Giving Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry | 2011-12
Literacy in our Schools
Volunteers give kids a chance Doing good without breaking the bank Giving back keeps philanthropy close to home
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WELCOME
Dear Reader,
President and Group Publisher - Grady Johnson
We at the Charleston Regional Business Journal are always pleased to present our yearly Giving guide, which allows us the opportunity to recognize people, organizations and businesses that make a difference in our community and to hopefully inspire you to become involved as well.
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The Lowcountry has a long history of generous support in meeting the philanthropic needs of our community. For many local businesses, giving time, money and other resources has always been an integral part of their business strategy.
Managing Editor - Andy Owens aowens@scbiznews.com • 849.3141 Senior Copy Editor - Beverly Morgan
If you still haven’t made a commitment to do the same, be aware that limited time or resources is never a reason to prevent your business from making a difference in the community you call home. This 2011 issue of Giving is your guide to making philanthropy a strategic part of growing your business and “doing well while doing good.” interest, we’ve divided Giving 2011 into three sections: Making charitable gifts
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Volunteering
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Investing in education
Project Manager - Renee Johnson Staff Writers Matt Tomsic mtomsic@scbiznews.com • 849.3144
Why not start now? To make it easy to identify your areas of philanthropic •
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In these sections you will find innovative ways that Lowcountry individuals, businesses and organizations are meeting the needs of our community, and we hope they will provide you with enough information and ideas to help you do the same.
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Volunteer Jim Frye reads with Kahleol Washington, 11, a student at Mary Ford Elementary School in North Charleston. Frye, who retired as president of a manufacturing company in 2002, founded the Mary Ford Foundation in 2006 to advocate for the Title I school.
Dave Shepp dshepp@scbiznews.com • 849.3109 Bennett Parks bparks@scbiznews.com • 849.3126 Robert Reilly rreilly@scbiznews.com • 849.3107
Cover photo/Leslie Burden
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2 Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry
A portfolio company of Virginia Capital Partners LLC Frederick L. Russell Jr., Chairman
Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry
4 Quick Facts 5 MAKING CHArITABLE GIFTS 5.....Finding the right philanthropy fit 6.....The Dorchester County Fund Neighbors and friends come together to create new endowment 7..... To avoid donor fatigue, give wisely
contents
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8 VOLUNTEERING 8.....Skill, expertise and time all ways for businesses to contribute 9.....Do your homework before serving on a board 10 Investing in Education 10...Improving literacy in our schools Book Buddies program helps at-risk readers thrive 12...Giving kids a chance One volunteer helps save a school 14...Education Foundation fosters partnerships between schools and businesses
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15 GIVING BACK 10
15...MeadWestvaco increases philanthropic reach in 2011 15...C of C and Water Missions International team up for soccer 15...TUW fundraising campaign starts with nearly $2 million in bank
16 AWARD Winners 16...AFP recognizes 2011 Outstanding Philanthropists 17...Philanthropy Week in the Lowcountry – Nov. 14-18, 2011
29 Day of caring 29...Charleston Day of Caring a resounding success 30...More than 100 volunteers beautify Park Circle www.charlestonbusiness.com
Nonprofit Spotlight 19 – Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina 21 – Lowcountry Food Bank 23 – The Education Foundation 25 – Goodwill Industries of Lower South Carolina Inc. 27 – Francis R. Willis SPCA 28 – Charleston Animal Society Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry
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Quick Facts Compiled by the Coastal Community Foundation Percentage of nonprofit revenue by sector Neighborhood Improvement $24.46M 1%
Arts and Culture $48.87M 3% Education $295.58M 17%
Human Services $195.18M 11% Tricounty
Environment and Animals $26.30M 2%
Health $1.16B 66%
Arts and Culture $13.28B 10%
Neighborhood Improvement $24.24B 18%
Human Services $26.49B 20%
Education $41.67B 31%
U.S.
Health $22.83B 17% Total Tri-County Revenues $1.75B
Total U.S. Revenues $135.17B
Environment and Animals $6.66B 5%
Largest Tri-County Private Foundations 2009-2010 Revenues
Spaulding Paolozzi Foundation $7,306,824
Jerry and Anita Zucker Family Foundation Inc. $3,248,536
Mark Elliott Motley Foundation Inc. $2,349,345
Charles and Brenda Larsen Private Foundation $2,347,396
Mabel Stowe Query Foundation Inc. $1,262,590
Longfield Family Charitable Foundation Inc.
Morgan Morton Family Foundation Inc.
Alison Foundation
$653,766
Cart Foundation
$646,830
Henry and Sylvia Yaschik Foundation Inc.
$613,378
Cay Foundation Inc.
$557,950
Helen C. Richardson Private Foundation
$383,537
Herzman-Fishman Foundation
$378,897
James R. Warren Family Foundation
$361,443
Richard and Susan Leadem Family Foundation Inc.
$316,094
$890,967 $757,627
Patrick Family Foundation
$283,085 $0
$1,000,000
$2,000,000
$3,000,000
$4,000,000
$5,000,000
$6,000,000
$7,000,000
Purpose
Focus
Website
2010 Charleston Chamber Opera
Performance and education
Arts
www.charlestonchamberopera.com
2010 Jazz Artists of Charleston
Performance and education
Arts
www.jazzartistsofcharleston.org
2010 Medical Outreach Clinic
Nonemergency medical care
Health
www.medicaloutreachclinic.org
2009 Mental Health Heroes
Advocacy and support for the mentally ill and their families
Health
N/A
2010 Pattison’s Academy for Comprehensive Education
Education and rehabilitation for children with multiple disabilities
Education
www.pattisonsacademy.org
2011 PlayToday Foundation
Inclusive play and exercise
Health
www.playtodayfoundation.org
2011 Respite Care of Charleston
Respite, support and education for Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers
Health
www.respitecarecharleston.org
2011 Veterans On Deck
Therapy and rehabilitation through sailing for returning veterans
Health
www.veteransondeck.org
Health
www.yogabenefitskids.org
Recent nonprofit startups Year
Organization
2011 Yoga Benefits Kids Health and well-being through yoga, for youth
4 Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry
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MAKING CHArITABLE GIFTS
Finding the right philanthropy fit By Laura M. Camacho
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family-centered giving. Friends of Sullivan’s Island, Women Making a Difference and the Dorchester County Fund are three examples. In these cases, the foundation serves as the convener, an adviser for the organization. For the year that ended June 30, Coastal Community Foundation granted $9.9 million to 735 nonprofits. For Lowcountry businesses, approaches to corporate giving vary. According to Christopher Ibsen, marketing director for the 100% employee-owned Piggly Wiggly, the company’s Charitable Giving Committee makes all How to choose Coastal Community Foundation com- the corporate giving decisions at its monthly meetings. Membership on this munication and marketing direccommittee cuts across multiple tor Christine Beddia knows departments and seniortwo things for certain. One ity levels. Donations go is that philanthropy is to nonprofits operating highly personal, which in South Carolina and means no one-sizecoastal Georgia; Piggly fits-all way of giving Wiggly’s donation reexists; second is the The Charity Golf Classic is Piggly cipients are “incredfact that anyone can Wiggly’s largest annual charity event, ibly diverse,” Ibsen give. She said, “You do benefiting the Piggly Wiggly said. not have to be a millionCommunity Pride Foundation. Some five years ago, aire to make a difference.” Source: Progressivegrocer.com the committee created a The 37-year-old CoastPiggly Wiggly Community al Community Foundation Pride Fund with help from the serves local donors wanting to Coastal Community Foundation. Almaximize their giving impact. One though much of the company’s giving is shift this organization has been seedirected through this fund, Ibsen said the ing is groups of friends or grass-roots company still cuts checks independently. action, rather than just individual or hilanthropy has no immunity from the new economic normal. However, the greater Charleston area, historically accustomed to overcoming calamity, is well-equipped to deal with the challenge of meeting community needs amid uncertainty and change. Still, it can be difficult to allocate dwindling dollars and limited employee or volunteer resources in response to ever-increasing requests for aid.
For Dayna Elliott, the person responsible for giving at Maverick Southern Kitchens — which owns and operates Slightly North of Broad, High Cotton and the Old Village Post House, among other restaurants, and Charleston Cooks kitchen store — the Internet is transforming philanthropy as much as or more than the economy. Because of the Web, she recently The Takeaway got a random dona- 3 Seek employee input tion request from a on causes and social symphony in anoth- needs you would like er state. Faced with to serve. a barrage of online 3 Decide how much of pleas for aid, how your budget you can does a company de- allocate to charitable cide to which ones it giving. will respond? 3 Write a single check or Together with spread out your managers and em- contributions over time ployees at Maverick or between causes. Southern Kitchens, Elliott has decided on three core social needs to serve: the homeless, the hungry and public education. “These three areas make sense for our company,” she said. “Nevertheless, we also give to the Special Olympics, the School of Building Arts, a local theater group and others. We spread out our contributions; another company might just write one big check each year.”
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How to say ‘no’ nicely
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his is not about saying “no” to the Cub Scout pack selling popcorn or the 12-year-old cellist raising funds for her school orchestra. Coastal Community Foundation CEO George Stevens said, “No one is expected to give to every cause, but everyone is expected to try to help their community, whether through a contribution of time, money or expertise.” With limited resources, however, it helps to take the time to be more strategic in giving so that those limited resources make a greater impact in the community.
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It’s much easier to say “no” if you’ve already put some thought into the causes to which you want to direct your giving. And no matter how generous the endowment from a business or organization, the bucket does have a bottom and there are only so many charitable causes that you or your business can help. Piggly Wiggly’s Christopher Ibsen said, “Ultimately we have to make judgment calls that are aligned with our culture and values.” George Tupper of Summerville-based Tupperway Construction agreed, saying, “I tell people
our personal giving budget is already decided for this year, but it could be possible for next year. I’ll also send them to a (nonprofit) fund, if they’re local.” Tupper and his wife, Jane, started the Dorchester County Fund. Cutting ties with nonprofits sometimes serves the greater good. Maintaining contact with potential donors costs nonprofits money, and if a person or business is truly not committed to that cause, unsubscribing from the email or mailing list is the right thing to do. Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry
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MAKING CHArITABLE GIFTS
The Dorchester County Fund Neighbors and friends come together to create new endowment By Laura M. Camacho
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t is safe to say that neither George nor Jane Tupper had philanthropy on the brain when they first met on a blind date on Johns Island 51 years ago. Giving was simply woven into the tapestry of their daily lives. “My grandfather was a physician who often gave his time without being paid,” George Tupper said. “Our church backgrounds encouraged us to be systematic about giving. During Lent, we would try to fill up our mite boxes to help the less fortunate,” Jane Tupper said. She recalled those long-ago days filling special cards with slots for ten dimes to raise money for community projects at school. More than half a century after they met, Jane and George Tupper are still “systematic about giving,” and their names are almost synonymous with the new Dorchester County Fund. George Tupper first saw the value of creating a fund a few years ago when he served on the board of the Saul Alexander Fund, managed by the Coastal Community Foundation. “This man, Saul Alexander, had the foresight to leave close to $500,000 when he died in 1952. We have watched that fund grow to reach just over $2.5 million with money given out along the way,” Tupper said. Last year the Saul Alexander Fund contributed $96,385 to charities in the Charleston and Summerville areas. “This is what compounding interest can do,” Tupper said.
see what is happening, and they know this fund is giving locally. It’s an easy sell because of what it is,” he said. By Tupper’s accounting, it was George Stevens, CEO of the Coastal Community Foundation, who approached the Tuppers with the idea of establishing a Dorchester County Fund, which would be modeled on the successful funds already established in Berkeley, Beaufort and Georgetown counties. For George Tupper, this model of giving has one important message to people: “These funds show you don’t have to be very rich in order to give.” He sees the value in combining donations, investing them and setting up a structure that operates in perpetuity. According to Stevens, it was Tupper’s reputation in the community for commitment and honesty that made raising funds so easy.
‘Together we can make a difference’ Inspired to do something similar, Tupper and his wife started the fund basically in their living room, calling a few friends to see if they would pledge $1,000 per year for five years. Word spread almost instantly, and other people soon started calling to see how they could get involved. So far, more than 80 individuals and families have committed to contribute. It is clear Tupper enjoyed the process of getting this fund started. “People can already
6 Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry
“People knew that if George (Tupper) was involved that the work would benefit the whole community,” he said. Stevens compared creating this new fund to an old-fashioned barn raising, where neighbors help neighbors. “It’s not the number of nails you pound that counts; it’s the number of people you bring together,” Stevens said. Money from the Dorchester County Fund will go to local charities selected by a committee of Dorchester County residents, with guidance from the Coastal Community Foundation. Christine Beddia, marketing and communication director for the foundation, said, “They pulled together to create a permanent resource, an endowment, to serve Dorchester County. Now these small nonprofits won’t always have to compete for funding with larger, more established groups in the greater Charleston area.” In its first few months of existence, the fund is making waves with $425,000 already pledged toward its goal of $500,000. George Tupper insisted that he really was not responsible for creating this new channel of community service. “I was simply in the right position to be able to do this,” he said. “I certainly could not have done this without the help of a lot of people. Talk about a joint effort — this was it.”
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“I was simply in the right position to be able to do this. I certainly could not have done this without the help of a lot of people. Talk about a joint effort — this was it.” George Tupper Dorchester County Fund
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MAKING CHArITABLE GIFTS
To avoid donor fatigue, give wisely By Laura M. Camacho
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orthy causes abound in the Lowcountry, and the needs of the community seem to grow and change with the seasons. In these challenging economic times, nonprofits often struggle to expand their donor lists, while donors are forced to choose between ever increasing requests for funds. In addition, natural disasters such as the earthquakes in Haiti and Japan can divert donations away from local charities that Lowcountry businesses and individuals normally support. When it comes time to give again on a local level, these donors either aren’t motivated to do so or don’t have additional funds to give. Giving wisely means making certain your dollars are legitimately and effectively spent. But how do you verify the legitimacy of an organization or group? And how can you deter-
Natural disasters such as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March can divert dollars away from Lowcountry charities. (Photo/U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Brennan O'Lowney) mine how your gift will be spent? Firsthand knowledge or experience with a charity or nonprofit organization certainly helps, as does turning to area community foundations (in the Lowcountry, visit www. ccf.org and www.tuw.org). Many websites rate charities based in part on information collected from their IRS Form 990. Among these are: www.give.org: The Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance offers condensed
reports on 500 national charities evaluated against the BBB’s “Standards for Charity Accountability” of how well a charity governs its organization, how it spends its money, the truthfulness of how it represents itself to donors, and its willingness to disclose information to the public. www.charitynavigator.org: This website features a star system for rating 5,000 charities, with analysis based entirely on data from the charities’ federal tax returns. The site also compares expenses and revenue/cost trends. www.charitywatch.org: offers letter grades for 500 major American charities using a proprietary evaluation system from the nonprofit American Institute of Philanthropy, which runs the site. www.guidestar.org: maintains a database on 1.8 million IRS-recognized tax-exempt organizations and provides do-it-yourself tools for analyzing their nonprofit data.
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Sharing Ideas, Inspiring Action SCANPO’s Annual Nonprofit Conference
Nonprofit Leaders and Board Members
SAVE THE DATE February 29 – March 1, 2012 Columbia Convention Center Plus Pre-Conference Sessions February 28, 2012
The Big Idea
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Board Members’ Guide to Resource Development Co-sponsored with SC chapters of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Hear from SC’s leading volunteers, development professionals and executive directors South Carolina Association of Nonprofit Organizations (SCANPO) is run by nonprofit leaders for nonprofit leaders SCANPO members receive discounted conference rates.
www.scanpo.org Discover the benefits of membership!
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Robert Egger DC Central Kitchen’s founder, will share his inspirational story and passion for nonprofit work. His is the country’s first “community kitchen” where food donated by hospitality businesses and farms fuels a nationally recognized culinary arts job training program for unemployed men and women. Google him and see.
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Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry
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Volunteering
Skill, expertise and time all ways for businesses to contribute By Holly Fisher
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hen it comes to being philanthropic, businesses don’t always have the budgets to write a big check or be the top-level sponsor of a fundraising dinner. But that doesn’t mean a business can’t help. Using professional skills for the greater good is a concept that marketing expert Jeff Taylor knows well. He has helped several nonprofits, including creating a well-known campaign for the Dee Norton Lowcountry Children’s Center, an organization that works to protect children from abuse. About three years ago, the center approached Taylor’s firm, Cognetix, about doing marketing work. When Taylor made the new business pitch, he learned more about the center and was captivated by the work it was doing, he said. Knowing the center had a small budget, Taylor decided to take on the project pro bono, and the result is an annual campaign — “I believe ... child abuse is a grown-up problem” — that brings awareness to child abuse during April, National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Designers at Cognetix work on the campaign and Taylor consults on various aspects of marketing and public relations, but the staff at Dee Norton does most of the heavy lifting. It’s a way for the center to receive professional services and a way for Cognetix to make an impact in the community.
Photo/Cognetix
While Cognetix has received awards and recognition for its work on the campaign, Taylor said that’s certainly not the motivation. “I have kids myself and it’s something I feel strongly about,” he said. “It’s tough not to want to work for them.”
A corporate culture of giving Businesses don’t have to undertake a marketing campaign to contribute. Giving can be part of a company’s everyday activities. As Barry Waldman, vice president of communications for Trident United Way, points out, the possibilities are endless. “If you can’t give money or raise money, you can give your expertise or have a blood drive. There are so many opportunities for any company to weave philanthropy into their operation.” School programs, such as mentoring programs or lunch buddies, can launch a relationship between a business and the school, Waldman said. And companies benefit because they are having a positive long-term impact on creating an educated workforce.
Establishing guidelines Deciding you want to share your business skills and expertise with a nonprofit is a good first step, but it’s not the only consideration for creating a meaningful relationship. Jon Yarian, a partner in SeaChange Public Relations, stresses the importance of a good fit coupled with setting guidelines and boundaries for any project. First, find a nonprofit that truly needs the skills you have to offer, said Yarian, who’s implemented a formal process in his pro bono work. Nonprofits aren’t going to turn away volunteers — even if those skills aren’t exactly what they need. Yarian stresses the importance of using organizations like the Coastal Community Foundation and the S.C. Association of Nonprofit Organizations as a matching service. “Let them help you connect the dots,” he said. The next step is creating a short plan that includes goals, metrics, parameters of the
8 Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry
partnership and a timeline, Yarian said. “Telling an executive directory you’ll do ‘whatever’ doesn’t help them or you,” he said. A plan of action keeps the relationship on track and offers a measure of accountability by giving both sides an agreed upon reference point. In the end, it’s all about a company’s willingness to step out there and serve. No matter what their product, service or skill set, there’s sure to be a nonprofit with that very need. “Don’t assume what you do can’t be of service to someone,” Yarian said. “You’ll find there are opportunities.”
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Nonprofit work also serves as networking tool After the primary goal of making a difference in the community, a terrific secondary benefit to businesses engaged in philanthropy is networking and training — especially for their younger employees. Trident United Way’s loaned executive program gives young professionals a great deal of exposure in the community. Loaned executives are temporary, fulltime employees who are either loaned by their company or hired by Trident United Way to help organizations run successful United Way campaigns. They get training, including Dale Carnegie and public speaking lessons, and spend 13 weeks networking, building relationships and learning about their community, both from the business and human service perspectives, said Barry Waldman, TUW vice president of communications. “What companies get back are more confident, better connected and more socially aware employees,” Waldman said. Trident United Way recruits loaned executives through a variety of channels, including classified ads, usually in the late spring. A few loaned executives start work in the summer, and the rest join them in the fall.
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Volunteering
Do your homework before serving on a board By Holly Fisher
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hen deciding where to spend your volunteer time, thinking about your own passion and expertise is key. And that’s even more apparent when a nonprofit asks you for what could be a significant time commitment: board service. Boards vary greatly, depending on the size of the nonprofit, its mission and its current needs, said Madeleine McGee, president of the S.C. Association of Nonprofit Organizations. “A nonprofit goes through life cycles, and the needs of boards vary depending on that life cycle,” she said. “A startup needs a smaller, hands-on board. A bigger (nonprofit) is run by the executive director.” So the first step is looking not at the nonprofit, but at yourself, to determine what kind of experience you want — advisory and strategic or organizing the annual oyster roast. Think about yourself, McGee said, and ask yourself what you want to do and what you enjoy.
Questions to ask a nonprofit before serving on the board What are the values of the organization? What is its mission, purpose, services and history? What is expected of the board members? Is there a strategic plan for the next year or for the next five years? Is there a new board member orientation or training program? What is the organization budget and how financially healthy is the organization? Does the nonprofit have directors and officers insurance? What are the legal and fiduciary responsibilities? Do board members sign a code of conduct? Ask for a copy in advance. How does the board handle potential conflicts of interest? Source: Get On Board Nonprofit Leadership Training, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce/Trident United Way
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Once you’ve found a match, understand the responsibilities of the board members. Will you be asked to contribute financially — for some boards this is a requirement — or will you be asked to lead an additional committee? Board members also are tasked with legal and fiduciary responsibilities, so understanding your role on the board and the health of the organization is important to protect not only the nonprofit, but yourself, as well.
Pilot training program graduates ‘board leaders’ The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce recently partnered with Trident United Way to offer Get On Board, a nonprofit volunteer leadership training program open to members of Charleston Young Professionals and graduates of Leadership Charleston. The pilot program took 20 professionals, trained them and matched them with local nonprofits in committee and board positions. As a Leadership Charleston graduate, Dennis Hager went through the Get On Board training, in which he gained a better understanding of the technical aspects and duties of board service. Hager, who moved to Charleston about two years ago for a job at SPAWAR, is now volunteering with the boards of the Education Foundation — a chamber initiative — and the Charleston Regional Development Alliance.
Passion, skills The Takeaway and professional 3 Volunteer with the abilities were part organization before of Hager’s decision you join its board. to volunteer with You’ll have a better those organizations. understanding of Hager oversees corhow the organizaporate strategy at tion works and you’ll SPAWAR, so he’s be proud to sell the versed in objectives, mission. strategic plans and 3 Meet the executive metrics. It made director. Is he or she sense for him to someone you respect join the CRDA and could work with? board and become 3 Find out if the board involved in Opis a working board portunity Next, an or an advisory board, effort to align the which will help you region’s commudetermine the time nity development, commitment involved. workforce developSource: Madeleine ment and economic McGee, president of the development. S.C. Association of “I wanted to be Nonprofit Organizations on a board that focuses more on the policy and strategy side and effecting change in a bigger perspective,” Hager said. He also said he didn’t think twice about serving. “This is my community and I wanted to get involved in certain areas, so it was just a matter of determining which ones I wanted to spend my time on,” he said.
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Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry
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Investing in education
Improving literacy in our schools Book Buddies program helps at-risk readers thrive By Jan Scalisi
H
ere’s a sobering statistic: If a child does not learn to read by the end of third grade, there’s an 88% chance that he never will. In Charleston County, nearly 25% of all ninth-graders read at a fourth-grade level or below
upon entering ninth grade. With alarming illiteracy rates across the nation — estimated at 17.5% — more and more volunteers are giving their time to local schools, and they are making a profound difference.
A little tutoring goes a long way Now starting its third year, Charleston Volunteers for Literacy’s Book Buddies program sends 200 volunteers to six Title I schools in the Charleston County School District. Armed with lesson plans, materials and an hour to tutor a second-grader, the Book Buddies volunteers leverage the suc-
10 Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry
cess of the acclaimed Charlottesville, Va., Book Buddy model to bring at-risk readers up to grade level. The Virginia model was duplicated after Charleston County Schools Superintendent Nancy McGinley asked the Coastal Community Foundation to find a research-based tutoring program for children. After a promising three-month pilot project based on the Charlottesville program, the Charleston initiative launched in 2009 under the aegis of Charleston Volunteers for Literacy. It is now flourishing in Mary Ford, Burns, Sanders-Clyde, Mitchell, Memminger and James Simons elementary schools. The key to Book Buddies is its professional reading specialists. Assigned to 16 children per school, the reading specialists test the children, consult with teachers to choose students who have reading scores between the
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Investing in education 12th and 45th percentiles, and create all lesson plans and follow-ups. “It’s easy for the volunteers, because it’s planned for them,” said Kecia Greenho, executive director of Charleston Volunteers for Literacy. “They’re in and out in an hour.”
Impressive results The students are seen twice a week by a volunteer tutor or pair of volunteer tutors. The results speak for themselves: 94% of the program’s students last year achieved at or above grade level on reading testing. And they’re not the only ones who benefit. “The program pulls five or six children at a time to come to our room for tutoring,” said Joanne Calhoun, Book Buddies program director. “That means the teacher’s load of children is lighter at that hour, so he or she can deal more individually with students.” Students ask to be included in the program year after year, and the volunteer retention rate is 85%. “We have volunteers from every walk of life — all age groups, all races, both genders, almost every profession,” Calhoun said. “What surprises many of them is learning about the poverty level of Title One schools — our schools have an 89.5% poverty level and up.” The volunteers find the work satisfying, according to Calhoun, who often hears volunteers describe their tutoring hours as the bright spot in their week. Charleston Book Buddies, which hopes to expand to all Title I schools in Charleston County, welcomes new volunteers. To contact the organization, email Charleston Volunteers for Literacy at info@ charlestonliteracy.org.
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What is a Title I school?
Title I schools are schools that qualify for funding through the No Child Left Behind law, which was enacted to ensure that all children have a fair, equal and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach at least minimum proficiency on state academic achievement standards. In order to meet this classification criteria, a school must have, at a minimum, 40% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
Tri-County Title I Schools Served for the 2011-2012 School Year: Berkeley County School District Berkeley Elementary Berkeley Intermediate Boulder Bluff Elementary Cainhoy Elementary/Middle Cane Bay Elementary College Park Elementary Cross Elementary Devon Forest Elementary Goose Creek Primary Henry E. Bonner Elementary J.K. Gourdin Elementary Sangaree Intermediate Sedgefield Intermediate St. Stephen Elementary Whitesville Elementary Charleston County School District A.C. Corcoran Elementary Angel Oak Elementary Baptist Hill High Blaney Elementary Burke High Charleston Development Academy Charter Charleston Progressive Chicora Elementary Edith L. Frierson Elementary Edmund A. Burns Elementary Ellington Elementary Garrett Academy of Technology Greg Mathis Charter Haut Gap Middle Hunley Park Elementary James Simons Elementary Jane Edwards Elementary Jerry Zucker Middle School of Science Ladson Elementary Lambs Elementary Lincoln High Malcolm C. Hursey Elementary Mary Ford Elementary Matilda Dunston Elementary Memminger Elementary Midland Park Primary
Mitchell Elemen
tary. (Photo/Dav
id Wingard)
Military Magnet Academy Minnie Hughes Elementary Mitchell Elementary Morningside Middle Mt. Zion Elementary Murray-Lasaine Elementary North Charleston Elementary North Charleston High Northwoods Middle Oakland Elementary Pepperhill Elementary Pinehurst Elementary R.B. Stall High Sanders-Clyde Elementary St. James-Santee Elementary St. John’s High Stono Park Elementary The Apple Charter School W.B. Goodwin Elementary West Ashley Middle Dorchester County School District 2 Eagle Nest Elementary Flowertown Elementary Joseph R. Pye Elementary Knightsville Elementary Newington Elementary Oakbrook Elementary Spann Elementary Summerville Elementary William M. Reeves Elementary Windsor Hill Arts Infused Elementary Dorchester County School District 4 Clay Hill Middle Harleyville-Ridgeville Elementary St. George Middle Williams Memorial Elementary
Source: S.C. Department of Education Office of Federal and State Accountability www.charlestonbusiness.com
Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry 11
Investing in education
Giving kids a chance One volunteer helps save a school By Jan Scalisi • Photography by Leslie Burden
J
im Frye wanted to do something meaningful when he retired as president of a manufacturing firm in 2002. Little did he know that his offer of time volunteering at a nearby elementary school would grow into a passionate commitment that would dramatically change his life and the lives of many others. “I started out shelving books in the library,” Frye said. “It was boring, but the librarian needed help, and I said I’d give one day a week.” Nearly 10 years later, Frye heads the Mary Ford Foundation, a nonprofit foundation he founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of taking care of the needs of Mary Ford Elementary School, a Title I elementary school in North
Charleston two miles from Frye’s home. “It has gotten to be my passion,” said Frye, who added that helping a kindergarten teacher was the most fun he ever had. “That’s my school, those are my kids, those teachers are my best friends.” Now deeply committed to the prekindergarten through fifth-grade school and its underprivileged student body, Frye spends 12 to 15 hours a week volunteering. His journey has been the school’s journey, and he has learned and changed a great deal along the way. “I have a very different attitude toward teachers and administrators than I used to have,” Frye said. “Teachers in a school that has very poor test scores can’t teach enough because they have to be social workers, keep kids in their seats, keep them from walk-
ing around, keep them from talking over the teacher. Their lack of focus and discipline makes it difficult.”
Assessing needs key to effecting change Early on, Frye saw a great need for more tools for the teachers, who were understaffed and lacked support. He managed to secure an Americorps Vista volunteer, who helps write grants, secures programs and positions, and recognizes students and teachers who go above and beyond. Last year, a tough campaign to hire an on-site mental health worker succeeded. As of two years ago, students and parents who usually went to the emergency room for health care now have their own health clinic
Jim Frye assists Sevondrelle Delaney, 10, with math homework and listens to Joshua Robinson, 10, reading at Mary Ford Elementary School.
12 Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry
www.charlestonbusiness.com
Investing in education
Jim Frye assists Gamahl Keels-Bobo, 10, with homework at Mary Ford Elementary School. run by a doctor at the school one day a week. The school’s parent coordinator has increased participation in PTA meetings from six parents to 45-60 parents. Partnerships with other organizations — nonprofit, business, religious and governmental — have been vital to the school’s turn-around. In-kind donations such as snacks for teachers’ meetings have improved morale. Partnering with the Trident United Way, Charleston Promise Neighborhood and Charleston Book Buddies has brought in needed services and initiatives. Frye has been relentless in his search for volunteers, telling the story in any available venue, recruiting volunteers and spreading information through word of mouth. In a volunteer sign-in book that carried only his name nearly a decade ago, there are now 100 volunteers. Frye continues his own volunteer work www.charlestonbusiness.com
at the school. He spends his mornings looking for grants, working closely with Principal Mary Reynolds on pressing needs and longterm direction. He serves as a teacher’s assistant in a fifth-grade classroom, grading papers and making copies so the teacher can spend more time teaching students. Putting each piece in place is a complex and challenging job, but Frye said the school is seeing an impact. Teacher turnover has plummeted, from 50%-70% to losses only from budget cuts or moving away from town. The teacher-student ratio is down to 1 to 15, a tremendous factor in the school’s efforts to bring the students to grade level in reading. There’s still much work to be done, particularly in light of across-the-board education budget cuts. But for Frye, it has been the education of a lifetime. To contact Jim Frye and the Mary Ford Foundation, call 843-729-2183.
“It has gotten to be my passion. That’s my school, those are my kids, those teachers are my best friends.” Jim Frye Volunteer at Mary Ford Elementary School and head of the Mary Ford Foundation
•
Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry 13
Investing in education
Education Foundation fosters partnerships between schools and businesses By Allison Cooke Oliverius
W
hen it was announced in the early 1990s that the Charleston Navy Base would close and tens of thousands of jobs would be lost, the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce enlisted consultant Ross Boyle to devise strategies to help the region survive the hit. One of Boyle’s key recommendations was that the chamber get involved with public education and encourage area businesses to follow suit. The result was the creation in 1995 of The Education Foundation, a branch of the chamber that focuses on building sustainable partnerships between businesses and schools in all four school districts. “Our saying is that The EducaThe Takeaway tion Foundation is Build a sustainable where business and partnership between education meet, your business and an and we mean it,” area school. There are said Allen Wutza number of ways to dorff, executive diget involved: rector of the non3 Invite students to your profit organization. workplace for a day. The founda3 Volunteer as a school tion’s board is a or classroom guest mix of educators speaker. and businesspeople 3 Take part in The who collaborate to Education Foundation’s create programs Principal for a Day that help foster a program. b e tte r- e du c ate d 3 Help fund a Workplace student body and Institute for Educators build a more sucprogram. cessful community. 3 Sponsor a single “It’s about creteacher attending an ating awareness educator event. between the two groups,” Wutzdorff said. “The schools need help but don’t know how to ask, and the businesses want to help but don’t know what to do.”
Getting on the same page
ogy, engineering and math. Teachers spend three days each summer at the Citadel’s STEM Center of Excellence and two days in a business partner’s workplace. About 16 companies hosted educators in the workplace for two days this summer, including the Boeing Co., which also funded the workplace experience for educators.
Educators in the Wise program tour the Alcoa Mt. Holly plant in Berkeley County.
Principal for the Day This business-targeted program focuses on giving businesspeople a taste of what goes on in the schools on a daily basis. Seeing students in their element, as well as getting a firsthand look at any needs the school might have, lets executives determine the best ways they can help.
School within a school students graduate from high school with the skills, knowledge and work ethic they will need to pursue college or technical school or immediately enter the workforce. “What drives me is when I see students in high school who discover something in the real world they really love to do that matches what they are good at and what they like,” Wutzdorff said. “When they say, ‘Yes, I want to do that, I want to get in that field,’ they become engaged. And that’s what’s going to keep them from dropping out.” Part of this equation is making sure that teachers spend time in local businesses, where they can gain insight and witness real world application of what they teach in the classroom. The foundation provides a number of opportunities for professional development. Some include: Workplace Institute for Educators Through this program, known as Wise, teachers, guidance counselors and others spend one day a month at various organizations learning about businesses, job skills, job requirements and business needs.
With a primary focus on public high STEM in the Workplace This workplace institute is targeted for edschools, The Education Foundation has created several programs aimed at ensuring ucators in the disciplines of science, technol-
14 Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry
In addition to these and other programs, The Education Foundation is in the process of developing career academies within 12 area high schools. Called Edge Academies, which stands for Education and Development for Graduation and Employment, each “school within a school” will be open to all students and will focus on one of three chosen priority areas: engineering/STEM, health sciences and culinary arts. All classes in a priority area will have relevance for the chosen career track. “We want our students when they graduate to have a future, not dead-end jobs,” Wutzdorff said. “Whether they go straight to work, enter a training program or go to a two-year or four-year school or go on to get their Ph.D., we want our students to know the path.” Wutzdorff said that The Education Foundation is fortunate to have many sustainable partnerships with area businesses and organizations but that he’s always ready to build more. “Don’t get me wrong; we need your money,” Wutzdorff said. “But we also need your time. There are so many ways your business can get involved.” For more information on The Education Foundation, call 843-577-2510 or visit www. edfound.net.
•
www.charlestonbusiness.com
Giving Back
MeadWestvaco increases philanthropic reach in 2011
M
C of C and Water Missions International team up for soccer
eadWestvaco has a long history of community involvement, supporting such agencies as the United Way, March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, Red Cross blood drives and the American Heart Association. Employees at the MWV plant in North Charleston also conduct an annual charitable contribution drive that supports programs such as Metanoia, the Lowcountry Food Bank, Families Helping Families, Charleston County School District’s First Day and Jenkins Orphanage. The plant sponsors at least five community advisory panel meetings a year to strengthen relations with neighboring communities and provide a forum for open communication. In 2011, MWV supported several community-based programs and initiatives. Among these was the Charleston Library Society, which was awarded matching grant money to complete an extensive retrospective catalog conversion for the Charleston Library Society’s natural history collection. The completed catalog will facilitate access to the library’s rare and important natural history books and manuscripts for researchers from around the world.
Earlier this fall, the College of Charleston men’s soccer team made Charleston-based Water Missions International its charity recipient for a game against rival South Carolina, asking fans to donate gently used soccer equipment. Nearly 100 shin guards and soccer balls, 239 pairs of cleats (many of them new), and several bagfuls of soccer jerseys, shorts, socks and T-shirts were collected from school-age children attending the game. The equipment will be shipped along with Water Missions International’s water treatment systems to children in countries such as Haiti, Belize, Mexico, Honduras, Peru, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda and Indonesia. Water Missions International is a local engineering relief and development nonprofit whose engineers, staff and volunteers design and provide sustainable, safe water treatment systems to disaster victims worldwide and people in 49 developing countries. MWV employees serve as volunteer readers for Metanoia’s summer Freedom School
Historic Charleston Foundation and the College of Charleston In a unique public-private partnership, MWV worked alongside Historic Charleston Foundation, the College of Charleston and the Charleston Museum on a historic Ashley River project. MWV provided funding for College of Charleston archeology students to undertake a two-week excavation along the Ashley River, in hopes of revealing the remains of what is believed to be one of the oldest brick buildings built by the English in South Carolina. As part of the dig, Historic Charleston Foundation hoped to identify the significance of the larger Ashley River Historic District and the need for its protection. In 2011, MWV also granted $150,000 to Metanoia, a nonprofit North Charleston organization that focuses on youth leadership development, housing and economic development. These funds supported the construction and refurbishment of a youth entrepreneurship center and a voluntary community center. The company sponsored Metanoia’s annual holiday program, provided volunteer readers for its summer Freedom School and donated rain barrels for the children’s garden. American Red Cross Carolina Lowcountry Chapter MWV has an ongoing partnership with the Carolina Lowcountry Chapter of the American Red Cross. The two work together toward educating the Lowcountry’s rural communities about personal health and safety. In addition to sponsoring citizen CPR sessions for residents in rural Charleston County, MWV has sponsored a disaster relief trailer based in Walterboro. Citizen CPR sessions are planned for other rural Lowcountry communities.
Trident United Way fundraising campaign starts with nearly $2M in bank
T
rident United Way’s Day of Caring marked the beginning of its annual fundraising season. The goal of this year’s campaign, which ends Dec. 31, is $10.75 million. “Pacesetters” — companies that run their campaigns before the official start of the fundraising season — have given the campaign an impressive kick-start, with more than $1.9 million already pledged. Employees of Roper St. Francis Healthcare, who Trident United Way vice president of commu-
www.charlestonbusiness.com
nications Barry Waldman says contribute more annually as a group than any other organization, pledged $508,856. This is the largest employee campaign ever in the Lowcountry, Waldman said. Among other impressive pacesetter results, employees of Jones Ford increased their contributions by 61% this year, with a company match bringing their United Way support to more than $23,000, Waldman said. “People are demonstrating their concern for neighbors in need during a third year of high
unemployment,” said Todd Gallati, CEO of Trident Health System and 2011 Trident United Way campaign chairman. “I am confident that we will reach the fundraising standard necessary to begin achieving our community’s 10-year goals of an 88% high school graduation rate, 30% more people financially stable and 25% more people living healthy lifestyles.” For a complete list of 2011 Pacesetters and more information on TUW’s 10-year Community Plan for Bold Change, visit www.tuw.org.
Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry 15
Award Winners
AFP recognizes 2011 Outstanding Philanthropists Each year at its National Philanthropy Day luncheon, the Association of Fundraising Professionals Lowcountry Chapter honors outstanding individuals and corporations that serve as models of philanthropy and whose philanthropic leadership enriches the community. The Outstanding Corporate Philanthropist Award recognizes a business or corporation that has demonstrated outstanding commitment through financial support and
motivation of others in philanthropic community involvement. Likewise, the Outstanding Individual Philanthropist Award recognizes an individual or family with a proven record of generosity and exemplary leadership in demonstrating civic and charitable responsibility. The Outstanding Community Organization Foundation Award recognizes a community organization or foundation that has demonstrated outstanding commitment
through financial support and encouragement and motivation of others in philanthropic involvement and leadership roles. “These awards celebrate the spirit of giving at its best,” said Kenton Barham, president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Lowcountry Chapter. This year’s winners are Glasspro (Corporate), George and Sandra Fennell (Individual), and the Coastal Community Foundation (Organization).
Outstanding Corporate Philanthropist – Glasspro Paul and Paula Heinauer, owners of Glasspro, a Mount Pleasant-based auto glass replacement and repair company, have recently crossed a major milestone, having now disbursed more than $500,000 to Lowcountry nonprofit organizations through the Coastal Community Foundation. The Heinauers have creatively and charitably used the marketing initiatives of their business, Glasspro, to highlight local nonprofit organizations. Launched in 1995 in North Charleston, Glasspro now owns and operates nine auto
glass centers in the Lowcountry, including North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville, Goose Creek, Georgetown, Walterboro, Bluffton, Myrtle Beach and Florence. President Paul Heinauer distributes motivational memos on a regular basis to Glasspro employees urging them to be mindful of their commitment to customer service and excellence and encouraging teamwork. “In a service industry like windshield replacement, it makes sense that the Heinauers would want to instill in their workforce the hard-to-practice but easy-to-understand idea that if you are generous to people, they will be generous in return,” said George Stevens, executive director of the Coastal Community Foundation, which nominated Glasspro. This approach to creating a network of givers and
receivers helps to “teach and practice the core objectives of generosity.” Last year, Glasspro employees donated a check for $10,000 to Charleston-based Water Missions International after the annual Water Missions International Walk for Water. The Glasspro donation was used for earthquake relief in Haiti. Another notable example of Glasspro’s philanthropic involvement is the daily “Three Degree Guarantee” promotion on WCBD-TV, Channel 2. This sponsorship of the weather report puts the name of a local nonprofit on the airwaves each night. Thus, the Heinauers invest their company’s marketing dollars to not only promote Glasspro, but also to remind viewers of the importance of local charities and the idea of generosity.
Outstanding Individual Philanthropist – Sandra and George Fennell Sandra and George Fennell are well-known among philanthropic circles in Charleston, supporting a wide range of causes that have impacted the lives of thousands of people in the Lowcountry. Through demonstrated civic and charitable responsibility, leadership, volunteer work and the involvement of family and friends, they serve as active and generous models of philanthropic stewardship. The Fennells have provided “leadership-
level” donations to the Roper St. Francis Hospital Foundation, the Carolina First Arena at the College of Charleston (now TD Bank Arena) and the S.C. Aquarium, as well as supporting more than 30 other local nonprofits. The Fennells are members of numerous prominent giving circles, including the Tiffany Circle of the Carolina Lowcountry Chapter of the American Red Cross, of which Sandra Fennell was a founding member; the Ronald McDonald House; Carolina Youth Development Center; and the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry. The Fennells have been active contributors to the College of Charleston for more than 20 years, supporting the Marlene and Nathan
16 Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry
Addlestone Library and the college’s athletic programs, among other programs and priorities. George Fennell is a member of the College of Charleston School of Business’s board of governors, and Sandra Fennell is founder and former member of the Friends of the Library board. Both are also members of the board of advocates for the Dee Norton Lowcountry Children’s Center. “Sandra and George are a powerful force in their mission to support many programs and services across our community, and we are all certainly better organizations because of their involvement,” said Roper St. Francis Hospital President and CEO David Dunlap. www.charlestonbusiness.com
AWARD WINNERS
Philanthropy Week in the Lowcountry – Nov. 14-18, 2011 Monday, Nov. 14
Junior League Philanthropy Celebration Location: City Gallery at Waterfront Park Time: 6-8 p.m. Join the Junior League of Charleston in kicking off Philanthropy Week in the Lowcountry with a “Celebrating the Past, Present and Future” cocktail party. Enjoy drinks and snacks while past and present Junior League members participate in a panel discussion.
Tuesday, Nov. 15
Palmetto Technology Hub Luncheon Invitation only. Register by Friday, Nov. 11. Information and registration: email Lindsey@palmettotechnologyhub.org. In honor of Philanthropy Week in the Lowcountry, Palmetto Technology Hub invites active volunteers and the nonprofits they have helped to a luncheon at Coastal Community Foundation. This will be a roundtable for attending nonprofits and volunteers to discuss their needs for next year, as well as common tech topics and any ideas they have for PATH. In addition, the luncheon will serve as a time to thank volunteers and recognize nonprofits.
Wednesday, Nov. 16
Women Making a Difference Annual Grants Reception Location: Historic Rice Mill at the City Marina Complex, 17 Lockwood Drive Time: 6 p.m. Join Women Making a Difference as they announce and honor the 2011 grant recipients. Open to all members and their guests. RSVP: Sarah Nielsen at 843-817-8544 or womenmakingadifference@gmail.com.
opportunities to benefit the Lowcountry community. Enjoy drinks, oysters, chili from the chili cookoff and live music. 100% of the event’s proceeds will benefit the Realtors Housing Opportunities Fund of Coastal Community Foundation, which supports local affordable housing organizations. Tickets: $20 for Charleston Trident Association of Realtors members, $25 for nonmembers. Tickets include oysters, two drink tickets (wine, beer or house liquor) and parking. Chili will also be available for $1 per sample during the cook-off.
Thursday, Nov.17 – National Philanthropy Day The S.C. Lowcountry Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals presents this recognition of the contributions of philanthropy in enriching our local and global communities. Established in 1985, this special day celebrates the spirit of giving and provides an opportunity to recognize individuals and corporations that have made a positive impact on the Lowcountry. AFP Luncheon and Awards Location: Trident Technical College Complex for Economic Development 7000 Rivers Ave., Building 920, North Charleston Time: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Lunch at 12 p.m. Join the Association of Fundraising Professionals Lowcountry Chapter in recognizing the 2011 Philanthropy Award winners. Keynote speaker: Anne Eleanor Roosevelt, senior vice president for global corporate citizenship at Boeing. Tickets can be purchased individually or for tables. Individual tickets: $40 for nonprofits, $60 for corporations. Tables: $350 for nonprofits, $500 for corporations Reservations: Contact Bonnie Turco at afplowcountrychapter@yahoo.com. For information, visit the Events page at www.philanthropyweek.org. Charleston Realtors Oysters for Opportunities Fundraiser Location: Salty Mike’s Deck Bar, 17 Lockwood Drive Time: 5-7 p.m. The Oysters for Opportunities fundraiser marks the end of Charleston Realtors Care Week, which features a variety of volunteer and educational
Friday, Nov. 18
Charleston Magazine Giving Back Awards Gala Location: Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St. Time: 7-10 p.m. Red carpet show begins at 7 p.m.; live show begins at 8 p.m. Charleston magazine will honor three individuals, one business and one nonprofit organization whose commitments to the community are especially noteworthy. The 2011 Giving Back Award recipients and their causes will be featured in the November edition of Charleston magazine and celebrated at this event. The Giving Back Awards will be aired on My TV Charleston on Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. 2011 Award winners: Volunteer: Patty Coker-Bolt, Charleston Miracle League Creative Talent: Tara Guerard, Soiree Business: Charleston School of Law Community Catalyst: Mickey Bakst, Charleston Chefs Feed The Need Jerry Zucker Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Charles Darby Jr. Tickets start at $40. Get information on the Events page at www.philanthropyweek.org.
Outstanding Community Organization Foundation – Coastal Community Foundation Begun in 1974 with $9,000 from the Rotary Club of Charleston, the Coastal Community Foundation today manages and disburses millions of dollars in investments each year. In the most recent fiscal year, the foundation had more than $126 million in assets under management, grew to 569 funds and made more than $9 million in grants across the eight coastal counties it serves. Its support of the community goes beyond the role of grant maker, as it is also recognized for its leadership role in tackling tough community issues and in supporting the organizational and collaborative development of new and existing local nonprofits. According to Marc Chardon, president www.charlestonbusiness.com
and CEO of Blackbaud, the foundation has worked “diligently and with passion to foster philanthropy in the Lowcountry of South Carolina,” advocating community-based processes and serving to bolster efforts that create promising new charitable organizations and independent nonprofits in the coastal region. Organizations and nonprofits vetted or created with the support of the Coastal Community Foundation include the Center for Heirs Property Preservation, Crisis Ministries and the S.C. Association of Community Development Corporations. Recent initiatives include the Safe Families Initiative in Georgetown to address domestic violence and a partnership to launch a grass-
roots volunteer community literacy program in Charleston County schools. “CCF and its incredibly dedicated and professional staff are an asset to the Charleston community,” said Barbara Kelley Duncan, CEO of the Carolina Youth Development Center. “Because of their leadership, nonprofits grow, develop and thrive within an environment of excellence.”
Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry 17
NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT
Mission statement The Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina fosters philanthropy for the lasting good of the community.
Year established locally: 1974 Geographic area or specific population served: Donors and nonprofit organizations in eight coastal counties of South Carolina. Total operating budget (current fiscal year): $1.38 million Contact information: 635 Rutledge Ave., Suite 201 Charleston, SC 29403 2015 Boundary St., Second Floor Beaufort, SC 29902 Phone: 843-723-3635 Email: info@CoastalCommunityFoundation.org Website: www.CoastalCommunityFoundation.org
Corporate giving contact: Courtenay Fain, director of development 843-723-5736, ext. 109 Courtenay@CoastalCommunityFoundation.org Top achievements in 2011: For the fiscal year from July 1, 2010, to June 30, 2011, grants totaled $9,897,331 in the form of 1,525 grant awards to 735 organizations. During this time period Coastal Community Foundation reached a milestone, with more than $100 million granted back to the community. Sponsored by
Top local executive: George C. Stevens, Ph.D.
www.charlestonbusiness.com
Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry 19
NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT
Mission statement The Lowcountry Food Bank feeds the poor and hungry of the 10 coastal counties of South Carolina by soliciting healthy food and grocery products and distributing them to nonprofit agencies and by educating the public about the problems and solutions related to domestic hunger. Year established locally: 1983 Geographic area or specific population served: Berkeley, Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Jasper and Williamsburg counties Contact information: 2864 Azalea Drive Charleston, SC 29407 Phone: 843-747-8146 Email: administration@lcfbank.org Website: lowcountryfoodbank.org Top local executive: Mark Smith, board chairman
Top achievements in 2011: • Piloted the Food Works Program: The apprenticeship program provided culinary training and job search assistance to 10 unemployed and underemployed individuals who assisted the Food Bank’s executive chef and volunteers in preparing more than 70,000 meals using the Zucker Family Production Kitchen. • Expanded childhood hunger programs: Bolstered the Backpack Buddies and Kids Cafe childhood hunger programs and piloted the School Pantry program in 2011. This program provides up to 800 needy children and families from five coastal South Carolina schools with 2030 pounds of food each month in the school year. • Increased service in lean times: The Food Bank is on target to distribute 20 million pounds of food, an 18% increase from 2010.
Average number of volunteers in 2011: More than 5,000 Total operating budget (current fiscal year): $4.4 million Percentage of revenue dedicated to program services: 94% Corporate giving opportunities: The Lowcountry Food Bank has a variety of Corporate Sponsorship Packages, including: • Sponsor one local Backpack Buddies Program at a Title I school • Sponsor one local School Pantry Program at a Title I school • Sponsor five mobile pantry holiday distributions • Sponsor one 42,000-pound truck of fresh, regional produce • Sponsor one 42,000-pound truck of holiday turkeys • Sponsor one apprentice in the Food Works Program • Sponsor fuel for one truck for an entire year Greatest need: The recent recession still reverberates across our area, and food insecurity is at an all-time high. Families across the community increasingly struggle with the choice of paying for food or paying utility bills, medical costs or other life necessities. Community support will ensure that every child, family and senior citizen has the nutrition to lead healthy, productive lives. Financial and food donations, and advocacy on behalf of our clients struggling with hunger and poverty, empower the Food Bank to fulfill our mission. Volunteers also are vital to feeding the hungry in our community. Each year, the Lowcountry Food Bank depends on 26,000 service hours provided by more than 5,000 volunteers. www.charlestonbusiness.com
2012 goals: Focus on partner agency development: The Food Bank will enhance training, professional development and capacity building opportunities for its 380 partner food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and schools to provide food resources, information and tools necessary to create sustainable hunger solutions for clients. Expand Initiatives that target specific needs: Our organization will continue to examine how it can use its limited resources to make the largest impact on hunger possible, developing new programs and initiatives that meet key, targeted hunger needs. Fundraising events: Chefs’ Feast, Feb. 26, 2012: Chef Robert Carter and the Lowcountry’s most acclaimed chefs will gather for the 13th annual Chefs’ Feast, presented by Embassy Suites Charleston Area Convention Center. The event features fare from more than two dozen top Lowcountry restaurants. Proceeds benefit the Lowcountry Food Bank’s Kids Cafe and BackPack Buddies programs. For more information and updates, visit www.lowcountryfoodbank.org/chefs-feast. The Farmer’s Table, Fall 2012: The Lowcountry Food Bank honors the farmers, food artisans and chefs contributing to the growing culinary reputation of Beaufort at the annual Farmer’s Table. For more information about the all-local feast prepared by Beaufort’s talented chefs, visit www. lowcountryfoodbank.org/farmerstable. Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry 21
NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT the education foundation
Mission statement The Education Foundation is a community-based nonprofit dedicated to building career academies by connecting business and education, working every day to improve our regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s schools, learning opportunities and workforce.
Year established locally: 1995
Percentage of revenue dedicated to program services: 50%
Geographic area or specific population served: Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties.
Greatest need: Business volunteers and corporate investments
Contact information: 4500 Leeds Ave., Suite 100 North Charleston, SC 29405 P.O. Box 975 Charleston, SC 29402 Phone: 843-577-2510 Fax: 843-723-4853 Website: www.edfound.net Top local executive: Allen Wutzdorff, executive director Average number of volunteers in 2011: 325 Total operating budget (current fiscal year): $341,000
Top achievements in 2011: Completion of the master plan for Education and Development for Graduation and Employment Academies. Edge Academies are themebased schools-within-schools that connect classroom content to realworld college and career scenarios. Priorities for initial rollout of Edge Academies are: STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), health sciences and hospitality/culinary arts. Investment Opportunities: Visionary $50,000 or more Leader $25,000 Navigator $10,000 Catalyst $7,500 Pioneer $5,000 Pathfinder $3,000 Explorer Sponsor $1,000
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Sponsored by
www.charlestonbusiness.com
Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry 23
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NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT
Mission statement Goodwill Industries of Lower South Carolina Inc. helps people achieve their full potential through the dignity and power of work.
Year established locally: 1979
Average number of volunteers in 2011: 300
Geographic area or specific population served: People with disabilities, veterans, homeless, displaced workers and those with other barriers to employment in Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Orangeburg Jasper, Sumter and Williamsburg counties.
Total operating budget (current fiscal year): $45 million
Contact information: 2150 Eagle Drive, Building 100 North Charleston, SC 29406 Phone: 843-566-0072 Fax: 843-566-0062 Website: www.palmettogoodwill.org Top local executive: Robert Smith, president and CEO Corporate giving contacts: Tina Marshall, vice president of corporate relations 843-377-2811 tmarshall@palmettogoodwill.org
Percentage of revenue dedicated to program services: 92% Greatest need: Goodwill accepts household items, car donations, computers and electronics, clothes and other items. Corporate giving opportunities: Undy 500 Motorcycle Charity Ride will be held in September 2012. Monetary donations are accepted at any location or by mail to 2150 Eagle Drive, Building 100, North Charleston, SC, 29406. Fundraising events: Shining Stars Awards Banquet will be held in June 2012. Corporate and school donation drives can be scheduled on any date that is convenient for your business. Goodwill provides donation bins and material to help you promote the drive within your business or school. E-waste roundups are scheduled throughout the year in an effort to keep electronic waste out of area landfills. Electronics also can be dropped off at Goodwillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Computer Works Store located on Rivers Avenue beside Ye Ole Fashioned or at any Goodwill store and donation center.
Sponsored by
www.charlestonbusiness.com
Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry 25
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NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT
Mission statement The Frances R. Willis SPCA strives to instill humane principles into society through the prevention of cruelty to animals by feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, reuniting lost pets with owners and finding homes for as many stray animals as possible. The FRWSPCA practices animal kindness and fights overpopulation by encouraging spaying, neutering and responsible pet ownership through public education.
Year established locally: 1972 Geographic area or specific population served: Dorchester County, including Summerville, Grover, St. George, Rosinville, Ridgeville, Harleyville and unincorporated areas. Contact information: 136 Four Paws Lane Summerville, SC 29483 P.O. Box 1116 Summerville, SC 29484 Phone: 843-871-3820 Email: manager@summervillespca.com Website: www.summervillespca.com
and cat litter. New cat cages also are needed. Volunteers are needed for fundraising, dog walking, adoption events and many other tasks. Foster care families are needed on a short- and long-term basis. Top achievements in 2011: Implementation of public spay and neuter program for Dorchester County residents; building of cat medical center; increase in grant funding; increase in live release rate; reuniting lost pets with owners; implementation of the Pet Enrichment Program. Goals for 2012: Continue to increase the live release rate*, replace the air conditioning system, continue to find new revenue streams in a weak economy. *The live release rate includes animals sent to other rescues, adopted animals and animals placed in foster care.
Top local executives: Stephen L. Jackson, president of the SPCA board of directors; Wendy Seay, shelter manager
Fundraising events: Oyster roast and silent auction in February, Paws and Claws Skating Spectacular in March, PAWker Run in September, Fore! Paws! Golf Tournament in October.
Average number of volunteers in 2011: 75 Total operating budget (current fiscal year): $461,200 Percentage of revenue dedicated to program services: 90.8% Greatest need: Financial donations; donations of puppy food, kitten food
Corporate giving opportunities: Businesses are welcome to sponsor fundraising events on their own or provide corporate sponsorships to established fundraising events. Door prizes and silent auction items also are needed for established fundraising events. Businesses may host meetand-greet adoption events for the animals on weekends or host a food and supplies drive for the animals.
Sponsored by
www.charlestonbusiness.com
Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry 27
NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT
Mission statement The Charleston Animal Society promotes responsible guardianship of domestic animals and advocates the compassionate treatment of all animals.
Year established locally: 1874
abandoned, abused and neglected animals.
Geographic area or specific population served: Charleston County and the surrounding areas, including Berkeley, Dorchester and Colleton counties.
Goals for 2012: As a community, we have set an aggressive goal of reaching a 75% live release rate by the end of 2012. This number includes a 10% increase in adoptions and a goal of spaying and neutering 500 more cats in our communitywide trap, neuter and release program. To do this, we must adopt more, euthanize less and spay or neuter every animal possible.
Contact information: 2455 Remount Road North Charleston, SC 29406 Phone: 843-747-4849 Email: info@charlestonanimalsociety.org Website: www.CharlestonAnimalSociety.org
Top Achievements for 2011: Charleston Animal Society was named a Four Star Charity by Charity Navigator for 2011. The Animal Society spayed and neutered more than 9,000 animals, a large number of which were from low-income households. These surgeries were performed to ensure that every individual who could not afford to have a pet spayed or neutered would be able to, thereby decreasing overpopulation problems. Since the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals named Charleston a partner city in 2007, our live release rate has increased from approximately 37% to 63%, which is a record.
Top local executive: Marc Edwards, associate executive director Average number of volunteers in 2011: 300 Total operating budget (current fiscal year): $2.75 million Percentage of revenue dedicated to program: 87% Greatest need: The Charleston Animal Society is working day in and day out to combat overpopulation of animals in our community. Not only do more than 11,000 animals a year come through our doors from Charleston and other areas of the tri-county, we face unprecedented numbers as we have opened our doors to animals from flood-ravaged areas of Memphis, Tenn., and tornado-stricken towns like Joplin, Mo. All of the intricacies of our daily work come down to one simple goal: saving animals’ lives. Using innovative programs of rescue and adoption, aggressive spay and neuter outreach, and widespread humane education initiatives, we are saving more lives than ever. Our greatest need is financial support so that we can continue to provide these services to indigent families throughout the Lowcountry in order to decrease our intake and increase the save rate of
Fundraising events: 12th annual Celebrity Chili Cook-off and Oyster Roast, Dec. 3, 2011, at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park; eighth annual A Furry Affair live and silent auction and gala, April 14, 2012, at Memminger Auditorium; Paws in the Park and The Walk for the Animals in October 2012 in Park Circle. Corporate giving opportunities: • Become a Charleston Animal Society Event Partner and have a marketing presence at our events. • Sponsor free adoptions to help find animals a home. • Sponsor a spay or neuter event to help end the overpopulation crisis. • Have a corporate volunteer day to team-build and help a great cause. • Organize a donation drive of toys, food and other supplies to help animals in need.
Sponsored by
28 Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry
www.charlestonbusiness.com
Day of Caring
Charleston Day of Caring a resounding success For 2011, the Charleston-area Day of Caring project coordinated by Trident United Way yielded participation by nearly 8,000 volunteers and invested the equivalent of at least $1 million in labor and supplies to area nonprofits and community organizations. The 2011 participation was surpassed only by known projects in the metropolitan areas of Rochester, N.Y., and Seattle. Charleston continues to lead the nation in number of participants per capita.
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1) Alcoa Mt. Holly Project: Doc Williams SPCA – Volunteers took down and removed dead trees from the property and also built a handicap ramp. Pictured: Dee Davidson (from left), Marvin Dickerson, Ben Maxson
2) Blackbaud Project: Communities in Schools – St. John’s High School – landscaping school gardens Pictured: Rae Cavanaugh
3) Johnson & Johnson: Project: Sea Island Habitat for Humanity and Lowcountry Food Bank Pictured: Francis Johnson, president (left), and Peter Burrous, chief marketing officer
4) KapStone Paper & Packaging:
5) MeadWestvaco: Project: More than 100 MWV employees helped support six area projects, including partnering with Middleton Place for a river sweep on the Ashley River, which runs adjacent to the historic plantation.
6) MUSC: Project: Gregg Middle School – Sixtythree members of the Facilities and Engineering Department at MUSC renovated seven classrooms, fixing holes, cracks, drywall and more. They repaired flooring tile, bathroom wall tile and parts of the stage; insulated an AC unit; repainted emergency yellow paint on the bus ramp; and landscaped the grounds. Pictured: Antonio White (foreground); Mike Schultz
Project: Chicora Elementary School – A total of 47 participants created bulletin board displays, renovated the school garden and cleaned school grounds. Pictured: Kat Lipata
www.charlestonbusiness.com
Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry 29
Day of Caring
More than 100 volunteers beautify Park Circle On Trident United Way’s annual Day of Caring, 138 volunteers from area businesses and organizations donated 630 hours of work helping Keep North Charleston Beautiful make improvements to the organization’s educational garden, Park Circle, Quarterman Park and Collins Park. During “bloom with beauty” projects, volunteers from Blackbaud, Boeing South Carolina, National Bank of South Carolina, the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command, S.C. Federal Credit Union, the S.C. Stingrays, Steel Technologies, and UPS picked up more than 300 bags of litter and debris and replaced them with 393 flowers, plants and trees.
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7) Naval Nuclear Power Training Command: Project: Community garden project at Miner Crosby Community Center in North Charleston with the City of North Charleston Parks and Recreation Department. Pictured: Lt. j.g. Tram Dinh (background, from left), Electronics Technician 3rd Class Troy Tyma; Seaman, Electronics Technician Striker Chase Smith (kneeling, from front), and ET3s Class Matthew Dessauer, Gabriel Benson, Brian Richter and Shaun Eddy.
8) Publix No. 1055
Project: Painting and repairs at East Cooper Community Outreach. Pictured: Kim Clarke
9) Robert Bosch Charleston:
Project: The Matilda F. Dunston Primary School project included replacing old basketball backboards. Robert Bosch Charleston donated backboards, rims and nets. Pictured: John Rowe (left), Brad Jones
30 Giving: Your guide to community giving in the Lowcountry
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10) Roper St. Francis: Project: Roper St. Francis volunteers assisted East Cooper Meals on Wheels recipients with house cleaning, painting, yard work and minor repairs. This recipient was a 94-yearold woman in Mount Pleasant. 11) Santee Cooper: Project: A group of Santee Cooper employees prepares for landscaping at Habitat for Humanity of Berkeley County. 12) SCANA: Project: Landscaping, painting, maintenance and repairs at Tri-County Family Ministries. Pictured: Clarence Wright (left) and Billy Hoover (right). 13) S.C. Federal Credit Union:
Project: Volunteering at the YWCA’s “Splash of Color” painting project. Pictured: Janiera Green www.charlestonbusiness.com
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Visit our website
www.charlestonrideforhope.com for more information about the Jerry Zucker Ride for Hope
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Get behind the Stingrays this season by showing your support of your local hockey team by attending an upcoming game. For tickets and information call
843-744-2248 or visit
www.stingrayshockey.com