January 21, 2025
Central Carolina Community Foundation awarded $22,719,881 in grants and scholarships during the last fiscal year (July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024).
Since the Foundation’s inception in 1984, more than $278 million has been awarded to the community. For the last 40 years, the Foundation has improved the region through strategic grant making, community engagement, and inspiring philanthropy.
This year, the Community Foundation disbursed 3,307 grants, all dedicated to assisting various locations and nonprofit categories. The top three grant categories were Education & Scholarships, Community Improvement, and Human Services.
More than $725,000 of the $4.5 million was dedicated specifically to scholarships, being the most the Foundation has given in its history. Scholarships had a direct local impact on 214 outstanding awardees as 56% of them are from the Midlands. The median scholarship received for 2024-2025 was $2,000, and 31% of scholarship recipients were first-generation college students.
Other grant categories the Foundation supported this year include faith-based, health and well-being, youth development, arts and culture, animal welfare, and economic development.
Over two-thirds of those grants were distributed locally across the 11 counties the Foundation serves: Calhoun, Clarendon, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lee, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland, Saluda and Sumter. While 353 grants were given to other areas around South Carolina, and 402 were given to places outside of South Carolina.
These initiatives, along with fundholders’ support, have allowed the Foundation to assist 2,551 organizations this fiscal year. The Foundation invests to impact our communities now and for generations to come.
Learn more about Central Carolina Community Foundation’s grants and scholarships here.
View our 2024 Annual Summary here.