SC Bar Foundation awards grants totaling more than $5.2 million

The South Carolina Bar Foundation has awarded grants totaling over $5.2 million for Fiscal Year 2026. The grants will go to more than 50 nonprofit organizations across the state for programs that support South Carolinians who are living in poverty, facing and experiencing homelessness, and navigating the legal system alone, as well as those impacted by our criminal justice system, domestic violence survivors, and youth interested in careers in the law, among others.

As part of a special initiative, almost $1.5 million of the total allocation comes from the newly created Impact Fund.

“In its inaugural year, the Impact Fund allowed for the single largest grant allocation in the Foundation’s more than 50-year history,” said Tom Gressette, President of the Foundation’s
Board of Directors, “This year,” Gressette said, “the Impact Fund provided grants to offset the current and anticipated federal funding losses for many grantee organizations while also
empowering innovative and impactful programs and projects.”

Three specific projects were selected in this initial round of impact funding with grant awards totaling over $445,000:

• A return-on-value assessment of the Upstate Medical Legal Partnership, which integrates legal services into healthcare settings, leading to better health outcomes, reduced healthcare utilization, and improved quality of life
• A feasibility study to consider expanding the sliding-fee-scale services offered by Charleston Legal Access to other parts of the state. Currently, Charleston Legal Access is the only legal provider for those who do not qualify for legal aid but who also cannot afford a private attorney.
• The South Carolina Supreme Court Historical Society’s museum-quality exhibit for a semi-permanent display on the history of the South Carolina Judicial System in the lobby of the South Carolina Supreme Court.