Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina Responds to Economic Downturn; Increases Grantmaking
February 26, 2009
COLUMBIA, SC – February 25, 2009 – To meet the needs of nonprofit organizations in South Carolina in this economic downturn, the Foundation will increase Caritas grants awarded from once a year to three times in 2009. In addition to increasing the number of times grants are awarded and the number of grants awarded, the Foundation will accept–for the first time–applications meeting organizations basic operating expenses.
“Everyone is hurting in this economy. Now is the time for the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina to step up its grantmaking and use its resources to help nonprofits serving the poor and underserved,” said Kevin Hall, chair of the board. “It isn’t much, but our hope is that it can make a small impact on organizations and the people they serve.”
The Foundation currently has three categories of grants as part of its grantee-initiated grantmaking program; Caritas, Discretionary and Responsive grants. Caritas grants are intended to meet immediate and basic needs. To help address the current demand to meet basic needs, the Foundation has allocated some funds out of the other two grant categories to the Caritas grants.
“The additional money will give us approximately $60,000 for each of the three grant cycles,” said Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina President Tom Keith, “allowing the Foundation to award up to 20 grants per cycle.” By increasing the number of Caritas grants awarded, the Foundation is able to make more funds available, make funds available more often and award grants to more organizations meeting basic needs. “It is a small but necessary effort to be a proactive partner in philanthropy during these tough economic times,” said Keith.
To be eligible to receive Caritas grants organizations must have an annual budget of less than $250,000 and provide direct services to meet the basic needs of the poor and marginalized. Caritas grants do not exceed $3,000.
The application deadlines for 2009 Caritas grants are the first Tuesday in May (May 5), first Tuesday in August (August 4) and the first Tuesday in November (November 3). Organizations wishing to apply for a Caritas grant should visit the grants section on the Foundation’s Web site at sistersofcharitysc.com.
About the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina
The Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina, established in 1996, is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System. The Foundation is committed to addressing the needs of the poor and underserved in all 46 South Carolina counties by addressing the root causes of poverty, nurturing the growth of healthy communities, emphasizing youth and family and measuring the outcomes of these efforts.
