Recent Grants
Since 1996, the Mary Black Foundation has funded grants in excess of $51 million to improve the health, wellness, and success of the people and communities of Spartanburg County, SC. In 2003, the Foundation selected two funding priority areas: Early Childhood Development and Healthy Eating | Active Living. Since that time, we have invested over $16 million in ECD projects. Below you will find more information about recent grant awards.
2018
| Organization | Amount Paid / Description |
| BirthMatters | $116,500 to support a home visitation program using community-based doula support for vulnerable, expectant mothers, and their families. |
| Chapman Cultural Center | $60,000 to develop and implement a professional development program for early childhood providers to integrate creativity and the arts in their classrooms. |
| Children’s Museum of the Upstate Inc. | $25,000 to support the Palmetto Basics Communication Campaign.
$62,000 for the second year for a two-year grant to fund programming and instructional signage at the downtown Spartanburg location. |
| Children’s Trust of South Carolina | $18,325 to support training and implementation for Triple P expansion throughout Spartanburg County. |
| Hope Center for Children | $77,000 for the second year of a three-year grant to support the implementation of Triple P, an evidence-based parenting curriculum, as part of Hope Center’s Family Strengthening Program.
$102,000 to coordinate the Healthy Families Initiative, a five-year initiative to increase implementation of evidence-based parent education through the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P). |
| Impact America | $28,125 for the second year of a three-year grant to provide high quality vision screening to preschool children living in households with low-incomes. |
| Institute for Child Success | $142,500 to support core operating expenses leading to systems-level change and policies to improve early childhood development. |
| Meeting Street Academy | $2,100 to purchase equipment to provide hearing screenings for three – and four-year olds in Spartanburg County School District 7. |
| Middle Tyger Community Center | $175,000 for the second year of a three-year grant to provide general operating support for its work in the areas of teen pregnancy prevention and early childhood development. |
| Reach Out and Read – South Carolina | $39,900 for the first year of a two-year grant to support the expansion of the Reach Out and Reach- Spartanburg County initiative to include the early literacy program in the offices of additional local primary care physicians. |
| South Carolina Aquarium | $8,400 to bring the Rovers Education Outreach Program for Early Learners to preschool programs in Spartanburg County. |
| Spartanburg County First Steps | $124,500 to support the implementation of Quality Counts, a continuous Quality Improvement Initiative for childcare programs. |
| The Spartanburg County Foundation/Northside Neighborhood Fund | $200,000 for the fourth year of a five-year grant to establish The Franklin School, a child development center in the Northside. |
| Upstate Family Resource Center | $31,000 for the second year of a two-year grant to form a partnership with PASOs, a statewide nonprofit organization, to enhance services for Latinx children and families throughout Spartanburg County.
$74,820 for the first year of a two-year grant to build the capacity of PASOs, a program that connects Latinx families with health, nutrition, parenting, and education services. The grant will also help other organizations in the community become more culturally competent and effective in serving Latinx families. |
2017
| Organization | Amount Paid / Description |
| BirthMatters | $84,172 to support efforts to decrease teen pregnancy and support families with young children. |
| Chapman Cultural Center | $21,500 to develop and implement a professional development program for early childhood providers to integrate creativity and the arts in their classrooms. |
| Children’s Museum of the Upstate | $77,500 over two years to fund programming and instructional signage at the downtown Spartanburg location. |
| EMERGE (formerly known as Westgate Training & Consultation Network | $55,960 to provide mental health services to families with preschool age children. |
| Hope Center for Children | $36,000 to coordinate the Healthy Families Initiative, a five-year Initiative to increase evidence-based supports across Spartanburg County. |
| Impact America | $84,375 over three years to provide high quality vision screening to preschool of children living in households with low-incomes. |
| Institute for Child Success | $46,050 to support efforts to increase systems-level and policy change to improve early childhood development.
$95,000 to support core operating expenses leading to systems-level change and policies to improve early childhood development. |
| Middle Tyger Community Center | $56,250 to support general operating support for its work in the areas of teen pregnancy prevention and early childhood development. |
| Spartanburg County First Steps | $133,500 to support the implementation of Quality Counts, a continuous Quality Improvement Initiative for childcare programs. |
| University of South Carolina Upstate Foundation | $5,000 to support expert multi-disciplinary training in child abuse prevention. |
| Upstate Family Resource Center | $29,000 to form a partnership with PASOs, a statewide nonprofit organization, to enhance services for Latino children throughout Spartanburg County. |
2016
| Organization | Amount Paid / Description |
| BirthMatters | $60,000 to support a home visitation program for young moms. |
| Children’s Advocacy Center of Spartanburg | $34,500 for the last year of a three-year grant to develop and implement a peer support group for non-offending parents. |
| Hope Center for Children | $21,566 to support the implementation of Triple P, an evidence-based program designed to provide parents with effective parenting strategies. |
| Impact America | $25,000 for a vision screening initiative serving low-income, preschool aged children. |
| Institute for Child Success | $47,500 to support core operating expenses leading to systems-level change and policies to improve early childhood development. |
| Middle Tyger Community Center | $50,000 for comprehensive support, including parent education and child care, for young families. |
| Reach Out and Read | $66,500 over 2 years to support an early literacy program implemented in physician’s offices. |
| Spartanburg Academic Movement | $50,000 to pilot a kindergarten readiness assessment with Spartanburg School District 7. |
| Spartanburg County First Steps | $39,250 to support the last year of a three-year grant to support Quality Counts, a continuous quality improvement program for child care programs.
$50,000 to support managing implementation of Quality Counts, a continuous quality improvement initiative for child care programs. |
| United Way of the Piedmont | $10,000 to support Imagination Library, an early literacy intervention. |
| University of South Carolina Foundation | $15,000 to support expert multi-disciplinary training in child abuse prevention. |
2015
| Organization | Amount Paid / Description |
| Children’s Advocacy Center of Spartanburg | $34,500 for the second year of a three-year grant to develop and implement a peer support group for non-offending parents. |
| Hope Center for Children | $43,132 to support the implementation of Triple P, an evidence-based program designed to provide parents with effective parenting strategies. |
| Institute for Child Success | $47,500 to support core operating expenses leading to systems-level change and policies to improve early childhood development. |
| Middle Tyger Community Center | $80,000 for the last year of a three-year grant to support the Adolescent Family Life Program, a project to serve pregnant and parenting adolescents and their families with comprehensive services designed to help them become healthy and self sufficient. |
| SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy | $25,000 to support Let’s Talk, a project to improve parent-child communication in targeted neighborhoods. |
| SC Department of Social Services | $37,900 to support BirthMatters, a community-based doula program serving young families in Spartanburg County. |
| Spartanburg County First Steps | $2,500 to support two events during the 2015 Week of the Young Child: “Play in the Park” and “Sing and Dance in the Park.”
$124,500 to support the last year of a three-year grant to support Quality Counts, a continuous quality improvement program for child care programs. |
| The Spartanburg County Foundation | $734,000 for the second year of a five year grant to establish a Child Development Center in the Northside. |
| United Way of the Piedmont | $10,000 for the last year of a three-year grant to support Imagination Library, a program that provides free, age-appropriate books to children once a month from birth to age five. |
2014
| Organization | Amount Paid / Description |
| Children’s Advocacy Center of Spartanburg | $36,000 for the first year of a three-year grant to develop and implement a peer support group for non-offending parents and caregivers. |
| Hope Remains Youth Ranch | $90,905 to support an equine therapy program for preschool children. |
| Institute for Child Success | $95,000 to support public policy and advocacy specific to issues related to early childhood development. |
| Middle Tyger Community Center | $76,284 to support This Is My Child, high quality care and education for the children of adolescent parents.
$86,000 for the second year of a three-year grant to support the Adolescent Family Life Program, a project to serve pregnant and |
| Project Hope Foundation | $21,072 to provide services to children under age three with autism.
$47,500 to assist the organization in its efforts to streamline and create efficiencies in programming and operations. |
| SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy |
$25,000 to support Let’s Talk, a project to improve parent-child communication in targeted neighborhoods. $1,000 to support the SC Campaign’s 20th Anniversary Celebration, which included a recognition of Champions in Spartanburg. |
| SC Department of Social Services/BirthMatters | $37,900 to support BirthMatters’ community-based doula program in Spartanburg County. |
| Spartanburg County First Steps | $185,250 to support the last year of a three-year grant to support Quality Counts, a continuous improvement program for child care centers. |
| Spartanburg School District Seven | $4,700 to support implementation of the High Scope and Conscious Discipline programs at the Park Hills Early Learning Center. |
| Spartanburg County School District Six | $130,870 to increase the number of staff trained in Triple P, Positive Parenting Program, in an effort to better support families with children ages birth to 5. |
| United Way of the Piedmont | $15,000 for the second year of a three-year grant to support Imagination Library, a program that provides free, age-appropriate books to children once a month from birth to age five. |
| University of South Carolina Upstate Foundation | $2,500 to support A Brighter Future: Ending Child Abuse through Advocacy and Education, a one-day training. |
| Zero to Three | $3,500 to provide training for preschool teachers and childcare providers on the importance of brain development and early literacy. |
2013
| Organization | Amount Paid / Description |
| Project HOPE Foundation | $10,536 to provide services to children under age three with autism. |
| SC Department of Social Services/BirthMatters | $70,000 to support a community-based doula program serving young families in Spartanburg County. |
| Spartanburg County First Steps | $47,250 for the first year of a three-year grant to support Quality Counts, a quality rating and improvement system for child care programs. |
| The Spartanburg County Foundation/Northside Development Child Center Fund |
$1,000,000 to establish a Child Development Center in the Northside. |
| Spartanburg County First Steps | $47,250 for the first year of a three-year grant to support Quality Counts, a quality rating and improvement system for child care programs. |
| Middle Tyger Community Center | $49,000 for the first year of a three-year grant to support the Adolescent Family Life Program, a project to serve pregnant and parenting adolescents and their families in School Districts Two and Five with a comprehensive continuum of services designed to help families become healthy and self sufficient and to break the cycle of poverty. |
| SC Department of Social Services | $50,000 to support the Adolescent Family Life Program, a project to serve pregnant and parenting adolescents and their families in School Districts Two and Five with a comprehensive continuum of services designed to help families become healthy and self sufficient and to break the cycle of poverty. |
| Project HOPE Foundation | $10,536 to provide services to children under age three with autism. |
| REACH Upstate | $40,000 for the third year of a three-year grant to support teen pregnancy prevention efforts. |
| Middle Tyger Community Center | $62,270 for the third year of a three-year grant to support its Family Literacy Program, a program designed to further the education of adolescent mothers, delay subsequent pregnancies, promote parent education, and provide child development to the children of adolescent mothers. |
| College Hub | $15,000 to support the Toolkit for Kindergarten Readiness and Early Childhood Screening Initiative. |
| United Way of the Piedmont | $20,000 for the first year of a three-year grant to support Imagination Library, a program that provides free, age-appropriate books to children once a month from birth to age five. |
| SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy | $22,250 to increase parent-child communication in Spartanburg. |
| SC Department of Social Services | $50,000 to support the Children’s Health Initiative, a project to expand Medicaid enrollment and retention of eligible children in Spartanburg County. |
| Spartanburg County First Steps | $47,250 for the first year of a three-year grant to support Quality Counts, a quality rating and improvement system for child care programs. |
2012
| Organization | Amount Paid / Description |
| Spartanburg County School District 7 | $300,000 for the final year of a three-year grant to support a high quality child development center for children ages birth to 5 atthe District 7 Early Learning Center at Park Hills. |
| SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy | $10,000 to increase access to health services for teens in Spartanburg County. |
| Spartanburg County First Steps | $62,850 for the last payment of an eighteen month grant to pilot a Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) in Spartanburg County. |
| Woodruff Primary School | $2,500 to support the NAEYC programs for three- and four-year olds in School District Four. |
| Middle Tyger Community Center | $69,190 for the second year of a three-year grant to support its Family Literacy Program, a program designed to further the education of adolescent mothers, delay subsequent pregnancies, promote parent education, and provide child development to the children of adolescent mothers. |
| Middle Tyger Community Center | $91,000 to support the Adolescent Family Life Program. |
| REACH Upstate | $40,000 for the second year of a three-year grant to support teen pregnancy prevention efforts. |
| SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy | $22,250 to support efforts to increase parent-child communication. |
| Spartanburg County School District Seven | $300,000 for the second year of a three-year grant to support a high quality child development center program for children ages birth to 5 at the District 7 Early Learning Center at Park Hills. |
2011
| Organization | Amount Paid / Description |
| Girlology | $6,050 to sponsor educational workshops to help parents begin conversations with their children about puberty, adolescence, and relationships. |
| Institute for Child Success | $10,000 to support the Single Message for Children Corporate Campaign. |
| Middle Tyger Community Center | $76,880 for the first year of a three-year grant to support its Family Literacy Program, a program designed to further the education of adolescent mothers, delay subsequent pregnancies, promote parent education, and provide child development to the children of adolescent mothers. |
| Palmetto Project, Inc. | $50,000 for the first year of a two-year grant to support the Children’s Health Initiative/Spartanburg. |
| Project HOPE Foundation | $61,500 to hire and train an additional Board Certified Behavior Analyst for Hope Reach, an intensive intervention for children under age five with autism. |
| REACH Upstate | $40,000 for the first year of a three-year grant to support teen pregnancy prevention efforts. |
| ReGenesis Organization Community Health Center | $75,000 for the last year of a two-year grant to support BirthMatters, a community-based doula program serving young families in Spartanburg County. |
| Spartanburg County First Steps | $180,300 for the first year of an eighteen-month pilot of Quality Counts, a Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) in Spartanburg County. |
| SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy | $40,000 for the second year of a two-year grant to 1) ensure high quality teen pregnancy prevention programs are available to the youth of Spartanburg; 2) train parents and trusted adults to have open conversations with their children about love, sex, and relationships; and 3) increase access to condoms and contraceptives. |
| Spartanburg County School District One | $231,000 to support three full-day kindergarten classrooms for four-year olds who would have been served by the Therapeutic Behavioral services program prior to changes in the Medicaid eligibility criteria. |
| Spartanburg County School District Seven | $300,000 for the first year of a three-year grant to support a high quality child development center for children ages birth to 5 at the District 7 Early Learning Center at Park Hills. |
| Spartanburg County School District Three | $70,000 to support one full-day kindergarten classroom for four-year olds who would have been served by the Therapeutic Behavioral services program prior to changes in the Medicaid eligibility criteria. |
| The Children’s Service Alliance | $30,000 to support the Toolkit for Kindergarten Readiness and Screening Initiative. |
| United Way of the Piedmont | $10,000 for the last year of a four-year grant to support Imagination Library, a program that provides free, age-appropriate books to children once a month from birth to age five. |
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