Wardlaw’s “Why Not” Fund Awards First Grants to Two Nonprofit Organizations Working to Improve Education
July 14, 2014
SPARTANBURG, SC – John Wardlaw’s “Why Not” Fund awarded $40,000 in education grants to two nonprofit organizations serving Spartanburg County – Adult Learning Center, Inc. (ALC) and Spartanburg Academic Movement (SAM). Recipients were recognized at an awards ceremony Monday, July 7, 2014, at The Spartanburg County Foundation.
When John Wardlaw was a Trustee of The Spartanburg County Foundation, he shared the idea of a “critical indicators” project to measure community improvement and compare Spartanburg to other areas of the state and nation. Known today as the Spartanburg Community Indicators Project, Wardlaw’s vision is now a national best practice for community assessment, and the Foundation and other funders now use this measurement to determine need and fund projects geared toward community improvement.
Now at 90 years old, Wardlaw is thinking outside the box yet again with the “Why Not” Fund, which was established in 2013 at The Spartanburg County Foundation.
“This will be a permanent Fund at the Foundation that will be used for innovative projects to address the problems of poverty and under-education in our community,” said Wardlaw.
According to Wardlaw, the Fund’s advisors are the presidents and CEOs of The Spartanburg County Foundation, Mary Black Foundation, and United Way of the Piedmont.
“It is with great pleasure that the Awards Committee of the ‘Why Not’ Fund announces that the inaugural grants of the Fund are awarded to these two organizations,” said Troy Hanna, President & CEO of The Spartanburg County Foundation. “Both ALC and SAM provide significant services to the residents of Spartanburg County, and we thank them for asking the question: ‘Why Not?’.”
The following organizations were awarded grants at the ceremony:
1. Adult Learning Center
The Adult Learning Center, Inc. is the recipient of a $15,000 grant, which will be used in ALC’s efforts to revive the program to promote attaining a GED for Spartanburg County citizens in need.
2. Spartanburg Academic Movement
The Spartanburg Academic Movement is the recipient of a $25,000 challenge grant requiring SAM to raise new funds in the amount of $25,000. This funding was granted based upon SAM’s strategic reach within Spartanburg County and with the belief that this lead challenge grant will prove to have significant collective impact within their vision.
The Spartanburg County Foundation
The Spartanburg County Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of Spartanburg County residents by promoting philanthropy, encouraging community engagement and responding to community needs. Established in 1943, The Spartanburg County Foundation is the oldest community foundation in South Carolina. Additional information about the Foundation is available at www.spcf.org.
