The South Carolina Grantmakers Network and Together SC pledge to be proactive advocacy partners for the state’s funder and nonprofit sector. We will focus on relevant legislative issues which impact our members, and we will communicate the status of key legislation and policy issues with you.
Our aim is to provide a powerful and unified voice for the nonprofit community to influence government policies so we can realize our vision of a better future for all South Carolinians.
- The Power of Board Advocacy: A Discussion Guide for Boards – Stand For Your Mission
- Everyday Advocacy – National Council of Nonprofits
- Can we also lobby? – Bolder Advocacy – Alliance for Justice
- What is lobbying? – SC Ethics Commission
- What is lobbying? Part Two – SC Ethics Commission
- Find out who’s lobbying! – SC Ethics Commission
- Why we advocate – Stand For Your Mission
- New Report: Nonprofits—America’s Third Largest Workforce – GuideStar
- The Board’s Role in Advocacy: An Expectation for Engaged Leadership – Stand For Your Mission
PAST STATE POLICY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Joint Resolution & Legislative Reception (2023) – For the first time in over 20 years, Together SC hosted a Legislative event to raise the profile of the nonprofit sector with state legislators. Together SC and the SC Grantmakers Network were presented with a Joint Resolution recognizing the impact of nonprofits in South Carolina.
- American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) [2021-2023] – Together SC represented the industry in talks with state agencies and state legislators on the creation of a grants program using ARPA funds for nonprofits. While the legislature ultimately only funded a small number of large ticket items for the state (sewer/water, broadband, resiliency, roads/bridges) and no funds were made publicly available to non-governmental entities for the most part, the process of advocating for these funds help lead to stronger relationships with key legislators, and gave the industry a stronger reputation at the State House.
Navigating a Changing Landscape: Impacts for Philanthropy and
Nonprofits in South Carolina 2.0
- Data about the impact of federal policies on nonprofits operations, including statistics on federal funding receipt, operational shifts, and outlook for the next six months.
- Majority (64%) of surveyed nonprofits reported no federal funding; among those with federal grants, funding sizes typically ranged from $50,000 to $400,000.
- Approximately 30% of federal grantees had experienced a pause or cancellation of grants.
- Over half of organizations reported operational shifts due to federal policy impacts, including program cancellations, loss of funding, and service reductions.
- Nonprofits expressed needs for grant management assistance, financial management, scenario planning, and public policy support. Discussion of low participation in scenario planning programs despite expressed interest, highlighting possible capacity or awareness gaps.
- Segmenting nonprofit needs by budget size and federal funding status provided insight into differential capacities to respond and plan.