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Grants

We provide grants to nonprofit organizations that work to reduce poverty in South Carolina. Our grant funding is intended to support the work of organizations working to meet the immediate needs of people experiencing poverty, break the cycle of poverty and/or strive to change the systems that are considered to be drivers of poverty.

Along with the Foundation’s core values, our grantmaking is rooted in humility, transparency, equity and trust.

Watch our 2024 Grants Overview video.

WHAT WE FUND

Nonprofit organizations who are reducing poverty in South Carolina

Nonprofit organizations that are addressing poverty in South Carolina

General operating expenses

General operating expenses

Program-specific expenses

Program-specific expenses

Costs associated with capacity-building

Capacity-building costs

WHAT WE DON’T FUND

Organizations that do not address poverty

Programs outside of South Carolina

Organizations that have been operating for less than one year

Capital campaigns

Individuals

Scholarships

IMMEDIATE NEEDS

These grants support organizations that meet the fundamental needs of people experiencing poverty in South Carolina.

BREAKING THE CYCLE

These grants are designed for organizations creating and sustaining pathways to economic mobility and self-sufficiency.

SYSTEMS CHANGE

These grants are intended for organizations that work to influence and guide change in structural systems that have created, sustained or reinforced the marginalization of families and individuals experiencing poverty in South Carolina.

Eligibility

Organizations must meet our eligibility guidelines to be considered for funding.

VIEW ELIGIBILITY QUIZ

APPLICATION PROCESS

Take our quiz to determine if you qualify

Take our quiz to determine if you qualify

Choose your focus area

Choose your grant focus area

Submit an inquiry

Submit an inquiry

We will review your inquiry

Inquiry Review

If you qualify, we will send a link to apply

If you qualify, we will send a link to apply

Apply

Apply

Award notification

Award notification

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we set up a phone call or meeting before we submit an inquiry?

No. Because of the high volume of inquiries we receive and our efforts to create an equitable process for everyone interested in applying, we are unable to accept requests for phone calls or meetings prior to an inquiry being submitted. We would love to have phone conversations with everyone interested in applying. However, we are a small staff that receives a very high volume of inquiries from nonprofits throughout the state. The inquiry process is the most efficient and equitable way for us to hear from everyone. If we need additional information to help us determine next steps with your inquiry we will contact you. You can reach out at any time for technical support during the inquiry process and we will respond within two business days.

Can we apply for grant funding in multiple categories?

No. Because of the volume of inquiries we receive, our current policy is to only accept ONE inquiry per organization each calendar year. This is why it is very important that before you hit submit on an inquiry, you review the general criteria carefully and review all of the grant categories to ensure that you meet the general qualifications and are submitting an inquiry in the correct category. Whichever category you choose, include as much information as you can in the inquiry to make the case that your programming is indeed serving people who are experiencing poverty and how it is doing what the category describes – meeting the immediate, fundamental needs of people experiencing poverty; breaking the cycle of poverty; or contributing to systems level change.

What is the maximum grant amount?

We strategically align our grantmaking framework and Foundation resources to increase the Foundation’s impact, focusing intentionally on the areas of breaking the cycle of poverty and systems level change. Breaking the Cycle and Systems Level Change grants range in size based on our available budget as well as the applying organizations’ programming and specific needs, but the average grant size in these categories is around $15,000-$20,000. Staff will work with organizations invited to apply to determine an appropriate request amount. All Immediate Needs grants are $5,000.

Do you provide general operating support grants?

Yes! In fact, we encourage organizations to request general operating support if their organization’s mission and programs align with the Foundation’s mission as well as category criteria. However, if only a portion of your programs align with our mission, we recommend your application and funding request be specific to the program(s) that serve people experiencing poverty.

Do you only fund religious organizations?

No. Although we are a faith-based organization, we believe it is vital to our mission to collaborate with organizations rooted in justice, courage, respect and compassion — these values are not exclusive to faith-based organizations. Diversity makes us stronger and more effective in our commitment to serving people experiencing poverty in South Carolina. Faith-based organizations that are eligible to apply for our funding do not require participants or employees to adhere to a specific religion in order to receive services or be considered for employment. We also believe that inclusive service delivery and employment opportunities are not contingent upon gender expression or sexual orientation.

After I submit an inquiry, when can I expect to hear back?

We review inquiries on a rolling basis. You will receive an email from our team within 2 weeks of submitting your inquiry notifying you if your inquiry has or has not been approved to continue the application process, or if we need additional information. If your inquiry is approved to continue the application process, you will receive the application link and instructions in that same email and can begin working on the application at that time.

Learn more about our grant focus areas.

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The Sisters of Charity Foundation is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System.