Connected Communities Grants

Connected Communities Grants is a funding initiative of the Central Carolina Community Foundation, a private philanthropic organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in South Carolina’s Midlands region. The Foundation is committed to building a more connected, vibrant, compassionate, and engaged community, and it supports innovative ideas that help deepen community ties and civic engagement. The Connected Communities Grants program focuses on funding projects that make the Midlands more livable and equitable, based on research from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Gallup, and community surveys such as On the Table. Projects must promote community attachment and satisfaction by increasing residents’ access to safe housing, quality jobs, healthcare, recreation, and cultural events. The Foundation seeks new or expanding projects that enhance connections within the Midlands and reflect originality, broad public engagement, and measurable impact. The program will not fund routine operating expenses, recurring programs, fundraising events, debt reduction, capital campaigns, medical research, or travel to conferences. To be eligible, applicants must be nonprofit organizations designated under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, public entities, or other charitable, educational, or faith-based organizations. They must also be physically located within one of the eleven eligible Midlands counties: Calhoun, Clarendon, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lee, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland, Saluda, and Sumter. Participation in the Midlands Gives program is also a requirement. Grants will be awarded in the range of $10,000 to $60,000 and are structured as challenge grants. All awardees must raise a match of 20%, 30%, or 40% depending on whether it is their first, second, or third time receiving funding for the same project. Only funds raised after the project begins and that meet Foundation guidelines (excluding internal transfers and in-kind support unless expressly approved) are eligible for the match. Grantees may allocate up to 15% of their award for general and administrative costs. The application process consists of three rounds. Round 1 opens on September 1 and closes on September 30. Round 2 is by invitation only and runs from October 28 to November 18. Finalist presentations for Round 3 occur on January 21 and 22, followed by notification of funding decisions by February 12. Projects are expected to run from March 1, 2026, through February 28, 2027. The program operates on a recurring annual cycle. Applicants must comply with the Foundation’s general grant terms, which include requirements for reporting, financial documentation, appropriate use of funds, and acknowledgement of the Foundation in all promotional materials. Contact for the program is Trimease K. Carter, reachable at trimease@yourfoundation.org or 803.978.7826. Additional terms and award conditions are detailed in a supplemental PDF available on the Foundation's website.