Free funder guide · South Carolina · Last checked 27 September 2026
Which South Carolina environmental funders actually accept applications
Most private foundations in South Carolina have already told the IRS they won't read your proposal. This page explains how to spot them, and lists 13 secular funders of environmental and conservation work in South Carolina that do take applications, with what they fund, what they have given, and when they next open.
Of the 31 South Carolina private foundations that take applications and made an environmental grant in their latest filing, 27 also gave to a church, a ministry, a YMCA or another religious charity, and the other four made no real conservation grants or only very small ones. So this list leans on the state Conservation Bank, federal money passed through state agencies and NFWF, and community foundations, and the two private foundations on it are based out of state.
From my own read of IRS filings, September 2026
In South Carolina, 229 of the 304 private foundations with $1 million or more in assets tick the box on their tax return saying they don't accept unsolicited requests. That is 75%.
That leaves 75 larger South Carolina foundations that say they will read an application. It is a higher share of closed doors than in Virginia (71%, 586 of 820) and North Carolina (71%, 509 of 718), and a lower share than in Georgia (76%, 615 of 812), counted the same way.
How I counted: every private non-operating foundation with a South Carolina address on the IRS Exempt Organizations Master File (September 2026 release) reporting assets of $1 million or more, checked against its most recent e-filed Form 990-PF (tax years 2023 to 2026, almost all 2024 or 2025). Operating foundations, which mostly run their own programs, are left out, as they were for Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia. Counting them too gives 76% (249 of 329).
What the checkbox means
One small box on the tax return tells you whether to bother.
Every private foundation files Form 990-PF with the IRS each year. Part XIV, line 2 of that return has a checkbox. A foundation that ticks it is telling the IRS, in writing, that it chooses its grantees itself. A proposal sent to it is usually wasted work.
"Check here if the foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."Form 990-PF, Part XIV, line 2
A foundation that leaves the box empty has to fill in lines 2a to 2d instead: who receives applications, what form they should take, any deadlines, and any limits on who or what it funds. For many small family foundations, those four lines are the only published guidelines they have.
The box does not tell you whether a foundation funds your kind of work. For that, read line 3a, the list of grants it actually paid. Check both before you write a letter of inquiry. Any foundation's return can be read free on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
13 funders
Open to applications, and funding environmental work in South Carolina.
Every funder below is secular, says it accepts applications (on its website or its tax return), and has paid grants to environmental or conservation groups in its most recent filing. Government programs are the exception: they file no tax return. Community foundations are listed by the program that fits environmental groups. Grant examples come from each funder's latest IRS filing unless the funder's own site is named.
Verified date on the funder's own site on 27 Sept 2026Expected based on last cycle; next not yet postedRolling applications any timeFiling only no website; from the tax return, confirm first
Statewide and regional public grantmakers
01
South Carolina Conservation Bank
Columbia · statewide
The state's land conservation fund. It pays for land and conservation easements that protect natural areas, farms, forests, historic sites and urban parks. Only eligible entities can apply, which includes qualified land trusts, and every applicant has to pass the Bank's eligibility check before it gets portal access.
Typical grant
In fiscal 2025 it granted $55,072,065 to 57 projects. Examples from its fiscal 2025 annual report: Open Land Trust $560,000 (Essex Farms, 899 acres, Beaufort County), Upper Savannah Land Trust $112,000 (Dean Acres, 141 acres, Greenwood County), Pee Dee Land Trust $110,000 (McQueen Farm, 246 acres, Marlboro County), Upstate Forever $65,000 (237 acres, Abbeville County).
Next deadline
Quarterly: January 31, April 30, July 31 and October 31. Next: October 31, 2026 Verified, which is a Saturday; the page says weekend deadlines move to the next business day. Then January 31, 2027.
How to apply
Online application portal in two phases: the application (letter of intent or purchase contract, title commitment, preliminary appraisal, maps, photos and a signed landowner acknowledgement), then due diligence with an appraisal from its approved list. The Board meets quarterly.
SC Department of Environmental Services: Section 319 Nonpoint Source Grants
Columbia · statewide, in watersheds with an approved plan
Federal Clean Water Act money that pays for on-the-ground practices (septic repair, livestock fencing, stream buffers, stormwater practices, conservation easements) that carry out an approved nine-element watershed plan. Watershed organizations and other nonprofits are eligible.
Typical grant
No per-application maximum; at least 75 percent of the federal request must go to on-the-ground practices, with a 40 percent non-federal match (2026 request for applications). Nonprofit projects in its 2025 annual report: Save Our Saluda $492,688 in federal funds (sediment reduction, Upper Saluda), Edisto Island Open Land Trust $124,057 (septic repairs on Edisto Island).
Next deadline
The 2026 round closed August 14, 2026, and the page says it is not accepting applications now. Next round about August 2027 Expected.
How to apply
Application form, budget sheet, maps, commitment letters and the watershed plan emailed to [email protected]. Eligible applicants then present the project at a consultation. The regional Watershed Coordinator can help with plans.
SC Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism: Recreational Trails Program
Columbia · statewide
Federal trail money for building, improving or maintaining trails, trailheads and trailside facilities, and buying trail corridors. Registered nonprofits can apply. Priority goes to projects that connect or extend trail systems of 10 miles or more and to projects in low-income areas.
Typical grant
Reimburses 80 percent of eligible costs after you pay them. Fiscal 2026 awards include Palmetto Trail $100,000 (Broad River Conservation and Education Preserve trail and parking) and PAL $100,000 (Glendale Trail boardwalk); fiscal 2025, Upstate Greenways and Trails Alliance $100,000 (Rad Rabbit mountain bike trail).
Next deadline
Pre-applications for fiscal 2027 funding: September 10 to October 8, 2026 Verified. Every applicant must attend one mandatory workshop, October 14 or November 4, 2026, in Cayce.
How to apply
Pre-application in the state's WebGrants system, then the mandatory workshop. Questions go to the RTP Grant Coordinator listed on the page.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: National Coastal Resilience Fund
Washington, DC · coastal watersheds of South Carolina
Nature-based projects that protect coastal communities from flooding and storms while improving habitat: marsh and oyster reef restoration, living shorelines, floodplains, from community capacity building and planning through design and construction. Nonprofits are eligible.
Typical grant
Average awards $100,000 to $1,500,000 for planning and design, and larger for restoration (2026 request for proposals). South Carolina coastal grants in NFWF's latest filing, which does not name the program: South Carolina Coastal Conservation League $303,326 (salt marsh and oyster reef restoration), Center for Heirs' Property Preservation $247,261 (coastal resilience plan for Pee Dee waters), Lowcountry Alliance for Model Communities $5,608 (flood plans for the Charleston Neck).
Next deadline
About late March 2027 for pre-proposals Expected. The 2026 pre-proposals were due March 31, 2026 and invited full proposals June 24, 2026; the 2027 request is not posted yet.
How to apply
Pre-proposal in NFWF's Easygrants system; full proposals by invitation.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: Longleaf Landscape Stewardship Fund
Washington, DC · historical longleaf pine range, which includes South Carolina
Voluntary restoration, enhancement and protection of longleaf pine and bottomland forests with landowners, including recovery work after Hurricane Helene. Nonprofits are eligible. The grants are large, so it suits groups already running landowner programs.
Typical grant
$250,000 to $2,000,000, about 15 to 20 grants a year (2026 request for proposals). South Carolina longleaf grants in NFWF's latest filing: National Wild Turkey Federation (Edgefield) $238,417 (longleaf for snakes and woodpeckers), Chesterfield Soil and Water Conservation District $220,025 (longleaf on private lands).
Next deadline
About late January 2027 Expected. The 2026 full proposals were due January 29, 2026; the 2027 request is not posted yet.
How to apply
Full proposal in NFWF's Easygrants system. NFWF asks applicants to contact its program staff first for species-specific work.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration
Washington, DC · Columbia (the South Carolina priority location in the 2026 request)
Community partnerships that restore wetlands, streams and urban habitat and improve water quality, with local residents involved in the work. In South Carolina only Columbia was a named priority location in 2026.
Typical grant
$30,000 to $150,000, 30 to 40 grants a year nationally, with at least a 1:0.75 non-federal match (2026 request for proposals). NFWF's latest filing shows no South Carolina grant that I can tie to this program.
Next deadline
About early June 2027 Expected. The 2026 full proposals were due June 4, 2026; the 2027 request and its priority locations are not posted yet.
How to apply
Full proposal in NFWF's Easygrants system, with several local partners.
North Charleston · Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties
Grants for water quality in Charleston Harbor and the surrounding area: plastics, bacteria, emerging contaminants, pesticides, marsh and land erosion, climate resilience and coastal flooding, through action, research, citizen science, education, advocacy or litigation. Priority goes to organizations with budgets of $1,000,000 or less.
Typical grant
Average award not yet set (its site). The fund put $22,500 into Edisto Island Open Land Trust's septic repair project (state 319 report). Environmental grants in the foundation's 2024 filing include South Carolina Coastal Conservation League $208,500, Lowcountry Land Trust $74,950, Charleston Waterkeeper $37,407 and Audubon South Carolina $30,500 (the filing does not separate competitive grants from donor-advised gifts).
Next deadline
Applications open in December in its portal. The program page gives 11:59 p.m. February 2 (or the next business day), while the foundation's schedule page lists this fund in the January 15 winter cycle, so plan for mid-January 2027 Expected. Decisions in March.
How to apply
Online application through the foundation's grant portal. For general operating support in the same counties, its Open Grants cycle (up to $10,000, due June 1) is the other route.
Hilton Head Island · Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties
Community Investment grants for new or expanded programs and capital needs. Opportunity Grants (up to $10,000) are open across its four counties; Impact Grants (over $10,000) are for groups serving southern Beaufort County. It generally does not fund general operating support.
Typical grant
Opportunity Grants up to $10,000; Impact Grants over $10,000, with 19 Impact Grants totaling $811,000 in fiscal 2026 (its site). Environmental grants in its filing for the year to June 2025: The Outside Foundation $39,000, The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina $35,600, Hilton Head Island Audubon Society $10,200, Port Royal Sound Foundation $7,000.
Next deadline
Spring 2027 cycle: letters of intent March 1, 2027; applications due March 22, 2027 (Opportunity) and April 1, 2027 (Impact) Verified. The fall 2026 cycle's letters of intent were due September 1, 2026.
How to apply
Ask Community Investment staff for an access code, then submit the letter of intent and application in its grant portal.
Central Carolina Community Foundation: Lynches River Conservation
Columbia · Lynches River watershed; other programs cover 11 Midlands counties
Grants for land conservation and acquisition, water-quality projects and other work that protects the ecological integrity of the Lynches River watershed in South Carolina. For other Midlands groups, its Connected Communities grants fund new or expanded projects, including safe, high-quality recreational areas.
Typical grant
Lynches River awards vary with available funding (its site); Connected Communities $10,000 to $60,000 with a 20 percent outside match in the first year. Environmental grants in its filing for the year to June 2025: Columbia Green $52,713, Palmetto Conservation Foundation $37,870, Pee Dee Land Trust $30,711, Congaree Land Trust $19,241 (the filing does not say which fund paid them).
Next deadline
Lynches River Conservation: year-round Rolling. Connected Communities: its published timeline has round one open September 1 to 30 each year, so this year's closes about September 30, 2026 Expected; the page gives no year, so check before relying on it.
How to apply
Online grant portal. Connected Communities applicants must be based in its 11-county area and registered for Midlands Gives.
Greenville · Greenville and Greenville County, and to a lesser degree the Upstate
A conservation fund set up in 2025 for parks, greenways, trails, nature paths, watershed protection, land protection and restoration, tree cover and historic properties, including planning, survey, appraisal and design fees. The page says established nonprofits and local governments are invited by the fund's committee to apply.
Typical grant
Awards typically range from $20,000 to $100,000 (its site). The fund is newer than the foundation's latest filing (2024), which shows environmental grants such as Upstate Forever $137,391, Conestee Foundation $98,750, Upstate Greenways and Trails Alliance $50,000 and Naturaland Trust $41,891 (not separated from donor-advised gifts).
Next deadline
Winter cycle: opens October 1, 2026, due December 1, 2026 Verified. Spring cycle: February 1 to April 1, 2027.
How to apply
Online application in the foundation's grant portal. Because the page describes applicants as invited by the committee, email the contact on the page ([email protected]) about fit before applying.
Waccamaw Community Foundation: Sportsman Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fund
Murrells Inlet · Horry and Georgetown counties
Competitive grants for nonprofits that conserve wildlife and natural lands in the Waccamaw region: habitat protection, land acquisition for conservation, land management and conservation education. The foundation takes one request per organization per cycle, and from 2026 an organization can receive a competitive grant only every other year.
Typical grant
Not published for this fund. Environmental grants in its 2025 filing: South Carolina Waterfowl Association $37,000, Sustain SC $25,000, Nemours Plantation Wildlife Foundation $10,000 (the filing does not say which fund paid them).
Next deadline
About May to June 2027 Expected. The 2026 cycle ran May 4 to June 10, 2026; the 2027 dates are not posted yet.
How to apply
Online application in its grants portal during the annual cycle. First-time applicants can ask the Program Officer named on the page.
Ocala, FL · mostly Florida, with some South Carolina conservation
No website; everything here comes from its 2024 tax filing. Land conservation, springs, wildlife and environmental education, mostly in Florida, but its 2024 grants include several South Carolina conservation projects.
Typical grant
Median $20,000 across its 59 grants in 2024. South Carolina examples: The Nature Conservancy $150,000 (Gregorie Neck project and South Carolina revolving land fund), Turtle Survival Alliance (North Charleston) $29,000, Winyah Rivers Foundation (Conway) $25,000, Horry Soil and Water Conservation District $10,000 (Venus flytrap restoration).
Next deadline
None stated Filing only.
How to apply
A written request describing the organization and the project, with a copy of the 501(c)(3) letter and a use-of-funds statement on the foundation's form, to Guy Marwick, Executive Director, 1515 Silver Springs Boulevard, Suite 102, Ocala, FL.
No website; everything here comes from its 2025 tax filing. A trust managed by JPMorgan that makes a few general-support grants a year, several of them to environmental groups, and says it gives primarily in the Southeast.
Typical grant
Eight grants in 2025 totaling $381,310, median $50,000. Environmental examples: Ducks Unlimited $70,810, South Carolina Environmental Law Project $55,500, Environmental Working Group $50,000.
Next deadline
None, per the filing Filing only.
How to apply
The filing points to J.P. Morgan's online grant application site, but this foundation did not come up in that site's foundation finder when I searched on 27 September 2026. Write to the trustee instead: JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A., 10 S Dearborn IL1-0111, Chicago, IL 60603.
It is not exhaustive and it is not a ranking. Deadlines and guidelines change, so open each funder's own page before you start. Grants are competitive, and past grant sizes describe what a funder gave, not what it will give you. I list secular funders only.
The full version
Want this done for your own organization?
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You fill in a short intake questionnaire, then answer one round of written follow-up questions.
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