Grant Applications

The SC Bar Foundation is no longer accepting grant applications for 2025. Please explore our eligibility requirements and timeline below to learn more about the application process for our next grant cycle.

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for grant funding from the South Carolina Bar Foundation, applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

Be a 501(c)(3) or similar tax-exempt nonprofit.
Offer one or more of the following services in South Carolina:
- Legal services to indigent individuals
- Law-related education for the public
- Programs that improve the administration of justice

New Applicants

Effective Immediately: new applicants for South Carolina Bar Foundation funding will be required to submit a Letter of Intent to the Foundation’s Executive Director before submitting a grant application.

After the Letter of Intent is received, a phone meeting or in-person meeting will be scheduled to further discuss the proposed project in more detail. The conversation will include the Foundation’s Executive Director and at least one member of the Board of Directors.

If the proposal aligns with the South Carolina Bar Foundation’s missions and priorities, the applicant will be invited to submit a grant application.

“New applicants” means organizations that have never applied for SC Bar Foundation funding, as well as organizations that have previously applied but have not been funded.

Please include the following in your Letter of Intent:

The name of your organization and the specific project for which you are seeking funding;
Nonprofit status;
Mission Statement;
A description of how the funding would be used;
A dollar amount you are seeking from the SC Bar Foundation;
Why the funding cannot be obtained through other funders;
A brief history of your organization, including its founding date.

You may submit your Letter of Intent at any time* by emailing it to Olivia Jones at olivia.jones@scbarfoundation.org.

*Please note: to be considered for the upcoming grant cycle, your Letter of Intent must be submitted by December 15 of each year. Letters of Intent received after December 15 will be reviewed for the following year’s grant cycle.

For example:

if you submit your Letter of Intent by December 15, 2025, you will be considered for the grant application cycle that closes January 31, 2026;
if you submit it after December 15, 2025, your eligibility will apply to the January 2027 grant cycle.

Annual Grant Cycle Timeline

Application Opens

Late November / Early December

Application Deadline

End of January

Review Process

February – April (interviews/calls)

Notification of Awards

Final Week of May

Funding Start Date

First Week of July

Horry County Grant

The Foundation currently administers additional grant funding designated specifically for use within Horry County, South Carolina, made available through a Cy Pres award from a 2021 settlement between Horry County and the City of Myrtle Beach. These funds must support one of the following categories: Civil Legal Aid, Administration of Justice, or Law-Related Education.

Beyond this, the only requirement is that the funding be used within Horry County.

Civil Legal Aid - Factors

To determine whether a program effectively supports civil legal aid, the Foundation considers the following criteria:

Provide free legal representation or access to free or low-cost legal representation to the poor or disadvantaged within the State of South Carolina; and
Employ a needs test consistent with income eligibility requirements of the federal poverty guidelines, defined annually by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Applicants need not apply this needs test to all clients served by their organization; however, delivery of services funded by the Foundation must be restricted to clients eligible under those poverty guidelines.

Together, these efforts help fulfill our commitment to justice through equitable access to legal support and education for all South Carolinians.

Administration of Justice - Factors

Programs or initiatives are evaluated for their contribution to the administration of justice using the following key considerations:

Provide legal services to the poor through innovative or cost-effective means; or
Provide civil legal aid either to underserved groups, such as the elderly or the disabled, or in an area of representation (whether substantive or geographical) that cannot be or is not effectively served by other qualified legal aid providers; or
Provide legal assistance, informational advocacy, or litigation support to qualified legal aid providers; or
Remove barriers to accessing our legal system; or
Promote the improvement of the administration of justice or our legal system.

By meeting these standards, programs reinforce our broader mission of ensuring legal access and upholding justice across the state.

Grant Application FAQs

1. May I apply at any time for SC Bar Foundation funding?

No, applications are only accepted during our open grant cycle, from early December to the end of January. We will provide notification via our website and social media about the specific dates of the grant cycle each year. New applicants (first-time applicants and those who have previously applied but not received funding) must first submit a letter of intent.

2. Is there a minimum or maximum amount I should request as a first-time applicant?

No, we do not impose caps or minimums on requests. Bear in mind, however, that newer organizations without a proven track record are not likely to receive large amounts the first few years. All applicants are encouraged to have other sources of funding. Also, our total funding is spread out over approximately forty different programs and organizations. New applicants must first submit a letter of intent before they can submit an application.

3. How much funding is available each year?

This amount varies every year, as our primary source of funding is impacted by interest rates. In Fiscal Year 2026, the Foundation awarded approximately $3.7 million in regular grants.

4. What are the Foundation’s priorities regarding its grant funding?

The Foundation strives to maintain funding for returning grantees each year, while accounting for inflation, and keeping in mind that new grantees may also be approved for funding.

5. What are the Foundation’s sources of funding?

The SC Bar Foundation is the manager of the statewide IOLTA (Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts) Program. Due to varying interest rates, this is an ever-changing source of funding. The Foundation also receives donations and, on occasion, residual funds from class action lawsuits.

6. How are applications submitted?

Applications are submitted through our website. Hard copy or emailed applications are not accepted. New applicants (first-time applicants and those who have previously applied but not received funding) will need to first submit a letter of intent to olivia.jones@scbarfoundation.org.

7. May I request a private meeting with the Foundation to discuss my application?

The Foundation staff are happy to meet with both new and returning applicants at any time during the year to discuss the application process. Once your application is submitted, you will have a phone interview with one of the Foundation’s board members to further discuss your application.

New applicants (first-time applicants and those who have previously applied but not received funding) must submit a letter of intent; after that is received, a meeting will be scheduled with the Foundation’s Executive Director and at least one board member to further discuss.

8. Who makes the decisions on grant applications?

The Foundation’s Board of Directors makes all grant decisions, including which applicants to fund and in what amounts. Staff have no influence over grant decisions.

9. How are grant payments provided?

Once approved for a grant, payments are provided by paper check, mailed to the organization’s address. The Foundation is working to provide ACH payments and will update this FAQ if that becomes an option.

10. If I want to apply for Horry County funds, is that a separate application?

No, the Horry County fund application is part of our regular grant application. You may apply for regular annual funds and Horry County funds at the same time, or simply one or the other.

11. What if I’m not a 501(c)(3) organization – am I still eligible?

If you are registered as a non-profit organization, even if not a 501(c)(3), you may still be eligible. The application will ask you to explain your organization’s setup if you’re not a 501(c)(3).

12. I am not sure which category (civil legal aid, administration of justice, or law-related education) my program or organization fits in. Or we could qualify under two or all three categories – what do I list?

Select the category you believe best represents your intended use of the funds. Selecting one category over the other will not reduce or increase your chances of receiving funding, or the amounts. The application review process considers the full substance of your application, so don’t spend time worrying about the category.