About University of South Carolina Educational Foundation
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.
Focus Areas
Higher educationScholarshipsFaculty support / Endowed chairsEndowment managementUniversity facilities and equipment
Who They Fund
individual scholars (students and early-career researchers)scholarship recipients
Funding Style
scholarship fundingproject supportoperating supportindividual fellowships
About University of South Carolina Educational Foundation
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.
What University of South Carolina Educational Foundation Funds
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.
How University of South Carolina Educational Foundation Gives
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.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$27M
Total Assets
$731.7M
Total Revenue
$84.7M
Total Expenses
$72.6M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $85K and $11.8M, with a median of $551K.
25th Percentile
$85K
Median
$551K
75th Percentile
$11.8M
Geographic Reach
Regional3 states funded
About 60% of grants go to recipients in SC.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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