Open Grants Push Coastal Community Foundation
over the $100 Million Grantmaking Mark

Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Hampton and Jasper Counties: November 9, 2010 –
Coastal Community Foundation awarded $280,000 to 42 Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester nonprofit organizations during this year’s Open Grants cycle. The awards made helped push the Foundation’s giving to over $100 million since inception.

The Open Grants program began over 20 years ago to provide support for nonprofits in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester Counties. Grants are awarded in the range of $1,000 to $10,000 throughout the arts, education, environment, health, human needs and community development fields.  A committee representing the Foundation’s Board, Donors, and broader community volunteer their time to read applications, go on site visits with staff members, participate in meetings, and make funding recommendations for the available pool of funding. These recommendations are approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors, chaired by Dr. Stephen McLeod-Bryant.

Richard Hendry, the Vice President of Programs with twenty-five years of tenure, is an integral part of exceeding this milestone. “Our donors are our stockholders, as one of our Board members recently said.  The Foundation works hard to maximize the community returns on our donors’ philanthropic investments. Passing the $100 million mark in grants is something for them to be proud of and the community to be grateful for.”

Since 1974, the Foundation has been granting money to nonprofit organizations in the Lowcountry.  At the urging of Dr. Ted Stern and others in the Rotary Club of Charleston, the Foundation was started because of a $9,000 investment. Thanks to the visionary leadership, Coastal Community Foundation was established in order to benefit the community in perpetuity.

In 1982, Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Detyens made the first large contribution to the Foundation-$100,000- and established the Trident Academy Endowment.  In the same year, the first major scholarship fund was established in honor of J.C. Long. The Foundation’s first unrestricted grant was given in 1983 at which point 16 funds had been established, including the Waterfront Park Fund. The City of Charleston chose Coastal Community Foundation to manage the donations for the park showing the first major sign of broad community trust in the Foundation.  Today, over 560 endowment funds are managed by the Community Foundation serving donors and nonprofit organizations in eight coastal counties of South Carolina. 

A sampling of this year’s Open Grants recipients:

HALOS (Helping and Lending Outreach Support) provides assistance to abused and neglected children and their care givers to help improve their lives.

Trident Literacy Association aims to eliminate illiteracy with instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, English as a Second Language, GED preparation, and basic computer use.

McClellanville Arts Council enhances the quality of life for the residents of McClellanville through art, culture, and educational programming while recording, preserving, and publicizing the unique culture of McClellanville.

SC Strong focuses on men recently released from prison or as an alternative to incarceration and offers education, employment training and community service.

Association for the Blind promotes independence and enhances life for individuals with visual impairments through services, programs and advocacy.

Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation assists low-income heirs’ property owners and others involved with this issue to ensure that heirs receive and exercise the full rights associated with property ownership.

**A full list of grantees is available in the Giving News section of our website: http://www.coastalcommunityfoundation.org/news/


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Established in 1974, Coastal Community Foundation is a public grant making foundation fostering philanthropy for the lasting good of the community in Beaufort,Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Hampton, and Jasper Counties.

Thousands of families, businesses, individuals and organizations have built more than 560 individual funds and endowments at the Foundation to benefit specific charities and/or broad areas of community life – education, basic human needs, conservation and preservation, arts, health and neighborhood/community development. In its 36-year history, Coastal Community Foundation has awarded more than $100 million in grants and currently manages assets in excess of $130 million. 

Last year, Foundation funds generated over $11 million for charitable programming, community projects, educational initiatives and scholarships. To learn more, go to:www.coastalcommunityfoundation.org.