Limestone Charter Association
Limestone Charter Association is a Columbia, South Carolina-based public charity that serves as a charter school authorizer and provides support and oversight to its member schools. Its 2026 filing reports $77.4 million in grants passed through to South Carolina charter schools.
Limestone Charter Association at a glance
In short: Limestone Charter Association gave $77.4M across 17 grants in 2026 (avg $4.6M), mostly in South Carolina. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $77,370,857
- -9.4% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 17
- +30.8% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $4,551,227
- -30.7% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $5,046,138
- Primary geography
- South Carolina (100% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2026; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Limestone Charter Association
- Contact
Mailing address: 6923 N Trenholm Road, Columbia, SC 29206
Phone: (864) 488-4058
Website: https://limestonecharters.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Limestone Charter Association funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Horse Creek Academy ($13.2M). Together the top 10 received $62.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
40 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was $5M or more: 22 grants of 40 (55%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2026 went to recipients in South Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Limestone Charter Association gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2026). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2023 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $21.5M (2023) to $85.4M (2025). In 2026 it made 17 grants totaling $77.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Horse Creek Academy Aiken, SC | Passthrough Funding | $13,177,424 |
| SC Leadership Preparatory School Anderseon, SC | Passthrough Funding | $6,419,849 |
| Summerville Preparatory Academy Summerville, SC | Passthrough Funding | $6,334,677 |
| Global Academy of South Carolina Spartanburg, SC | Passthrough Funding | $5,798,245 |
| Atlantic Collegiate Academy Myrtle Beach, SC | Passthrough Funding | $5,384,169 |
| Oceanside Collegiate Academy Mt Pleasant, SC | Passthrough Funding | $5,275,951 |
| Orangeburg High School for Health Orangeburg, SC | Passthrough Funding | $5,199,979 |
| Legion Collegiate Academy Rock Hill, SC | Passthrough Funding | $5,183,129 |
| Mountain View Preparatory Spartanburg, SC | Passthrough Funding | $5,046,138 |
| Discovery School of Myrtle Beach Conway, SC | Passthrough Funding | $4,939,591 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | — | $80,123,478 | $79,777,567 | $77,370,857 | 17 |
| 2025 | $1,260,966 | $87,644,916 | $87,580,268 | $85,433,020 | 13 |
| 2024 | $825,428 | $36,791,939 | $36,871,408 | $35,372,353 | 7 |
| 2023 | $967,163 | $22,333,338 | $22,664,428 | $21,544,695 | 3 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The association’s stated mission is to serve as a cornerstone of charter school authorization in South Carolina and foster school autonomy through support and oversight of member schools. Its website describes work in federal and state programs and accountability, school authorization, special education, finance, and student information systems.
The 2026 filing says grant funds were passed through to schools established under the South Carolina Charter Schools Act by a charter granted by the association. The filing describes funding as based on weighted pupil units, less a state-allowed administrative fee.
Grantees’ own mission statements illustrate the kinds of schools receiving funds. Horse Creek Academy describes its mission as creating an innovative learning environment focused on connection, flexibility, and service. Atlantic Collegiate Academy describes serving high school students with a rigorous curriculum and an opportunity to earn college credit. East Link Academy says it prepares students to be language and cultural links between East and West through a bilingual English-Mandarin education.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2026, the association reported 17 grants totaling $77,370,857. Grant amounts ranged from $300,521 to $13,177,424, with a median grant of $5,046,138. The filing identifies the grants as pass-through funding to schools.
The largest reported grant was $13,177,424 to Horse Creek Academy in Aiken. Other large recipients included SC Leadership Preparatory School ($6,419,849), Summerville Preparatory Academy ($6,334,677), Global Academy of South Carolina ($5,798,245), Atlantic Collegiate Academy ($5,384,169), and Oceanside Collegiate Academy ($5,275,951).
The website describes an application process for schools seeking authorization: a Letter of Intent is due to the sponsor and the South Carolina Department of Education by November 1, followed by a charter school application due February 1. These are charter authorization deadlines, not grant application instructions; the listed cycle dates are past as of September 28, 2026.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Bridgett Fowler as chair, Lee Sowell as vice chair, Wendy Wells as secretary, and Phyllis Pelzer and Sedric Webber as directors. It also lists Angel Malone as superintendent, Donna Manning as deputy superintendent of authorization, Kelly Richardson as deputy superintendent of finance, Tabitha Taneyhill as deputy superintendent, and Tracey Cline as director of finance.
Limestone Charter Association is led by Bridgett Fowler, Chair since 2026 (on filings since 2023); 6 of 11 officers listed in 2026 are compensated.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Bridgett Fowler
Chair
Director → Secretary, 2024
Secretary → Chair, 2026
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Fran Metta
Director of Special Services
New on the 2026 filing
40 hrs/week
$105K (2026)
Tracey Cline
Director of Finance
New on the 2026 filing
40 hrs/week
$117K (2026)
Phyllis Pelzer
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sedric Webber
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Angel Malone
Superintendent
Superintende → Superintendent, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$200K (2023) → $263K (2026)
Donna Manning
Sep Sup. of Authorization
Executive Director A → Executive Dr Auth & Development, 2025
Executive Dr Auth & Development → Sep Sup. of Authorization, 2026
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$107K (2024) → $133K (2026)
Kelly Richardson
Dep Sup. of Finance
Dep. Sup. of → Dep Sup. of Finance, 2025
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$116K (2024) → $122K (2026)
Tabitha Taneyhill
Dep Superintendent
On filings since 2025
40 hrs/week
$115K (2025) → $133K (2026)
Lee Sowell
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Wells
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2026
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (8)
- Former: Nathan Copeland (2024–2025) — Chair
- Former: Michelle Combs (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Monica Baloga (2023–2024) — Chair
- Former: Jeremy Whitaker (2024) — Chair
- Former: Darrell Parker (2023) — Board Chair · Filing note: Thru jan 2023
- Former: Fred Crawford (2023) — Vice Chair
- Former: Reggie Browning (2023) — Director of Finan · Filing note: Ended jan 2023
- Former: Tommy Windsor (2023) — Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2023–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2026 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2026 filing was $263K, to Angel Malone (Superintendent). 6 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Limestone Charter Association
How much does Limestone Charter Association give each year?
Limestone Charter Association gave $77.4M across 17 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990. In 2025 it gave $85.4M across 13 grants.
What is Limestone Charter Association's typical grant size?
Limestone Charter Association's median grant in 2026 was $5,046,138, and its average grant was $4,551,227, across 17 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990.
Where does Limestone Charter Association give grants?
Limestone Charter Association gives mostly in South Carolina: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Spartanburg, SC (2 grants) and Myrtle Beach, SC (2 grants).
Does Limestone Charter Association give general operating support?
Not in 2026: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Limestone Charter Association's 2026 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Passthrough Funding" (17 grants).
Who are Limestone Charter Association's largest grantees?
Limestone Charter Association's largest 2026 grantees include Horse Creek Academy ($13,177,424), SC Leadership Preparatory School ($6,419,849) and Summerville Preparatory Academy ($6,334,677), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
What does Limestone Charter Association fund?
The association’s stated mission is to serve as a cornerstone of charter school authorization in South Carolina and foster school autonomy through support and oversight of member schools. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Limestone Charter Association?
Limestone Charter Association has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check limestonecharters.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Limestone Charter Association's EIN?
Limestone Charter Association's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-1977985. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2026.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 22, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS July 31, 2026)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2023–2024
Live grants for the work Limestone Charter Association funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Limestone Charter Association's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Limestone Charter Association funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/limestone-charter-association-morg_6750cab901294f8fb3fd18ef8d885710
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_871977985_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Limestone Charter Association funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/limestone-charter-association-morg_6750cab901294f8fb3fd18ef8d885710},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Limestone Charter Association's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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