The Priester Foundation
The Priester Foundation is a public charity based in Greenville, South Carolina, formed in 1997. It provides support to the Greenville Community Foundation and other publicly supported organizations.
The Priester Foundation at a glance
In short: The Priester Foundation gave $300K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $30K), mostly in South Carolina. 30% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $300,000
- +4.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $30,000
- -6.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $7,155,396
- +2.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (3 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- 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 September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Priester Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: 713 Crescent Avenue, Greenville, SC 29601-4349
Phone: (864) 268-0678
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Priester Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Community Foundation of Greenville ($199K). Together the top 10 received $300K.
Grant Size Distribution
43 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 38 grants of 43 (88%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in South Carolina and 2% to recipients in New Jersey. The listed grants show substantial support to Greenville-area organizations.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Priester Foundation open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 10 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $39K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K 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 $212K (2023) to $401K (2021). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $300K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Community Foundation of Greenville Greenville, SC | General Purpose | $198,500 |
| Planned Parenthood South Atlantic Columbia, SC | General Purpose | $20,000 |
| Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County SC Greenville, SC | General Purpose | $15,000 |
| Greenville Symphony Orchestra Greenville, SC | General Purpose | $12,000 |
| American Red Cross Greenville, SC | McCall Challenge | $10,000 |
| United Way of Greenville County Inc Greenville, SC | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| YMCA of Greenville Greenville, SC | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Meals on Wheels of Greenville Inc Greenville, SC | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Public Education Partners Greenville, SC | Greenville Cnty Read | $7,500 |
| Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities New Jersey, NJ | General Purpose | $7,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Priester Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $7,155,396 | $553,060 | $403,602 | $300,000 | 10 | $423,060 |
| 2024 | $7,005,938 | $512,465 | $389,791 | $288,000 | 9 | $384,465 |
| 2023 | $6,883,264 | $500,180 | $286,413 | $211,500 | 6 | $247,180 |
| 2022 | $6,669,497 | $-128,519 | $287,849 | $231,500 | 6 | $-123,324 |
| 2021 | $7,085,865 | $211,888 | $461,540 | $400,500 | 12 | $231,871 |
| 2020 | $7,335,517 | $459,145 | $376,196 | $299,500 | 8 | $-46,918 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation states its mission as “support specified publicly supported organizations.” Its filing describes its program as providing supporting grants and donations to the Greenville Community Foundation and other publicly supported organizations.
Its 2025 grants included community, health, arts, housing, humanitarian, and education organizations. Among the grantees, the YMCA of Greenville says its mission is to build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all; United Way of Greenville County says it mobilizes people and resources to improve lives, strengthen the community, and advance equity; and Meals on Wheels of Greenville says it enhances the quality of life of homebound individuals through meals, personal contact, and related services. Public Education Partners says its mission is to harness the power of the community for its public schools.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $300,000. Grant amounts ranged from $7,000 to $198,500, with a median grant of $10,000.
The largest reported grant was $198,500 to Community Foundation of Greenville for general purpose. Other notable grants were $20,000 to Planned Parenthood South Atlantic for general purpose; $15,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County SC for general purpose; and $12,000 to Greenville Symphony Orchestra for general purpose. The foundation also reported grants of $10,000 each to American Red Cross for the McCall Challenge, United Way of Greenville County Inc for general purpose, YMCA of Greenville for general purpose, and Meals on Wheels of Greenville Inc for general purpose. Public Education Partners received $7,500 for Greenville County Read, and Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities received $7,000 for general purpose.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Susan C Priester as director and trustee, and Bob Morris, Reimer Priester, Sarah Fletcher, and Tami McKnew as directors. The filing also states that the president of the foundation’s primary supported organization serves on the foundation’s board.
The Priester Foundation's 2025 filing lists 5 officers; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Bob Morris
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Reimer Priester
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Fletcher
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan C. Priester
Director & Trustee
Director → Director & Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tami McKnew
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 Priester Foundation
How much does The Priester Foundation give each year?
The Priester Foundation gave $300K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $288K across 9 grants.
What is The Priester Foundation's typical grant size?
The Priester Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $30,000, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Priester Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does The Priester Foundation give grants?
The Priester Foundation 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 Greenville, SC (8 grants).
Does The Priester Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 80% of The Priester Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are The Priester Foundation's largest grantees?
The Priester Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Community Foundation of Greenville ($198,500), Planned Parenthood South Atlantic ($20,000) and Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County SC ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 78% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Priester Foundation?
The Priester Foundation reported $7.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $553K.
What does The Priester Foundation fund?
The foundation states its mission as “support specified publicly supported organizations.” Its filing describes its program as providing supporting grants and donations to the Greenville Community Foundation and other publicly supported organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Priester Foundation?
The Priester Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Priester Foundation's EIN?
The Priester Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1568201. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 21, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 16, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 8, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Priester Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Priester Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Scsymmes Foundation
Saint Louis, MO
The SCSYMMES FOUNDATION supports charitable, educational, and cultural initiatives—including capital improvements—that improve quality of life in Greenville County, South Carolina, with measurable local impact. In 2025, grants ranged from $2,500 to $100,000, with a median of $50,000. It accepts unsolicited requests from eligible tax-exempt nonprofits.
Assets
$14.1M
Grants
16
Total Given
$978K
Hollingsworth Funds Inc
Greenville, SC
Hollingsworth Funds supports education and career pathways, affordable housing, transportation, and community capacity, primarily for the benefit of Greenville County, South Carolina, with a focus on economic mobility and living-wage careers. Its website reports a typical investment of $50,000, while 2024 grants had a median of $75,000 and ranged from $24,475 to $5.4 million. It encourages prospective partners to share ideas but is largely proactive; it does not describe a formal application process.
Assets
$406.7M
Grants
56
Total Given
$12.0M
Duke Energy Foundation
Charlotte, NC
The Duke Energy Foundation funds workforce and local economic development, disaster resilience, conservation, clean water, and economic opportunity in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Its 2024 grants had a median of $25,000; applications for grants of $20,000 or less are accepted year-round, after applicants discuss proposals with a state representative.
Assets
$1.9M
Grants
41
Total Given
$25.6M
Hayne Hipp Foundation
Greenville, SC
The Hayne Hipp Foundation’s 2024 grants supported a varied mix of charitable, community, conservation, educational, religious, and cultural organizations, with most grant dollars going to Ohio and the remainder primarily to South Carolina. Its 30 grants ranged from $100 to $1,804,853, with a median of $1,000; the foundation has terminated and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
—
Grants
30
Total Given
$2.2M
Elbert W Rogers Foundation
Greenville, SC
The Elbert W Rogers Foundation supports arts and cultural organizations, education programs, and community initiatives, primarily in South Carolina, with a small share of grants going to North Carolina and Georgia. Its 2025 grants ranged from $500 to $10,000, with a median of $2,500. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.3M
Grants
32
Total Given
$103K
The Jolley Foundation
Greenville, SC
The Jolley Foundation funds work addressing poverty, discrimination, and racial and social inequity, including advocacy, organizational capacity, education, health equity, and equitable economic development, primarily serving Greenville County, South Carolina. Its 2025 grants ranged from $1,555 to $150,000, with a median of $30,000; it asks prospective applicants to contact it before applying and accepts applications through two annual cycles.
Assets
$30.8M
Grants
87
Total Given
$2.7M
More similar funders
More Funders in South Carolina
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Priester Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-priester-foundation-morg_beb8b5f998cb4adbb2d9f79375ef64c8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311568201_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Priester Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-priester-foundation-morg_beb8b5f998cb4adbb2d9f79375ef64c8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Priester Foundation'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.
The Priester Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?