South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond announces Angels for 2024

South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond announced the Angels of 2024. Secretary Hammond honored ten Angel charities in a ceremony at the Edgar Brown Building on the Capitol Complex.

“Each year, I look forward to recognizing ‘Angel’ charities that positively impact our Great State,” said Secretary Hammond. “Charitable organizations do so much for our communities, and I always enjoy meeting the nonprofit leaders who work so selflessly to help others.”

The Angels honored are charities that have made significant contributions to the well-being of South Carolinians and that have demonstrated good stewardship of charitable resources.  Representatives from the organizations were in attendance to receive a certificate and recognition from Secretary Hammond. The Angels recognized, with the percentage of their expenditures that went toward their program services, are listed below.  Those recognized are listed in alphabetical order and are not ranked by the Secretary of State.

Cliffs Residents Outreach, Inc., Travelers Rest, SC 93.2%

Habitat for Humanity of Horry County, Inc., Myrtle Beach, SC 83.7%

Keepin’ It Real Ministries, Columbia, SC 95.4%

Laurens County SAFE Home, Laurens, SC 81.2%

Mary Sunshine House, Central, SC 82.6%

Neighbors Together, Inc., North Charleston, SC 83.3%

PlaySafe, Anderson, SC 82.2%

PS I Love You Ministries, Spartanburg, SC 94.3%

Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, SC 95.9%

The Mary Ann Morris Animal Society (MAMAS), Bamberg, SC 99.3%

 The Angels were selected by review of financial reports submitted annually to the Secretary of State’s Office, as well as through nominations from the public.  To be selected as an Angel, the charity must have devoted 80% or more of its total expenditures to charitable programs; must have been in existence for three or more years; must make good use of volunteer services; must receive minimal funding from grants; must have a significant presence in South Carolina; and must be in compliance with the South Carolina Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act.

“The 2024 Angels exemplify the diverse needs and passions of people from all over South Carolina,” said Secretary Hammond.  “It is my hope that this recognition will encourage others to donate their time and resources to an area that interests them, and to do so wisely.  Our office has worked hard to help donors and charities by offering tools such as Give Smart SC, a free mobile app that donors can use to research charities from their mobile devices.  This past year, we have published tutorials on our website to assist charities with filing registration statements and annual financial reports online.”

Charitable donors can download Give Smart SC for free through the App Store and Google Play, and use the app to determine if a charity is properly registered to solicit in South Carolina.   Charitable donors can also research charities by visiting the Secretary of State’s website at sos.sc.gov.  You can use the Give Smart SC app or the online Charities Search engine to learn a charity’s total revenue, program expenses, total expenses, net assets, and fundraiser costs, as well as the percentage of total expenses that the charity has spent on program services. The video tutorials to assist charities with online filing are also available on the Secretary of State’s website.

If you have concerns about a charitable organization, professional fundraiser, or raffle, you can file a confidential complaint with the Secretary of State’s Office by using the online Charitable Solicitation Complaint Form.  You can also submit a confidential complaint directly through the Give Smart SC app.

“I am grateful to have the opportunity to recognize these wonderful organizations today, and I hope that everyone will see them as models for how we can work together to better our communities,” said Secretary Hammond.  “As always, remember to give from the heart, but please give smart.”