Best Quality of Life Grants in South Carolina

The NIA Postdoctoral Fellowship Award aims to enhance diversity in the translational research workforce for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD). This fellowship supports postdoctoral candidates from diverse backgrounds, focusing on the development of translational research skills applicable to AD/ADRD. The program encourages candidates to engage in research experiences within clinical trials under mentorship, fostering a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to tackling AD/ADRD challenges.

Our Story

Established over 50 years ago, our founders redefined local philanthropy, fostering connections around a shared sense of place and purpose. As Virginia's largest community foundation, we bring people together to pool resources, co-create solutions and align actions for impactful change in the Richmond region.

Scholarships are offered to students living in the Richmond region and other Virginia locations. Each scholarship was established by a generous individual, family, or organization with a desire to assist high school students, recent high school graduates, and adult learners to continue their education. 

Claude V. Simmons Scholarship

The Claude V. Simmons Scholarship Fund was established to support post-secondary educational opportunities for qualifying members of the Church of Francis de Sales in Mathews County, Virginia.

Awards

• $6,600

The James J. and Joan A. Gardner Family Foundation focuses on enriching lives and making a positive impact in local communities. They prioritize funding for tax-exempt organizations that enhance education, health care, and support the under-served. The Foundation seeks to partner with those who demonstrate accountability and effective resource management, aligning with their mission for community enrichment and leadership development.

The Johnson & Johnson Scholarship offers $5,000 merit-based scholarships to New Jersey residents pursuing degrees in nursing or health sciences. Applicants must be juniors or seniors enrolled at accredited UNCF Member Institutions or other four-year institutions, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. This initiative supports the mission of UNCF, which has raised over $6 billion to help minority students thrive in higher education, advocating for the importance of education and community engagement.

The NIA Predoctoral Fellowship Award aims to enhance diversity in the Alzheimer's disease research workforce. This program supports predoctoral candidates from diverse backgrounds, focusing on translational research skills applicable to Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. It encourages innovative research that can lead to new treatments and diagnostics, fostering a collaborative approach to disease management and care. By developing a diverse research workforce, the program seeks to improve outcomes in treatment, prevention, and early detection of AD/ADRD.

The Level 1 Housing Opportunity Grants, provided by the National Association of Realtors, aim to enhance education on housing affordability for REALTORS® and the community. Grants of up to $3,000 support various initiatives, including forums, speakers, and stakeholder meetings. This initiative encourages collaboration and knowledge sharing to address pressing housing issues and promote affordability in communities. Eligible associations can receive one grant annually, with reimbursement requests due by December 19, 2025.

The We Raise Foundation's Emerging Leader Grant supports individuals aged 20-35 at Christian organizations developing innovative programs addressing poverty, violence, and inequality. With a total of $15,000 over two years, the grant allocates $10,000 for program support and $5,000 for leadership development, including coaching and conferences. This initiative aims to foster impactful leaders who inspire, communicate effectively, and engage deeply with their communities, ultimately creating lasting change.

The Dale & Delores Willi Scholarship, offered by the St. Croix Valley Foundation, provides financial support to students from Hudson High School or homeschool programs who maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 and plan to pursue music in college. This scholarship awards $2,000 per year for up to two years, focusing on applicants who demonstrate financial need and a strong passion for music, thereby aiding their academic and musical development.

About MNA

The Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) stands strong for nurses, patients, and quality healthcare everywhere.

We are 22,000 dedicated RNs and other healthcare professionals in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Iowa, who promote the professional, economic, and personal well-being of nurses through collective action. Our members care for patients in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and other healthcare settings.

Since 1905, MNA members have effectively influenced healthcare policy and practice; advocating for social justice and public health, as well as nursing practice and policies that enable nurses to provide the quality care patients deserve.

MNA empowers members to use their collective strength, knowledge, and experience to advance and enhance safe and professional nursing practice, nursing leadership, and community health and well-being, including access to quality healthcare for all.

MNA Foundation Scholarships & Grants

The Minnesota Nurses Association Foundation (MNAF), a non-profit corporation affiliated with the Minnesota Nurses Association, awards scholarships and grants each year to advance the nursing profession and create more opportunities for students to achieve their goals. 

MNA members, members’ dependents and grandchildren, nursing students, and veterans are eligible to apply for MNA Foundation Scholarships.  

40 & 8 Veterans Scholarships

The Fall Teacher Fellowship by the Pulitzer Center offers educators an enriching opportunity to engage with global health stories through innovative reporting. This virtual program, open to teachers in grades four–12, emphasizes critical analysis of health inequities and civic engagement. Participants will collaborate with award-winning journalists, develop lesson plans, and receive a stipend, digital badge, and professional learning units upon completion. This fellowship aims to empower educators to connect their students' learning with global issues, fostering a deeper understanding of interconnected health challenges.

The ABC Law Centers: Birth Injury Lawyers Cerebral Palsy Scholarship awards $1,000 annually to a deserving student with cerebral palsy. This scholarship aims to raise awareness about cerebral palsy and celebrate the accomplishments of individuals affected by it. Applicants must be enrolled in a U.S. higher education institution and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The scholarship reflects ABC Law Centers' commitment to supporting those impacted by birth injuries and ensuring their futures are secure.

About Us

Marshfield Area Community Foundation, Inc. is a public, 501-C-3 charity. There are 30 community foundations in Wisconsin and more than 750 in the nation. The purpose of all community foundations is to accumulate charitable dollars that impact a specific geographic region in areas such as education, the arts, economic development, recreation, environmental protection, health care, and social services. They may be relatively small, as we are (assets of $14 million), or very large, as is the Greater Milwaukee Foundation (assets over $400 million).

Most people are familiar with private foundations, established by individuals, families, or corporations. Typically, in order to establish a private foundation, one has to have considerable wealth. You could say Community Foundations are much more democratic. We are, in a sense, an umbrella foundation containing many small foundations. We call those small foundations “funds.”

Marshfield Area Community Foundation Scholarships

The mission of the Marshfield Area Community Foundation is “Connecting people who care with causes that matter to enrich the quality of life in the Marshfield area”. Education is a valuable tool and a cause that matters to all of us. Through assisting students with financial support to receive an education, not only do students and the families of those students benefit, but also our community benefits, which further allows us to achieve our mission of enriching the quality of life in the Marshfield area.

Kenneth and Ardyce Heiting Scholarship (2025)

About

Central Carolina Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that helps generous people give back to the Midlands of South Carolina in ways that matter. Since 1984, we’ve been a trusted partner, helping individuals, families, and businesses make smart, meaningful contributions that support local nonprofits, scholarships, and community projects.

Bertha and Addison Bostain, Sr. Scholarship ($2,300)

This renewable scholarship is available to students who will or have graduate from a high school located in Chapin, South Carolina. 

The John Edelman Scholarship supports student veterans pursuing careers in mental health counseling, offering five scholarships of $10,000 each. This initiative, funded by Student Veterans of America, emphasizes the importance of mental health support for veterans. Eligible candidates must be enrolled as full-time students in the 2025-2026 academic year and maintain strong academic performance. The scholarship aims to reward exceptional achievement and encourage further study in disciplines that promote mental well-being.

The Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) is a nonprofit organization established in 1948, dedicated to enhancing public appreciation of music. It offers free, live music programs across the United States and Canada, ensuring access to quality musical experiences for diverse communities. Funded by royalties from major record labels, the MPTF collaborates with local arts organizations to promote music education and performance, enriching lives through the power of music at no cost to attendees.

The Music Family Scholarship, funded by the Music Performance Trust Fund, aims to enhance music appreciation and accessibility for children and communities. Established in 1948, the MPTF provides free live music programs across the U.S. and Canada, focusing on underserved populations. Eligible applicants must have a parent in good standing with a Local AFM and be enrolled in higher education for fall 2025. This scholarship encourages artistic expression and community unity through music, fostering enriching experiences for all.

Marshfield Area Community Foundation Scholarships

The mission of the Marshfield Area Community Foundation is “Connecting people who care with causes that matter to enrich the quality of life in the Marshfield area”. Education is a valuable tool and a cause that matters to all of us. Through assisting students with financial support to receive an education, not only do students and the families of those students benefit, but also our community benefits, which further allows us to achieve our mission of enriching the quality of life in the Marshfield area.

Geographical Area

The official geographic service area of Marshfield Area Community Foundation, Inc., beginning to our west and traveling clockwise, includes the following communities in addition to Marshfield (It also includes towns and rural areas between these communities.): Chili, Granton, Neillsville, Loyal, Greenwood, Withee, Owen, Spencer, Unity, Colby, Curtiss, Pittsville, Abbotsford, Dorchester, Stetsonville, Medford, Stratford, Rozellville, Hewitt, Auburndale, Blenker, Milladore, Sherry, Arpin.

Adam D. Steiner Legacy Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship is for a student within the Marshfield Area Community Foundation service area who will be majoring in agriculture, dairy science or industry, or veterinarian and attending school fulltime. Preference to students who grew up on a dairy farm.

About

Central Carolina Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that helps generous people give back to the Midlands of South Carolina in ways that matter. Since 1984, we’ve been a trusted partner, helping individuals, families, and businesses make smart, meaningful contributions that support local nonprofits, scholarships, and community projects.

Harmon Scholarship (Full Tuition, plus on-campus housing and meal plan) 

This renewable scholarship was established to help students realize the American Dream. 

The Music's Future Scholarship, provided by the Music Performance Trust Fund, aims to enhance music education by offering financial support to students enrolled in music degree programs. The scholarship requires applicants to maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0, submit a letter of reference, a resume, a personal statement, and a prior semester transcript. This initiative not only encourages academic excellence but also addresses the importance of music in education, fostering opportunities for students to discuss improvements in music education.

The BK℠ Scholars Program, initiated by the Burger King Foundation, provides scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $60,000 to support high school seniors, restaurant team members, and their dependents in pursuing post-secondary education. Established in 2000, the program aims to empower individuals through education, encouraging leadership and civic engagement while also offering emergency assistance to employees facing hardships. This initiative reflects the Foundation's commitment to education and community empowerment across North America.

Dale and Tillie Jessup Scholarship

The Dale and Tillie Jessup Scholarship is intended for graduating high school seniors who have attended a Greene County high school for all four years and have been a resident of Greene County or Clay County for those four years. Applicant must be planning to major, on a full-time basis, in agriculture or an agriculture-related field. Dale and Tillie Jessup established a unique scholarship fund for Greene County high school graduating seniors. The Jessup’s donated 100 acres of farm land to the Foundation. The land is leased for farming and the proceeds are used to provide scholarships to students in financial need. Students awarded the Jessup scholarship as a graduating high school senior may re-apply in subsequent years for additional awards.

The Six Flags Associate Scholarship, offered by the Erie County Community Foundation, aims to support recent high school graduates or college students with financial need. Eligible applicants must have a minimum 2.5 GPA and be enrolled in an accredited institution in the U.S. Preference is given to those demonstrating community service and leadership. This scholarship can be renewed for up to three additional years, ensuring ongoing support for scholars committed to enhancing the quality of life in Erie County.

About

Central Carolina Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that helps generous people give back to the Midlands of South Carolina in ways that matter. Since 1984, we’ve been a trusted partner, helping individuals, families, and businesses make smart, meaningful contributions that support local nonprofits, scholarships, and community projects.

Katherine K. Greiner Scholarship ($3,000) 

This renewable scholarship was established to support students who plan to become elementary, middle or high school teachers. 

ECCF Women in Philanthropy (WiP)

When a group of individuals joins together to pool their knowledge, their commitment to positive change and their resources, amazing things can be accomplished. Members of giving circles put their charitable dollars into a pooled fund and decide, as a group, which charities to support through their grantmaking.

The grant purpose must align with Women in Philanthropy’s objectives to support organizations that are working to improve lives through addressing health, nutrition, prevention and/or care needs for victims of violence, neglect, and/or poverty. Grant submissions up to $7,000 will be considered.

American Brain Foundation

The American Brain Foundation funds research across the spectrum of the brain and nervous system, because it is our best hope for improving treatments, advancing prevention strategies, and discovering cures. Brain diseases, disorders, and injuries are interconnected. When we cure one, we will cure many.

Next Generation Research Grants

The American Brain Foundation’s Next Generation Research Grants (NGRGs) support early career investigators conducting high-quality research aimed at better understanding, treating, and curing brain diseases. These grants are offered in collaboration with disease-focused partner organizations and reflect ABF’s Cure One, Cure Many research philosophy: the belief that breakthroughs in one area of research accelerate progress across many others.

McKnight Clinical Translational Research Scholarship in Cognitive Aging and Age-Related Memory Loss

This award aims to support young investigators in clinical studies relevant to age-related cognitive decline and memory loss. The award also recognizes the importance of rigorous training in clinical research and encourages young investigators to seek opportunities to establish future careers in the area of human cognitive aging.

Please Note: The focus should NOT be on a neurodegenerative dementia (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease); however, proposals that focus on the combined study of cognitive aging and neurodegenerative cognitive changes may be considered.

For the purpose of this scholarship, research is defined as patient-oriented research conducted with human participants, or translational research specifically designed to develop treatments or enhance identification of age-related cognitive decline and memory changes. These may include epidemiologic or behavioral studies, clinical trials, studies of disease mechanisms, the development of new technologies, and health outcomes research. Disease-related studies not directly involving humans are also encouraged if the primary goal is the development of therapies, diagnostic tests, or tools to mitigate age-related cognitive decline and memory loss.

The NIH grant focuses on elucidating the role of transporters in key perinatal barriers such as the placenta and blood-brain barrier. By establishing a multi-barrier transport network, the initiative aims to enhance understanding of maternal and infant health regarding nutrient and medication transport. This research will create essential resources and standards, fostering future studies on perinatal exposure and intervention strategies. Ultimately, it aims to advance knowledge in pediatric pharmacology and neurodevelopment.

About

Central Carolina Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that helps generous people give back to the Midlands of South Carolina in ways that matter. Since 1984, we’ve been a trusted partner, helping individuals, families, and businesses make smart, meaningful contributions that support local nonprofits, scholarships, and community projects.

Pierce/Zimmerman Scholarship ($3,100)

This renewable scholarship is for undergraduate students or graduating high school seniors planning to attend South Carolina State University, Claflin University or Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College.