Donate now to expand access to civil legal aid and law-related education.
Ways to Support
Educate
Promote awareness of the Foundation and the Organizations We Support.
Share information about the Statewide Civil Legal Needs Assessment.
Learn more About the Foundation and our mission to promote justice by funding legal access and education.
Participate
Attend one of our Cocktails in the Courtyard Events.
Tell others: We are funding better access to justice and educating future leaders in the law.
Donate
Help us make a difference. You can support our mission by becoming an annual donor or by making a one-time tribute gift in honor or memory of a mentor, colleague, friend, or family member. When you give, you can choose where your gift will be applied.
Endowment and Planned Giving
There are several ways to make a planned gift to the Foundation.
Name the Foundation as a full or partial beneficiary of a life insurance policy.
You can name the South Carolina Bar Foundation as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy—either for the full amount or a designated percentage. This simple and flexible way to give can create a lasting impact on the Foundation’s mission without affecting your current financial situation.
Name the Foundation as a beneficiary of your retirement account.
As 401(k) accounts and Individual Retirement Accounts have become the saving vehicle of choice for many Americans, tax-deferred accounts have become one of the largest assets many donors have to give to a favored charity. Unlike an individual beneficiary, a charity will not owe income taxes upon withdrawing the assets in the account.
Name the Foundation in your will.
I give $xxx to the South Carolina Bar Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit corporation qualified under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, located in Columbia, South Carolina, to be used for its exempt purposes.
Make a gift of an appreciated security.
When you gift appreciated securities to the Foundation, you are able to deduct the market value of the stock at the time of the donation and the Foundation is able to sell the stock without paying capital gain taxes.
What is Cy Pres?
When class action lawsuits result in awards for plaintiffs, some funds often go unclaimed—typically because class members can’t be located or choose not to collect their share. The term “cy pres,” from the French for “as near as possible,” allows these residual funds to be redirected to purposes closely aligned with the original intent. Since class actions aim to improve access to justice, using leftover funds to support legal aid and justice programs is a fitting and appropriate use.
Why is the SC Bar Foundation a perfect fit for a cy pres award?
The SC Bar Foundation does not file lawsuits or represent clients, eliminating any potential conflict of interest. With a 50-year history as a trusted grant-making organization, we’ve awarded more than $60 million in grants and are structured to ensure full accountability for fund distribution.
Our Network of Grantees works to promote, preserve, and protect the justice system. These organizations have proven experience in areas where cy pres awards are often directed, allowing the Foundation to serve constituencies closely aligned with the original intent of the lawsuit.
Under Rule 23(e)(2) of the South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure, no less than 50% of unpaid residuals in class action suits must be distributed to the SC Bar Foundation to support programs that promote access to civil justice for low-income South Carolinians.
