Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina Inc

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $30.4 million (2023)
Assets: $389 million (2023)
Decision Time: 3 months from deadline
Grant Range: $1,000 - $2,455,000 (Catalyst Grants multi-year)
Geographic Focus: Nine coastal South Carolina counties (Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, and Jasper)
Application Method: Online portal, two annual cycles (January and June deadlines)

Contact Details

Website: https://coastalcommunityfoundation.org

Phone: (843) 723-3635

Email: [email protected]

Physical Address: 1691 Turnbull Ave, North Charleston, SC 29405

Beaufort Office: 2015 Boundary St Ste 215, Beaufort SC 29902

Overview

Founded in 1974 with a $9,000 gift from the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston, Coastal Community Foundation (CCF) has grown into South Carolina's largest grantmaking entity, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024. The foundation manages more than $389 million in assets across 800+ individual funds and awarded $30.4 million in grants in 2023 to 418 organizations. CCF's mission is to "create communities rich in equity, opportunity, and well-being by uniting people and investing resources so that all community members have a pathway to achieve their goals." Over five decades, CCF has provided more than $425 million in grants to 5,800 nonprofits, awarded over $8 million in scholarships, and partnered to build more than 200 affordable housing units through place-based impact investing. The foundation was instrumental in launching essential local nonprofits including Lowcountry Food Bank, One80 Place, and the Center for Heirs' Property Preservation.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Catalyst Grants (Southern Lowcountry only - Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, Jasper counties)

Multi-year funding often exceeding $100,000 per year
Total grants: $100,000 - $2,304,000 over 2-5 years
Support large-scale projects addressing community-wide issues
Since 2020: 11 Catalyst Grants totaling $8.3 million awarded
Recent recipients: Beaufort County School District ($2.3M over 5 years), Lowcountry Legal Volunteers ($525K over 3 years), Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce ($1.25M over 3 years)

Northern Lowcountry Grants (Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester counties)

Standard grants: $1,000 - $25,000
Priority areas (Arts, Hospice Care, Alzheimer's): up to $15,000
All other focus areas: up to $10,000
Mini grants for racial equity programs: up to $5,000
Special programs including Volvo Community Grants for Berkeley County area

Southern Lowcountry Grants (Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, Jasper counties)

Grant amounts vary by specific program
Includes The Beaufort Fund and other place-based initiatives

Open Grants

Applications accepted beginning in December, deadline January 15
Final decisions announced in October

Application Schedule: Two competitive grant cycles annually

Cycle 1: Applications accepted in December, deadline 11:59 PM January 15
Cycle 2: Applications accepted in April, deadline 11:59 PM June 1

Priority Areas

CCF's 2023 annual report identifies six pillars of focus:

Education - Supporting underserved youth and educational access
Economic Mobility - Business development, workforce training, financial literacy
Coastal Resilience - Water quality, environmental protection, climate adaptation
Culture and Inclusion - Racial equity, healing, nonprofit capacity building for social/economic/environmental justice
Health and Well-Being - Healthcare access, mental health, hospice care, Alzheimer's support
Philanthropic Leadership - Donor engagement, community leadership development

Specific funded areas include:

Arts and cultural programs
Water quality in Charleston harbor and coastal environments
Children with special needs
Affordable housing education, development, and repair
Programs supporting racial equity and addressing structural racism

What They Don't Fund

Cash grants to individuals (except through annual scholarship programs and the Griffith-Reyburn Lowcountry Artist of the Year Award)
Awards for individual achievement from designated funds
Organizations without 501(c)(3) status, government agency designation, or recognized house of worship status
Geographic restriction: Organizations must operate within CCF's nine-county service area
Lobbying organizations
Discriminatory organizations

Governance and Leadership

Executive Leadership

Darrin Goss, Sr. - President & CEO (since 2016)

Goss is a proponent of "passing gear philanthropy," the concept that "philanthropy is society's passing gear" - enabling community foundations to go places and do things that others can't without government funding restrictions. He states that sometimes the answer to community challenges is money, and sometimes it's "bringing good brains to the table." Goss emphasizes that social, moral, intellectual, and reputational capital are all key parts of a grantmaker's ability to make a difference beyond just financial capital.

Key Senior Staff:

C.T. Burton - Senior Director of Executive Operations
Helen Wolfe - Senior Director of Philanthropy and Family Engagement
Caroline Rakar - Senior Director of Scholarships & Programs
Denise A. Smith, Ph.D. - Senior Director, Southern Lowcountry
Chris Ballad - Senior Director of Finance & Controller
Tess Martin - Senior Director of Impact Investing & Treasury

Board of Directors

The Board comprises 22 civic leaders from across the nine-county service area who govern strategic direction. Leadership includes:

Ronda Dean, Chair - President & CEO, Afaxys, Inc. (Charleston County)
Billy Dunn, Treasurer/Secretary - Retired, PricewaterhouseCoopers (Charleston County)
Rob Bazemore, Jr. - President, Epoch Lowcountry Ventures (Beaufort County)
Dr. David Bundy - Professor of Pediatrics, MUSC (Charleston County)
Additional board members representing diverse sectors across all nine counties

Volunteers from the communities serve alongside board members on committees to accomplish strategic goals.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Online Portal: Access the grant application portal at coastalcommunityfoundation.org/grants-scholarships/
Registration: First-time applicants should allow up to two business days for registration processing
Application Submission: Login and complete the appropriate grant application for your program
General Operating Support: Applications for general operating support are allowed and encouraged

Decision Timeline

Standard timeline: Expect to hear regarding application status within three months of the deadline
Review process: Volunteer committees of community members review applications and make recommendations
Site visits: Select applicants may receive a site visit and/or follow-up questions
Final decisions: For specific programs like Open Grants and The Beaufort Fund, final decisions are announced in October (for June cycle)
Decision times vary by program - check the first page of each application on the online portal for specific details

Success Rates

In 2023, CCF made 418 grant awards totaling $30.4 million. Specific success rate percentages are not publicly disclosed. The foundation administers more than 800 individual funds, with grant opportunities varying widely based on fund purposes and donor specifications.

Reapplication Policy

No specific waiting period or restriction policy for unsuccessful applicants was found in public materials. Organizations may wish to contact program staff directly at (843) 723-3635 for guidance on reapplication.

Application Success Factors

Based on CCF's publicly stated priorities and recent grant awards, successful applications demonstrate:

Alignment with Strategic Pillars: Clearly connect your project to one or more of CCF's six focus areas (Education, Economic Mobility, Coastal Resilience, Culture and Inclusion, Health and Well-Being, or Philanthropic Leadership)
Community-Wide Impact: Catalyst Grant recipients address large-scale, systemic community issues. For example, the Beaufort County School District's $2.3 million grant supports the UNITE program creating a "village" approach to after-school care with strong family-community-school relationships.
Equity Focus: The foundation prioritizes "culture, access, and inclusion" and invests in initiatives promoting racial understanding and healing. The Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce received $1.25 million specifically for supporting minority, rural, and disadvantaged businesses as the only SBA Microloan Lender in the region.
Multi-Year Vision: Recent Catalyst Grants demonstrate preference for sustained impact over 2-5 years. Lowcountry Legal Volunteers received $525,000 over three years to develop medical-legal partnerships.
Capacity Building: CCF values building local nonprofit capacity for social, economic, and environmental justice, not just program delivery.
Geographic Clarity: Clearly demonstrate service to eligible counties. Southern Lowcountry (Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, Jasper) has access to Catalyst Grants; Northern Lowcountry (Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester) has different funding streams.
Leveraging Capital Beyond Money: As CEO Darrin Goss emphasizes, successful organizations leverage philanthropic relationships for "social, moral, intellectual and reputational capital" in addition to financial support.
Committee-Friendly Applications: Remember that volunteer community members review applications. Write clearly and compellingly for engaged citizens, not just foundation professionals.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

South Carolina's largest grantmaker serving only nine coastal counties - if you're in their service area, they're a major potential funder worth cultivating
Two annual deadlines (January 15 and June 1) - plan ahead for competitive cycles with 3-month decision timelines
Think bigger for Southern Lowcountry - Catalyst Grants offer multi-year funding exceeding $100,000/year for community-wide solutions
Equity is central, not peripheral - racial equity and inclusion are cross-cutting priorities, not separate add-ons
General operating support is welcomed - CCF explicitly encourages operating support applications, not just project funding
50 years of local knowledge - founded key local nonprofits and deeply embedded in coastal SC communities; local credibility matters
Multiple funding doors - with 800+ funds, explore both competitive grants and potential donor-advised fund connections

References

All sources accessed December 24, 2025.