SCF Nonprofit Effectiveness Grant

The Spartanburg County Foundation’s 2025 Nonprofit Effectiveness Grant Opportunity is a capacity-building initiative designed to strengthen the internal operations of nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations that serve Spartanburg County, South Carolina. The Foundation, which seeks to improve the lives of county residents through philanthropy and community engagement, has aligned this grant program with its broader mission to foster continuous improvement in quality of life, educational achievement, and economic mobility for all residents of the region. This grant opportunity provides funding of up to $10,000 per award for projects that bolster an organization’s internal infrastructure. Acceptable uses of funding include improvements in board governance, financial management, fundraising, collaborative efforts, strategic communications, succession planning, and program evaluation. All funds must be used to support capacity building efforts, not direct service delivery or event hosting. The grant period spans one year, with recipients expected to outline goals that meet SMART criteria and provide evaluation methods to measure their progress throughout the funded period. Eligibility is limited to 501(c)(3) nonprofit or tax-exempt organizations that offer services benefiting residents of Spartanburg County. Organizations located outside the county may apply, but their proposals must demonstrate a clear impact within Spartanburg County and ensure that grant funds will be used exclusively within county limits. Organizations must also comply with local, state, and federal non-discrimination laws. However, entities such as individual schools, political organizations, lobbying groups, and certain religiously-affiliated organizations are not eligible. In addition, applicants must have operated for at least one year to be considered. Applications must be submitted via the Foundation’s online portal, and submissions are reviewed on a quarterly basis. Deadlines for each cycle in 2025 are February 24, May 6, August 5, and October 28, with grant awards made by the end of each corresponding quarter. For example, applications submitted by February 24 will be reviewed and, if approved, awarded by March 31. Each application requires detailed information, including project budgets, organizational background, data supporting the identified need, project plans and objectives, and anticipated additional funding sources. The online application includes sections for organizational information, contact details, project description, population served, geographic coverage, and full financial details, including both projected income and expenses. Supporting documentation such as the organization’s annual budget, most recent IRS Form 990, and consultant proposals (if applicable) must be uploaded. Applicants are also asked to estimate how long the grant application process took their organization to complete. This grant opportunity does not operate on a rolling basis, but it is recurring and expected to reopen annually. Therefore, organizations that miss the current application period may prepare for future cycles. As the program aims to promote long-term capacity growth among nonprofits, strong proposals will include data-informed strategies, clearly measurable outcomes, and evidence of alignment with the Spartanburg County Foundation’s overarching mission and vision.