The Bargain Box
The Bargain Box is a public charity based in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. It raises funds by selling donated merchandise and distributes proceeds to local charitable organizations through cash grants; it may also provide in-kind support from donated items.
The Bargain Box at a glance
In short: The Bargain Box gave $510K across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $15K), mostly in South Carolina. 9% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $509,600
- -0.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 33
- -2.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $15,442
- +2.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,608
- Total assets
- $1,142,369
- -1.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (3 of 33, 2025)
- Primary geography
- South Carolina (98% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Bargain Box
- How to Apply
-
The stated June 1, 2026 deadline has passed.
- Contact
Mailing address: 546 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
Phone: (843) 342-2469
Website: https://thebargainboxofhiltonhead.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Bargain Box
Who The Bargain Box funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Children's Center ($43K). Together the top 10 received $258K.
Grant Size Distribution
155 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 155 grants of 155 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The grant guidelines specify qualified 501(c)(3) organizations operating in Beaufort County, South Carolina. In the 2025 filing, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in South Carolina and 2% to recipients in Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Bargain Box open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 33 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $16K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $14K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $350K (2020) to $512K (2024). In 2025 it made 33 grants totaling $510K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Children's Center Hilton Head Island, SC | To Fund the Organization's Charitable Activities | $42,500 |
| Hilton Head Island Deep Well Project Hilton Head Island, SC | To Fund the Organization's Charitable Activities | $35,000 |
| Hopeful Horizons Beaufort, SC | To Fund the Organization's Charitable Activities | $35,000 |
| Volunteers in Medicine Hilton Head Island Hilton Head Island, SC | To Fund the Organization's Charitable Activities | $30,000 |
| Coastal Discovery Museum Hilton Head Island, SC | To Fund the Organization's Charitable Activities | $26,000 |
| Low Country Legal Volunteers Bluffton, SC | To Fund the Organization's Charitable Activities | $19,500 |
| Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra Hilton Head Island, SC | To Fund the Organization's Charitable Activities | $19,000 |
| Hilton Head Island Recreation Association Hilton Head, SC | To Fund the Organization's Charitable Activities | $18,500 |
| Boys and Girls Club of Hilton Head Island Hilton Head Island, SC | To Fund the Organization's Charitable Activities | $17,000 |
| Meals on Wheels Hilton Head Island, SC | To Fund the Organization's Charitable Activities | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Bargain Box?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,142,369 | $894,821 | $997,562 | $509,600 | 33 | $64,192 |
| 2024 | $1,161,663 | $888,449 | $964,152 | $512,000 | 34 | $58,699 |
| 2023 | $1,176,379 | $872,078 | $868,559 | $469,000 | 32 | $29,102 |
| 2022 | $1,114,992 | $833,953 | $773,293 | $406,300 | 28 | $24,480 |
| 2021 | $1,192,783 | $762,930 | $712,249 | $364,300 | 28 | $41,394 |
| 2020 | $1,023,481 | $553,555 | $682,817 | $350,000 | 40 | $38,338 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to raise funds from sales of donated merchandise and distribute those funds to local charitable organizations. Its grant guidelines identify education and youth, health and safety, hunger and housing, and recreation as eligible areas of local community activity.
Examples of grantees illustrate the range of organizations it supports. The Children’s Center says it provides affordable, high-quality education and childcare for working families in the Lowcountry. Hopeful Horizons describes its work protecting and supporting survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse. Hilton Head Island Deep Well says it helps clients with basic needs including food, rent, utilities, health services, transportation, and home repairs. Other 2025 recipients include organizations whose stated missions involve cultural and environmental education, legal services for low-income families, live music, and food rescue.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, The Bargain Box reported 33 grants totaling $509,600. Grants ranged from $7,500 to $42,500, with a median of $12,608. The largest awards included $42,500 to The Children’s Center; $35,000 each to Hilton Head Island Deep Well Project and Hopeful Horizons; $30,000 to Volunteers in Medicine Hilton Head Island; and $26,000 to Coastal Discovery Museum. The filing described these awards as funding the recipients’ charitable activities. The organization’s website reports that it has given back $17,609,000 to the community since 1965.
The website says the Grants Committee reviews requests, may conduct site visits or interviews, and researches the request’s purpose, needs, and community impact. The committee recommends awards to the Board of Governors for consideration at its November meeting; approved recipients are notified and provided a contract. Applicants must submit the official application in both hard copy and electronic form with required documentation. The guidelines limit consideration to one application per organization during the cycle and exclude private individuals, national fundraising campaigns, organizations operating a business deemed to compete with The Bargain Box, and requests missing the required application or documentation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Sue Wilson as president, Jane Shinder as vice president, Holly Brooks as treasurer, and Lyn Meachen as past president. It also lists Shari Anderson, Judy Peters, and Michelle Green as sales chairs; Siri Kerr and Candace Wenzell as day chairs; and Deborah Bonser as grants chair.
The Bargain Box is led by Sue Wilson, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 11 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sue Wilson
President
Trustee → Vice President, 2021
Vice President → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
18 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Judy Peters
Sales Chair
Trustee → Sales Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shari Anderson
Sales Chair
Trustee → Sales Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Siri Kerr
Day Chair
Trustee → Day Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
12 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Candace Wenzell
Day Chair
Trustee → Day Chair, 2024
On filings since 2022
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Deborah Bonser
Grants Chair
Trustee → Grants Chair, 2024
On filings since 2023
14 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Green
Sales Chair
Trustee → Sales Chair, 2024
On filings since 2023
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lyn Meachen
Past President
President → Past President, 2024
On filings since 2020
12 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Holly Brooks
Treasurer
Trustee → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2021
14 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jane Shinder
Vice President
Trustee → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2021
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sue Wagner
Secretary
Trustee → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2021
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (14)
- Former: Susan Paine (2024) — Sales Chair
- Former: Ellie Pierce (2020–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Penny Wallhaus (2020–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Sandi Clark (2020–2023) — Past President
- Former: Hannah Reinmuth (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Lynne Lotz (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Nancy Landry (2022) — Trustee
- Former: Judi Shade (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Kelly McClure (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Rosemary Wagner (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Mark Kajano (2021) — Trustee
- Former: Carol Salemi (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Marty Spangler (2020) — Vice President
- Former: Monica Kallquist (2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about The Bargain Box
How much does The Bargain Box give each year?
The Bargain Box gave $510K across 33 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $512K across 34 grants.
What is The Bargain Box's typical grant size?
The Bargain Box's median grant in 2025 was $12,608, and its average grant was $15,442, across 33 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Bargain Box that year got $11K on average.
Where does The Bargain Box give grants?
The Bargain Box gives mostly in South Carolina: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Hilton Head Island, SC (15 grants), Bluffton, SC (10 grants), Beaufort, SC (3 grants) and Hilton Head, SC (3 grants).
Does The Bargain Box give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 33 grants with a stated purpose on The Bargain Box's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Fund the Organization's Charitable Activities" (32 grants).
Who are The Bargain Box's largest grantees?
The Bargain Box's largest 2025 grantees include The Children's Center ($42,500), Hilton Head Island Deep Well Project ($35,000) and Hopeful Horizons ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Bargain Box?
The Bargain Box reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $895K.
What does The Bargain Box fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to raise funds from sales of donated merchandise and distribute those funds to local charitable organizations. Its grant guidelines identify education and youth, health and safety, hunger and housing, and recreation as eligible areas of local community activity. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Bargain Box?
The stated June 1, 2026 deadline has passed. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Bargain Box's EIN?
The Bargain Box's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 57-0539936. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 29, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Bargain Box's focus areas in our free grants database
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Funders that support many of the same organizations
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Bargain Box funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-bargain-box-morg_a7d623484da4486bb7ea58ad67cd41e1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_570539936_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Bargain Box funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-bargain-box-morg_a7d623484da4486bb7ea58ad67cd41e1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 The Bargain Box'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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