Foundations & Grantmakers in South Carolina
1,543 grantmakers in South Carolina reported grants on their latest 990s. The 626 that made at least 5 grants gave $669.2M. The largest by giving are Limestone Charter Association, South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees and Darla Moore and Richard Rainwater. The list below ranks grantmakers with at least 5 grants by annual giving, and each funder links to a profile with its grant history and financials.
Looking for open funding opportunities instead? Browse South Carolina grants
Foundation giving in South Carolina at a glance
Active grantmakers
1,543
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$669.2M
from the 626 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$16K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$63K
per grantmaker
Top 10 foundations in South Carolina by annual giving
| # | Funder | City | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Limestone Charter Association | Columbia | $77.4M | 17 |
| 2 | South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees | Columbia | $55.6M | 47 |
| 3 | Darla Moore and Richard Rainwater | Lake City | $35.3M | 26 |
| 4 | Central Carolina Community Foundation | Columbia | $26.5M | 488 |
| 5 | Community Foundation of Greenville Inc | Greenville | $26.4M | 346 |
| 6 | Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina Inc | N Charleston | $26.0M | 459 |
| 7 | BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Columbia | $21.3M | 56 |
| 8 | Spartanburg County Foundation | Spartanburg | $19.0M | 227 |
| 9 | Children's Trust of South Carolina | Columbia | $12.4M | 59 |
| 10 | Advanced Technology International | Summerville | $12.1M | 14 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 4 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 77 · 23%
- Human Services 37 · 11%
- Health 33 · 10%
- Environment & Animals 26 · 8%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 25 · 8%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 24 · 7%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (44% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Community foundations in South Carolina
- Central Carolina Community Foundation $26.5M · 488 grants
- Community Foundation of Greenville Inc $26.4M · 346 grants
- Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina Inc $26.0M · 459 grants
- Community Foundation of the Lowcountry $9.4M · 193 grants
- Waccamaw Community Foundation $2.0M · 71 grants
- Greenwood County Community Foundation Inc $1.6M · 47 grants
- Frances P Bunnelle Foundation Coastal Community Foundation of SC $1.2M · 62 grants
- Eastern Carolina Community Foundation $565K · 35 grants
Showing the largest 8 of 9 with at least 10 grants.
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2025).
Most open to new grantees in South Carolina
Foundations based in South Carolina whose latest grant list had the largest share of organizations they had not funded in any earlier year on file.
| # | Funder | First-time grantees | Grantees | Avg first grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carolinas Credit Union Foundation | 90% (56) | 62 in 2025 | $20K |
| 2 | Greenwood County Community Foundation Inc | 81% (38) | 47 in 2025 | $26K |
| 3 | Mungo Homes Foundation Inc | 75% (33) | 44 in 2024 | $9K |
| 4 | Clarence H & Anna E Lutz Foundation | 68% (15) | 22 in 2024 | $15K |
| 5 | Uncommon Charitable Impact Inc | 68% (27) | 40 in 2025 | $15K |
| 6 | Gods Goods Mt Pleasant | 66% (44) | 67 in 2025 | $5K |
| 7 | M B Kahn Foundation Inc | 66% (19) | 29 in 2025 | $2K |
| 8 | Scansource Charitable Foundation | 63% (45) | 71 in 2025 | $4K |
| 9 | Kuznik Charitable Foundation | 56% (29) | 52 in 2025 | $17K |
| 10 | The Sunshine Foundation Inc | 53% (55) | 103 in 2024 | $5K |
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990 and 990-PF grant lists. Only foundations with at least 20 grants in each of the last three years (and 20 distinct grantees in the latest), a filing from the last 2 years, and first grants averaging at least $1K are ranked; grants to individuals are left out, and recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed grantee can look new. How we calculate this.
Showing 626 grantmakers in South Carolina with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
Limestone Charter Association
Columbia, SC
Assets
—
Grants
17
Total Given
$77.4M
South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees
Columbia, SC
Assets
$34.7M
Grants
47
Total Given
$55.6M
Darla Moore and Richard Rainwater
Lake City, SC
Assets
$658.1M
Grants
26
Total Given
$35.3M
Central Carolina Community Foundation
Columbia, SC
Assets
$264.3M
Grants
488
Total Given
$26.5M
Community Foundation of Greenville Inc
Greenville, SC
Assets
$118.8M
Grants
346
Total Given
$26.4M
Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina Inc
N Charleston, SC
Assets
$435.6M
Grants
459
Total Given
$26.0M
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
Columbia, SC
Assets
$396.4M
Grants
56
Total Given
$21.3M
Spartanburg County Foundation
Spartanburg, SC
Assets
$280.4M
Grants
227
Total Given
$19.0M
Children's Trust of South Carolina
Columbia, SC
Assets
$14.5M
Grants
59
Total Given
$12.4M
Advanced Technology International
Summerville, SC
Assets
$2.2B
Grants
14
Total Given
$12.1M
McLeod Health Foundation
Florence, SC
Assets
$36.4M
Grants
7
Total Given
$12.1M
Hollingsworth Funds Inc
Greenville, SC
Assets
$406.7M
Grants
56
Total Given
$12.0M
South Carolina Christian Foundation
Spartanburg, SC
Assets
$45.4M
Grants
285
Total Given
$11.6M
Beemok Family Foundation
Charleston, SC
Assets
$42.5M
Grants
39
Total Given
$9.7M
Community Foundation of the Lowcountry
Hilton Head Island, SC
Assets
$99.7M
Grants
193
Total Given
$9.4M
United States Endowment for Forestry
Greenville, SC
Assets
$292.5M
Grants
66
Total Given
$9.1M
DRS Bruce & Lee Foundation
Florence, SC
Assets
$255.4M
Grants
20
Total Given
$8.4M
South Carolina Quantum Association
Columbia, SC
Assets
—
Grants
6
Total Given
$7.3M
Darnall W and Susan F Boyd Foundation
Columbia, SC
Assets
$148.7M
Grants
17
Total Given
$6.8M
Riverbanks Society
Columbia, SC
Assets
$7.8M
Grants
5
Total Given
$6.1M
The Williams Brice Edwards Charitable
Sumter, SC
Assets
$57.4M
Grants
36
Total Given
$5.6M
Meeting Street Schools
Charleston, SC
Assets
$311.8M
Grants
6
Total Given
$5.4M
Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association
Charleston, SC
Assets
$3.4M
Grants
42
Total Given
$5.2M
United Way of the Midlands
Columbia, SC
Assets
$29.5M
Grants
36
Total Given
$4.7M
Here's the math on clicking through this list.
You, clicking into all 24 funders
~2.8 hrs
at ~7 min per funder profile
Your agents, the same 24
~1 min
every profile evaluated and scored, with reasoning
Questions about foundations in South Carolina
What are the largest foundations in South Carolina?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are Limestone Charter Association ($77.4M across 17 grants), South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees ($55.6M) and Darla Moore and Richard Rainwater ($35.3M). Together the top 10 account for 47% of the $669.2M given by the 626 grantmakers in South Carolina that made at least 5 grants. Organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants, usually a single transfer to an affiliated charity, are left out of the ranking.
How big is a typical foundation grant in South Carolina?
The typical grant is about $16K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $63K in total in their latest filing year, so many are small foundations that give to a few organizations they already know. The largest funders make many more grants, but also get the most requests.
Are there community foundations in South Carolina?
Yes. We found 9 community foundations in South Carolina with grant activity. The largest by giving are Central Carolina Community Foundation, Community Foundation of Greenville Inc and Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina Inc. Community foundations pool gifts from many local donors and usually run open grant rounds for nonprofits in their area, which makes them a good first stop for local funding.
How do I find South Carolina foundations that accept unsolicited proposals?
Most private foundations don't run an open application. Their 990-PF says whether they only give to preselected charities, and their past grants show who they actually fund. Start with the funders above whose grant counts and typical grant size fit your budget, then check each profile's grant history for organizations like yours before you reach out. Read the grant prospecting guide.
Related guides
- Grant prospecting: how to find funders that fit
How to shortlist foundations in South Carolina from their 990s and giving history.
- AI grant writing: draft proposals in your voice
Turn a shortlist into LOIs and proposals drafted from your own materials.