Areas of Progress – May 17

Areas of Progress is a weekly roundup of measurable areas of improvement and progress from around the state, especially in the areas of education, entrepreneurship, the arts, the environment, energy, agriculture, and philanthropy.

 

 

 

Conway lights up

The City of Conway is working to capitalize on the character of its historic downtown district to give the city more of an eclectic feel. New on the scene are café lights and rules that allow food trucks to operate in parts of the city. Also the council just approved an ordinance that will allow buskers (street performers) to operate in parts of the city.

 

Thanks to the Municipal Association of South Carolina for sending us this news.

 

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Upstate Forever receives $1 million gift honoring Marjorie E. Schmidt

Upstate Forever received a $1 million gift in honor of Marjorie E. Schmidt, a longtime Greenville resident with a heart for nature and a humble, giving spirit.

The donation is an important lead gift in Upstate Forever’s Crossroads Campaign, which will commence this year. The campaign, aided by Marjorie’s gift, will help preserve several unspoiled natural areas in Greenville County and protect other critical lands in the Upstate. The gift was made anonymously.

 

 

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Wells Fargo gifts corporate funds to support childhood literacy in the Midlands

Wells Fargo presented United Way of the Midlands with a corporate gift of $75,000 to support local early childhood literacy efforts. The gift will help support:

• the Midlands Reading Consortium (MRC), a volunteer tutoring initiative for students in pre-kindergarten through third grade
• the United Way’s Young Leaders Society’s Be a Book Bunny initiative, where tote bags filled with age-appropriate books, school supplies and a toy were distributed to the 500+ children served by MRC

 

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SCRA and SBA sign alliance agreement

We love this type of collaboration and sharing of resources! The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) South Carolina District and the South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) formalized a partnership by signing a Strategic Alliance Memorandum.

Both organizations share the common goal of supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses.  They will leverage their combined resources to:

• further economic development through entrepreneurship
• improve educational opportunities
• advance access to capital and technical assistance

 

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Citadel Foundation raises $250 million in historic anniversary campaign

The Citadel Foundation completed the most ambitious fundraising effort in the college’s 175-year history. The six-year Foundation for Leadership campaign sought to raise $175 million to celebrate the college’s milestone anniversary. It concluded this week with a record-breaking total of $250,690,056 – 43% above its target!

The Foundation for Leadership campaign focused on five priority areas: leadership and the cadet experience, academic excellence, athletics, facilities and strategic growth. A sixth category of legacy giving tracked bequests and estate gifts to each priority area that will be realized in future years.

 

 

 

Would you like to submit an Area of Progress for consideration in the areas of education, entrepreneurship, the arts, the environment, energy, agriculture, and philanthropy?  Please reach out to me directly.  Alan Cooper – [email protected]