SC School for the deaf and blind foundation

What SC School for the deaf and blind foundation does

The SC School for the Deaf and the Blind Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1979 (originally as The Walker Foundation, renamed in 2018) that operates as the dedicated private fundraising arm of the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind, a state-supported public school in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The foundation raises supplemental charitable contributions to offset the costs of advanced instructional programs, adaptive technologies, capital improvements, and personal student needs for the state's only specialized school serving deaf, blind, and sensory multi-disabled students — serving more than 250 students on campus and more than 1,400 children through statewide outreach programs.

The foundation's product surface comprises scholarship funds (Jessica Lauren Brettin Scholarship, Lesley Aycock Scholarship Fund), educational support programs (Instructional Resources, Adaptive Technologies, Growth Experiences), annual fundraising events (Cook-Off, Art Show & Auction, Car/Truck/Motorcycle Show, BBQ Classic, Aim High & Let 'em Fly Sporting Clay Tournament), a planned giving society (the 1849 Society), donor recognition products (Brick & Chair Naming), corporate sponsorships across five tiers from Bronze ($2,500-$4,999) through Platinum ($50,000+), individual donor recognition from Patron ($100) through Champion ($10,000), and a Wish List giving program. The foundation has no proprietary technology platform; its technology footprint is limited to procurement of third-party assistive devices such as eSight Go vision enhancement hardware and the Seeing AI application for student use.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations, with five concurrent streams: individual giving (online PayPal, mail, annual programs), corporate sponsorships, planned giving, event-based fundraising, and grants from community and corporate foundations. The organization operates with a five-person team (Executive Director Samuel S. Hook, Director of Development Weslie Higdon, Grants Coordinator Alice Lang, Finance Manager Rebecca Farr, Administrative Assistant Amanda Coleman) from a single headquarters at 355 Cedar Springs Road, Spartanburg. Since inception the foundation states it has contributed more than $15 million to the school.

Name

SC School for the deaf and blind foundation

Legal name

SC School for the Deaf and the Blind Foundation

Website

https://scsdbfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The SC School for the Deaf and the Blind Foundation is a Spartanburg-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises charitable funds to supplement state and federal support for South Carolina's only specialized public school for deaf, blind, and sensory multi-disabled students, serving 250+ on-campus and 1,400+ outreach students statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Education Fundraising Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Nonprofit fundraising services
• Special education support
• Corporate sponsorship programs
• Planned giving services
• Community event fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Spartanburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals through online PayPal system, mail, or annual giving programs. Donor recognition levels range from Patron ($100) to Champion ($10,000).
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships at multiple levels: Bronze ($2,500-$4,999), Silver ($5,000-$9,999), Gold ($10,000-$24,999), Gold Plus ($25,000-$49,999), and Platinum ($50,000+).
3. Planned Giving: The 1849 Society recognizes planned gifts including bequests, life insurance transfers, retirement fund designations, charitable gift annuities, and trusts.
4. Event Fundraising: Revenue from events including Cook-Off raffles, art shows, car/truck/motorcycle shows, BBQ competitions, and sporting clay tournaments.
5. Grant Funding: Funding from foundation and corporate grants including Spartanburg County Foundation, Mary Black Foundation, SC Ports Authority, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The foundation raises charitable funds from individual donors, corporations, and community foundations to supplement state and federal funding for the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind. It manages individual giving programs, corporate sponsorships, planned giving, annual fundraising events, and grant applications, channeling the proceeds into instructional resources, adaptive technologies, and growth experiences for deaf, blind, and sensory multi-disabled students in South Carolina.

Product overview

The SC School for the Deaf and the Blind Foundation is a nonprofit fundraising organization supporting the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind. It operates as a single unified offering centered on fundraising and donor support, rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The foundation's portfolio consists of scholarship funds (Jessica Lauren Brettin Scholarship, Lesley Aycock Scholarship), annual fundraising events (Cook-Off, Art Show & Auction, Car/Truck/Motorcycle Show, BBQ Classic, Aim High & Let 'em Fly Sporting Clay Tournament), planned giving programs (1849 Society), donor recognition opportunities (Brick & Chair Naming), educational support programs (Instructional Resources, Adaptive Technologies, Growth Experiences), and a Wish List giving program. Corporate sponsorships are available at multiple levels. The foundation does not offer a technology product or software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jessica Lauren Brettin Scholarship A scholarship fund established in memory of Jessica Lauren Brettin to support students at the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind.
• Lesley Aycock Scholarship Fund A scholarship fund established in memory of Lesley Aycock to support students at the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind.
• Annual Cook-Off Event Annual cooking competition fundraiser featuring teams preparing tacos, with community voting and awards including Golden Spoon Award and Taster's Choice Award.
• Art Show & Auction Annual student art show and auction featuring paintings, ceramics, pottery, note cards, candles, and jewelry created by students, with proceeds supporting the Fine Arts Program.
• Car, Truck & Motorcycle Show Vehicle exhibition event featuring cars, trucks, and motorcycles with participant registration and spectator activities.
• SCSDB BBQ Classic Annual BBQ competition event held on the campus of the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind.
• Aim High & Let 'em Fly Sporting Clay Tournament Annual sporting clay tournament at Cleghorn Gun Club benefiting students at the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind, with various sponsorship levels.
• Vision Summit Professional registration event with tiered pricing for professionals, students/parents, and organizations (for-profit and non-profit).
• 1849 Society Planned Giving Program Estate planning recognition society for individuals who include SCSDB in their planned giving, offering bequests, life insurance, retirement fund, annuity, and trust options.
• Brick & Chair Naming Opportunities Commemorative naming opportunities through purchasing inscribed bricks for the Courtyard of Walker Hall or auditorium chairs, with tiered pricing.
• Instructional Resources Program Support for instructional tools and resources that assist teachers in helping students learn, supplementing state and federal funding.
• Adaptive Technologies Program Support for advanced resources and alternative devices that students rely on to help them learn, both in and out of the classroom.
• Growth Experiences Program Support for dynamic extracurricular programming and student life experiences that develop the whole student.
• Corporate Sponsorship Program Corporate sponsorship program with platinum through bronze tiers ranging from $50,000+ to $2,500-$4,999.
• Wish List Program Rolling list of needs and wants at SCSDB including educational supplies, technology, equipment, and student necessities.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 250 students served on campus and 1,400+ through statewide outreach
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Association for the Deaf: National civil rights organization for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community; broader incumbent in the deaf-education and advocacy ecosystem where the foundation serves a local subset of beneficiaries.
• Leader Dogs for the Blind: National nonprofit providing guide dog services and residential programs to people who are blind or visually impaired; comparable donor-supported model serving the same blind-student population segment.
• American Foundation for the Blind: National nonprofit serving people who are blind or visually impaired through advocacy, research, and programs; broader incumbent operating at scale across vision impairment where SCSDB Foundation operates locally for blind and deafblind students.
• Junior Blind of America (Ability First / Junior Blind): Regional nonprofit serving children and adults who are blind, visually impaired, or deafblind across Southern California; comparable mission focus on sensory disability with broader service area.

Direct peers

• Perkins School for the Blind: Historic private institution and associated philanthropy serving students who are blind or deafblind; directly comparable as a national leader in sensory-disability education and donor-supported programs.
• Texas School for the Deaf Foundation: Nonprofit fundraising arm supporting the Texas School for the Deaf, with comparable individual giving, planned giving, corporate sponsorships, and event-based fundraising programs for a residential deaf-education institution.
• California School for the Deaf, Fremont: California state-operated residential school for the deaf with affiliated foundation fundraising; structural peer as another single-state, publicly chartered deaf school serving K-12 students.
• Florida School for the Deaf and Blind Foundation: Independent fundraising foundation for a state-operated public residential school serving deaf, blind, and sensory multi-disabled students, structurally analogous to SCSDB Foundation and serving the most directly comparable mission in a peer state.
• American School for the Deaf: One of the oldest U.S. schools for the deaf with associated foundation giving programs serving deaf and hard-of-hearing students; a direct analogue as a private, deaf-education institution.
• Kentucky School for the Deaf Foundation: State school and foundation serving deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Kentucky; comparable fundraising and donor-program structure for sensory-disability education.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SCSDBFOUNDATION
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCioWVNZG97K5Qd4D8YqW27A
• Facebookfacebook.com/SCSDBFOUNDATION
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sc-school-for-the-deaf-and-the-blind-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/scsdbfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about SC School for the deaf and blind foundation