Mary Black Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The foundation's stated geographic focus is Spartanburg County, where it funds community-based organisations improving health and well-being, so work on early life, maternal and infant health or child development there is the clearest fit.
- Half of its 153 grants to organisations were about $22,000 or less, so a modest request suits its usual pattern, though its filings show an award of $411,000, above its stated maximum of $175,000, and award amounts depend on scope and reach.
- Start with its short inquiry form, since invited organisations then receive full instructions, and a consultation is recommended for first-time applicants; it runs one grant cycle a year with fixed deadlines.
- Relationships carry weight, as 89% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in earlier filings, so show deep community connections and proven expertise.
- Do not apply if your organisation engages in discriminatory practices, and do not seek sponsorship for religious or partisan events, school groups or individuals, which it excludes.
Overview
Mary Black Foundation is a US private foundation based in Spartanburg, SC.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Foundation invests in high-quality early life experiences to improve lifelong and community-wide health outcomes. Its approach is holistic and multi-generational, investing in children and the adults who care for them. Its roadmap focuses on women and infants being healthy, safe and supported before, during and after birth, and on children meeting age-appropriate developmental milestones. Grants go to community-based organisations improving health and well-being in Spartanburg County. The Foundation sees grants as catalysts for expanding successful programmes and building infrastructure for long-term impact, partnering with organisations with deep community connections, proven expertise and innovative approaches. It emphasises sustained effort, local expertise and collaboration.
Themes
- Early life experiences
- Maternal and infant health
- Child development
Geographic Focus
Spartanburg County.
What They Don't Fund
- Activities that are discriminatory
- Organizations engaged in discriminatory practices
- Sponsorships only: Religious or partisan events; School groups, teams, bands, or choirs; Individuals for any purpose
How to apply
Submit a short inquiry form first. Organisations invited to phase two receive instructions for the full application. Consultations may be scheduled at that stage, and may be offered to organisations applying to the Foundation for the first time.
Deadlines:
- One grant cycle each year.
- Sponsorship requests are due at least two months before the event.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 89% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 153 grants to organisations were about $22,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The Foundation prioritises initiatives focused on the earliest years of life, beginning prenatally.
- The Foundation prioritises initiatives that tackle root causes and create long-lasting change.
- The Foundation prioritises a holistic, multi-generation approach.
- Award amounts depend on the proposal’s scope, reach and depth of impact, including its potential for systemic change.
- Consultations are recommended for organisations applying to the Foundation for the first time.
- The Foundation prioritises relationships with funded partners and learning through grantmaking, with regular check-ins and a site visit.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 13% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 89% of grant dollars went to organisations Mary Black Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 5% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 43 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $30,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Spartanburg Academic Movement · Hello family; panel on unaccompanied minors; bridging paths to resilience conference$411,0002024 tax year
- Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation · Leadership award; srhs nurse family partnership; to improve behavior and mental health outcomes$281,4752024 tax year
- Partners for Active Living · Heal transition funding; endowment campaign; spartanburg healthy schools initiative$269,5002024 tax year
- City of Spartanburg · Hello family fund; juneteenth essay scholarship; mlk unity week scholarship$201,7502024 tax year
- Institute for Child Success · Housing innovation - children's edition; spartanburg early childhood systems change initiative$126,5002024 tax year
- United Way of the Piedmont · Community health and resource coordinators; united for all fund$114,0292024 tax year
- Emerge Family Therapy Center and Teaching Clinic · General operational support$101,0002024 tax year
- Spartanburg County School District Three · Pacolet 3k class$95,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Mary Kathryn Snead — CFO
- Molly Talbot-Metz — President / CEO
- Bernard Wheeler — Trustee
- Dr Nayef Samhat — Trustee
- Ed Memmott — Trustee
- Laura Henthorn — Trustee
- Dr Ebony Gaffney — Trustee
- Dr Julie Fowler — Trustee
- Anna Converse — Trustee
- Karen Calhoun — Trustee
- Dr Russell Booker — Trustee
- Dr Laura Barbas Rhoden — Trustee
- Sloan Evans — Secretary / Treasurer
- Dr Kofi Appiah — Vice Chair
- Scott Neely — Chair
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $5,032,340 | $2,569,192 | $81,759,233 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $6,251,218 | $2,969,828 | $86,119,097 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $3,669,061 | $2,551,816 | $87,620,010 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to Mary Black Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (864) 573-9500
- apage@maryblackfoundation.org
- Spartanburg, SC
- maryblackfoundation.org
Applying to Mary Black Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (864) 573-9500
- apage@maryblackfoundation.org
- Spartanburg, SC
- maryblackfoundation.org