The South Carolina Bar Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Columbia, South Carolina. Founded in 1971, the Foundation operates as a subordinate organization under the South Carolina Bar. The Foundation promotes justice by funding legal access and education through grants to law-related nonprofit organizations across South Carolina.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$34.1M
+23.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.8M
+44.1% YoY
Grant Count
40
+21.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$94K
+18.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: To promote justice by funding legal access and education.
Vision: For every person in South Carolina to recognize and secure legal rights.
The Foundation provides funding across three primary categories:
- Administration of Justice — Programs that improve the administration of justice system
- Civil Legal Aid — Services providing legal assistance to indigent populations
- Law-Related Education — Programs educating students about the legal system and public service
The Foundation supports organizations serving South Carolinians living in poverty, facing homelessness, navigating the legal system without representation, impacted by the criminal justice system, domestic violence survivors, and youth interested in legal careers. Grantee partners also address issues including victims of discrimination, children needing special education, targets of consumer fraud, and elderly populations.
Grantmaking
The Foundation created an Impact Fund in its inaugural year, allocating almost $1.5 million of the FY 2026 total. According to the Foundation's Board President, this Impact Fund "provided grants to offset the current and anticipated federal funding losses for many grantee organizations while also empowering innovative and impactful programs and projects."
Average Grant
amount and median grant amount data available but specific figures not disclosed in sources
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation funds law-related nonprofits throughout South Carolina, with grantmaking primarily focused in South Carolina, North Carolina, and the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2025):
- Total assets: $34,087,132
- Total revenues: $8,261,267
- Total expenses: $4,356,724
- Annual income: $9,000,000
- Annual revenue: $8,300,000
Historical Giving: Since 1971, the Foundation has granted over $60 million to law-related organizations across South Carolina.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $34,087,132 | $27,646,306 | $19,584,347 |
| Revenue | $8,261,267 | $9,079,829 | $7,760,512 |
| Expenses | $4,356,724 | $3,102,529 | $3,081,015 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $812,067 | $620,189 | $395,311 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
143 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from The South Carolina Bar Foundation
DuRant Distinguished Public Service Award
THE SOUTH CAROLINA BAR FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ronnie M. Cole CLE Scholarship
THE SOUTH CAROLINA BAR FOUNDATION
Amount
Sliding scale: 100% (≤$35,000), 75% ($35,001-$45,000), 50% ($45,001-$60,000), 25% (>$60,000)
Deadline
Rolling / Open
SC Bar Foundation Grant Program
THE SOUTH CAROLINA BAR FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Olivia Stafford Jones — Executive Director
- Native of Columbia, South Carolina
- B.A. in Spanish from South Carolina Honors College (2001)
- Associate's Degree in Public Administration from Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (2002)
- J.D. from University of South Carolina School of Law (2007)
- Licensed to practice law in South Carolina and federal court
- Served as president of the Pro Bono Program during law school
Tom Gressette — President of the Foundation's Board of Directors
Staff Size: 3 employees
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| THOMAS P GRESSETTE JR | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| JOHN ROXON | PRESIDENT-EL | 1 | — |
| MARGARET BLUESTEIN | SECRETARY-TR | 1 | — |
| JOHN DELOACHE | IMMED PAST P | 1 | — |
| CHERIE BARTON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RYAN BEASLEY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MARYANN BLAKE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| NASHIBA BOYD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| STEPHEN COX | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DOWARD HARVIN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LAKESHA JEFFRIES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LINDSAY A JOYNER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GEORGE MORRISON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CYNTHIA SPIETH MORTON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| NEKKI SHUTT | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CARMEN HARPER THOMAS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| TRUC TRAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| OLIVIA JONES | EXECUTIVE DI | 40 | $108,333 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**Fiscal Year 2026 Grant Awards:**
The South Carolina Bar Foundation announced awards totaling over $5.2 million for Fiscal Year 2026 to more than 50 nonprofit organizations. The inaugural Impact Fund allocation of nearly $1.5 million represented the single largest grant allocation in the Foundation's more than 50-year history.
SC Bar Foundation Awards $5.2M in Grants for Fiscal Year 2026 | SC Bar Foundation**Current Initiatives:**
Return-on-value assessment of the Upstate Medical Legal Partnership, which integrates legal services into healthcare settings to improve health outcomes, reduce healthcare utilization, and enhance quality of life
Feasibility study to expand sliding-fee-scale services offered by Charleston Legal Access to other parts of the state
**Organizational Rating:**
The Foundation holds a Four-Star rating with a 97% score based on Accountability & Finance metrics.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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