The Canal Charitable Foundation concentrates on place-based capital and institutional support in South Carolina, with a dominant transformational gift to Furman University and a portfolio of smaller community grants. They favor education (K–12 and higher education capital and scholarships), performing arts organizations, and religious/congregational building projects, often supporting local United Way and community nonprofits in Greenville and nearby coastal communities.
Canal Charitable Foundation’s recent giving is shaped by a single outsized commitment: a $3,833,333 grant in 2025 to Furman University for Timmons Arena renovations in Greenville. That award sits alongside a consistent pattern of smaller local grants that support schools, arts groups, churches, and community nonprofits across South Carolina. The foundation’s portfolio shows a strong preference for place-based capital and institutional support rather than broad, multi-state philanthropy. Education appears in several forms. Canal Charitable Foundation backed Charleston Day School’s building fund, Wofford College’s Wm. R. & Connie J. Timmons Scholarship Endowment, and school parent organizations in Wando. Arts and culture also recur through gifts to the Metropolitan Arts Council, Greenville Symphony Association, Peace Center for the Performing Arts, and South Carolina Children’s Theatre. Community support is present as well, including repeated general charitable support to United Way of Greenville County and United Ministries. The foundation also funds congregational building work, such as Grace Church Cathedral’s Transforming Grace Building Fund and Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church’s general support.
Education is a major theme in the foundation’s recent grant record. In 2025, it gave $50,000 to Charleston Day School for its Building Fund and $21,667 to Wofford College co Nayef H Samhat for the Wm. R. & Connie J. Timmons Scholarship Endowment. It also supported school-based parent groups, including Philip Simmons Elementary School PTA and Philip Simmons Middle School PTSA, each with $15,000 grants. Arts and cultural institutions are another clear thread. Canal Charitable Foundation awarded $15,000 to Metropolitan Arts Council for general charitable support, $12,500 to Greenville Symphony Association, and $7,500 to Peace Center for the Performing Arts for general charitable activities. In youth arts, South Carolina Children’s Theatre received $3,500 for general charitable support. Community and faith-based projects also appear. The foundation gave $25,000 to Grace Church Cathedral for the Transforming Grace Building Fund and $10,000 to United Ministries for general charitable support.
Typical grants are in the low five figures: p25 is $5,000, the median is $8,000, and p75 is $12,500. The distribution includes one very large outlier, with a $3,833,333 grant to Furman University in 2025, while most other awards cluster between $2,500 and $50,000. Recent grants show repeat support to several recipients across 2024 and 2025, including United Way of Greenville County, United Ministries, Metropolitan Arts Council, Greenville Symphony, and Peace Center for the Performing Arts. The foundation is a private grantmaker, and the data shows no program-related investments. It also funds individuals.
$4.1M
$249K
$4.1M
$4.1M
Most grants fall between $5K and $13K, with a median of $8K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$8K
75th Percentile
$13K
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Concentrated giving with one very large, transformational capital grant complemented by a series of modest, unrestricted or program-support awards; repeat funding to a few local cultural and community organizations and geographically focused on Greenville and nearby South Carolina communities.
Notable grantees: Furman University, United Way of Greenville County, Metropolitan Arts Council, Greenville Symphony Association, Charleston Day School
Grantmaking is entirely local and entirely in South Carolina: 100% of recent grants went to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Greenville is the most frequent city in the record, followed by Charleston, Wando, Mount Pleasant, Spartanburg, and Georgetown. The biggest concentration is in Greenville-area institutions, but the foundation also backs organizations in the Lowcountry and Upstate. No non-U.S. recipient countries appear in the recent grants data.
The recent record shows support for universities, schools, arts organizations, churches, and community nonprofits. Examples include Furman University, Charleston Day School, Metropolitan Arts Council, Grace Church Cathedral, and United Way of Greenville County. Many awards are for capital projects, building funds, endowments, or general charitable support.
Typical grant size is modest relative to the largest award: p25 is $5,000, median grant size is $8,000, and p75 is $12,500. Recent grants also include a small number of $50,000 awards and one $3,833,333 capital grant to Furman University.
Its giving is local, and 100% of recent grants went to recipients in South Carolina. Greenville appears most often, with additional grants to Charleston, Wando, Mount Pleasant, Spartanburg, and Georgetown.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including United Way of Greenville County, United Ministries, Metropolitan Arts Council, Greenville Symphony, and Peace Center for the Performing Arts. That pattern suggests repeat support rather than one-time-only giving.
The recent grants include facility renovations, building funds, scholarship endowments, and general charitable support. Examples include Timmons Arena renovations at Furman University, Charleston Day School’s Building Fund, the Wm. R. & Connie J. Timmons Scholarship Endowment at Wofford College, and the Transforming Grace Building Fund at Grace Church Cathedral.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furman University - Timmons Arena Renovations | Greenville, SC | $3,833,333 | 2025 | Timmons Arena Renovations |
| United Way of Greenville County | Greenville, SC | $50,000 | 2025 | General Charitable Support |
| Charleston Day School | Charleston, SC | $50,000 | 2025 | Building Fund |
| Grace Church Cathedral | Charleston, SC | $25,000 | 2025 | Transforming Grace Building Fund |
| Wofford College co Nayef H Samhat | Spartanburg, SC | $21,667 | 2025 | Wm. R. & Connie J. Timmons Scholarship Endowment |
| Philip Simmons Elementary School PTA | Wando, SC | $15,000 | 2025 | General Charitable Support |
| Kind of the Upstate | Greenville, SC | $15,000 | 2025 | General Charitable Support |
| Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church | Mount Pleasant, SC | $15,000 | 2025 | General Charitable Support |
| Metropolitan Arts Council | Greenville, SC | $15,000 | 2025 | General Charitable Support |
| Philip Simmons Middle School PTSA | Wando, SC | $15,000 | 2025 | General Charitable Support |
| Greenville Symphony Association | Greenville, SC | $12,500 | 2025 | General Charitable Support |
| Harbor Historical Association of Georgetown | Georgetown, SC | $10,000 | 2025 | General Charitable Support |
| United Ministries | Greenville, SC | $10,000 | 2025 | General Charitable Support |
| UNITED WAY OF GREENVILLE COUNTY | GREENVILLE, SC | $75,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE SUPPORT |
| United Way of Greenville County | Greenville, SC | $50,000 | 2024 | General Charitable Support |
| Metropolitan Arts Council | Greenville, SC | $12,500 | 2024 | General Charitable Support |
| Greenville Symphony | Greenville, SC | $12,500 | 2024 | General Charitable Support |
| METROPOLITAN ARTS COUNCIL | GREENVILLE, SC | $12,500 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| United Ministries | Greenville, SC | $10,000 | 2024 | General Charitable Support |
| GREENVILLE COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | GREENVILLE, SC | $8,000 | 2024 | FARNSWORTH GSO PROJECT |
| GREENVILLE SYMPHONY | GREENVILLE, SC | $7,500 | 2024 | CHARITABLE SUPPORT |
| PEACE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS | GREENVILLE, SC | $7,500 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| UNITED MINISTRIES | GREENVILLE, SC | $5,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE SUPPORT |
| South Carolina Children's Theatre | Greenville, SC | $3,500 | 2024 | General Charitable Support |
| SOUTH CAROLINA CHILDREN'S THEATRE | GREENVILLE, SC | $3,500 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| Peace Center for the Performing Arts | Greenville, SC | $2,500 | 2024 | General Charitable Support |
Furman University - Timmons Arena Renovations
$3,833,333Timmons Arena Renovations
Charleston Day School
$50,000Building Fund
Grace Church Cathedral
$25,000Transforming Grace Building Fund
Wofford College co Nayef H Samhat
$21,667Wm. R. & Connie J. Timmons Scholarship Endowment
Philip Simmons Elementary School PTA
$15,000General Charitable Support
Kind of the Upstate
$15,000General Charitable Support
Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church
$15,000General Charitable Support
Philip Simmons Middle School PTSA
$15,000General Charitable Support
Harbor Historical Association of Georgetown
$10,000General Charitable Support
Greenville Symphony
$12,500General Charitable Support
GREENVILLE COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$8,000FARNSWORTH GSO PROJECT
GREENVILLE SYMPHONY
$7,500CHARITABLE SUPPORT
PEACE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
$7,500GENERAL CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES