Community Foundation of Greenville
/OVERVIEW: This funder supports nonprofits in Greenville, South Carolina. Funding priorities include capacity building, arts and culture, education, environment, health, and human services.
FUNDING AREAS: Capacity building, arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services.
IP TAKE: This is a great funder to go to for nonprofit capacity building needs. Pitch an idea for financial planning, organizational assessment, leadership development, feasibility studies, or marketing plans.
PROFILE: The Community Foundation of Greenville (CFG) is located in Greenville, South Carolina, and supports the local community with grants and scholarships. It seeks to “enhance the quality of life in Greenville County by linking philanthropic leadership, charitable resources and civic involvement with needs and opportunities in the community.” Around 125 local residents voted to organize CFG in 1956 with an initial contribution of $5,675. The foundation hired its first executive director in 1981 and has provided annual grants since then.
Grants for Education, Environment, Arts and Culture, Public Health and Access, and Community Development
CFG awards capacity building grants on a competitive and annual basis, drawn from the funder’s unrestricted endowment and donor-directed contributions. The grants range from $5,000 to $20,000. The application period for capacity building grants has been in September, with awards announced the following February. Past capacity building grantees include the Center for Developmental Services, Generation Group Homes, the Hispanic Alliance, and Warehouse Theater. View some past grantees here.
Hollingsworth Fund Grants are also awarded through CFG to benefit Furman University, the YMCA of Greenville, and other local charities. Walter Johnson Trust Grants go to social service agencies and community foundation seminars. This trust is also a good place to find staff training grants.
There is a women’s giving circle at CFG called Greenville Women Giving Grants, which makes grants on an annual and competitive basis. The women’s group’s funding priorities include arts and culture, education, environment, health, and human services. These grants range between $40,000 and $100,000. The Margaret Linder Southern Endowment Fund benefits special education, early childhood education, children and youth causes, and the Greenville Human Society. Ms. Southern left an $8.4 million bequest to the foundation for these purposes.
Important Grant Details:
CFG does not accept applications for grants for donor-advised funds held at CFG. The funder also provides scholarships to local students. Through its Community Enrichment Grant program, CFG has awarded over $3.2 million to charitable groups that serve the county. The foundation had over $58 million in assets at the end of a recent year. Current financial data is here.
Foundation news and events are published on the funder’s website homepage. This is where current grant deadlines are posted, as well as new opportunities for funding.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS:
