The Lancaster County Partners for Youth
The Lancaster County Partners for Youth is a private foundation based in Lancaster, South Carolina. It describes itself as an independent nonprofit partnership working with the community, homes, and public schools to provide opportunities that enrich and elevate Lancaster County’s children and youth.
Key facts about The Lancaster County Partners for Youth
In short: The Lancaster County Partners for Youth gave $3.3M across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $304K), mostly in South Carolina. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 57-0628085
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,345,561
- Grants made (2024)
- 11
- Average grant
- $304,142
- Median grant
- $193,763
- Total assets
- $10,686,872
- Primary geography
- South Carolina (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states on its 2024 filing that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- Each program has its own submission deadline.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$10.7M
-24.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.3M
+18.9% YoY
Grant Count
11
-38.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$304K
+94.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lancaster County Partners for Youth reported a distributable amount of $214K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How The Lancaster County Partners for Youth gives
- Giving grew 2185% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s mission is, in partnership with the community, home, and public schools, to provide exceptional opportunities that elevate and enrich the children and youth of Lancaster County.
Its grantmaking includes community projects and programs serving local youth, teacher classroom grants, and scholarships. Among its 2024 grantees, The Children’s Council describes its mission as supporting programs that enhance the health, development, and well-being of Lancaster County children. Lancaster County First Steps describes its work as supporting high-quality early childhood development and education services through local partnerships. Catawba Community Mental Health describes its mission as providing housing and other basic needs to chronically mentally ill people through an apartment community for people with special needs.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 11 grants totaling $3,345,561. Grant amounts ranged from $5,741 to $1,444,022, with a median of $193,763. The largest grants included $1,444,022 to Lancaster County School District for teacher classroom grants and grant-related services; $405,823 to Tri County Christian Foundation for project-related services; and $306,050 to Lancaster County Partners for Youth for grant-related services and Strengthening Families.
Other notable 2024 grants included $294,401 to Catawba Community Mental Health, $270,686 to Faith Hope Victory Christian Church, $193,763 to the University of South Carolina for scholarships, $172,605 to The Children’s Council, and $151,225 to First Steps of Lancaster County. The foundation also reported grants to Counseling Services of Lancaster, Clemson University, and Call Me Beauty.
The foundation’s website says community grants favor specific projects and programs serving Lancaster County youth, with emphasis on lasting local impact and innovative collaborations. It does not fund indirect costs, indigent care, programs traditionally considered the role of government, loans, retired accumulated debts, projects primarily benefiting an organization’s own members, event tickets or dinners, or lobbying and other political purposes. Teacher classroom grants are awarded to individual teachers or groups in amounts of $500 to $2,500.
Review Cycle
Each program has its own submission deadline. The community-grants instructions state that requests received after the deadline will not be considered during that grant cycle.
How to Apply
The foundation states on its 2024 filing that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Its community-grants instructions say prospective applicants should first discuss an application with the executive director, then review the applicant checklist and submit the application and budget form. The filing states that each program has its own application, requiring information such as education and work experience, community activities, an essay, and references; restrictions are defined in each application.
Ready to take the next step with The Lancaster County Partners for Youth?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s mission and community-grant priorities refer to children and youth in Lancaster County. All reported 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in South Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $146K (2021) to $3.3M (2024). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $3.3M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
77 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 52 grants of 77 (68%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 11 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $3,345,561 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $10,686,872 | $3,794,521 | $7,060,899 | $3,345,561 | 11 |
| 2023 | $14,220,506 | $5,243,348 | $6,957,591 | $2,813,783 | 18 |
| 2022 | $15,817,527 | $2,143,073 | $3,031,862 | $1,250,941 | 21 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $10,686,872 | $14,220,506 | $15,817,527 |
| Revenue | $3,794,521 | $5,243,348 | $2,143,073 |
| Expenses | $7,060,899 | $6,957,591 | $3,031,862 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,345,561 | $2,813,783 | $1,250,941 |
| Net Investment Income | $168,422 | $123,101 | $112,411 |
| Distributable Amount | $213,936 | $218,247 | $215,378 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 12, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Sharon Novinger as executive director; Gregg Gause as chairman; Walt Collins, Steve Sherrill, Stephanie King, Nick Ochoa, and Gail Gillis as directors; Tyson Blanton as past chair; Mary Faile as treasurer; and Raashad Fitzpatrick as ex-officio.
The Lancaster County Partners for Youth is led by Sharon Novinger, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 20 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Sharon Novinger
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$70K (2020) → $83K (2024)
Gregg Gause
Chairman
Director → Chairman, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anicia Stevenson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charlene McGriff
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gail Gillis
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steve Sherrill
Director
Vice Chair → Chair, 2021
Chair → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Walt Collins
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mika Sinclair
Director
Director → Vice Chair, 2023
Vice Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Porsha Mungo-Brown
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Seth Graves
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie King
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Benjamin Riggins
Director
New on the 2024 filing
No compensation reported
Debbie Jaillette
Director
New on the 2024 filing
No compensation reported
Nick Ochoa
Director
New on the 2024 filing
No compensation reported
Silberio Francis
Director
New on the 2024 filing
No compensation reported
Mary Faile
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tyson Blanton
Past Chair
Vice Chair → Chairman, 2023
Chairman → Past Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Hyatt
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris Clouden
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Raashad Fitzpatrick
Ex-Officio
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (14)
- Former: Adrienna Witherspoon (2020–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Brandon Helms (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Bryan Pettit (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Derrick Smith (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Jonathan Phipps (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Stefanie Stacks (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Ben Dunlap (2020) — Director
- Former: Benji Riggins (2020) — Director
- Former: Bobby Parker (2020) — Director
- Former: Dianne Evans (2020) — Director
- Former: Keonn Wilson (2020) — Director
- Former: Max Melton (2020) — Director
- Former: Robert Folks (2020) — Director
- Former: Tami Crenshaw (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $83K, to Sharon Novinger (Executive Dir.).
Contact
Application contact: Sharon Novinger
Mailing address: PO Box 1023, Lancaster, SC 29721
Phone: (803) 286-1465
Email: sharon@lcpartnersforyouth.org
Website: https://lcpartnersforyouth.org
Frequently asked questions about The Lancaster County Partners for Youth
How much does The Lancaster County Partners for Youth give each year?
The Lancaster County Partners for Youth gave $3.3M across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.8M across 18 grants.
What is The Lancaster County Partners for Youth's typical grant size?
The Lancaster County Partners for Youth's median grant in 2024 was $193,763, and its average grant was $304,142, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Lancaster County Partners for Youth give grants?
The Lancaster County Partners for Youth gives mostly in South Carolina: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there.
Does The Lancaster County Partners for Youth give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on The Lancaster County Partners for Youth's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Project related services" (6 grants).
How large is The Lancaster County Partners for Youth?
The Lancaster County Partners for Youth reported $10.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $214K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Lancaster County Partners for Youth fund?
The organization’s mission is, in partnership with the community, home, and public schools, to provide exceptional opportunities that elevate and enrich the children and youth of Lancaster County. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Lancaster County Partners for Youth?
The foundation states on its 2024 filing that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Lancaster County Partners for Youth's EIN?
The Lancaster County Partners for Youth's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 57-0628085. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Lancaster County Partners for Youth accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching The Lancaster County Partners for Youth by hand.
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