The Howard Foundation is a small, Greenville-based private funder that prioritizes local community wellbeing with a mix of youth recreation, faith-based services, and environmental conservation, while occasionally supporting international disaster relief through well-known humanitarian organizations. They commonly provide operating or program support to local YMCAs, conservation groups, and faith-affiliated service providers, indicating a preference for practical, service-oriented grants that benefit the Upstate South Carolina community.
A defining pattern in Ernest J and Doris H Howard Foundation’s recent giving is repeated support for youth recreation in Greenville through the YMCA network. In 2024, the foundation gave $13,000 to YMCA of Greenville for the RECESS program, and it also backed Canine Halter Family YMCA in both 2023 and 2024 for R.E.C.E.S.S. funds. That thread sits alongside another clear line of support: local churches and faith-based service organizations in the Greenville area, including St Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, St Mary's Catholic Church, and St Rafka Maronite Church. The foundation’s portfolio is small in absolute dollar terms but active across several years, with grants that often support operating needs or general charitable purposes. Environmental stewardship also appears in the record through multiple grants to Upstate Forever for both general charitable purposes and operating support. Beyond South Carolina, the foundation has made selective grants to disaster relief and human services organizations, such as American Red Cross for Lebanese disaster relief and Samaritan's Purse for operating support. The pattern suggests a donor family or private foundation focused on practical, service-oriented support rather than project-heavy, restricted funding.
Youth recreation is one of the clearest themes in the record. The foundation gave $13,000 to YMCA of Greenville for the RECESS program in 2024, and it also supported Canine Halter Family YMCA with $9,000 in 2023 and $8,000 in 2024 for the R.E.C.E.S.S. fund. Faith-based support is another recurring area. Grants include $5,000 to St Anthony of Padua Catholic Church for general charitable purposes in 2024, $4,250 to St Rafka Maronite Church for operating support in 2024, and $3,500 to St Mary's Catholic Church for operating support in 2024. Environmental work appears through Upstate Forever, which received $5,000 for general charitable purposes in 2023 and $5,000 for operating support in 2024. The foundation also made a $1,500 grant to Southern Environmental Law Center in 2023 for general charitable purposes.
Typical grants cluster in the low thousands: the 25th percentile is $1,000, the median is $2,000, and the 75th percentile is $3,000. The recent record includes both repeated support to the same organizations across multiple years and one-off grants, with several recipients appearing in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That pattern points to ongoing relationships rather than a purely transactional approach. The foundation appears to be a private foundation with modest assets and annual grantmaking relative to its size. Its grants are overwhelmingly domestic, and the record shows a preference for operating support, general charitable purposes, and designated fund support.
$144K
$642K
$2K
$32K
Most grants fall between $1K and $3K, with a median of $2K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$2K
75th Percentile
$3K
About 78% of grants go to recipients in TN.
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Modest, locally concentrated giving with a mix of repeat grantees and one-off gifts; grants are small-to-midsize and typically designated as operating or program support rather than capital projects.
Notable grantees: Canine Halter Family YMCA / YMCA of Greenville (RECESS youth program), Upstate Forever, American Red Cross, Samaritan's Purse, St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church
Grantmaking is heavily concentrated in South Carolina, with 78% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Greenville is the main city in the record, including grants to YMCA of Greenville, Upstate Forever, St Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, St Mary's Catholic Church, David's Table, and the Community Foundation of Greenville. Greer also appears through St Rafka Maronite Church. Outside South Carolina, the foundation has given to Boone, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; Memphis, Tennessee; Orlando, Florida; Irondale, Alabama; and Staten Island, New York. All recorded grants went to U.S. recipients.
The grant-size distribution is small and fairly tight: the 25th percentile is $1,000, the median is $2,000, and the 75th percentile is $3,000. Most recent grants fall within that range, with a few larger awards reaching $13,000 and $10,000.
The record shows three recurring areas: youth recreation and out-of-school-time programming, faith-based community services, and environmental stewardship. It also makes selective grants for disaster relief and human services, including support for Lebanese disaster relief and operating support for established nonprofit organizations.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Canine Halter Family YMCA, Upstate Forever, St Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, St Mary's Catholic Church, St Rafka Maronite Church, Community Foundation of Greenville, and David's Table. The pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated one-time gifts.
Most grants go to South Carolina recipients, and 78% of grants are to organizations in the HQ state. Greenville is the most common city in the recipient list, with additional grants in Greer and a smaller set of awards outside South Carolina.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAMARITAN'S PURSE | BOONE, NC | $9,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| WELLSPRING LIVING | ATLANTA, GA | $5,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| DAVID'S TABLE | GREENVILLE, SC | $4,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| UPSTATE FOREVER | GREENVILLE, SC | $4,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ST RAFKA MARONITE CHURCH | GREER, SC | $2,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ST ANTHONY OF PADUA CATHOLIC CHURCH | GREENVILLE, SC | $2,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NATURALAND TRUST | GREENVILLE, SC | $1,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION | STATEN ISLAND, NY | $1,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| GREENVILLE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | GREENVILLE, SC | $1,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF CHRIS & KELLY'S HOPE FUND |
| ASHEVILLE POVERTY INITIATIVE | ASHEVILLE, NC | $1,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| YMCA OF GREENVILLE | GREENVILLE, SC | $13,000 | 2024 | RECESS PROGRAM |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | GREENVILLE, SC | $10,000 | 2024 | LEBANESE DISASTER RELIEF |
| CANINE HALTER FAMILY YMCA | GREENVILLE, SC | $8,000 | 2024 | R.E.C.E.S.S FUND |
| UPSTATE FOREVER | GREENVILLE, SC | $5,000 | 2024 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ST ANTHONY OF PADUA CATHOLIC CHURCH | GREENVILLE, SC | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ST RAFKA MARONITE CHURCH | GREER, SC | $4,250 | 2024 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ST MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH | GREENVILLE, SC | $3,500 | 2024 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ST ANTHONY OF PADUA CATHOLIC CHURCH | GREENVILLE, SC | $3,250 | 2024 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREENVILLE | GREENVILLE, SC | $2,500 | 2024 | CHRIS & KELLY'S HOPE FUND |
| TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION | STATEN ISLAND, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| UPSTATE FOREVER | GREENVILLE, SC | $2,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ST MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH | GREENVILLE, SC | $2,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREENVILLE | GREENVILLE, SC | $2,000 | 2024 | THOMAS EPTING FAITH FUND |
| ST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL | MEMPHIS, TN | $2,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| CANINE COMPANIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE | ORLANDO, FL | $1,000 | 2024 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NATURALAND TRUST | GREENVILLE, SC | $1,000 | 2024 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| SOUTHERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER | CHARLESTON, SC | $1,000 | 2024 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NOAH'S ARK RESCUE | RIDGELAND, SC | $1,000 | 2024 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CANINE HALTER FAMILY YMCA | GREENVILLE, SC | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ETERNAL WORLD TELEVISON | IRONDALE, AL | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| SOUTHERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER | CHARLESTON, SC | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ST RAFKA MARONITE CHURCH | GREER, SC | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREENVILLE | GREENVILLE, SC | $1,000 | 2024 | CHRIS & KELLY'S HOPE FOUNDATION |
| EPARCHY OF ST MARON | BROOKLYN, NY | $750 | 2024 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MILL COMMUNITY MINITRIES | GREENVILLE, SC | $500 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| CANINE HALTER FAMILY YMCA | GREENVILLE, SC | $9,000 | 2023 | R.E.C.E.S.S FUND |
| UPSTATE FOREVER | GREENVILLE, SC | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| TUNNEL 2 TOWERS | STATEN ISLAND, NY | $3,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ST MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH | GREENVILLE, SC | $3,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ETERNAL WORLD TELEVISON | IRONDALE, AL | $3,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| CANINE COMPANIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE | ORLANDO, FL | $3,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| DAVID'S TABLE | GREENVILLE, SC | $3,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ST RAFKA MARONITE CHURCH | GREER, SC | $2,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREENVILLE | GREENVILLE, SC | $1,700 | 2023 | CHRIS & KELLY'S HOPE FUND |
| SOUTHERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER | CHARLESTON, SC | $1,500 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| PRISMA HEALTH FAMILY YMCA | SIMPSONVILLE, SC | $1,000 | 2023 | FAMILY FOOD PROGRAM |
| EQUAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE | MONTGOMERY, AL | $1,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ST ANTHONY OF PADUA CATHOLIC CHURCH | GREENVILLE, SC | $1,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| UNITED MINISTRIES | GREENVILLE, SC | $1,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| MILL VILLAGE FARM | GREENVILLE, SC | $500 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
SAMARITAN'S PURSE
$9,000OPERATING SUPPORT
WELLSPRING LIVING
$5,000OPERATING SUPPORT
DAVID'S TABLE
$4,000OPERATING SUPPORT
UPSTATE FOREVER
$4,000OPERATING SUPPORT
ST RAFKA MARONITE CHURCH
$2,000OPERATING SUPPORT
ST ANTHONY OF PADUA CATHOLIC CHURCH
$2,000OPERATING SUPPORT
NATURALAND TRUST
OPERATING SUPPORT
TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION
$1,000OPERATING SUPPORT
GREENVILLE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$1,000SUPPORT OF CHRIS & KELLY'S HOPE FUND
ASHEVILLE POVERTY INITIATIVE
$1,000OPERATING SUPPORT
YMCA OF GREENVILLE
$13,000RECESS PROGRAM
AMERICAN RED CROSS
$10,000LEBANESE DISASTER RELIEF
CANINE HALTER FAMILY YMCA
$8,000R.E.C.E.S.S FUND
UPSTATE FOREVER
$5,000OPERATING SUPPORT
ST ANTHONY OF PADUA CATHOLIC CHURCH
$5,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ST RAFKA MARONITE CHURCH
$4,250OPERATING SUPPORT
ST MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
$3,500OPERATING SUPPORT
ST ANTHONY OF PADUA CATHOLIC CHURCH
$3,250OPERATING SUPPORT
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREENVILLE
$2,500CHRIS & KELLY'S HOPE FUND
TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION
$2,500OPERATING SUPPORT
UPSTATE FOREVER
$2,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ST MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
$2,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREENVILLE
$2,000THOMAS EPTING FAITH FUND
ST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL
$2,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
CANINE COMPANIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE
$1,000OPERATING SUPPORT
NATURALAND TRUST
$1,000OPERATING SUPPORT
SOUTHERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER
$1,000OPERATING SUPPORT
NOAH'S ARK RESCUE
$1,000OPERATING SUPPORT
CANINE HALTER FAMILY YMCA
$1,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ETERNAL WORLD TELEVISON
$1,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
SOUTHERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER
$1,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ST RAFKA MARONITE CHURCH
$1,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREENVILLE
$1,000CHRIS & KELLY'S HOPE FOUNDATION
EPARCHY OF ST MARON
$750OPERATING SUPPORT
MILL COMMUNITY MINITRIES
$500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
CANINE HALTER FAMILY YMCA
$9,000R.E.C.E.S.S FUND
UPSTATE FOREVER
$5,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
TUNNEL 2 TOWERS
$3,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ST MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
$3,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ETERNAL WORLD TELEVISON
$3,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
CANINE COMPANIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE
$3,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
DAVID'S TABLE
$3,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ST RAFKA MARONITE CHURCH
$2,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREENVILLE
$1,700CHRIS & KELLY'S HOPE FUND
SOUTHERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER
$1,500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
PRISMA HEALTH FAMILY YMCA
$1,000FAMILY FOOD PROGRAM
EQUAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE
$1,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ST ANTHONY OF PADUA CATHOLIC CHURCH
$1,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
UNITED MINISTRIES
$1,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
MILL VILLAGE FARM
$500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES