Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina

What Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina does

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina is a private 501(c)(3) philanthropic foundation established in 1996 with an $82.5 million endowment from the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine. Headquartered in Columbia, SC, it operates as a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System and has distributed more than $85 million to over 3,100 nonprofit organizations across all 46 South Carolina counties over its 30-year history. The Foundation's mission is to reduce poverty in South Carolina through grantmaking, advocacy, research, and capacity-building support to nonprofit partners.

The Foundation's core products are three grant programs plus a fellowship. Systems Change Grants fund organizations working to change policies, power structures, and mindsets driving poverty, with annual awards up to $75,000 (local/regional) or $100,000 (state-level), renewable for up to three years. The Health Care Systems Change Initiative (HCSCI) is an invitation-only three-year cohort program, partially funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, targeting six persistent-poverty counties. Community Engagement Grants provide up to $1,500 for one-time events, trainings, and workshops serving communities experiencing poverty. The President's Fellows Program places African American male students from four HBCUs (Benedict, Allen, Claflin, South Carolina State) into a year-long fellowship in philanthropy. The 2026-2028 Strategic Plan consolidates grantmaking around three focus areas: economic mobility, housing security, and health care.

The Foundation has no proprietary technology platform — grant applications are processed through third-party Grant Interface software. Its revenue model is endowment-driven: it does not earn revenue from products or services but deploys investment returns and endowment assets via grantmaking. Go-to-market is structured-application-based with defined deadlines (two rounds/year for Systems Change Grants, three rounds/year for Community Engagement Grants) supplemented by webinars, advocacy coalitions, and direct outreach. Key partners include the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (HCSCI co-funder), the Rural and Minority Health Research Center at the University of South Carolina (co-producer of poverty studies), HBCU institutions, and advocacy partners such as Wholespire and One SC Fund.

Name

Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina

Legal name

Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina

Website

https://sistersofcharitysc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina is a 501(c)(3) Catholic philanthropic foundation founded in 1996 with an $82.5M endowment, distributing grants to reduce poverty across South Carolina. It serves 3,100+ nonprofit grantees in all 46 state counties through Systems Change, health care, and community engagement grant programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Poverty reduction grantmaking
• Community foundation funding
• Systems change philanthropy
• Nonprofit grant programs
• Health equity advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia, SC

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Endowment & Foundation Giving: Founded in 1996 with $82.5 million endowment from Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine. Foundation strategically deploys this endowment and other resources through grantmaking to reduce poverty in South Carolina. Revenue is derived from investment returns on endowment assets rather than earned revenue from products or services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina is a Catholic grantmaking foundation that funds nonprofit organizations across South Carolina working to reduce poverty through direct service, advocacy, and systems change. Its primary offerings are the Systems Change Grants (up to $100,000 annually), the invitation-only three-year Health Care Systems Change Initiative funded with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Community Engagement Grants (up to $1,500 for community events and trainings), and the President's Fellows Program for African American male students at partner HBCUs.

Product overview

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina is a philanthropic foundation that does not offer a technology product in the traditional sense. Its core offerings consist of grant programs: Systems Change Grants supporting organizations addressing economic mobility and housing security through policy and systemic change; the Health Care Systems Change Initiative (HCSCI) focused on health equity; Community Engagement Grants for community outreach activities; and the President's Fellows Program providing fellowship opportunities for African American male students. All programs are focused on reducing poverty in South Carolina.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• President's Fellows Program: A fellowship program for African American male students at Benedict College, Allen University, Claflin University, and South Carolina State University to gain experience in philanthropy, including grantmaking, financial management, community building, public policy and issue-driven initiatives.
• Systems Change Grants
• Community Engagement Grants
• Health Care Systems Change Initiative (HCSCI)

Products and services

• Systems Change Grants Multi-year grants (up to $75,000 annually for local/regional work and up to $100,000 for state-level work, renewable up to three years) funding South Carolina 501(c)(3) nonprofits working to change the policies, power structures, and mindsets that cause and reinforce poverty, with focus on economic mobility and housing security.
• Health Care Systems Change Initiative (HCSCI) Invitation-only three-year initiative supporting organizations in Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Colleton, Hampton, and Orangeburg counties that advocate for health advancement and address health equity barriers through systems change, funded in part by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
• Community Engagement Grants Small grants of up to $1,500 for one-time or occasional events, trainings, workshops, and celebrations that engage communities experiencing poverty in South Carolina, with activities to be completed within six months of the funding date.
• President's Fellows Program Year-long fellowship program for African American male students at Benedict College, Allen University, Claflin University, and South Carolina State University providing exposure to philanthropy including grantmaking, financial management, community building, public policy, and issue-driven initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• $82+ million distributed to 3,100+ organizations since 1996
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and important.

• Rural and Minority Health Research Center at University of South CarolinacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnered to produce the 2020 research study 'South Carolina: Structural Factors Associated with Poverty' and subsequent 2024 poverty studies. Center provided quantitative assessment of factors contributing to poverty.
• E3 ManagementimportantImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerE3M team hosted six listening sessions with systems-change leaders in economic mobility, housing security, and health care focus areas to help develop SCFSC's community-informed advocacy plan.
• Rozalynn GoodwinimportantImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHealthcare policy and advocacy expert facilitating the Health Care Systems Change Initiative learning cohort of five organizations.
• One SC Fund / Central Carolina Community FoundationimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmergency food response partnership activated during federal SNAP funding crisis to provide emergency food support across South Carolina.
• WholespireimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading statewide sign-on letter urging SC General Assembly to address SNAP funding gaps. Partner in advocacy for food security policy.
• Sisters of Charity Health SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent ministry organization. Foundation is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System, united by shared commitment to addressing critical challenges facing individuals, families, and communities.
• Sisters of Charity of St. AugustinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding religious order. Founded in 1851; endowed the Foundation in 1996 with $82.5 million. Foundation carries forward the Sisters' 175-year legacy of faith, service, and hope.
• Allen University, Benedict College, Claflin University, South Carolina State UniversityimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerHBCU partners for President's Fellows program providing professional development in philanthropy for African American male students.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Duke Endowment: One of the largest US private foundations, headquartered in Charlotte with deep SC and NC programming in health, education, and rural church work. Comparable as a Carolinas-focused grantmaker with significantly larger assets but similar regional systems-change orientation.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: The largest US health-focused philanthropy and primary funder of SCFSC's HCSCI initiative. Comparable as a systems-change health-equity grantmaker and a direct funding partner whose strategy and constraints shape SCFSC's health work.
• Foundation for the Carolinas: Charlotte-based major community foundation serving the Carolinas through competitive grant programs and donor-advised funds. Comparable as a large-scale Carolinas grantmaker with analogous nonprofit-funding infrastructure and endowment-based revenue model.
• Kresge Foundation: National foundation with strong programs in housing, health, and economic mobility targeting low-income communities. Comparable as a systems-change funder whose strategy closely mirrors SCFSC's economic mobility and housing security priorities and whose funding cycles resemble SCFSC's larger-ticket multi-year grant design.

Direct peers

• United Way of South Carolina: Statewide federation funding SC nonprofits addressing ALICE households, housing instability, and basic needs. Comparable as a SC statewide grantmaker with shared grantee base and focus on poverty alleviation, though operating under a federated model rather than an endowment.
• Mary Black Foundation: Spartanburg, SC-based family foundation focused on early childhood development and community health. Directly comparable as a place-based SC foundation funding systems-change and direct-service nonprofits in persistent-poverty geographies.
• Central Carolina Community Foundation: Columbia, SC-based community foundation serving the Midlands region with competitive grants, donor-advised funds, and community programming. Directly comparable as a SC-rooted grantmaker with overlapping grantee networks and similar funding-cycle operations.
• Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina: Charleston-based community foundation serving coastal and statewide SC nonprofits through grantmaking, scholarships, and donor services. Highly comparable as a SC-headquartered grantmaking institution with analogous regional strategy and nonprofit-funding model.

Emerging players

• Self-Help Credit Union / Self-Help Foundation: North Carolina-rooted CDFI and associated foundation focused on economic mobility, housing, and wealth-building for low-income communities. Comparable as a regional systems-change funder targeting economic mobility and housing security — the same two priority areas as SCFSC's 2026-2028 strategic plan.

Regional players

• BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation: SC-based corporate foundation funding health equity, mental health, and healthy communities across the state. Comparable as a SC-only grantmaker prioritizing health systems change — the same priority area as SCFSC's HCSCI initiative.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SCFSC
• Facebookfacebook.com/SCFSC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sisters-of-charity-foundation-of-south-carolina
• Instagraminstagram.com/socfsc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina