Transforming Communities: $457,400 in Grants Fuel Community Progress in the Midlands

February 27, 2025

Central Carolina Community Foundation is proud to announce the award of $457,400 to 17 Midlands nonprofits through its Connected Communities grant program. These grants will empower local organizations to enhance safety, provide opportunities for young people and the elderly, foster cultural vibrancy, and expand healthcare access, improving the quality of life for Midlands residents.

With this new round of grants, the Foundation surpasses $15 million in total grantmaking since the start of the fiscal year, July 1, 2024, resulting in over 1500 grants and scholarships awarded to date. Central Carolina Community Foundation grants funds to nonprofits through open grant competitions, including the Connected Communities grant program, as well as through donor-advised giving, where local philanthropists give through their funds at the community foundation.

“Giving is more than a transaction—it’s transformation,” says Georgia Mjartan, President and CEO of Central Carolina Community Foundation. “These grants reflect the heart of our community: people who see a need and take action to meet it.”

The newest round of grants awarded are made possible through Central Carolina Community Foundation’s endowed grantmaking fund, a growing resource thanks to the generosity of donors whose giving builds a legacy of impact in the Midlands. With over 500 fundholders supporting diverse initiatives, Central Carolina Community Foundation stands as the third-largest grant maker in South Carolina, according to Southern Trends Report, investing in education, nonprofit growth, and essential community services. Donors wishing to contribute to the grantmaking fund may do so at YourFoundation.org.

The 2025 Connected Communities grants will power initiatives in Calhoun, Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland, and Sumter counties, ensuring every corner of the Midlands feels the impact of generosity. Everything from revitalized jazz venues to expanded healthcare access to ensuring cancer treatment for children and more, these projects are a testament to what’s possible when a community comes together.

“This Connected Communities grant helps us fulfill promises we have made to 135 Midlands children to ensure their access to the very best cancer treatment, anywhere,” said Children’s Cancer Partners Executive Director Laura Allen.

“Together with Central Carolina Community Foundation, we’re proving that arts activation can be a powerful catalyst for neighborhood revitalization while creating meaningful opportunities for our local artists,” said Mark Rapp, Executive Director of ColaJazz Foundation. “We’ll breathe new life into overlooked spaces, transforming them into community assets where jazz performances demonstrate their potential. This creative placemaking initiative goes beyond entertainment – it’s about sparking economic opportunity and fostering civic pride.”

To learn more about the transformative projects made possible by Connected Communities grants, opportunities for grants and scholarships, and ways to contribute, visit YourFoundation.org.

2025 Connected Communities Grant Recipients

• Big Homie Lil Homie Mentoring, Big Homie Lil Homie Mentoring Community Garden Initiative

• Blackjack Baptist Church, Virtual Care Kiosk

• Calhoun County Library, Calhoun Connects Healthy Foods and Information for Isolated Communities

• Cecil Williams South Carolina Civil Rights Museum, Master Icon Lecture Series and Reclaiming SC Civil Rights History: Development of Storyboard for Graphic Arts Publication

• Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas, Midlands Childhood Cancer Safety Net

• ColaJazz Foundation, Invigorating Cayce Through Jazz

• Fairfield County School District Education Foundation, The Teacher Village at Winnsboro

• Lexington Medical Center Foundation, Inc., Uplift Lexington County Expansion and Replication

• Liberty STEAM Charter School, Educational Safety Zone Project

• MedNeed of SC, New medical equipment at no cost to the uninsured and indigent of South Carolina

• Newberry Opera House, Newberry Arts for All

• Our Place of Hope, Bringing Hope to Mental Health

• Palmetto Conservation Foundation, River to River Trail: Connecting the Broad to the Wateree River through Fairfield County – Phase 1

• Richland Public Library, Broader Bookshelf

• SC Philharmonic, The SC Philharmonic presents “Music in My Neighborhood”

• Senior Resources, Inc., Enhancing Community-Based Senior Programming at The Lourie Center

• Serve & Connect, Si Se Puede Expansion and Sustainability