academic ability and professional distinction to be considered.

MPP students who graduated from Harvard College and plan careers in U.S. or international institutions focused on international affairs can receive fellowship support for public policy studies, including those from South Carolina. Harvard Kennedy School provides public policy students with merit- and need-based funding through the John Berger Fellowship.

Graduate students focused on public policy, science, and technology in South Carolina can access funding through the Charles Edison Fund Fellowship to support study in Harvard Kennedy School’s Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program. Grants from Harvard Kennedy School help U.S. and international students deepen their impact on public policy and leadership through advanced education and research opportunities.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations or fiscally sponsored groups in South Carolina working on food system public policy, farmed animal protection, or food systems transformation can apply for Stray Dog Institute’s grants, typically US $2,500 - US $10,000. Funding can be unrestricted or project-based and supports advocacy, research, movement-building, and related policy efforts in the U.S. and internationally.

Muslim undergraduate or graduate students in film, television, acting, or theater who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients can apply for the Islamic Scholarship Fund’s film scholarships, awarding US $3,000 - US $5,000 for their studies. Students in South Carolina pursuing ISF-supported majors related to public policy and media may be eligible.

Law students in the U.S. interested in public policy and judicial work can receive support for unpaid internships with state or federal judges through the Islamic Scholarship Fund’s Judicial Internship Scholarship. Eligible American Muslim 1L or 2L students, including those from South Carolina, may receive a US $3,000 stipend for at least eight-week judicial internships.

Law students focused on public policy and access to justice for Muslims in America, including those from South Carolina, can receive US $5,000 - US $10,000 for tuition support and related educational costs. With a mission to increase American Muslim representation, Islamic Scholarship Fund supports U.S.-based undergraduates (seniors) and 1L–3L students meeting its academic and citizenship criteria.

Verified 501(c)(3) public charities and research institutions working on pollinator health, public policy, and ecologically responsible agriculture, including those in South Carolina, can seek up to US $75,000 for research, advocacy, and education projects. With a mission to promote pollinator health, One Hive Foundation provides support across the U.S. and Canada for policy, science communication, and related initiatives.

South Carolina public policy and international affairs nonprofits can access funding through the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission to run U.S.-Japan research, education, public affairs, and exchange programs. Eligible 501(c)(3) organizations in the U.S. or qualified NPOs in Japan may apply for projects in arts and culture, exchanges and scholarship, education and public affairs, or global challenges.

South Carolina public policy and early childhood organizations can access funding through Ohio Children’s Foundation to support innovative programs for at-risk children ages 0–5. Grants up to US $20,000 back early learning, literacy, and advocacy initiatives that strengthen early brain and language development, reduce toxic stress, and expand high-quality preschool access.

Grants from Crop Science Society of America help South Carolina public policy professionals with PhDs in agronomy, crop, soil, or related sciences spend a year working in Congress. U.S. citizen fellows receive a stipend, relocation support, and intensive orientations while applying their scientific expertise to federal legislative issues that may impact the state.

Researchers conducting quasi-experimental evaluations of social programs and public policy in the U.S., including South Carolina, can apply for Arnold Ventures support. Grants fund rigorous causal studies in areas like higher education, workforce training, public infrastructure, reproductive health, and public finance that align with Arnold Ventures’ key policy priorities and evidence-building goals.

Sophomore and junior undergraduates focused on environmental issues, Tribal public policy, or Native health care can receive up to US $7,500 for academic expenses and leadership development, including students in South Carolina. With a mission to support future public policy and environmental leaders, the Udall Foundation provides scholarships plus access to an alumni network and a multiday Scholar Orientation.

The FY2027 Grants to Highest State Courts aim to enhance guardianship systems by evaluating and improving the fairness and effectiveness of adult guardianship proceedings. This initiative, funded by the US HHS Administration for Community Living, seeks to implement necessary changes based on assessments, streamline filing processes, and better detect fraud, ultimately ensuring the safety and integrity of protected individuals.

The Advancing State Implementation of the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers grant aims to support state-level projects that align with the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers. Grantees will form cross-agency partnerships to implement the Strategy's recommendations, focusing on sustainability through planning phases. The initiative encourages innovative solutions to enhance caregiver support while ensuring that project outcomes are maintained beyond federal funding.

The OJP FY 2026 Integrity in American Elections Grant Program aims to enhance election integrity across the United States. This initiative, supported by the US Department of Justice, focuses on empowering state and local prosecutors to effectively prevent and prosecute voter fraud and maintain the integrity of voter rolls. By safeguarding elections against illegal voting and registration practices, this program is vital for upholding public confidence in democratic processes and ensuring that every American's vote counts.

The NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Human Trafficking funding opportunity aims to support comprehensive research and evaluation projects. It focuses on preventing human trafficking, assessing the impact of federal policies, and enhancing services for victims. This initiative, led by the National Institute of Justice in partnership with the Office for Victims of Crime, seeks to generate insights that can inform better responses to human trafficking in the U.S.

The SMART FY26 Support for Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program aims to enhance sex offender registration and notification practices across jurisdictions in the U.S. By supporting the implementation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), this grant facilitates the establishment of comprehensive sex offender registries, ensuring that states, territories, and federally recognized tribes comply with federal standards. This initiative also promotes interjurisdictional information exchange and helps maintain public safety.

The NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Justice System Responses to Illegal Immigration invites proposals for impactful research on the adult criminal justice system's response to illegal immigration. This initiative aims to explore innovative solutions and evaluate their effectiveness across various jurisdictions, focusing on challenges like location, apprehension, and crime prevention. By fostering collaboration among federal, state, local, and tribal entities, the program seeks to enhance strategies that address illegal immigration effectively.

Request for Proposals: Launchpad Funds

Background

Coefficient Giving is increasing its giving, primarily to prepare for the billions of dollars in new philanthropic capital that may become available in the coming years. Our increased giving in global health and wellbeing is a temporary surge, with two objectives: to smooth funding and pull forward initiatives we expect to be cost-effective, and to help create an ecosystem of regrantors and implementers with the capacity to allocate this new money as cost-effectively as possible. Additional context on our scaling is provided in this blog post. 

With new potential capital on the way, we want to increase the supply of actionable and fundable plans to address some of the world’s hardest problems. We’re looking for specific, credible strategies to convert funding into measurable progress. Our ideal funds are:

However, we are also open to funds that are thematic and don’t have a quantified goal — for example, a fund organized around a promising type of intervention. Such funds still need to be led by a single, identifiable person who is accountable for the fund’s direction.

Through this request for EOIs, we aim to seed or scale Launchpad Funds that can grow to $100m+ over the next few years. We don’t seek scale for its own sake; it is a proxy for the ambition of the fund, and a signal that the problem is large and tractable enough to justify deploying significantly more capital over time.

What we will fund

• We expect to support established ideas that have either not yet secured anchor support or could significantly scale beyond their existing level of funding.
• This funding can cover operating expenses, but we expect most of it to be used for activities that make progress on the fund’s goals — whether through regranting or direct implementation.
• For exceptional proposals, we may consider funding levels beyond $50m. We anticipate higher funding levels will involve more thought partnership from our team.
• While we don’t expect to make grants longer than 36 months, funded proposals may later be considered for additional funding beyond the initial period.

Better Food Policy Fund 

Since its inception, the Better Food Policy Fund has set its strategic direction in a participatory fashion. We are intentionally building capacity for engagement to ensure the Fund aligns with the needs of food policy council stakeholders.   

Thus far, the Fund has engaged 300+ food policy council stakeholders to help co-develop the Fund. We are immensely grateful for the individuals who helped shape the initial direction of this fund. We view this growing stakeholder audience as the people to whom the Fund’s governing body, the Independent Advisory Committee, is ultimately accountable.

Grantmaking

The Better Food Policy Fund invests in US-based food policy councils, empowering community and government collaboration for progressive food policy. We utilize participatory processes to enhance equity and redistribute power in the funding landscape. We seek to celebrate and uplift the work of food policy councils, and believe every food policy council is worthy of financial support.

We define “food policy councils” as councils, networks, coalitions, or other groups working across boundaries at the tribal, municipal, county, state, or regional level.  

We support actions aimed at ensuring an enabling environment for policy change, such as: 

• increasing levels of inclusive and equitable stakeholder engagement in public processes
• engaging systems thinking when tackling complex food system challenges
• facilitating collaboration with and across local government agencies and departments 
• developing or revising local policies and plans  

We define “better food policy” as practices, procedures, ordinances, laws, etc. of governing institutions which strengthen community-based food systems.

We define “civic collaboration” as people joining together at the intersection of community and government to address public issues.