The Chapin Foundation

What The Chapin Foundation does

The Chapin Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation established in 1943 by Simeon Brooks Chapin in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and is governed by a Board of Advisors with continuing representation from descendants of the original Chapin, Bellamy, Nance, Springs, and Bryan families. Its core function is grantmaking to five defined focus areas within the city limits of Myrtle Beach and a one-mile radius: churches, church-sponsored non-profits, the Claire Chapin Epps Family YMCA, public libraries (notably Chapin Memorial Library), and public healthcare providers. Since inception the foundation has distributed in excess of $30,000,000 to these sectors, addressing what its founder framed as the physical, intellectual, and spiritual needs of Myrtle Beach citizens.

The foundation's products and programs are (1) a recurring quarterly grant cycle administered through Letters of Inquiry and full applications, with board decisions made four times per year and mandatory site visits for approved applicants; (2) the Scholarship for Christian Work program launched in 2025 to fund seminary degrees, Christian counseling training, and pastoral continuing education; and (3) the Chapin Academy continuing-education series, which provides capacity-building programming for grantees covering governance, application processes, and nonprofit operations. There is no proprietary technology platform — the foundation relies on a third-party grant portal at grantinterface.com and standard website/marketing channels.

The business model is endowment-funded philanthropy rather than commercial revenue: the foundation stewards an unstated endowment, distributes grants from investment returns and principal within its geographic and categorical perimeter, and operates with a small staff of approximately five people. Go-to-market is community-led, driven by direct relationships with local nonprofits, faith institutions, and civic partners, supplemented by participation in events such as the Waccamaw Nonprofit Summit. The foundation has no customers in the commercial sense; its "clients" are a diversified pool of qualifying grantees across the five focus areas.

Name

The Chapin Foundation

Legal name

Chapin Foundation

Website

https://chapinfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1943

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Chapin Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation established in 1943 in Myrtle Beach, SC, that distributes grants to churches, church-sponsored non-profits, the YMCA, public libraries, and public healthcare providers within a one-mile radius of the city.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Philanthropic Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious Organizations (8131)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grant making
• Community foundation grants
• Faith-based funding
• Nonprofit grant programs
• Scholarship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Myrtle Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Making: The foundation distributes grants from its endowment to qualified organizations in five focus areas: churches, church-sponsored non-profits, YMCA, public libraries, and public healthcare providers within Myrtle Beach and a one-mile radius.
2. Scholarship for Christian Work: New scholarship program initiated in 2025 to support people pursuing careers in ministry, including seminary degrees, Christian counseling, and continuing education for existing pastors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Chapin Foundation distributes grants from its endowment to qualified organizations in five focus areas within Myrtle Beach, SC and a one-mile radius: churches, church-sponsored non-profits, the YMCA, public libraries, and public healthcare providers. Since 1943, grant making has exceeded $30,000,000. The foundation also operates the Scholarship for Christian Work program (initiated 2025) for individuals pursuing faith-based careers, and Chapin Academy, a continuing education series for grantees.

Product overview

The Chapin Foundation is a philanthropic foundation established in 1943 by Simeon B. Chapin. It is not a technology company but rather a charitable organization that provides grants to qualifying organizations in Myrtle Beach, SC. The foundation's core offerings include: (1) Grant Making Program supporting five focus areas (churches, church-sponsored non-profits, YMCA, public libraries, public healthcare providers) with over $30 million distributed since inception; (2) Scholarship for Christian Work program initiated in 2025 for faith community careers; and (3) Chapin Academy, a continuing education series for grantees. The foundation operates without a traditional product platform, instead functioning through grant applications and community programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grant Making Program
• Scholarship for Christian Work
• Chapin Academy

Quantifiable outcome

• $30,000,000+ in grants distributed since 1943
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 April 2024$250,000 donation to support HGTC Nursing and Health Sciences Institute expansion; previous 2016 grant for Grand Strand library technology including PolyCom, ZSpace, and interactive screens. Partnership strengthens healthcare and education infrastructure in the Myrtle Beach area.
• Together SCminorOthersSouth Carolina association of nonprofits; listed as a partner organization on the foundation's website
• SC GrantmakersminorOthersSouth Carolina grantmakers association; listed as a partner organization on the foundation's website
• Philanthropy SoutheastminorOthersSoutheastern philanthropy association; listed as a partner organization on the foundation's website

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Claire Chapin Epps Family YMCA: A named recipient of Chapin's grantmaking and one of the foundation's five eligible grantee categories. Not a peer in the competitive sense but a flagship beneficiary that illustrates Chapin's anchor partnership model with local institutions.
• Together SC: South Carolina statewide association of nonprofits and grantmakers listed as a partner organization on Chapin's website. Comparable as a sector-supporting institution in Chapin's ecosystem, though operating as an association rather than a grantmaker.
• Philanthropy Southeast: Regional philanthropic association for southeastern U.S. foundations, listed as a Chapin partner. Comparable as peer-network infrastructure for community foundation operations, rather than a direct grantmaking competitor.

Direct peers

• The Chicago Community Trust (Chapin-May Foundation): One of four foundations created by founder Simeon B. Chapin in 1943, providing grantmaking in Chicago. Directly comparable as a sister entity with shared origin, governance philosophy, and grantmaking approach, though operating in a much larger metro area.
• Central Carolina Community Foundation: Community foundation serving the Greater Columbia, SC region. Directly comparable as a South Carolina community foundation administering competitive grant cycles, donor-advised funds, and capacity-building programs for local nonprofits.
• Community Foundation of the Lowcountry: Community foundation serving Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton, and Colleton counties in coastal South Carolina. Directly comparable geographic, demographic, and grantmaking context to Chapin's coastal Myrtle Beach footprint.
• Coastal Community Foundation: South Carolina-based community foundation serving the Lowcountry region. Highly comparable as a regional community foundation with similar grantmaking focus, multi-county scope, and nonprofit capacity-building mission that parallels Chapin's Myrtle Beach role.
• Spartanburg County Foundation: South Carolina county-based community foundation with comparable structure, endowment-driven grantmaking model, and focus on local community development through competitive grant cycles and nonprofit support.

Broad incumbents

• The Foundation For The Carolinas: One of the largest community foundations in the Carolinas, serving Charlotte and the broader region. Comparable as a multi-county community foundation with diversified grantmaking, though operating at much larger scale than Chapin.
• The Duke Endowment: Major private foundation established by the Duke family with significant grantmaking activity across North and South Carolina, including in Myrtle Beach-area institutions. Comparable mission focus on churches, healthcare, and education but at vastly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Chapin Foundation