Amid the holiday bustle, a group of talented young musicians is hard at work preparing for an upcoming concert in the nation’s capital. Greenville County Youth Orchestras Association is sending its most advanced ensemble, the Young Artist Orchestra, to perform in the Capital Orchestra Festival on Feb. 17, 2025.

Visit cfgreenville.org to learn more about the Community Foundation of Greenville.

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On the recommendation of her financial advisor, she worked with the Community Foundation of Greenville to establish an endowment that would allocate half its annual distributions to the Greenville Humane Society. She designated the remaining 50% to support organizations providing early-childhood or special-education services for children and youth.

Her gift, which had grown to $8.4 million by the time of her death in 2012, was the largest in Community Foundation history. With the distribution of its 2024 awards, the Margaret Linder Southern Endowment surpassed $4 million in grants.

Bob Morris, Community Foundation of Greenville president, said seeing the broad and lasting effects of Southern’s generosity has inspired others to make charitable giving part of their estate planning.

“Her gift was the accumulation of a lifetime of savings and investments that she entrusted to us to manage,” he said. “The endowment has made $4 million in grants in the first 11 years, and we still have the same amount she gave. The impact that’s going to have on the Greenville community is going to be incredible and we will continue to make distributions in perpetuity according to her wishes.”

Rachel Delport, CEO of the Greenville Humane Society, said this year’s award will be used to care for sick and injured animals in its Healing Place treatment facility. This will allow the nonprofit to rescue more animals that may not have a second chance due to medical expenses.

“As a beneficiary, the Margaret Linder Southern Endowment provides operational stability, ensuring we are able to focus on our mission and continue changing the lives of our four-legged friends,” she said. “It’s hard to put into words the meaningful impact that the Margaret Linder Southern Endowment has on our organization. We feel honored to carry Margaret’s memory and her love for animals in our everyday work. It’s a true privilege.”

This year’s grants for child-centered services went to A Child’s Haven, the Center for Developmental Services, Poe Mill Achievement Center, Sunbelt Human Advancement Services Inc. and The Children’s Museum of the Upstate.

Lauren Luneckas, CEO of The Children’s Museum of the Upstate, said its grant will be used to update the museum’s Construction Zone exhibit for the next generation of young learners. Like other museum displays, the Construction Zone is designed to reflect an industry children see in their own community. Over the life of the exhibit, it is estimated that more than 1.5 million visitors will play and learn in the educational space after its anticipated opening next fall.

“The Margaret Linder Southern Endowment Fund has been transformative for The Children’s Museum of the Upstate, allowing us to enhance our educational exhibits and programs to benefit young learners and their families,” Luneckas said. “With the endowment’s support, we are able to foster curiosity, inspire critical thinking and provide countless children with meaningful, play-based STEAM learning experiences.”

Visit cfgreenville.org to learn more about the Community Foundation of Greenville.

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This year’s grants, totaling over $3.1 million, will expand access to physical and mental health care and vision care for underserved residents and provide support services for students and previously incarcerated people.

“The Greenville Health Authority is steadfast in its mission to make Greenville the healthiest county in America,” said Lance Byars, GHA board chair. “Each of the eight organizations we are celebrating this year serves unique, essential roles in our community. Each is vital to keeping our neighbors safe and healthy.”

Communities In Schools of South Carolina (Greenville County), $300,000. In partnership with Greenville County School District, CISSC will place staff at four Greenville elementary schools serving low-income students to provide whole-child support to improve mental wellness.

Fostering Great Ideas, $250,000. The grant will further build the Aspire program, which provides support for older youth and young adults experiencing foster care, through the expertise of life coaches and community connectors, to improve the mental and economic stability of this population.

Greenville Free Medical Clinic, $975,000. Greenville Free Medical Clinic will expand health care access for low-income, uninsured individuals in outlying community-service centers. The nonprofit will also enhance efforts to address social barriers that impact patients’ ability to manage chronic disease or access preventive care and screenings.

Momentum Bike Clubs, $90,000. With funding support from Healthy Greenville over three years, MBC will expand its clubs and riding opportunities in Greenville County middle and high schools, creating access to physical activity and positively affecting mental health in vulnerable youth.

Servants for Sight, $300,000. Community partners Servants for Sight, Lions Vision Services, and the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired SC will expand their continuum of vision care, including preventive appointments, eye-saving surgeries and vision-rehabilitation services for low-income, uninsured or underinsured patients.

Soteria Community Development Corporation, $240,000. Soteria will initiate a mental health program for previously incarcerated individuals in its Residential Reentry Program, providing access to mental health services including assessments, case management, medication and therapy.

The Salvation Army, $500,000. This grant provides funding for The Center of Hope, a new, 45,000-square-foot facility where community members can access case management, diversion services, shelter, transitional housing, basic needs and access to health care.

Urban League of the Upstate, $500,000. The grant will fund educational initiatives targeting critical health issues for minorities and underserved residents such as diabetes prevention and hypertension management. It also aims to provide comprehensive health screenings and enhance access to primary care services.

GHA’s Healthy Greenville, Too Grants are providing $10,000 each to support the work of the Blue Ridge Council (Boy Scouts of America), Compass of Carolina, First Impression of South Carolina, Fountain Inn Kid Enrichment Center, Greer Relief & Resources Agency Inc., Hispanic Alliance and YouthBASE. A Child’s Haven, Brook Glenn Elementary, Greenville Literacy, Jasmine Road, Travelers Rest Farmers Market and Walt’s Waltz each received $5,000.

The Community Foundation of Greenville has served as the administrative home of Greenville Health Authority since 2019 and is proud to distribute grants in alignment with its mission each year.

Visit cfgreenville.org to learn more about the Community Foundation of Greenville.

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Since its inception in 2005, the Greenville Area Parkinson Society has served thousands of people living with Parkinson’s disease through exercise-based programs, care partner support groups, expert speaker seminars, social events and ongoing interfacing with the medical community.

Shannon Spurrier, executive director, said GAPS offers 26 regular programs per month — 312 per year — in addition to two annual special events.

“GAPS is the only organization serving the needs of people living with Parkinson’s disease in the Upstate of South Carolina,” Spurrier said. “Our programs benefit people living with PD, their care partners, and families and are free to GAPS members and any attendees.”

GAPS in Motion movement/balance classes are held weekly in Greenville and Clemson. This year, in addition to traditional exercise classes, GAPS has added tai chi practice and adaptive golf with instructors from Carolina Adaptive Golf. Members can also participate from home in virtual PD on the Move classes with ballet dancer Alex Tressor.

Support groups provide an opportunity for people to meet regularly for mutual support, share ideas and exchange coping skills with one another in matters relating to living with Parkinson’s.

Monthly GAPS Social nights are a time for members and friends to gather for fun with the group’s board, staff and volunteers. GAPS Coffee Talk is an educational series led by area experts in insurance, Medicare, home health, mindfulness, nutrition and other relevant topics.

Jeff Sholl, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2023, and his wife, Lynn, are active members who participate in several GAPS programs.

“We have met people in all stages of the disease who are still enjoying life,” Jeff Sholl said. “Our GAPS community has been such a blessing and the programs we attend like tai chi, Golf with GAPS, support groups and monthly socials provide us with support to navigate our PD journey. In our opinion, GAPS has been a godsend, and we have found hope that Parkinson’s is not a roadblock for a bright future.”

With only two employees and 54 volunteers, GAPS serves 350 active and over 1,000 total members living with Parkinson’s disease in Greenville, Anderson, Clemson and Spartanburg. New members are often referred by neurology practices or learn about GAPS from its outreach programs at churches and senior centers.

“Our impact is big. We have an average of 25 new members a month,” Spurrier said. “We’re 100% local, and we don’t receive any funding from outside the community.”

A 2024 Capacity Building Grant from the Community Foundation of Greenville is funding a rebuild of the nonprofit’s website, expected to be completed by year’s end.

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GAPS will host its 2024 Water Cooler Classic 6–9 p.m. Nov. 7 at Zen. The evening includes a nine-hole putting course, longest putt competition, food, cocktails and friendly competition.

For more information, visit gapsonline.org.

Visit cfgreenville.org to learn more about the Community Foundation of Greenville.

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The nonprofit, which celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2025, is furthering its mission of increasing the literacy and employability of adult learners with renewed purpose, thanks to a $10,000 capacity building grant from the Community Foundation of Greenville.

“The grant allowed us to develop a strategic plan with the board through 2027,” said Victoria Novak, GLA’s executive director since May 2023. “We feel so good, and confident in our ability to create opportunities for adults to learn, earn their GED, take English as a second language classes, and work with college and career counselors to help them become self-sufficient.”

In addition to the strategic plan, which included updating GLA’s mission and value statements, the grant covered professional development and executive coaching.

“If my team is not equipped with career-readiness skills, we’re no good to those whom we serve,” Novak said. “The culture of lifelong learning starts with our team. If that’s our culture, that’s what we’re going to give our students. If my team is taken care of, they will create a better environment for the people we serve.”

One student who has benefited from that environment is Madina Habibi, 21. The eldest of eight siblings, Habibi came with her family to the United States in 2021 from Afghanistan, where her father worked for the U.S. government. She took ESL and GED classes for two years at the Greenville Literacy Association before enrolling in the dental hygiene program at Greenville Technical College to fulfill a desire to help people.

“Every time when I come to GLA, I feel like I am very special,” she said. “They always help me with everything.”

Habibi recently spoke to the GLA board about her experience, learning to believe in herself and her hopes for the future.

“Now in my country girls graduate from school in sixth grade. Why? Because they think they are just a girl and they have to be at home,” she said. “We don’t have any women doctors; we don’t have teachers. So that is why I tried; got my GED and started college.”

Novak said helping adults of different ages and backgrounds create their own educational paths to an improved quality of life allows her to live her purpose. She expressed gratitude for the support GLA receives from CFG and the Greenville community.

“I get choked up when I think about GLA’s history from 1965, when people in the mills weren’t able to read,” Novak said. “That work doesn’t happen without people willing to say yes. I feel fortunate that I get to be the one to lead us as we set the tone for the next 60 years.”

Visit cfgreenville.org to learn more about the Community Foundation of Greenville.

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“Bicycles are not only for recreation,” said Rhonda Rawlings, community director for Mill Village Ministries. “They are a necessity for some people, especially in under-resourced communities. Public transportation doesn’t go everywhere, and many rely on bicycles to get to and from work.”

True to its origin, Village Wrench still offers free, basic bike repairs the first Saturday of every month at seven locations across the Upstate. Liv Singfield, program manager, said these monthly events are led by volunteers and provide more than just a tune-up and reliable transportation.

“It’s an opportunity to connect with people from the community,” Singfield said. “We teach them and give them the opportunity to work on their own bicycle using our tools and stands.”

For anyone who doesn’t have a bicycle, Village Wrench’s Earn-a-Bike program allows adults and young people to earn a cycle by logging service hours anywhere in the community, such as helping at a soup kitchen, church, fire department or local business.

All of the bikes sold in the store or earned through service hours are donated by individuals and groups.

“We depend on bike donations,” Singfield said. “We like to say, ‘Bring us your dusty — but not rusty — bicycles.’”

Singfield leads a weekly after-school program called 6-Cycle that aims to help teens flourish in work and life. It is linked to the Propel program for youth and young adults offered by Mill Village Ministries.

“6-Cycle 1st Gear is an opportunity for kids in grades 8-11 to learn light mechanic skills and character development. If they like it, they can continue with 2nd Gear and apply to become an apprentice in the shop in the summer,” she said. “They often stay involved in this and our other youth programs. We have several success stories.”

One of those success stories is Lane McConville, a third-year apprentice whose passion for mountain biking first connected him with Village Wrench and its youth programs.

“I enjoy helping people,” McConville said. “The program has taught me many things about bikes and bike mechanic skills.”

Through hands-on learning and mentorship, he developed both technical expertise and valuable life skills, demonstrating personal growth that extends far beyond the bike, Singfield said.

“Lane’s journey is a testament to the impact of Village Wrench in shaping confident, capable individuals ready to tackle challenges on and off the trail,” she said.

In addition to donated bikes, Village Wrench relies on grants and donations to continue its work.

The Community Foundation of Greenville contributed $50,000 toward the capital campaign of Mill Village Ministries, the umbrella organization for Mill Village Farms, Village Engage, Village Launch and Village Wrench.

For more information, visit villagewrench.org.

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Upstate Fatherhood Coalition offers the “Ready4Life” program, featuring curriculum called “Reality Check,” for young men aged 14 to 19 to help prevent early fatherhood and prepare them to make responsible decisions for a successful life.

Ricco Booker, regional Ready4Life coordinator, said Upstate Fatherhood Coalition offers the course at its office and other sites in Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson counties. Classes highlight the responsibilities young parents face, financial needs and legal issues like custody and visitation. College visits allow students to experience being on campus while exploring career opportunities and imagining their future.

“They’re not aware of how much it costs to have a child — $13,000 a year just to meet their basic needs,” Booker said. “You can only work so many hours. Having a child in high school can deter you from achieving your dream.”

An initiative of the South Carolina Center For Fathers and Families, the program encourages young men to focus on their education, career and maintaining healthy relationships before deciding to have children.

“So much can happen between the hours of 2 to 5 p.m. while mom and dad are working and young people have idle time on their hands,” Booker said. “It doesn’t take a whole lot to make a child, but lots of years of responsibility to raise them.”

Booker, who played basketball at Southern Wesleyan University and professionally overseas before coaching locally for more than 20 years, said sometimes teens need to hear the message about the importance of fathers from someone other than a parent.

“I can relate to them through personal experience of my home and my father not being in my life for 24 years, and as the father of two children,” he said. “I tell them, ‘I was you. Be better than me.’”

Booker said he asks all the young men to write a letter to their fathers, no matter their circumstances.

“I tell them to express on paper how they really feel, get it off their chest, even if all they can say is ‘My dad is the worst man,’” he said. “Then they write to their future self, imagining being an involved father.”

The 11.5-hour curriculum can be used as part of an elective course, an after-school program, a summer-enrichment series or a supplemental program for athletic teams and student organizations. Participation can be voluntary, initiated by family or by referral from the departments of social services and juvenile justice.

Booker said the nonprofit expects to serve 150 young men across the Upstate in its fiscal year, which runs January to September.

“I reach out to them after the course is over to show I care about them,” he said. “When they reach out to say, ‘Happy Father’s Day,’ I know I’ve done my job.”

The Community Foundation of Greenville provided a $10,000 unrestricted grant to Upstate Fatherhood Coalition in 2024.

For more information, visit realityforyoungmen.com and upstatefathers.org.

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Feed & Seed Co. has been offering fresh, locally sourced food in the Judson Mill neighborhood since 2022, by way of its Green Market and Café. But the 18,000-square-foot Food Innovation Hub is much more than a fun place to shop and have lunch. The nonprofit provides infrastructure to support local farmers while improving access to healthy, affordable food.

“Farmers in the district didn’t have networks to get their food to end users,” Hipp said. “We began creating ways to connect them with institutions — schools, hospitals, universities and assisted living facilities — a target market that was not being supplied by local farmers.”

In 2023, the Community Foundation of Greenville awarded a Capacity Building Grant to purchase new technology used by Feed and Seed employees.

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This interest inspired Hinson to want to serve her community by becoming an elementary school teacher. The scholarship will help her earn a degree in early childhood education from Clemson University.

Alice Watkins Senter was gifted in poetry and music, but her life was shortened by a tragic illness. To celebrate her most productive and happy times, her family established a scholarship in her name through the Community Foundation of Greenville. The scholarship provides $10,000 for a Wade Hampton High School student with a love of English, literature and poetry to pursue a degree in higher education.

“As I read about the life of Alice Watkins Senter, I couldn’t help but think about my own father and how much he also loved language, poetry and literature,” Hinson said in her application for the scholarship. “He too passed away at much too young an age from a rare and incurable illness. Despite our short time together, he instilled in me a deep love for literature and language.”

While in high school, Hinson participated in the teacher cadet program, a college-level course designed to attract talented young people to the education profession. She also developed her talent for music, performing with the Wade Hampton Marching and Concert bands, Jazz Band and Percussion Ensemble. She was selected for the All-County Wind Ensemble and All-Region Band and attended the Fine Arts Center.

Hinson received the South Carolina Parent Teacher Association’s Reflections State Award of Excellence in Literature and was the Reflections school winner for Music Composition. She was a member of the Tri-M Music Honors Society and the National Honor Society, received an AP Scholar Award and qualified for the South Carolina LIFE scholarship.

Hinson will attend Clemson as a South Carolina Teaching Fellow, a program that provides a scholarship of $6,000 per year as well as enrichment activities and opportunities for professional development.

“Teaching Fellows offers retreats, workshops, master classes and opportunities for community service,” Hinson said. “I hope to study abroad in my second year, and would like to continue with a master’s program to expand my career prospects.”

Hinson – who has a twin brother entering university at the same time and a younger sister not far behind – said she and her family are very appreciative of the the Alice Watkins Scholarship, which will help her minimize college debt.

“I am grateful to come from a family that loves to read and write, and honored to receive a scholarship given by the family of someone who had similar passions and values,” she said.

 Debbie Cooper, Community Foundation director of community impact for grants and scholarships, said, “The Community Foundation is proud to support outstanding students like Poppy while honoring our donors’ wishes.”

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From the jazz age to the digital age, Greenville Theatre has engaged audiences with Broadway-caliber musicals and plays for almost 100 years. Founded in 1926, the Upstate’s oldest and largest locally producing non-profit theater will present its 99th season this fall.

Quinlan said the staff is proud of the impact Greenville Theatre has on its community.

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It’s a busy summer for Project Hope Foundation, with several projects underway that will allow it to provide more life-changing services for children, youth and adults on the autism spectrum.

“One of the big issues for people with autism is not being aware of ways to be active. Having this equipment available makes it easy to get moving quickly so it can be a choice,” Sachs said. “Physical activity is good for the body, soul and mind, in addition to providing opportunities for peer interaction.”

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Prepare for takeoff: The Children’s Museum of the Upstate’s newest exhibit invites children and their families to explore the world of aviation.

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Christy and Tommy Taylor are raising their five grandchildren under age 7 on 2 acres of their own land, surrounded by other relatives.

“The basic premise of what we do has not changed,” said K.C. Carter, founder and executive director. “We go where the Lord has led, where we felt we could best utilize the resources provided to us. We have so many families living below the poverty line in unsafe conditions right here in the Upstate. We’re keeping folks in their homes so they don’t become homeless.”

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Greenville Women Giving recently awarded $503,555 in grant funding to six nonprofits in Greenville County.

South Carolina Children’s Theatre, a local performing arts theater, received $76,430 to purchase assistive technology including two live-feed cameras, viewing screens and microphones. The technology will be available for individuals with sensory sensitivities.

Jane Pannier, the organization’s co-chair, said Greenville Women Giving is thrilled to make a positive impact on these organizations.

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Shain said he came late to community involvement, inspired by the generosity of his parents and his wife, Michelle Shain, who worked with several nonprofits and was president of the Junior League. She went on to serve on Greenville City Council and as interim executive director of the Community Foundation of Greenville, the YWCA and A Child’s Haven, and was the first director of Greenville First Steps.

“I told myself I didn’t have time, that Michelle was doing it for both of us,” he said. “Volunteering with United Way became my conduit to becoming involved, dealing with the real needs of people.”

The father of three and grandfather of six recently retired from a distinguished career as an investment advisor with UBS Financial Services. But the two accomplishments he’s most proud of involved serving the community: chairing United Way of Greenville’s 2001 annual campaign, and helping his friend and client, Margaret Linder Southern, create an endowment that would help meet local needs in perpetuity.

Shain met Southern, a former teacher, in 1993. He advised her on the investment of assets she had saved with her late husband, Charles. Over the years, Shain earned her trust, and the two celebrated with champagne and cookies whenever her account reached a new milestone. He learned what was important to her, especially her dogs — Nancy, who had died, and Molly.

“Molly was jealous and would bark so much whenever we had phone calls that Margaret had to put her out in the garage in her ’85 Cadillac,” Shain said.

When it was time to make estate plans, Southern knew she wanted to support animal welfare and disadvantaged children, and asked Shain what she should do. Thanks to his wife’s previous work with the Community Foundation of Greenville, Shain knew that its board and staff had the expertise to manage a legacy to make the greatest impact. With the help of Tod Hyche, CFG board member and attorney, Southern planned for the foundation to establish and administer an endowment in her name.

Shain estimated the value of the proposed bequest to be about $4 million. At Southern’s death in 2012, her gift had grown to $8.4 million, the largest in CFG’s history. Half of the fund’s annual distributions go to the Greenville Humane Society and the other half to services benefiting children and youth.

Bob Morris, CFG president, said Southern’s gift wouldn’t have been possible without Shain’s relationships with her and local philanthropic organizations.

“It’s important to have advisors like Mike engaged in the work of the Community Foundation so that together we can help our clients meet their charitable goals. He thoroughly vetted our services before recommending that Mrs. Southern engage us to make grant awards that continued her financial support long after her lifetime,” Morris said. “His volunteer leadership as a nonprofit board member will continue well into the future.”

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