Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina
/OVERVIEW: This funder supports efforts to reduce poverty in South Carolina. Most funding goes to social services; the rest is equally divided between education and health.
IP TAKE: Social services grantmaking here extends to basic needs like food and shelter, as well as new programs from previously unaffiliated grantees in the state. Grant seekers should contact Program Director Donna Waites with grant questions.
PROFILE: The Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina was established in 1968 and prioritizes South Carolina’s poor and underserved. South Carolina has the eighth highest poverty rate in America, and about 17 percent of homeless people in the state are children. The foundation seeks to serve “the unmet needs of children, families and communities in South Carolina through a variety of programs, grant opportunities, collaborative ventures, education and training for nonprofit organizations.”
Sisters of Charity has awarded grants totaling over $70 million to fight statewide poverty. In a past year, the foundation made 185 grants totaling over $3 million. Most of these grants support social services. This funder has reported over $100 million in total assets.
This is a foundation that supports the needs of the poor, both directly and indirectly. It provides community enrichment grants for new and existing programs, Caritas grants for basic needs, and collaboration for ministry grants to support Catholic Nuns who help the poor. However, this foundation does not fund capital campaigns, multi-year grants, scholarships or anything outside the state of South Carolina.
Grants are made biannually for community enrichment grants, with deadlines for pre-applications the first Tuesday of February and the first Tuesday of August. Caritas application deadlines are the first Tuesdays of April and October, and Catholic Nun organization grants are awarded once per year and typically accepted in early summer. Grant seekers can apply for a grant on each of these program area’s webpages.
In addition to these grantmaking areas, the foundation has also provided flood relief to communities affected by flooding in South Carolina. One of its initiatives is kinship care, as over 50,000 grandparents have primary responsibility for their grandkids in South Carolina. Another initiative supports immigrant families, which represent about 5 percent of the state’s population. Most immigrants in the state come from Latin America and many live below the poverty line. The foundation also supports fatherhood through an initiative that aims to reduce poverty through involved fathers.
Important Grant Details
Nonprofits in South Carolina should look into the events that this foundation organizes, such as webinars for fiscal fitness, facing conflict, leadership development and team building. Grant seekers with an idea for a project this foundation might support are welcome to share the idea via online form for consideration. General questions can be directed to the foundation at (803) 254-0230 or scfc@sistersofcharitysc.com.
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