SOUTH CUMBERLAND COMMUNITY FUND

What SOUTH CUMBERLAND COMMUNITY FUND does

South Cumberland Community Fund (SCCF) is a 501(c)(3) community foundation established in 2012 and headquartered in Monteagle, Tennessee. It serves the South Cumberland Plateau, a nine-town rural region spanning Grundy County (ranked Tennessee's most economically challenged county in 2019) and portions of Franklin and Marion counties. SCCF's primary function is grantmaking: through spring and fall grant cycles, it awards more than $200,000 annually to vetted nonprofit organizations, schools, community groups, churches, and local government agencies, having distributed over $941,000 in cumulative grants since 2012. A 2022 strategic planning process formalized three funding priority areas: Education, Community and Economic Development, and Health.

SCCF operates no technology products or SaaS platforms. Its core offerings are programmatic: a Grants Program, a joint AmeriCorps VISTA Program with the University of the South placing capacity-building members at 11 nonprofit and government sites, a Philanthropy Internship Program that involves university students in grantmaking decisions, a Capacity Building Fund, and an expanding set of community development initiatives including the Housing Trust Calculator, LIFT Grundy, and Healthy Built Environment work. Its business model is donation-funded: SCCF receives charitable contributions from individuals, businesses, and organizations, plus planned gifts through bequests, charitable trusts, IRA/401k distributions, and stock transfers held at Raymond James & Associates. The organization is governed by a board of directors and works toward a $1,000,000 endowment goal. Recent strategic activity includes 2025 partnerships with the Littell-Partin Center, Millions of Conversations, and the American Revival Festival to broaden programming beyond traditional grantmaking.

Name

SOUTH CUMBERLAND COMMUNITY FUND

Legal name

South Cumberland Community Fund

Website

https://southcumberlandcommunityfund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

South Cumberland Community Fund is a 501(c)(3) community foundation that awards over $200,000 annually in grants to nonprofits, schools, churches, and government agencies across the nine-town South Cumberland Plateau in rural Tennessee, in partnership with the University of the South.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF)

Keywords

• Community foundation grantmaking
• Nonprofit philanthropic services
• Rural community development
• Charitable giving programs
• Capacity building services

Headquarters

HQ city

Monteagle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: SCCF receives donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations. As a 501(c)(3) entity, charitable contributions are tax deductible. The organization runs campaigns including the 'Lighting Up Lives' holiday card program.
2. Planned Giving and Endowment: SCCF accepts planned gifts through bequests, charitable trusts, and IRA and 401k distributions. Working toward a $1,000,000 endowment goal.
3. Stock Transfers: SCCF receives gifts of stocks, mutual funds, and appreciated securities. Account held at Raymond James & Associates.
4. Grantmaking from Other Foundations: SCCF may receive grants from larger foundations to distribute in the region.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

South Cumberland Community Fund (SCCF) is a 501(c)(3) community foundation that awards more than $200,000 in grants annually to nonprofit organizations, schools, community groups, churches, and local government agencies across the South Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee. The organization administers the AmeriCorps VISTA program in partnership with the University of the South, runs the Philanthropy Internship Program, and provides capacity building resources to strengthen local nonprofits.

Product overview

South Cumberland Community Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community foundation that serves the South Cumberland Plateau region of Tennessee. The organization operates as a unified grants-making and community development entity rather than a technology product company. Its core offerings include a Grants Program (awarding over $200,000 annually), the AmeriCorps VISTA Program (in partnership with the University of the South), the Philanthropy Internship Program (student-led grantmaking), Capacity Building initiatives, and various community development programs focused on housing, health, education, and economic development. The organization does not offer technology products or SaaS platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grants Program A grantmaking program awarding more than $200,000 annually to nonprofit organizations, schools, community groups, churches, and local government agencies on the South Cumberland Plateau. Supports initiatives in education, health, community development, and economic development through spring and fall application cycles.
• AmeriCorps VISTA Program A joint initiative with the University of the South that places AmeriCorps VISTA members at nonprofit organizations across the plateau to build organizational capacity and alleviate poverty. Partners with 11 local organizations including BetterFi, Growing Roots, Grundy County Mayor's Office, Mountain T.O.P., and Sequatchie Valley Head Start.
• Philanthropy Internship Program A student-led grantmaking program in partnership with the University of the South that provides university students with experience in philanthropy while awarding grants to local nonprofits.
• Capacity Building Fund Programs and resources designed to strengthen nonprofit organizations through workshops, training, and technical assistance on the South Cumberland Plateau.
• Housing Trust Calculator A community tool to help Plateau residents assess housing needs and resources in the South Cumberland Plateau region.
• Community Development Initiatives Collaborative efforts focusing on affordable housing, transportation services, public health challenges, healthy built environment, and fostering development of community spaces including the LIFT Grundy program.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $941,000 in grants awarded to 22+ nonprofits since 2012
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 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 flagship and core.

• Littell-Partin CenterflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 May 2025A century-old high school being revived as a central gathering place for housing needs, job placement, transportation services, workforce development, therapy, and community activities through arts, music, entertainment, sports, and crafts. SCCF is joining hands with this initiative to help complete the center and make the Plateau a place of hope and prosperity.
• Millions of ConversationsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025An organization working on building trust and healing across divides. Their work began with the Pledge to Listen, inviting Americans to hear others with empathy and engage across differences. Partnered with SCCF and American Revival for community building initiatives.
• American Revival FestivalflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025A traveling festival of joy that aims to inspire confidence that communities matter and can build a brighter future together. Founded by Nicholas Ma, the festival has come to the Plateau in partnership with Millions of Conversations and SCCF.
• Katie GoforthcoreOthers · 13 August 2021Katie Goforth was appointed Director of Community Development, a joint position reporting to both the University and SCCF board. She previously managed the South Cumberland Plateau AmeriCorps VISTA Project and brings 20+ years of education and nonprofit experience.
• Nicky HamiltoncoreOthers · 1 January 2021Nicky Hamilton served as Director of Community Development in a joint position for OCE and SCCF from 2016-2020, building one of the largest AmeriCorps VISTA programs in Tennessee, establishing the USDA Summer Meal Program, and creating the Philanthropy Internship Program.
• University of the South - Office of Civic EngagementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Joint sponsorship of the South Cumberland Plateau AmeriCorps VISTA Project and the Philanthropy Internship Program. The partnership enables university students to participate in grantmaking decisions and places VISTA members at nonprofit sites. SCCF Director Janet Cooper describes the partnership as keeping her 'young' and the relationship has expanded over more than a decade.
• Grundy County Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding partnership with Grundy County schools. VISTAs have worked on chronic absenteeism and family engagement issues. Multiple grants have supported music programs, technology, and educational initiatives.
• AmeriCorps VISTA Partner OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner11 local organizations hosting VISTA members: BetterFi, Growing Roots, Franklin County Prevention Coalition, Grundy County Mayor's Office, GRACE, Grundy Safe Communities Coalition, Mountain T.O.P., SETHRA CASA, Sequatchie Valley Head Start, South Cumberland Health Network, and University of the South OCE.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Boston Foundation: A major metropolitan community foundation that pools philanthropic capital and distributes grants to local nonprofits, representing the scaled-up version of SCCF's basic operating model in a denser, more resourced urban geography.
• Cleveland Foundation: One of the oldest and largest community foundations in the US, Cleveland Foundation operates the same community-foundation/grantmaking model as SCCF but at vastly greater scale, with a regional focus on Northeast Ohio.

Direct peers

• Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation: A foundation dedicated to improving the lives of disadvantaged people in the southeastern US, with strong emphasis on rural community development and nonprofit capacity building, matching SCCF's strategic priorities.
• East Tennessee Foundation: A regional community foundation serving 25 East Tennessee counties, ETF mirrors SCCF's structure of awarding grants to local nonprofits from a pooled endowment, with comparable emphasis on rural and underserved communities.
• Appalachian Community Fund: ACF makes grants to grassroots nonprofits working for social, economic, and environmental justice across Central and Southern Appalachia, overlapping directly with SCCF's rural Plateau geography and grantmaking approach.
• Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee: One of the largest community foundations in Tennessee, CFMT operates the same place-based grantmaking and donor-advised fund model as SCCF, serving a defined regional geography with pooled philanthropy across multiple counties.
• Niswonger Foundation: A rural East Tennessee foundation focused on education and community development in underserved Appalachian communities, structurally similar to SCCF's grantmaking and regional-focus model.

Regional players

• Foundation for the Mid South: Philanthropic organization serving Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi that targets poverty reduction through capacity building and rural community investment, comparable in mission and method but geographically distinct from SCCF.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/southcumberlandcommunityfund
• Instagraminstagram.com/southcumberlandcommunityfund
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-cumberland-community-fund

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about SOUTH CUMBERLAND COMMUNITY FUND