Central Carolina Community Foundation rings bell for fundraising school
Midlands arts nonprofits encouraged to apply for pilot program
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, February 18, 2022
Over the years, Central Carolina Community Foundation nonprofits have connected well with Rachel Ramjattan and learned a lot.
She has gone out on her own and recently started “
The Fundraising School." The school, while ideal for small-medium sized nonprofits, can work for any size organization.
The CCCF board has approved funding for up to 20 organizations to participate in the fundraising school. The cohort will begin March 8 and there are 7 sessions in total that will be wrapped up by May 10. CCCF asked the S.C. Arts Commission to share this opportunity with grantees to see if any have interest in participating. The cost per nonprofit is $2,500 and two people from each nonprofit should attend (additional staff are $1,000 each). The application period will close February 18.
Nonprofits in the following counties are eligible:
- Calhoun
- Clarendon
- Fairfield
- Kershaw
- Lee
- Lexington
- Newberry
- Orangeburg
- Richland
- Saluda
- Sumter
How to apply
To set up an account and apply for admission start on this page. Questions? Reach out to CCCF's Erin Johnson: erin@yourfoundation.org or 803.978.7822.
One Columbia to provide Columbia artist relief
$100,000 fund goes live today
Columbia area artists may apply starting today for a new potential source of relief.
The Artists’ Emergency Fund was created to provide 40 emergency grants of $2,500 each to support professional artists in the Columbia area. By providing these funds, the partners hope to provide assistance for artists facing hardships caused by the loss of events, performances, and sales. The program serves the mission of the three partner organizations by supporting an ecosystem for professional artists to live, work and remain in and around Columbia.
The funds provided by this program can be used to assist artists with any relevant professional needs including artist supplies and materials, rent or mortgage, health insurance, or another professional purpose.
This fund was developed out of a partnership among the
Knight Foundation,
Central Carolina Community Foundation and
One Columbia for Arts and Culture. The Knight Foundation has committed $100,000 to assist artists in the Columbia area in order to temper the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting emergency shutdowns.
Go here to learn more and apply.
One SC Fund awards more than $313,000
More than $4.8 million distributed to nonprofits since fund’s inception
Awards for hurricane relief and disaster preparation
The One SC Fund Committee awarded $313,344 in grants to 11 organizations across South Carolina for disaster relief and recovery projects in the fall 2019 grant cycle.
To date, the One SC Fund—established by former Gov. Nikki Haley in November 2015 after the Thousand Year Flood to help South Carolinians who are recovering from a disaster—has awarded more than $4.86 million in grants to nonprofits to support disaster recovery projects across the state and helped more than 2,400 families return home.
The fund is housed and administered by Central Carolina Community Foundation. The foundation does not charge fees for this work, ensuring that 100% of monies donated are granted to local nonprofits providing disaster relief and recovery.
“The One SC Fund has helped thousands of South Carolinians affected by disaster return home during the past four years,” said
JoAnn Turnquist, president and CEO of Central Carolina Community Foundation. “We’re grateful for the many generous donors who have helped these families and individuals.”
No arts organizations were part of this round of awards, but nonprofit arts organizations are eligible to receive funding. Find information about applying for grants at
www.yourfoundation.org/OneSCGrants. The next round of applications will be accepted from Feb. 1-29, 2020.
There is still much work required to rebuild South Carolina from recent disasters—work that will require funding. Donations to the One SC Fund are being accepted and will help continue the work of serving those impacted by past, current, and future disasters that hit our state. 100% of monies donated will be granted to local nonprofits providing disaster relief and recovery.
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 your 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
About Central Carolina Community Foundation
Central Carolina Community Foundation, the Midlands' center for philanthropy, is a nonprofit organization serving 11 counties in the Midlands by distributing grants and scholarships and linking the resources of donors, nonprofits and area leaders to communities in need. Major initiatives include the online giving challenge Midlands Gives, On the Table, Connected Communities grants, the One SC Fund, Annual scholarships, and more. For more information about the Foundation, visit
www.yourfoundation.org or call 803.254.5601.
New funding partner for potential arts businesses
- Central Carolina Community Foundation to help develop Midlands arts-based businesses
- Joins statewide initiative begun by S.C. Arts Commission and CommunityWorks of Greenville
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Midlands artisans hoping to turn a passion into a business in the New Year now have help from Central Carolina Community Foundation as it joins an S.C. Arts Commission initiative.
Central Carolina Community Foundation (CCCF) joins
ArtsGrowSC, a new program that combines the strengths of the
S.C. Arts Commission and Greenville-based
CommunityWorks, a community development finance institution, to offer qualifying artists resources – including a savings program, micro-loans, business venture loans, matching grants, personalized coaching, and workshops – that will help develop and grow arts-based business ventures.
ArtsGrowSC is being implemented to allow arts-based businesses to further contribute to the $9.2 billion generated by South Carolina’s core creative industries.
Involvement by CCCF will increase the number of artisans who can open Individual Development Accounts (IDA’s), specifically in its 11-county service area. CommunityWorks serves as a statewide IDA funding partner for the matched savings program. Artists who use an IDA to save would see a 2:1 match, so a savings of $1,000 would be matched by $1,000 from one of the participating funders, based on artist location, and another $1,000 from the Arts Commission.
Additional avenues of support from ArtsGrowSC include personal development and business coaching workshops that lead to the next-step Artists Ventures Initiative (AVI) grant program. AVI provides one-time grants to encourage the creation of artist-driven, arts-based business ventures that will provide career satisfaction and sustainability for S.C. artists. Grants can be used to launch a new venture or significantly alter an existing venture. A one-time project could receive up to $3,500, and on-going business ventures can get up to $5,000. The deadline to submit a letter of intent to seek an AVI grant is Jan. 18.
AVI grantees may then qualify for the Business Builder Loan program, wherein CommunityWorks could lend qualifying artists up to $15,000 to expand their ventures.
For more information, visit SouthCarolinaArts.com, email Joy Young at
jyoung@arts.sc.gov, or call 803.734.8203.
ABOUT THE SOUTH CAROLINA ARTS COMMISSION
The South Carolina Arts Commission is the state agency charged with creating a thriving arts environment that benefits all South Carolinians, regardless of their location or circumstances.
Created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the Arts Commission works to increase public participation in the arts by providing services, grants, and leadership initiatives in three areas:
- arts education,
- community arts development,
- and artist development.
Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the Arts Commission is funded by the state of South Carolina, by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts and other sources. For more information, visit SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.
Central Carolina Community Foundation awards Connected Communities grants to launch seven innovative projects
Central Carolina Community Foundation has awarded Connected Communities grants to seven nonprofits for new projects designed to enrich the Midlands region:
- Columbia Museum of Art: “Cut! Costume and the Cinema” – Visitors will peek behind the scenes into the craftsmanship and artistry of cinematic costume design with this international arts and education exhibition, including 43 costumes from 25 well-known films, depicting five centuries of history, drama and comedy. The exhibit, which aims to draw new, cross-generational audiences to the Midlands, will be on display at the Columbia Museum of Art from November 18, 2016 to February 19, 2017.
- Doko Meadows Park Foundation Amphitheatre Project – First-class performances and arts and community events will have a new home within Blythewood’s 25-acre, master-planned Doko Meadows Park, where the Doko Meadows Park Foundation will construct a new amphitheater, welcoming audiences and visitors of all socioeconomic backgrounds, ages and abilities.
- EngenuitySC: What’s Next Midlands – Economic development nonprofit EngenuitySC will launch its second year of What’s Next Midlands, the collaborative crowdsourcing program aimed to gather great ideas for Midlands improvement from residents, and then connect those ideas with the community, capital and volunteers needed to turn them into reality. The program will complete one publicly vetted and approved project per quarter. The first What’s Next Midlands project to be funded has recently added brightly colored, metal patio tables and chairs along Main Street to add social seating during events and peak times (pictured above).
- Riverbanks Society: Waterfall Junction at Riverbanks Botanical Garden – Waterfall Junction – a new attraction within the Riverbanks Botanical Garden – shelters three acres of ponds, creeks, falls and meadows, inviting visitors of all ages to connect with nature through hands-on exploration, imaginative learning and social offerings. The grant provides funding for public gathering and education sites within the new attraction.
- South Carolina Philharmonic: Conduct the Phil – The S.C. Philharmonic expands their successful pop-up, interactive experience that allows the public to conduct the orchestra, holding Conduct the Phil sessions in isolated areas of the community to interact with new audiences including the homeless, mentally challenged, incarcerated, physically ill and at-risk youth populations.
- South Carolina State Museum: RACE: Are We So Different? – The concept of race is scientifically and culturally examined, pondered and challenged at the S.C. State Museum’s new exhibit, which explores three primary themes – the science of human variation, the history of the idea of race and the contemporary experience of race and racism in the U.S. – and explains why we should celebrate our differences. Associated programs complement the exhibit, displayed from June 11 to September 11, 2016.
- The Jasper Project: Marked by the Water – In commemoration of the first anniversary of the devastating South Carolina flood in October 2015, local artists and community members will collaborate and produce a multi-disciplinary community arts project, featuring visual art, literary elements, music and dance. Funding from the Foundation will support the publication of a book containing collected works from this project.
The grant recipients presented innovative ideas that embrace one or more of the following three focus areas, identified by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Gallup as the three most important elements of an attractive community: Welcoming Community, which promotes and encourages open and inclusive activities and programs; Vibrant Social Offerings, which support the availability of community events, arts and culture opportunities; and Superb Public Spaces, which enhance the beauty and physical setting of the Midlands community. Each selected project encourages citizen involvement and community-wide collaboration.
“The projects selected relate directly to our quality of life and enrich our community in meaningful ways,” says JoAnn Turnquist, president & CEO of Central Carolina Community Foundation. “We look forward to working with these organizations throughout the next year and watching their projects unfold.”
In the 2015-16 fiscal year, the Foundation’s first Connected Communities grants funded local programs such as “What’s Next Midlands,” a crowdsourced regional improvement program championed by EngenuitySC; The Nickelodeon Theatre’s “Indie Grits at the River,” enabling the Indie Grits Film Festival to offer free admission for all events for the first time; and educational opportunities in conjunction with the “From Marilyn to Mao – Andy Warhol’s Famous Faces” exhibit at the Columbia Museum of Art, bringing the works of the world-famous artist to downtown Columbia, S.C.
For more information about Connected Communities grants,
visit the Foundation's website or call 803.254.5601.
About Central Carolina Community Foundation
Central Carolina Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization serving 11 counties in the Midlands by distributing grants and scholarships and linking the resources of donors, nonprofits and area leaders to communities in need. For more information about the Foundation, visit
www.yourfoundation.org or call 803.254.5601.
Columbia’s Indie Grits Festival celebrates 10 years with free admission
Festival theme interprets historic Oct. 2015 flood
Admission to the 10th annual Indie Grits Festival is free, thanks to a Connected Communities grant from the Central Carolina Community Foundation. Indie Grits, presented by the Nickelodeon Theatre, takes place April 14-17 in several locations in Columbia, S.C.
Related: Festival co-director reflects on 10 years of Indie Grits
Artist collective captures flood aftermath in 'creative and human way'
From The State
Article by Erin Shaw
A waterline is a horizontal mark on a wall or surface that is made by water during a flood.
It’s the lines drawn in a neighborhood when one house is devastated by flooding but the house across the street is not.
It’s the theme of this year’s Indie Grits festival.
Related: 5 films not to miss at Indie Grits
In addition to the film, music and technology aspects of the four-day festival, this year includes work by a contingent of artists documenting and interpreting the impact of the October flooding in Columbia. The work from around 20 artists includes photography, performance art, sculpture and a mural that will be on display throughout Indie Grits.
“We’re participating in the post-digestion of what happened,” festival co-founder Seth Gadsden said. “Our goal is to archive what happened in a very human and creative way.”
Related: 5 events not to miss at Indie Grits
Originally, the festival’s focus was on celebrating the Congaree River, with plans to have the entire festival at and around the river, Gadsden said. “We were working with West Columbia, Cayce, city of Columbia, all kinds of private developers. Everything was shaping up, and then the flood hit in October and kind of wrecked a lot of those plans.”
Some events – the opening kickoff concert with Eighth Blackbird and the river concert with Big Freedia – will still take place on the banks of the Congaree. But the rest of Indie Grits required some rethinking, including the theme.
“ ‘Waterlines’ visually and metaphorically represents what’s left behind when the water recedes,” Gadsden said.
In a curatorial statement about the works, Gadsden said Waterlines “is our offering to you, an imaginative rethinking of the powerful natural symbols that have defined our community.”
A few examples of the Waterlines art are:
“Underbelly Up”: Nickelodeon Theatre’s filmmaker-in-residence Joshua Yates scrapped his original project for Indie Grits after the flood and is now recording an oral history of the flood. Yates’ autobiographical film, “Underbelly Up,” mixes audio-only interviews with grainy 16mm film to create an “emotional rumination on loss, trauma, and the construction of memory.” “Underbelly Up” will be donated to the South Caroliniana Library Office of Oral History after the festival, Gadsden said.
“The Ark”: Photographer Michael Dantzler pairs people in his community with floodplain-beneficial plants in diptych portraits. On one side of each portrait is an individual affected by the flooding, and on the other is a plant illustrative of his or her resilience.
“Water Me.” A video game created by Cecil Decker, Chris Johnson, Danny Oakes, James Owens, and Michelle Skipper. The goal of the game is to keep your house plant alive, but if you give it contaminated tap water, it will die.
Make a gift to the arts on May 6 and multiply your generosity
On May 6, you can make a donation to one or more nonprofit arts groups in the Lowcountry or the Midlands, and your gift will be matched or multiplied. Arts nonprofits in the Midlands and the Lowcountry are taking part in Give Local America, a 24-hour online giving day and national campaign to support local philanthropy to nonprofits. In the Midlands, the effort is called Midlands Gives - Magnify the Midlands and is organized by the Central Carolina Community Foundation. The Lowcountry campaign is Lift the Lowcountry, organized by the Coastal Community Foundation. Each community foundation has secured sponsors who will match donations from the public.
As part of Lift the Lowcountry, the Charleston Regional Arts Alliance is partnering with the Coastal Community Foundation to facilitate Lowcountry Arts Day, a campaign to raise awareness and funds for the 30 nonprofit performing, visual, literary and arts education organizations that make up the Alliance's tri-county network (Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties). The impetus for Lowcountry Arts Day was an anonymous donor who pledged $110,000 in matching funds just for arts organizations, according to Maggie Hendricks, executive director of the Alliance.
“It’s really exciting to see something like this happen in our community,” says Hendricks. “This is a key opportunity for the community to learn more about the work of our member organizations and be a part of supporting them, as it takes time, talent, and money to provide high quality artistic opportunities. I encourage everyone to take advantage of the opportunity to invest locally in cultural organizations while being part of a national effort supporting the arts and other nonprofit organizations."
Midlands Gives will raise money and awareness for 150 Midlands nonprofits serving a wide range of community needs, including arts and culture. A gift to any of the participating nonprofits will be increased through a bonus pool and prize incentives totaling $90,000. Every hour, Golden Ticket prizes will add $500 to a randomly selected donor's gift for a total of 24 prizes. During six Power Hours, the nonprofit with the most donors during that hour will receive a $1,000 prize.
Take a few minutes before the campaigns launch to check out the list of participating organizations by visiting lowcountrygivingday.org and/or midlandsgives.org. Then, on Tuesday, May 6, between 12 a.m. and 11:59 p.m., simply select the organization(s) and make your donation(s) with a credit card or debit card. You can check the leaderboards throughout the day to view real-time giving results.
Good morning!