GCCF Funds Open Granting Awards, December 2021

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Greenwood County Community Foundation (GCCF) recently  $31,750 in grants to twelve  local nonprofit organizations in the 2021 Open Granting cycle.

Grant recipients and their funded programs or projects are:

Alston Wilkes Society — for the Community Services program

American Red Cross-Upstate SC Chapter — in support of Disaster Cycle services

Beyond Abuse — for Animal-Assisted Therapy program

Boy Scouts of America – Blue Ridge Council — for BSA Camp scholarships

Faith Home — for purchase of new mattresses for the residential program

Food Bank of Greenwood County — for the Weekend Backpack Program

Greater Greenwood United Ministry — for purchase of an automatic autoclave for the medical clinic

Lutheran Family Services in the Carolinas — for support of Kinard Manor for women in recovery

MODELS Academy — for MODELS Academy programming

The Museum and Railroad Historical Center — for “Violins of Hope” exhibit

96 Mill Village Neighborhood Association — for Movies in the Park community program

Promised Land Association — for walking track surface

In each of GCCF’s Community Impact Grant cycles, grant applications are reviewed by a diverse committee of community members and funding determinations are finalized by the GCCF Board of Directors.

Congratulations to our Open Granting award recipients and all best wishes for successful projects and programs in your service to Greenwood County residents!

GCCF Announces Community Enhancement Grants, August 2021

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Greenwood County Community Foundation (GCCF) awarded grants to five local nonprofit organizations in our 2021 Community Enhancement granting cycle. Grant recipients and their funded programs are:

Arts Center of Greenwood County — for Black History exhibit and “Connecting with the Dream” community events

Boys and Girls Club of the Lakelands — for Project Learn

Community Initiatives — for Neighborhood Center Renovation

Greenwood Pathway House — Trauma-informed Services Project

Greenwood Performing Arts — for Intergenerational Outreach Performances

Beginning in 2012, GCCF has awarded more than $800,000 through annual Community Impact Grants and more than $4,000,000 through these Community Impact Grants, Donor Advised, Field-of-Interest and Community Response Fund grants. In each cycle of GCCF’s Community Impact Grants, grant applications are reviewed by a diverse committee of community members and funding determinations are finalized by the GCCF Board of Directors.

Information about the 2021 Open Granting grant cycle may be found at: www.greenwoodcf.org/grants/. For further details about the granting process, contact Mary Woodiwiss, Director of Grants and Projects, at mwoodiwiss@greenwoodcf.org or 864.223.1524.

Congratulations to our Grant recipients! Thank you for your dedication to enhancing life in our community!

GCCF Awards Innovation Grant to Community Initiatives, June 2021

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GCCF Awards Innovation Grant to Develop Community Initiatives’ Free Dental Clinic

Greenwood County Community Foundation (GCCF) has awarded an Innovation Grant for $50,000 to Community Initiatives for the establishment of a Free Dental Clinic.

The GCCF Innovation Grant is offered biennially and supports creative ideas that foster strategic change within the Greenwood County community. It is awarded to applicant organization demonstrating a sound approach to addressing root causes of systemic problems or deficiencies, and by contributing to a healthy, thriving community. Collaboration and partnerships among organizations are expected and essential to assure lasting impact and success. Community Initiatives is utilizing their current patient base at their free health clinic, La Clinica Gratis, expanding the clinic to include others in need of dental services, and collaborating with local dentists and staff to implement the Free Dental Clinic, with plans to engage additional, local nonprofits and students from SC dental programs by the second year of clinic operations.

In response to this significant grant award, Leslie Fisk, Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Community Initiatives, stated, “We at Community Initiatives are excited and proud of being awarded the Innovation Grant from the Greenwood County Community Foundation and of a new partnership with Whole Life Dental. Dental problems cause people pain, embarrassment, social isolation, and serious health problems. Many people forgo necessary dental work in favor of paying bills, such as rent or utilities. Addressing these problems will allow our clients to live life more fully and is just another example of how Community Initiatives seeks to treat the whole person.” Ben Dunlap, DMD, reiterated the importance of this clinic: “Basic preventative care can reduce the need for expensive restorative treatments when performed correctly and carefully. Unfortunately, the most vulnerable in our community currently have few options for receiving this care. We are blessed with the partnership of Community Initiatives and the Greenwood County Community Foundation. We are truly humbled by this opportunity to serve our neighbors in need.”

“This project is significant for Community Initiatives because it affects the overall health outcomes for our patients and the targeted population we serve, those with little or no insurance”, said Teresa Goodman, Executive Director of Community Initiatives. “Oral health is a window to a person’s overall wellness, and as a health driven organization, we must address and create health equity for underserved populations to be educated about oral health options and to receive treatment that will result in improved health outcomes, including longer lives. The development of a free dental clinic will change the lives of those who need it most and have a positive impact on our county’s health, workforce development, and other measurable outcomes. Thank you to the Greenwood County Community Foundation for seeing the vision and becoming a viable part of the project’s development. We are more than grateful for their support.”

GCCF Awards Youth & Education Grants, April 2021

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Greenwood County Community Foundation (GCCF) made grant awards to five local nonprofit organizations in their 2021 Youth and Education granting cycle. Grant recipients and their funded programs are:

Goodwill Industries — for Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training

Greenwood Community Improvement Foundation — for TREP$ (entrepreneurship program) for middle school students

Healthy Learners — for staff salary & transportation expenses serving school children with medical needs

Lakelands Region YMCA of SC — for scholarships for childcare programs

United Way of the Lakelands — for Inspire 864 program (community awareness and programming to addresses effects of youth violence and Covid-19)

For each cycle of GCCF’s Community Impact Grants, grant applications are reviewed by a diverse committee of community members and funding determinations are finalized by the GCCF Board of Directors.

Beginning with 2012 granting cycles, GCCF has awarded more than $800,000 through annual Community Impact Grants and more than $4,000,000 through these Community Impact Grants, Donor Advised, Field-of-Interest and Community Response Fund grants.

Information about the 2021 Community Enhancement and Open Granting grant cycles may be found at: www.greenwoodcf.org/grants/. For further details about the granting process, contact Mary Woodiwiss, Director of Grants and Projects, at mwoodiwiss@greenwoodcf.org or 864.223.1524.

All the best to our 2021 Youth & Education Grant recipient organizations! Thank you for your service to Greenwood County residents!

GCCF Open Granting Awards Announced, December 2020

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Greenwood County Community Foundation (GCCF) recently awarded $25,000 in grants to ten local nonprofit organizations in the 2020 Open Granting cycle.

Grant recipients and their funded programs or projects are:

Alston Wilkes Society — for the Community Services program

American Red Cross-Upstate SC Chapter — in support of Disaster Cycle services

Boy Scouts of America – Blue Ridge Council — for BSA Camp scholarships and expenses

Burton Center — for health area upgrades

Connie Maxwell Children’s Home — for Outz Cottage renovations

Crossroads Pregnancy Center — in support of the Earn While You Learn program

Emerald City Rotary Club Foundation — for Dolly Parton Imagination Library costs

Greater Greenwood United Ministry — in support of the Crisis Ministry

Humane Society of Greenwood — for Foster Care pet program expenses

Wild Hare Productions — in support of a historical figures project with school children

In each of GCCF’s Community Impact Grant cycles, grant applications are reviewed by a diverse committee of 10 or more community members and funding determinations are finalized by the GCCF Board of Directors. GCCF has awarded more than $800,000 in Community Impact grants to support the work of more than 80 local nonprofit organizations since the first GCCF grants in 2012, and more than $4,000,000 combined through Community Impact, Donor Advised, Field-of-Interest, and Community Response Fund grants.

Congratulations to our Open Granting award recipients and all best wishes for successful projects and programs in your service to Greenwood County residents!

GCCF Awards Community Enhancement Grants, August 2020

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Greenwood County Community Foundation GCCF awarded a total of $26,000 to six local nonprofit organizations in our 2020 Community Enhancement granting cycle.

Grant recipients are:

Arts Center of Greenwood — for Black History exhibit and “Connecting the Dream” programming

Beyond Abuse — for racial equity training for staff

Greenwood Area Habitat for Humanity— for materials and contracted services for home construction

Greenwood Community Theatre — for expenses for The Penguin Project

Lakelands Region YMCA of SC — for purchase of an Aquatic Access pool lift

MODELS Academy — for the MODELS Academy’s Black Male Success series

(Due to COVID-19 precautions, grant check presentation photos for this cycle have been suspended.)

Congratulations to each of our Community Enhancement grant recipient organizations! We are grateful for and wish you all the best in your continued good work in service to our community!

GCCF Funds Youth & Education Grants, April 2020

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Greenwood County Community Foundation GCCF awarded a total of $25,000 to eight local nonprofit organizations in our 2020 Youth & Education granting cycle.

Grant recipients are:

Boys & Girls Club of the Lakelands — Power Hour program

Community Initiatives — I-station and computers for Safe Haven

Emerald City Hoops/BLOOM — LeadHERship Conference

Food Bank of Greenwood County — Weekend Backpack Program

Goodwill Industries — CNA uniforms and Job Connection training

Healthy Learners — staff and client transportation

The Museum and Railroad Historical Center — summer camp scholarships and “Polar Express” collaborative project

Salvation Army — youth music enrichment program

In response to the particular challenges experienced by nonprofits during this period of COVID-19 precautions, GCCF offered additional flexibility in the utilization of these grant awards.

(Due to COVID-19 precautions, grant check presentation photos for this cycle have been postponed.)

We congratulate each of our Youth & Education grant recipients and are grateful for your continued good work serving our community!

Burton Center

GCCF Awards Open Granting Funds, December 2019

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Eight local nonprofits received funding in GCCF’s Open Granting cycle in December 2019 for a range of projects and programs for Greenwood County residents. They are:

Alston Wilkes Society for essential work-related items for ex-offenders

American Red Cross- Upstate SC Chapter for Disaster Cycle Services program

Beyond Abuse for purchase of therapists’ computers, printers, and Voicestation

Burton Center for sound wall around café for clients

Connie Maxwell Children’s Home for renovation of residential home for children

Engaging Men of Color for “Reaching Your Destiny Through Education” conference expenses

SC Festival of Flowers for “When Dogs Fly!” Kidfest program

Upper Savannah Land Trust for Community Conservation Priorities spatial analysis

Congratulations! Thank you for all you do to serve and improve our community!

Greenwood Performing Arts

Community Enhancement Grants Announced, August 2019

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GCCF is pleased to announce the recipients of our 2019 Community Enhancement grants! The following organizations and their programs or projects received funding totaling $26,000 in this cycle:

Arts Council of Greenwood County for “A Local Look” exhibit and “Connecting the Dream” programming

Festiva for professional artists’ fees for free community concerts

Greenwood Area Habitat for Humanity for materials and contracted services for home construction

Greenwood Community Theatre for expenses for The Penguin Project

Greenwood Pathway House for PTC tuition for Ready to Work course

Greenwood Performing Arts for Intergenerational Outreach Program performance costs

Greenwood SC Chamber of Commerce for Nonprofit Council’s board governance seminar

We salute your good work to improve our community for everyone!

GCCF check presentation to Greenwood Lions Club Foundation

Innovation Grant Supports Community Impact, June 2019

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In June, GCCF awarded its bi-annual Innovation Grant to substantially support a project with the promise of significant community impact.

The Greenwood Lions Club Foundation received $50,000 from GCCF for the development of a Mobile Diabetes Clinic that will bring professional services to areas of the county that are greatly underserved. Diabetes screening and education will be available as needed, free of charge, to all residents of Greenwood County. The Lions Club’s proposal demonstrated well-developed collaboration with Self Regional Healthcare providers, local nonprofits offering medical services (such as Greater Greenwood United Ministry and Clinica Gratis), and a strong plan for implementation.

Phyllis Zuehlke, Lions Club Member who spearheaded this project, said, “[Greenwood Lions Club] wanted to expand our service projects into more areas than just vision. What better [related concern] than diabetes? The GCCF Innovation Grant was exactly what we needed. The Mobile Diabetes Clinic is a major project that will enrich the county and brings together many organizations that are striving for the same goals we have. People in our area desperately need identification of, education about, and care for diabetes. We can take our free clinic to community centers and rural areas and give not only screenings but also information about effective, healthy lifestyle changes and how their medical needs can best be met.”

Clients who have not had a medical home, are impoverished, have little or no access to transportation and are uneducated about an improved and healthier lifestyle will be offered health consultations and be directed to other programs that can provide reduced cost or free services and medications.

The Foundation is pleased to provide for the development of such beneficial projects in our community!