Welcoming Our New Board Members

We are excited to announce four new Trustees! Please help us welcome Kaela, Connie, Mario, and Adam to our Board.

• Kaela Bailey, HDR (Strategic Communications Manager)

• Connie Breeden, Esq., The Law Office of Connie Breeden, LLC (Owner)

• Mario C. Melendez, Northwestern Mutual (Financial Advisor)

• Adam Sheehan, AccuRisk Solutions, LLC (Vice President, Sales)

We are excited to have them join us in our work to reduce poverty in South Carolina!

President's Fellows Spring Orientation

Our Fellows began their second semester of the fellowship with a full day of programming at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg. Tracey Greene-Washington of Indigo Innovation Group discussed the power of SMIRF capital and reminded the Fellows that they are philanthropists right now, with various forms of resources to impact change. The day ended with a tour of the Cecil Williams Civil Rights Museum led by Cecil Williams himself!

We are excited for these students to continue their learning and development throughout the spring semester of the program.

MDC's State of the South

President Donna Waites recently participated in the "Growing Philanthropic Investment in South Carolina" panel for MDC's State of the South held last week in Charleston. Donna joined Melissa Levesque from Coastal Community Foundation and Amber Brown from Grantmakers for Southern Progress to discuss the need for sustained, flexible funding in our state.

Thank you, MDC, for hosting conversations addressing racial equity, economic security, and poverty in the region.

2024 Grants Information

Our 2024 grants information is live! Please see the video above (also linked here on our YouTube page) and our website for additional insight into our guidelines, process, deadlines, and more.

*Letter of Intent (LOI) for Cycle 1 Immediate Needs Grants closes March 11th!*

S. 855 Seeks to Establish Healthcare Market Reform Study Committee

Teresa Arnold, former South Carolina State Director of AARP and current CoverSC advocate, provides statement of support for S.855

"As CoverSC and supporting organizations across the state continue to advocate for increased access to quality healthcare, we are energized by the potential establishment of a Healthcare Market Reform Study Committee. S.855 calls for the formation of this committee to better understand the provision of health care services in our state. With more information, we can advocate for improved access to care and provide recommendations for positive reform that can result in a healthier South Carolina! Join me in connecting with your elected officials to move this effort forward."

City Health Dashboard:

Put Us on the Map Challenge

City Health Dashboard has announced they are now accepting applications for their 2024 Put Us on the Map Challenge. This initiative is an opportunity for smaller cities to get their city on the Dashboard in order to provide city-specific health data and its drivers. U.S. municipalities with populations between 1,000 and 50,000 are eligible to apply. Applications close Friday, March 1st at 5 PM.

TheDream.US Celebrates 10 Years

TheDream.US has officially celebrated ten years of supporting Dreamers' college and career success. The organization provides scholarships to Dreamers attending partner colleges and provides on-campus supports for their scholars. They also advocate for tuition and aid equity for all undocumented youth. See more about their ten years of work!

Organization Inspires Women to

Lead and Govern

Women in Leadership is a state-wide, multi-partisan group of individuals working together to inform and encourage women to step into roles of leadership and government. Learn more about their work to stay informed of available opportunities and ways to become more engaged!

Palmetto Community Health Care

Provides Services to Community

Palmetto Community Health Care seeks to provide compassionate medical care for individuals who are underserved by access to health care. PCHC seeks to bring community together to improve lives, renew hope, and manage chronic diseases.

Thank you, Palmetto Community Health Care team, for all you do to support our communities and provide resources for living health lives!

Good Enterprises Celebrates

Academy Graduates

Congratulations to the recent graduates of the Community Business Academy of Good Enterprises! Good Enterprises, an initiative of Lowcountry Local First, seeks to transform lives and build sustainable communities through business ownership. The Community Business Academy is a 12-week course that offers hands-on training in business planning and management.

Enrollment for the Spring 2024 Community Business Academy is happening now, with classes beginning February 28. Learn more here.

Together SC is hosting their annual Nonprofit Summit next month! Join nonprofit sector partners next week in Charleston, Feb. 21-23, for sessions that will focus on community and how organizations can learn, leverage and lead successful programs and approaches to ensure that South Carolina’s growth benefits ALL communities.

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