Support the University of South Carolina's mission by managing, investing, and dispersing donations and other assets to advance education, research, creative activity, and community engagement.
The University of South Carolina Educational Foundation’s recent giving is dominated by operating support for the University of South Carolina, with three large scholar-related grants across 2023, 2024, and 2025 totaling more than $59 million. That pattern shows a foundation built to move donations and other assets into the university’s core academic work rather than into short-term, one-off initiatives. A second visible thread is project support for the Children’s Center at USC, which appears in multiple years and points to sustained backing for a specific campus program. The foundation also funds scholarship administration through National Merit Scholarship Corporation, linking its grantmaking to student financial aid beyond the university itself. In addition to these major awards, the latest grants include a smaller grant to the American Heart Association, showing that the portfolio is not limited to a single type of recipient. Across the recent record, the foundation’s role is less about external philanthropy at arm’s length and more about channeling resources into education, research, and university-related community engagement through recurring institutional support.
Higher education is the clearest theme in the recent grants. The foundation awarded $26,376,249 to University of South Carolina for operating support tied to scholars, alongside earlier scholar operating grants in 2024 and 2023. Project support also extends to campus services: Children’s Center at USC received $672,307 in 2024 for project support and $557,578 in 2025 for the same purpose. Scholarship funding appears outside the university as well, with National Merit Scholarship Corporation receiving $95,250 in 2023 for scholarships and additional awards in 2024 and 2025. A smaller grant to the American Heart Association adds a health-related recipient to the mix, though the recent record is still centered on education-related institutions and student support.
Typical grants range from $85,125 at the 25th percentile to a median of $550,890 and $11,799,575 at the 75th percentile, which reflects a highly concentrated grantmaking profile with a small number of very large institutional awards. The recent record also shows repetition: the University of South Carolina and the Children’s Center at USC received support in multiple years, and National Merit Scholarship Corporation appears in three consecutive years. The foundation is structured as an educational foundation tied to a university mission, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The latest 990 year on file is 2025.
$27M
$731.7M
$84.7M
$72.6M
Most grants fall between $85K and $11.8M, with a median of $551K.
25th Percentile
$85K
Median
$551K
75th Percentile
$11.8M
About 60% of grants go to recipients in SC.
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Grantmaking is regional and heavily concentrated in South Carolina. Sixty percent of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state, and the recent list is dominated by Columbia, SC recipients. The largest awards all land at University of South Carolina in Columbia, while the Children’s Center at USC also appears in Columbia across multiple years. Outside South Carolina, the recent grants list includes Evanston, IL, and Dallas, TX. All recent grants in the dataset go to U.S. recipients.
The recent record is centered on the University of South Carolina and related campus entities. It also supports scholarship administration through National Merit Scholarship Corporation and includes at least one grant to the American Heart Association. The most repeated recipient type is university-related institutional support.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals, and the grant record reflects institutional recipients such as the University of South Carolina, the Children’s Center at USC, and National Merit Scholarship Corporation rather than private persons.
The grant-size distribution is heavily skewed toward large awards: $85,125 at the 25th percentile, a median of $550,890, and $11,799,575 at the 75th percentile. That spread indicates a mix of mid-sized project support and very large operating grants.
Most grants go to South Carolina, which accounts for 60% of grants in the recent dataset. The dominant recipient city is Columbia, SC, where the University of South Carolina and the Children’s Center at USC both received multiple awards.
Yes. University of South Carolina appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025 with operating support for scholars. Children’s Center at USC also appears across those same years, and National Merit Scholarship Corporation appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025 for scholarships.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of South Carolina | Columbia, SC | $26,376,249 | 2025 | Operating - Scholars |
| Children's Center at USC | Columbia, SC | $557,578 | 2025 | Project Support |
| National Merit Scholarship Corporation | Evanston, IL | $81,750 | 2025 | Scholarships |
| American Heart Association | Dallas, TX | $7,000 | 2025 | Grant |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA | COLUMBIA, SC | $17,414,009 | 2024 | OPERATING-SCHOLARS |
| CHILDREN'S CENTER AT USC | COLUMBIA, SC | $672,307 | 2024 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP CORP | EVANSTON, IL | $77,250 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA | COLUMBIA, SC | $15,508,664 | 2023 | OPERATING-SCHOLARS |
| CHILDREN'S CENTER AT USC | COLUMBIA, SC | $544,201 | 2023 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP CORP | EVANSTON, IL | $95,250 | 2023 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
University of South Carolina
$26,376,249Operating - Scholars
Children's Center at USC
$557,578Project Support
National Merit Scholarship Corporation
$81,750Scholarships
American Heart Association
$7,000Grant
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
$17,414,009OPERATING-SCHOLARS
CHILDREN'S CENTER AT USC
$672,307PROJECT SUPPORT
NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP CORP
$77,250SCHOLARSHIPS
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
$15,508,664OPERATING-SCHOLARS
CHILDREN'S CENTER AT USC
$544,201PROJECT SUPPORT
NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP CORP
$95,250SCHOLARSHIPS