Women Giving for Spartanburg celebrated its tenth anniversary Monday, May 1, 2017 with a Toast to Ten event honoring its inaugural members and awarding $215,500 to six Spartanburg County nonprofits.
“This is an exciting time for Women Giving for Spartanburg as we celebrate 10 years of service to our community,” Chair Marsha Moore said at the annual meeting. “Because of our three founding members, Sally Foster, Tracy Hannah, and Julie Lowry, who had vision and insight, Women Giving has made Spartanburg a better place. This achievement would not have been possible without the support and commitment of our members.”
In the past ten years, Women Giving for Spartanburg has awarded $2.4 million through 78 grants, assisting 59 organizations in Spartanburg County. Its average grant award is $31,000.
Membership is open to any woman who would like to make a difference in the Spartanburg community. Annual dues are $550 for junior members (ages 35 and under), and $1,100 for regular members. The women’s giving circle also encourages involvement through committee work and events; however, its unique annual grant process gives each member a chance to vote on grant finalists via online or paper ballot.
The group’s grants committee requests grant proposals from local nonprofit organizations each year for innovative projects focusing on areas highlighted by the seven Spartanburg Community Indicators Project areas. After review, site visits, and a grants showcase, the members vote on the organizations to receive money.
“The Grants Committee is the heart of Women Giving. They work very hard to be good stewards of how our resources are distributed,” Moore added. “Women Giving has made a positive impact on our community and has improved the quality of life for everyone.”
This year, the following nonprofits will receive a combined total of $215,500 in financial assistance:
- Boys & Girls Club of the Upstate: The Places We Go! to fund half the cost of a 72-passenger bus, increasing field trips and transportation for over 1,000 children annually
- Christmas In Action: Ramp Accessibility Made Possible By Students (R.A.M.P.S) to build 15 wheelchair ramps for Spartanburg’s disabled and elderly citizens
- Hub City Farmers’ Market: Reinstatement of the Mobile Market Program to implement an innovative walk-in trailer model, delivering healthy, local food to 400 stops a year across Spartanburg County
- Mobile Meal Service of Spartanburg County, Inc.: Blast Chiller for Better Food to ensure a safe, quality product for the frozen meals delivered to recipients on days when hot meals cannot be delivered and to expand catering products to sell to volunteers and the Spartanburg community
- Spartanburg Soup Kitchen: Operation Kitchen Rescue to replace aging meal preparation equipment which feeds 350+ daily
- The Walker Foundation: Kid Zone Outdoor Recreational and Learning Park to create a new inclusive and accessible playground park for the SC School for the Deaf and Blind open to the Spartanburg community
Confirmed in compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations.