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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.