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Children's Trust of South Carolina

Annual Giving
$19.6M
Grant Range
$50K - $8.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $19.6M
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Varies by program
  • Grant Range: Individual grants vary (examples: $57,529 - $60,552 for specific programs)
  • Geographic Focus: Statewide (South Carolina - all 46 counties)

Contact Details

Address: 1330 Lady Street, Suite 310, Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: 803-733-5430
Email: info@scchildren.org
Website: scchildren.org

Overview

Founded in 1984 by the South Carolina General Assembly, Children's Trust of South Carolina is the state's only statewide organization focused on preventing child abuse and neglect. In 2008, the organization merged with three legacy organizations: Voices for South Carolina's Children, Prevent Child Abuse South Carolina, and the original Children's Trust Fund of South Carolina. The organization now manages $19.6M in prevention programs annually, operating in a unique position as a state-sanctioned nonprofit with a governor-appointed board of directors. Children's Trust leverages federal, state, and private funding to maximize prevention investments, serving as South Carolina's lead agency for the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) federal grant since 2010 and administrator of Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) funding. In 2024, the organization celebrated 40 years of prevention leadership. CEO Sue Williams received national recognition as a 2019 Children's Bureau Champion Award honoree for "promoting child and family well-being."

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) Grants

  • Funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families
  • Support prevention programs focusing on home visiting and/or parenting education and support
  • Awarded to private nonprofit organizations and qualified state agencies
  • Currently supports family resource centers, parenting education, and family strengthening initiatives

Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV)

  • Approximately $8 million annually allocated over five-year reauthorization periods
  • Distributed to local partners across the state
  • Supports 73 implementing agencies statewide
  • Three evidence-based models: Healthy Families America, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Parents as Teachers

Strengthening Families Program (SFP) Grants

  • Targeted grants to qualified organizations in specific counties (varies by funding cycle)
  • Recent example: applications accepted from organizations in Allendale, Bamberg, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, and Hampton counties
  • Serves families with children ages 7-17
  • 11-session weekly program (2.5 hours per session)

Priority Areas

  • Child abuse and neglect prevention
  • Home visiting services for new mothers and families
  • Parenting education and support programs
  • Family resource centers providing wraparound services
  • Evidence-based prevention programming
  • Family strengthening and resilience building
  • Community-based prevention infrastructure
  • Early childhood support and development
  • Maternal and infant health initiatives

What They Don't Fund

  • Programs that replace (rather than supplement) existing state agency services
  • State agencies without matching funds (state agencies must provide matching funds at least equal to the grant amount)
  • Activities outside child abuse and neglect prevention scope
  • Treatment-only programs (focus is on prevention)

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors

  • 17-member board appointed by the Governor of South Carolina
  • 7 members representing Congressional districts
  • 10 members serving at-large

Current Board Leadership:

  • Philip Vann - Chair of the Board of Directors and governance committee co-chair
  • Beverly Hamilton - Immediate past chair
  • Shawan Gillians - Board member, Director of Sustainability at Santee Cooper
  • Edward Anderson - Board member, Executive Director of OnTrack Greenville with United Way of Greenville County
  • Dr. Ramkumar - Board member
  • Erin Pate - Board member, Yezbak Award recipient

Executive Leadership:

  • Sue Williams, MBA - Chief Executive Officer (CEO) since 2007

Sue Williams founded what later became EdVenture Children's Museum in Columbia in 1993 and received the 1999 Order of the Palmetto from Governor Jim Hodges for her work with EdVenture. She holds board positions with South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness, the South Carolina Office of Rural Health, and EdVenture. She serves on the S.C. Child Fatality Advisory Committee and the Early Childhood Advisory Committee. Her educational background includes a bachelor's degree in science from Northern Illinois University and an MBA from the University of South Carolina.

Key Quote from CEO Sue Williams: "We believe anyone can be a champion for children. Everyone, from state agencies to individuals, has a role in preventing abuse and neglect. We know that children are safe, and families are stronger when communities wrap support around those who need help."

Additional quote: "We know that connecting families to the resources they need to keep children healthy and safe is a critical protective factor in the prevention of child abuse and neglect."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Children's Trust operates through a combination of competitive grant cycles and targeted Request for Proposals (RFPs) for specific programs. The organization posts current funding opportunities on their website under "Request for Proposals and Quotes" at scchildren.org/about-us/proposal-quote/.

Application Requirements: According to South Carolina law, the board considers grant applications based on:

  • The priority of the service need that the proposal addresses
  • The quality and soundness of the proposal and its probable effectiveness in accomplishing objectives
  • A cost-benefit analysis of the project
  • The degree of community support
  • The utilization of local resources including volunteers, when appropriate, and matching or in-kind contributions
  • The qualifications of employees to be hired under the grant
  • The experience of the proposed project administrators in providing ongoing accountability

Who Can Apply:

  • Private nonprofit organizations
  • Qualified state agencies (must provide matching funds at least equal to the grant amount)

Technical Assistance: The board provides technical assistance to private nonprofit organizations, when requested, in preparing proposals for submission to the trust fund.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines vary by grant program and funding source. Specific timelines are typically outlined in individual RFPs when posted.

Success Rates

Specific success rate data is not publicly available. The organization works with 73 implementing agencies statewide for home visiting programs and supports a broad network of community-based prevention organizations.

Reapplication Policy

Reapplication policies are not publicly documented. Applicants should contact Children's Trust directly for guidance on reapplication procedures.

Application Success Factors

Alignment with Prevention Focus Children's Trust emphasizes prevention over intervention. As stated in their founding mandate: "invest in innovative prevention programs that will prevent child abuse and neglect in South Carolina." Successful applications demonstrate clear prevention strategies rather than treatment-focused approaches.

Evidence-Based Models The organization prioritizes evidence-based programming. They currently support established models including Healthy Families America, Nurse-Family Partnership, Parents as Teachers, Strengthening Families Program, and Triple P (Positive Parenting Program). Applications incorporating proven methodologies aligned with these models are favored.

Community Integration Sue Williams has noted: "As CEO of the Children's Trust of South Carolina, Sue has built a collaborative program model where local partners deliver community knowledge, leadership, and access to families and program delivery." Successful applications demonstrate strong community connections, local knowledge, and established access to target populations.

Supplementing, Not Replacing South Carolina law specifies that "the trust fund must supplement and augment but not take the place of services provided by state agencies." Applications must demonstrate how proposed programs add to, rather than duplicate, existing services.

Local Resources and Matching Support Grant criteria include "the utilization of local resources including volunteers, when appropriate, and matching or in-kind contributions." Strong applications show community investment and leveraging of local assets.

Organizational Capacity The grant criteria specifically evaluate "the qualifications of employees to be hired under the grant" and "the experience of the proposed project administrators in providing ongoing accountability." Demonstrating staff expertise and proven administrative capability strengthens applications.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Prevention-focused messaging is essential - Frame all activities through a prevention lens rather than intervention or treatment, using language that emphasizes building family strength and preventing abuse before it occurs
  • Evidence-based approaches win - Align proposals with established prevention models the organization already supports (Healthy Families America, Nurse-Family Partnership, Parents as Teachers, SFP, Triple P)
  • Demonstrate community embeddedness - Show deep local knowledge, existing community relationships, and established access to target families; Children's Trust values partners who serve as community connectors
  • Emphasize supplemental nature - Clearly articulate how your program adds to (not duplicates) existing services and fills identified gaps in the prevention infrastructure
  • Show leveraging and sustainability - Include matching funds, volunteer utilization, and in-kind contributions; demonstrate how local resources amplify the grant investment
  • Build relationships proactively - Request technical assistance during proposal preparation; Children's Trust explicitly offers support to nonprofits preparing applications
  • Monitor the RFP page regularly - Funding opportunities are posted on scchildren.org/about-us/proposal-quote/ with specific requirements and deadlines for each cycle

References

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