The Duke Endowment announces $1.5 million gift to One SC Fund: COVID-19 Response
March 23, 2021
Applications for the first round of grants are open through March 31
The Duke Endowment approved $1.5 million to support South Carolinians impacted by the coronavirus crisis. This is the second gift from The Duke Endowment to the One SC Fund: COVID-19 Response, a fund housed at Central Carolina Community Foundation, bringing their total contributions to $2.75 million. The gift from The Duke Endowment is the single largest gift the One SC Fund has ever received.
The One SC Fund: COVID-19 Response grants will continue serving all 46 South Carolina counties through a targeted approach that will support South Carolina’s most vulnerable communities. The funds will be used to aid South Carolina residents with locally identified needs, such as food insecurity, education support, rent/utility assistance, mental health support and vaccine rollout.
A tiered approach will be used to ensure counties and populations most impacted by the pandemic are served. As such, a majority of the One SC Fund: COVID-19 Response grants will be made to organizations that are Black, Indigenous or people of color-led and are highly trusted by and deeply embedded in these communities.
“Through the One SC Fund, this grant will support organizations that are well-positioned to identify community needs and provide critical services for people disproportionately affected by the pandemic,” said Minor Shaw, Duke Endowment Board Chair.
The One SC Fund was established in 2015 as a statewide disaster relief fund and has directed donations to relief efforts for the Thousand-Year Flood, Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Florence. In March 2020, the One SC Fund was activated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. By July 2020, over $2.9 million was raised and distributed to 93 nonprofits serving every South Carolina county. These grants provided essential goods and services to over 700,000 South Carolinians, including food, rent/mortgage assistance, childcare, PPE and education support.
“We are extremely grateful to The Duke Endowment for their continued support of the One SC Fund: COVID-19 Response,” said JoAnn Turnquist, Central Carolina Community Foundation president and CEO. “Their financial support will allow us to strategically focus on the counties and populations in our state that have been hardest hit by the pandemic.”
How to Donate to the One SC Fund
Those wishing to contribute to the One SC Fund can do so in the following ways:
- Online: Visit www.OneSCFund.org to make a donation with a credit card.
- Mail: Send a check made payable to Central Carolina Community Foundation-One SC to: Central Carolina Community Foundation-One SC, 2142 Boyce St., Suite 402, Columbia, SC 29201.
How to Apply for a Grant from the One SC Fund
Grant applications are currently open for Priority 1 Counties through March 31, 2021. Visit www.YourFoundation.org/OneSCGrants for more information.
About the One SC Fund:
The One SC Fund, housed at Central Carolina Community Foundation, was established by former Governor Nikki Haley after the 2015 Thousand-Year Flood. The fund helps South Carolinians who are recovering from state-declared emergencies. The fund has supported efforts during three previous state-declared disasters, including the Thousand-Year Flood, Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Florence, distributing over $5.5 million to nonprofits. The fund is activated during times of state-declared disasters. For more information about the One SC Fund, visit www.OneSCFund.org or call 803-254-5601
About The Duke Endowment
Based in Charlotte and established in 1924 by industrialist and philanthropist James B. Duke, The Duke Endowment is a private foundation that strengthens communities in North Carolina and South Carolina by nurturing children, promoting health, educating minds and enriching spirits. Since its founding, it has distributed more than $4 billion in grants. The Endowment shares a name with Duke University and Duke Energy, but all are separate organizations.
