Community Foundation Board and Staff
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Board of Directors
John Weymouth
Chairman
Jim Allhusen
Donna R. Bafundo
Sandra Benson
Brad L. Bloom
Denis C. Bonnett
Marva J. Brooks
Cheryl Comes
Jerilyn A. Farren
J. Dudley King Jr.
Kimberly Kord
Michael J. Marks
Elizabeth B. Mayo
Allen Ward
David Wetmore
J. Eric Woods
Staff
President and CEO
Grantmaking and Scholarship Administrator
VP for Finance and Administration
Donor Services Associate
VP for Marketing and Communications
Administrative Assistant
VP for Development and Donor Services
Service Area Liaison
VP for Grantmaking and Community Leadership
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Note from the President/CEO
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Hurricane Matthew caused us all to rethink our priorities.
In the case of Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, we had a carefully constructed disaster plan. We knew what we had to do, and we implemented those parts of the plan that needed implementation. We had established a disaster fund in 2004. We had memoranda of understanding with three first responders in the area (we'll be better prepared next time with a larger service area and more MOUs) so that we could get immediate dollars out the door. We had a place to operate in Columbia if we needed it (I'm so glad we didn't.). We had emergency contact information for all board and staff members so that decisions from our evacuation locations could be made by conference call. We had alternate plans for technology, and had safely handled back up data. And we were lucky, in that other than a few trees down on our building and the usual grounds/parking lot mess, we had no flooding, no significant structural or roof damage, and so the significant work of fundraising and deployment of grant dollars could be undertaken swiftly.
A priority for the next quarter will be to consider all we have learned from this experience, and to make some minor modifications to the plan.
Is this a priority for you? Did you have a plan for evacuation, operations away from your home location, and business resumption? Do you have a plan for assuring that whatever your organization may have learned from this experience is captured before it fades into the fog of the current workload? If not, please add this to your priority list. The fact that we had a solid plan in place paid dividends not only for us, but also for those we serve. Questions? Let us know how we can help.
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Denise K. Spencer, President and CEO
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Disaster Fund Grants Still Available
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Community Foundation is accepting Disaster Recovery and Rebuilding Fund grant applications from regional, community-based 501(c)3 nonprofits, faith-based organizations or equivalents for up to $20,000 for recovery and rebuilding efforts related to the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew. Organizations may be eligible for multiple grants from the Disaster Fund based on documented community needs, and may apply for a grant to cover expenses already incurred. Learn more about Disaster Fund grants on our Web site
and re
ad about our most recent grant awards here
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Competitive Grants Awarded
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Community Foundation of the Lowcountry recently awarded over $93,000 in grants to four local nonprofit organization: Citizens Opposed to Domestic Abuse, Family Promise, Memory Matters and Programs for Exceptional People. The awards were presented at a luncheon held on November 30th. You will find additional information about these grant awards here.
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Upcoming Grants Information Sessions
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Are you interested in applying for a grant from Community Foundation? The first step is to attend a Grant Information Session. Upcoming 2017 sessions are:
- Thursday, February 9th
- Thursday, April 20th
All sessions are held at our offices from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Note that these sessions are for nonprofit organizations whose clients live and/or work on Hilton Head Island, Daufuskie Island and greater Bluffton.
To find out if your organization is eligible to apply for a competitive grant, take a look at our
grantmaking guidelines.
Call us to register for a Grant Information Session 843.681.9100.
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Current & Upcoming Grant Opportunities
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Click on the links below for additional information and eligibility:
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Welcome to the Marketplace!
We have received inquiries about organizations from local grantmakers who utilize data on the Marketplace as part of their grantmaking due diligence process. We have also received inquiries from businesses who sponsor nonprofit fundraising and access the Marketplace to identify suitable organizations. While we are excited to be a resource for these organizations, we have not forgotten the primary goal for the marketplac: to be a resource for our community to learn about local nonprofits. This function is even more relevant at this time of year as donors consider their year-end charitable giving.
Our goal is to provide a comprehensive directory for the entire community --- including donors, volunteers, funders and businesses --- and we need all Lowcountry nonprofit organizations to participate in order to accomplish that. If you are not familiar with
The Giving Marketplace
, please contact us and we will provide an overview. If you have started, but not yet completed your profile, we are here to help you finalize the process. If you have an existing profile, be sure to verify that the information is complete and up to date.
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Lowcountry Volunteer Connections
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New Software with Enhanced Functionality
Lowcountry Volunteer Connections is transitioning to a new software platform that is more user-friendly for both nonprofits and volunteers. The software is fully mobile enabled and offers enhanced functionality, allowing for a more interactive experience for agencies and volunteers alike.
We're very excited to roll out the software before the end of 2016 and will offer training for registered nonprofit agencies in January 2017. In the meantime, folks interested in volunteering can continue to connect with us and agencies can share their opportunities by
e-mailing Debbie Cahoon.
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In Other News
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Upcoming Conferences & Events
If you have information about an upcoming educational event that you would like to share in Nonprofit Connections, let us know!
What is SCAVA?
SCAVA is the South Carolina Association for Volunteer Administration
, a nonprofit organization that provides opportunities and professional development to individuals with an interest in the field of volunteerism. Membership is extended to individuals in the public and private sectors who wish to learn more about volunteerism, develop new skills, or shape the future of volunteerism in South Carolina. SCAVA offers conferences and workshops focusing on information and issues pertinent to volunteers and volunteer administration.
There are several local affiliates across the state, but none in the Lowcountry. If you would be interested in learning more about SCAVA and helping to organize a local affiliate in the Lowcountry, e-mail Kevin Smith.
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Sincerely,
Kevin
VP for Grantmaking and Community Leadership
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