Pathfinder Foundation makes a small number of large grants focused on two complementary priorities: supporting independent secondary school scholarships and funding land and coastal conservation/food initiatives in the Southeast. Their recent gifts show a willingness to underwrite capital campaigns and targeted program initiatives rather than many small awards. Grantees suggest a particular interest in the South Carolina Lowcountry and in scholarship support for a selective boarding school program.
Pathfinder Foundation Inc’s largest recent grant went to The Baylor School for the Cartter Scholars Scholarship Fund, and that scholarship emphasis sits alongside a second clear thread: support for land, coastal, and food-related initiatives in South Carolina. The foundation’s recent giving is not spread across many small awards; instead, it concentrates on a relatively small number of grants, including major support for South Carolina Coastal Conservation League Inc and Lowcountry Land Trust Inc, each at $200,000 in 2024. That pattern points to a funder that backs specific projects and institutions rather than broad open-ended grantmaking. Recent awards also show interest in place-based work in the Charleston area and broader Lowcountry, with grants to organizations involved in conservation, preservation, local food systems, and scholarship support. The mix includes operating support, scholarship funds, capital campaign funding, and expenditure-responsibility grants, suggesting a flexible approach tied to particular initiatives. Across the recent record, Pathfinder Foundation Inc appears most engaged where education and conservation intersect with community benefit in South Carolina and nearby regional partners.
Scholarship support is one of the foundation’s clearest priorities. In 2024, Pathfinder Foundation Inc gave $50,000 to Polly Boyd Scholarship Fund for general and unrestricted support, and $30,000 to Trident Technical College Foundation Incorporated for its Scholarship Fund. Those gifts sit alongside its larger scholarship commitment to The Baylor School, reinforcing a pattern of backing student access through named scholarship vehicles. Environmental and land stewardship also feature prominently. The foundation granted $30,000 to Open Space Institute Inc for conservation work in South Carolina, $20,000 to Ducks Unlimited Inc for a South Carolina State Initiative, and $15,000 to South Carolina Environmental Law Project Inc for general and unrestricted support. Community food and growing projects appear as well: South Carolina Coastal Conservation League Inc received $200,000 for the Grow Food Initiative and another $30,000 for the same initiative, while Green Heart Project Inc received $15,000 for an Urban Farm Campaign.
$1.3M
$30.2M
$3.1M
$2M
Most grants fall between $10K and $30K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$30K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in SC.
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Concentrated, high-dollar giving (three large grants totaling $700K) with one-off capital and program support; few grantees and no evidence of repeated multi-year commitments.
Notable grantees: THE BAYLOR SCHOOL, LOWCOUNTRY LAND TRUST INC, SOUTH CAROLINA COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE INC
Typical grant size clusters around $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $20,000 at the median, and $30,000 at the 75th percentile, with a few much larger awards above that range. The recent record shows both one-off grants and repeat support: South Carolina Coastal Conservation League Inc appears more than once in 2024, as does Lowcountry Land Trust Inc. Pathfinder Foundation Inc also uses multiple grant types, including general and unrestricted support, scholarship funding, capital campaign support, and expenditure-responsibility grants. It funds individuals as well as organizations, and its 2024 filings show a regional giving pattern rather than broad national dispersion.
Grant recipients are overwhelmingly in the United States, and the foundation gives most often in South Carolina. Charleston is the most visible recipient city, with grants to organizations such as South Carolina Coastal Conservation League Inc, Lowcountry Land Trust Inc, Historic Charleston Foundation, Charleston Waterkeeper, and Charleston Parks Conservancy. North Charleston and Mount Pleasant also appear repeatedly, along with Moncks Corner and Pawleys Island. Outside South Carolina, recent grants went to Chattanooga, Charlottesville, New York, and Memphis.
Its recent grants point to three main areas: scholarships for secondary and postsecondary education, land and coastal conservation in South Carolina, and food-system or urban-farm initiatives. Recent recipients include scholarship funds, conservation organizations, and a community growing project in Charleston.
Yes. South Carolina Coastal Conservation League Inc appears more than once in 2024, with grants of $200,000 and $30,000 for the Grow Food Initiative. Lowcountry Land Trust Inc also received multiple grants in 2024, including a $200,000 capital campaign award and a $30,000 general operating grant.
Its grant-size distribution centers on $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $20,000 at the median, and $30,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent grants also include larger awards such as $200,000 and $300,000, showing that it makes some high-value, project-specific commitments.
South Carolina is the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities there include Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Moncks Corner, and Pawleys Island, showing a strong concentration in the Lowcountry and Charleston-area region.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE BAYLOR SCHOOL | CHATTANOOGA, TN | $300,000 | 2024 | Cartter Scholars Scholarship Fund |
| THE BAYLOR SCHOOL | CHATTANOOGA, TN | $200,000 | 2024 | Cartter Scholars Scholarship Fund |
| SOUTH CAROLINA COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE INC | CHARLESTON, SC | $200,000 | 2024 | Grow Food Initiative |
| SOUTH CAROLINA COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE INC | CHARLESTON, SC | $200,000 | 2024 | Grow Food Initiative |
| LOWCOUNTRY LAND TRUST INC | CHARLESTON, SC | $200,000 | 2024 | capital campaign |
| LOWCOUNTRY LAND TRUST INC | CHARLESTON, SC | $200,000 | 2024 | Capital Campaign |
| POLLY BOYD SCHOLARSHIP FUND | CHATTANOOGA, TN | $50,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| COASTAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA INC | N CHARLESTON, SC | $50,000 | 2024 | Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney Scholarship Fund |
| YEAMANS HALL CLUB FOUNDATION INC | CHARLESTON, SC | $50,000 | 2024 | Expenditure Responsibility Grant |
| SOUTHERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $30,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| SOUTH CAROLINA AQUARIUM | CHARLESTON, SC | $30,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| SUSTAINABILITY INSTITUTE INC | NORTH CHARLESTON, SC | $30,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| CHARLESTON JUNIOR GOLF FOUNDATION | MT PLEASANT, SC | $30,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| SOUTHERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $30,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| YEAMANS HALL CLUB FOUNDATION INC | CHARLESTON, SC | $30,000 | 2024 | Expenditure Responsibility Grant |
| HISTORIC CHARLESTON FOUNDATION | CHARLESTON, SC | $30,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| TRIDENT TECHNICAL COLLEGE FOUNDATION INCORPORATED | CHARLESTON, SC | $30,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| COASTAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA INC | N CHARLESTON, SC | $30,000 | 2024 | Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney Scholarship Fund |
| TRIDENT TECHNICAL COLLEGE FOUNDATION INCORPORATED | CHARLESTON, SC | $30,000 | 2024 | Scholarship Fund |
| LOWCOUNTRY LAND TRUST INC | CHARLESTON, SC | $30,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| CHARLESTON JUNIOR GOLF FOUNDATION - THE FIRST TEE | MT PLEASANT, SC | $30,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| NATURE CONSERVANCY | MT PLEASANT, SC | $30,000 | 2024 | Conservation in South Carolina |
| CHARLESTON PROMISE NEIGHBORHOOD | N CHARLESTON, SC | $30,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| OPEN SPACE INSTITUTE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2024 | Conservation work in South Carolina |
| NATURE CONSERVANCY - CHARLESTON SATELITE OFFICE | MT PLEASANT, SC | $30,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| SOUTH CAROLINA COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE INC | CHARLESTON, SC | $30,000 | 2024 | Grow Food Initiative |
| CHARLESTON MOVES | CHARLESTON, SC | $30,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| LOWCOUNTRY LAND TRUST INC | CHARLESTON, SC | $30,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| OPEN SPACE INSTITUTE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| POLLY BOYD SCHOLARSHIP FUND | CHATTANOOGA, TN | $30,000 | 2024 | Employee Scholarship Fund |
| EAST COOPER COMMUNITY OUTREACH | MT PLEASANT, SC | $25,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| SOUTH CAROLINA COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE INC | CHARLESTON, SC | $25,000 | 2024 | Grow Food Initiative |
| SKYUKA HALL | CHATTANOOGA, TN | $25,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| METANOIA | N CHARLESTON, SC | $25,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| CHARLESTON PROMISE NEIGHBORHOOD | CHARLESTON, SC | $25,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| HISTORIC CHARLESTON FOUNDATION | CHARLESTON, SC | $25,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| CHARLESTON MOVES | CHARLESTON, SC | $25,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| METANOIA | N CHARLESTON, SC | $25,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| LOWCOUNTRY LOCAL FIRST | CHARLESTON, SC | $25,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| SOUTH CAROLINA AQUARIUM | CHARLESTON, SC | $20,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| EAST COOPER COMMUNITY OUTREACH | MT PLEASANT, SC | $20,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| LOWCOUNTRY LOCAL FIRST | CHARLESTON, SC | $20,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| DUCKS UNLIMITED INC | MEMPHIS, TN | $20,000 | 2024 | South Carolina State Initiative |
| DUCKS UNLIMITED INC | MEMPHIS, TN | $20,000 | 2024 | South Carolina State Initiative |
| CHARLESTON PARKS CONSERVANCY | CHARLESTON, SC | $20,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| SUSTAINABILITY INSTITUTE INC | NORTH CHARLESTON, SC | $20,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| LORD BERKELEY CONSERVATION TRUST | MONCKS CORNER, SC | $15,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| CHARLESTON PARKS CONSERVANCY | CHARLESTON, SC | $15,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| SOUTH CAROLINA ENVIRONMENTAL LAW PROJECT INC | PAWLEYS ISL, SC | $15,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| CHARLESTON WATERKEEPER | CHARLESTON, SC | $15,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
THE BAYLOR SCHOOL
$300,000Cartter Scholars Scholarship Fund
THE BAYLOR SCHOOL
$200,000Cartter Scholars Scholarship Fund
Capital Campaign
POLLY BOYD SCHOLARSHIP FUND
$50,000General & Unrestricted
Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney Scholarship Fund
YEAMANS HALL CLUB FOUNDATION INC
$50,000Expenditure Responsibility Grant
YEAMANS HALL CLUB FOUNDATION INC
$30,000Expenditure Responsibility Grant
Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney Scholarship Fund
CHARLESTON JUNIOR GOLF FOUNDATION - THE FIRST TEE
$30,000General & Unrestricted
NATURE CONSERVANCY
$30,000Conservation in South Carolina
CHARLESTON MOVES
$30,000General & Unrestricted
POLLY BOYD SCHOLARSHIP FUND
$30,000Employee Scholarship Fund
CHARLESTON MOVES
$25,000General & Unrestricted
LOWCOUNTRY LOCAL FIRST
$25,000General & Unrestricted
LOWCOUNTRY LOCAL FIRST
$20,000General & Unrestricted
DUCKS UNLIMITED INC
$20,000South Carolina State Initiative
DUCKS UNLIMITED INC
$20,000South Carolina State Initiative
CHARLESTON PARKS CONSERVANCY
$20,000General & Unrestricted
LORD BERKELEY CONSERVATION TRUST
$15,000General & Unrestricted
CHARLESTON PARKS CONSERVANCY
$15,000General & Unrestricted