How to Approach the Community Foundation of Greenville for a Grant

There are over 550 foundations in the state of South Carolina, but less than a dozen of them are community foundations. This makes the community foundations that do exist in the state especially important for nonprofits that rely upon very local charitable support.

One community foundation that’s worth learning more about is the Community Foundation of Greenville (CFG). Here are a few tips and insights about how to approach this community funder for support during its next grant cycle.

Address Racial Inequities

The racial makeup of city of Greenville, South Carolina is about 76 percent white, 18 percent Black, and smaller percentages of other races and mixed-race individuals. Equity is one of CFG’s core values as it looks to engage diverse perspectives and make communities more inclusive and accessible. Racial equity in particular is a priority for CFG. Therefore, grantseekers may benefit from incorporating a racial equity angle into new programs and projects that they pitch to this foundation.

Embrace a Collaborative Approach

Another one of CFG’s values is partnership, meaning that this foundation looks for collaborative relationships to address the community’s evolving needs. Nonprofits that already work with other groups in the community often catch CFG’s attention and are able to retain it for years. Consider having a working relationship in place with another nonprofit or public or private group before requesting funding from CFG.

Ask for Capacity Building Support in the Future

CFG is known to provide capacity building grants, which many Greenville-area nonprofits greatly benefit from. In 2020, the funder’s capacity building grants were put on hold due to COVID-19. But CFG fully expects to return to a normal grant application process for capacity funding in 2021 and into the future. Organizations can generally apply for these grants once a year from the foundation’s unrestricted endowment.

Capacity grants range from $5,000 to $20,000 and fund technology audits, equipment purchases, management innovation, collaborative strategies and efforts to diversify an organization’s revenue streams. Beautiful Places Alliance, Cancer Society of Greenville County and Fostering Great Ideas are a few recent grantees who have secured CFG’s capacity building support.

For future reference, Greenville grantseekers should know that CFG conducts its application process entirely online. You can learn more about the Community Foundation of Greenville in IP’s full profile, part of our Southeast funding guide.

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