The Balmer Foundation is a highly-localized funder focused overwhelmingly on land conservation, environmental stewardship and place-based community improvement in Spartanburg and the Upstate region of South Carolina. It concentrates its giving—most notably via a very large, recurring relationship with The Tyger River Foundation—while also supporting historic preservation, local arts and cultural organizations, neighborhood beautification, and animal/service-dog programs. Grants tend to be directed to community-based nonprofits, civic improvement initiatives, and cultural institutions that preserve or activate local landscape and heritage.
Highly concentrated, regionally-focused giving: a few very large, repeat commitments (notably to The Tyger River Foundation) alongside multiple smaller, recurring grants to local nonprofits. Funding is place-based and programmatic with a mix of multi-year or repeat support and one-off project grants.
A $5.2 million general-support grant to The Tyger River Foundation in 2024 and a second $3.0 million award in 2025 point to the Balmer Foundation’s defining pattern: large, repeated support for land and watershed conservation in the Upstate region. That relationship sits alongside grants for local beautification, historic preservation, and civic improvement, showing a portfolio shaped around place-based projects in and around Spartanburg. The foundation’s recent giving also reaches cultural and community organizations, including the Spartanburg Philharmonic, Spartanburg Art Museum, and Northside Development Group, but the largest commitments are tied to stewardship of the local landscape. The foundation funds through general support, and many of its awards are directed to organizations with a clear local footprint in Spartanburg, Roebuck, Moore, Greenville, Hodges, and Washington, South Carolina. Several recipients appear more than once across recent years, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated awards. Its grant history includes support for conservation groups, neighborhood beautification funds, historic sites, animal-related programs, and local education and cultural institutions, all within South Carolina.
Environmental stewardship is central to the Balmer Foundation’s grantmaking. In 2025, it gave $100,000 to Upstate Forever for general support, and in 2025 it also gave $5,000 to TreesUpstate for general support. Place-based improvement is another visible theme. The foundation awarded $250,000 to A Spot of Pride Beautification Fund in 2023 and another $150,000 in 2024, both for general support, and it gave $20,000 to Northside Development Group in 2025 after earlier support of $20,000 in 2024 and $20,000 in 2023. Historic preservation also appears in the grant list. In 2025, the Anderson Mill Historical Fund received $250,000 for general support, while Walnut Grove Plantation Fund received $250,000 the same year. The Balmer Foundation also supports arts, writing, and animal-related work, including $25,000 to Spartanburg Philharmonic in 2025 and $5,000 to Hub City Writers Project Inc in 2025.
The Balmer Foundation’s recent awards range from $5,000 at the 25th percentile to $20,000 at the median and $100,000 at the 75th percentile, with several much larger outliers above that range. Its grant list shows repeated support to the same organizations across multiple years, especially The Tyger River Foundation and Spartanburg Philharmonic, indicating ongoing relationships rather than one-time gifts. The foundation is structured as a grantmaker that funds individuals at false and makes no program-related investments. Grants in the recent list are described as general support, including unrestricted and core support styles.
$2.2M
$34.1M
$1.5M
$2.3M
Most grants fall between $5K and $100K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$100K
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Notable grantees: The Tyger River Foundation, A Spot of Pride Beautification Fund, Spartanburg Philharmonic, Upstate Forever, Northside Development Group
Every grant in the recent list goes to a recipient in the United States, and all are in South Carolina. Spartanburg is the most common recipient city, with additional grants to Roebuck, Moore, Greenville, Hodges, and Washington. The foundation gives most often in South Carolina, and the recipient distribution shown here is entirely in-state. That pattern matches a highly local grant footprint centered on the Upstate region.
The recent grant list shows support for conservation groups, beautification funds, historic preservation organizations, arts and literary groups, animal-related programs, and local education institutions. Examples include conservation, neighborhood improvement, and cultural organizations across Spartanburg and nearby South Carolina communities.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $20,000 at the median, and $100,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes much larger awards, including multimillion-dollar support to The Tyger River Foundation.
Yes. The geography shown for recent grants is entirely South Carolina, and 100% of the grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Spartanburg appears most often among recipient cities, with additional grants in Roebuck, Moore, Greenville, Hodges, and Washington.
Yes. The Tyger River Foundation appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Spartanburg Philharmonic appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Northside Development Group and Service Dogs for Veterans also appear more than once in the recent list.
The recent grants are described as general support, including unrestricted and core support. That pattern appears across the list, from conservation and historic preservation to arts and community-improvement organizations.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Tyger River Foundation | Spartanburg, SC | $1,607,019 | 2026 | General Support |
| Spartanburg County Foundation | Spartanburg, SC | $256,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Upstate Forever | Greenville, SC | $100,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Spartanburg Community College Foundation | Spartanburg, SC | $100,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Partners for Active Living dba PAL Play Advocate Live Well | Spartanburg, SC | $30,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Spartanburg Philharmonic | Spartanburg, SC | $25,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Service Dogs for Veterans | Greenville, SC | $20,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Northside Development Group | Spartanburg, SC | $20,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| University of South Carolina Upstate Foundation | Spartanburg, SC | $10,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| The Tyger River Foundation | Roebuck, SC | $3,022,991 | 2025 | General Support |
| Walnut Grove Plantation Fund | Roebuck, SC | $250,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| The Anderson Mill Historical Fund | Moore, SC | $250,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Upstate Forever | Greenville, SC | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Partners for Active Living General Fund | Spartanburg, SC | $25,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Spartanburg Philharmonic | Spartanburg, SC | $25,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Service Dogs for Veterans | Greenville, SC | $20,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Northside Development Group | Spartanburg, SC | $20,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Hub City Animal Project (HCAP) Fund | Spartanburg, SC | $6,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| USC Upstate Foundation | Spartanburg, SC | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Hub City Writers Project Inc | Spartanburg, SC | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Hatcher Garden and Woodland Preserve Inc | Spartanburg, SC | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| TreesUpstate | Greenville, SC | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| The Tyger River Foundation | Roebuck, SC | $5,168,690 | 2024 | General Support |
| A Spot of Pride Beautification Fund | Spartanburg, SC | $150,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Spartanburg Philharmonic | Spartanburg, SC | $25,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Northside Development Group | Spartanburg, SC | $20,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Spartanburg Art Museum | Spartanburg, SC | $15,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| USC Upstate Foundation | Spartanburg, SC | $5,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Anne Irwin Memorial Fund | Spartanburg, SC | $5,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Service Dogs for Veterans | Greenville, SC | $5,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Hatcher Garden and Woodland Preserve Inc | Spartanburg, SC | $5,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Hub City Animal Project (HCAP) Fund | Spartanburg, SC | $5,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| THE TYGER RIVER FOUNDATION | SPARTANBURG, SC | $625,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| A SPOT OF PRIDE BEAUTIFICATION FUND | SPARTANBURG, SC | $250,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SPARTANBURG AREA CONSERVANCY | SPARTANBURG, SC | $150,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SPARTANBURG COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION | SPARTANBURG, SC | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SPARTANBURG PHILHARMONIC | SPARTANBURG, SC | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORTHSIDE DEVELOPMENT GROUP | HODGES, SC | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ANIMAL ALLIES INC | WASHINGTON, SC | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| USC UPSTATE FOUNDATION | SPARTANBURG, SC | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HUB CITY WRITERS PROJECT FUND | SPARTANBURG, SC | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HATCHER GARDEN AND WOODLAND PRESERVE INC | SPARTANBURG, SC | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
The Tyger River Foundation
$1,607,019General Support
General Support
Service Dogs for Veterans
$20,000General Support
The Tyger River Foundation
$3,022,991General Support
Walnut Grove Plantation Fund
$250,000General Support
The Anderson Mill Historical Fund
$250,000General Support
Service Dogs for Veterans
$20,000General Support
Hub City Animal Project (HCAP) Fund
$6,000General Support
TreesUpstate
$5,000General Support
The Tyger River Foundation
$5,168,690General Support
A Spot of Pride Beautification Fund
$150,000General Support
Service Dogs for Veterans
$5,000General Support
Hub City Animal Project (HCAP) Fund
$5,000General Support
THE TYGER RIVER FOUNDATION
$625,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ANIMAL ALLIES INC
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT