In This Issue
Note from the President/CEO
Lowcountry Volunteer Connections
In Other News
Connect with Us!
Community Foundation Board and Staff
Board of Directors
Jim Allhusen
Chairman
   
Sandra Benson 
 
Geoff Block
 
Cheryl Comes

Yvonne Curl 
 
Jerilyn A. Farren 

Doug Fletcher

John Levy 
 
Sheila Mahony 
 
Michael J. Marks

Al Panu

Shirley Peterson

David Rosenblum

Jackie Rosswurm

James Wagner 

Allen Ward 

David Wetmore  
 
 
Staff 
President and CEO

VP for Community Investment
 
VP for Finance and Administration

Program Associate
 
  VP for Marketing and Communications
 
Donor Services Associate
   
 Finance Associate

Communications Specialist
 
VP for Development and Donor Services

 Administrative Assistant

Donor Services Associate

Program Associate

January 2020


Note from the President/CEO

   
Christopher Kerrigan, President and CEO
Welcome!
This year has brought many changes to Community Foundation of the Lowcountry. One such change is the renaming of the Program Department to the Community Investment Office. We will continue to be a strong partner and provide important resources for local nonprofit agencies. In addition to the new department name, we have two new professionals to assist you as you strive to achieve your mission.

Jill Dawson joined the Community Investment Office in July of 2019. Jill graduated from Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio, in 2012. She has worked in family law and real estate law in the Lowcountry. Jill manages Lowcountry Volunteer Connections, many of our Lowcountry Scholarships and Opportunity/Organization Development Grants.

Mary Wright joined the Community Investment Office in November of 2019. Mary comes to us from Columbia, S.C., where she served as executive director of MEBA. Mary manages The Giving Marketplace and works as liaison for our nonprofit agency funds. She also works with scholarships and our Competitive Grant Program.

Feel free to schedule a time to meet Mary and Jill. They look forward to helping you navigate the programs that Community Foundation of the Lowcountry offers.

   
Jill Dawson (left) and Mary Wright (right)
Coming Soon

Keep an eye on Lowcountry Volunteer Connections. On or before February 7, we will post information about our next Volunteer Program Award! Once again, we're excited to learn about the volunteers who serve our communities by partnering with you! If you have any questions, contact Jill.

Grant Information and Awards


Grants
In November 2019, Community Foundation of the Lowcountry awarded Community Impact grants to Beaufort-Jasper YMCA, Osprey Village, Port Royal Sound Foundation, Programs for Exceptional People, Sandalwood Food Bank and The Sandbox Children's Museum totaling over $451,000. The deadline date for our final grant cycle for the current fiscal year was January 15. Decisions will be made in March. 

Please note that changes in our competitive grant process are coming for the next fiscal year. Be on the lookout in summer 2020 when we roll them out!
 
BYO Lunch and Learn 
(formerly known as Grants Information Sessions)
The first step to apply for a grant from Community Foundation of the Lowcountry is to attend an Informational Session where you will learn about the Community Investment Office, as well as our programs and basic grantmaking eligibility requirements. We haven't just changed the name; we've also changed the format. PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN LUNCH and a notebook, as we prepare you for the process. 

There is still room for attendance in the following sessions:
  • February 21st
  • March 12th
To register or view a full list of upcoming sessions, visit the  Grants Information Session page on our website.
 
Opportunity Grants support projects up to $10,000
Opportunity Grants are available throughout the foundation's service area, which includes Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper Counties. This grant program is designed to stimulate and help launch new programs and projects; or to help focus, enhance and/or expand an organization's existing programs and services; or as an investment in a capital project that is a critical enhancement to the mission of the nonprofit organization.
 
Opportunity Grants are available up to $10,000 and are considered on an ongoing basis throughout the year. The first step is to attend a Grants Information Session. See above for information and to register.

Other grant opportunities
Community Foundation of the Lowcountry has several funds that offer grants at different times throughout the year. Click on the links below for additional information and eligibility requirements for current or upcoming grant cycles:
 
Women in Philanthropy applications for the 2020 Women in Philanthropy Grant Cycle are no longer being accepted. The WIP Grants Committee is busy reviewing requests now, and are proud to be using their grantmaking (this year) to make an impact on the community funding projects that support at-risk children in Beaufort County. Visit their web page to learn more about the history of the group and their successful impact on Beaufort County charitable organizations.
 
PEARLS of Hampton County supports charitable organizations and projects in Hampton County. Their 2020 grant cycle will open in February. Visit their web page for additional information about their grants and application guidelines. It is also a great place to find information about PEARLS, their mission and their impact.

Belfair 1811 Charitable Fund
 
Long Cove Club Community Endowment Fund
 
Hampton Lake Tiger Base Race Charitable Fund Closed
      
Hargray Caring Coins Closed

Upcoming Training and Workshops


Are you a leader in your organization who manages one or more staff? Do you engage extensively with other staff throughout your organization or with individuals in the community? Would you like to better understand how you work with others one-on-one or in teams? If any of these apply to you, then join us on April 15th from 9 AM to 1 PM for a workshop on the Fundamental Interpersonal Relationship Orientation-Behavior (FIRO-B.) This workshop is based on a comprehensive and widely used theory of interpersonal relations that provides a three-dimensional view of interpersonal behavior.  

In this workshop you will take the FIRO-B self-scoring questionnaire which measures and predicts the interaction between people for the purpose of improving one-on-one relational skills and for assembling and working in highly productive teams. You will understand how your interpersonal style serves you or gets in your way along the three behavioral dimensions of Inclusion, Control and Openness.  

This workshop will be facilitated by Neil Sklarew, MBA and MS I/O Psychology. Neil is an experienced organizational consultant who has worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 25 years. 

Contact Debbie for more information.

The Giving Marketplace


More and more funders are using The Giving Marketplace as a part of their grantmaking procedures. To better compete for these funds, we encourage organizations to take a few moments to review your profile from the user/donor perspective. Without logging in, search from the list to see how your profile looks to system users. In addition to the growing list of grantmaking groups who use this platform as part of their due diligence process, there are many donors who use The Giving Marketplace to evaluate nonprofits. Remember to update your profile when you have changes in leadership, governance and executive level staff. In addition, don't forget to upload 990s, insurance policy dates and SC SOS registration expiration dates.

If you would like a Giving Marketplace logo to add to your email signature line or organization's website, we are happy to provide that so you can promote your profile with your constituents.

If your organization is not yet on The Giving Marketplace,  contact Mary Wright  for an overview and assistance to get started. An up-to-date Marketplace profile is required in order to apply for a grant from the Foundation.  

Find the The Giving Marketplace at  thegivingmarketplace.guidestar.org

Lowcountry Volunteer Connections


In November 2019, on Lowcountry Volunteer Connections, we kicked off our Season of Giving Initiative. The Season of Giving Initiative is a place where non-profits can post their volunteer needs related to the Holiday Season. The wonderful members of our community rose to the occasion and have served Thanksgiving dinner and collected toys for our neighbors in need this season. These volunteers exhibit the true spirit of the Holiday Season. Thank you to all of the organizations that participated and gave our volunteers a chance to give back.

National Volunteer Week will be April 19-25. Stay tuned to Lowcountry Volunteer Connections for upcoming competitions and awards during this special week. Most importantly, make sure you are recognizing your volunteers for all of their hard work.

Lowcountry Volunteer Connections is a great resource for you to find and recruit new volunteers. When you list the causes that relate to your mission, volunteers who have a preference for those causes will receive notification of your needs. 

Additionally, when a volunteer fans your organization they will also receive advance notification of your needs.

If you have questions, contact Jill Dawson .


Find Lowcountry Volunteer Connections at lowcountryvolunteerconnections.org

In Other News


Professional Associations to Help Build Your Organization's Capacity

SoLo SCAVA
On December 5, 2019, SoLo SCAVA gathered to celebrate the holiday season and hold its first annual Volunteer of the Year awards. The award winners were:
  • Community Leader Volunteer: Marsha Murphy, Family Promise
  • Direct Service Volunteer: Jack Rabbit, Family Promise
  • Direct Service Volunteer Runner up: Margie Tomczak, Second Helpings Fill the Need program.
  • Volunteer Group: Pledge the Pink Organization
  • Special Volunteer Category: HosPets Hospice Care of the LowCountry
  • Workplace Agency: SC Lowcountry SCORE
  • Legacy Volunteer: Bonnie Haroff RN, Volunteers In Medicine Clinic Hilton Head Island 27+ years.
  • Volunteer Administrator of the Year: Dottie Byers, Volunteers In Medicine Clinic Hilton Head Island
  • Volunteer Administrator of the Year runner up: Lynda Kaplan, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina
The winners were given a framed award in recognition of their commitment and we were all inspired by the selfless work they do for our community.

     

The next SoLo SCAVA meeting will be February 3, 2020, from 8:30 AM to 10 AM in the Palmetto Electric Community Room at 1 Cooperative Way Hardeeville, S.C.  We hope to see you there as Mary Wright presents "Where the Heart Is | How to Find a Volunteer Opportunity that Fits Your Passion."

Membership is $35 annually. It includes 4 program meetings, as well as affiliation with the state agency.

For details on the programs, sign up for the newsletter on the  SCAVA websiteand get up to date information on the association's  Facebook page.

Connect with Us!

As friends and grantees of Community Foundation
of the Lowcountry, we know that you are dedicated to serving and strengthening our Lowcountry communities. Social media is an important way we get the word out about the wonderful opportunities and connections available here. And as we grow, social messaging will become even more important to the work we do.

Please join us in making Community Foundation of the Lowcountry more visible on social platforms:
  1. Like and/or follow us on all social media channels you use (see list below). 
  2. Interact with our posts from time to time. 
  3. Share our posts. This is, possibly, one of the best ways to get us in front of others on social media!
  4. Provide us with relevant content. Are you aware of a heartwarming story of someone whose life was impacted by one of our funds? Did you take pictures at a recent Community Foundation-related event? If so, send them to Debbie. These are the kinds of things we want to share on social media!
And as always, please reach out to Debbie, Jill or Mary if you have an idea or suggestion you'd like to share. We would enjoy hearing from you!

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Debbie 
VP for Community Investment
 
 
 
Community Foundation of the Lowcountry