Guidelines

Greenville Women Giving is committed to diversity, equity, inclusiveness, and accountability in our GRANT-MAKING, programming, leadership and membership.

2026 GWG Grant Cycle – Start Planning Today!

The Grants Review Committee (GRC) evaluates each application for community need, potential impact, fiscal responsibility, feasibility, and sustainability. Selected organizations participate in site visits with GRC members in February and are expected to meet with members promptly. Following these visits, the GRC nominates proposals for the final member ballot. Finalists are expected to send two representatives to the Ballot Showcase in April, where they will set up a booth and give a brief presentation to help members learn more about their proposals. Each member then ranks the proposals to determine which organizations will receive funding.

All funded organizations are required to comply with Grants Assessment Committee requirements, including submitting progress and final reports.

Eligibility for Funding

Applicants must qualify as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal revenue Code, either per se or under the auspices of a qualified fiscal agent or be classified as a unit of government.

Organizations must provide services in Greenville County, South Carolina.

Each organization may submit only one application per year.  Exceptions are made for organizations that have five or more locations within Greenville County AND have at least 5,000 employees.

Grants funded for a one-year term in May 2026 must be able to be completed by June 30, 2027; two-year grants funded in May 2026, must be completed by June 30,2028.

Generally, there are no limits to the number of times an organization may apply for a GWG grant.  However, an organization may not apply for a new grant prior to the completion of a current grant.  The application deadline for new grants is at the end of January each year.  Annual GWG grant cycles run from May (when grants are awarded) until June of the following year (when the completion of grant assessments are required).    Organizations are not eligible to apply for another grant until after the end of the grant cycle for which they have received funding and until after all grant assessment requirements related to prior grants have been completed.   An organization which has not received final approval of its grant by August 1^st is NOT eligible to apply again until the next calendar year. The following outlines typical timelines of grants:

Year Grant                          Term of               End of Grant                      Next Eligible
Awarded                             Grant                    Cycle                                   Application*

2024                                    1 Year                 June 2025                            January 2026
2024                                    2 Year                June 2026                           January 2027
2025                                    1 Year                 June 2026                           January 2027
2025                                    2 Year                June 2027                           January 2028
2026                                    1 Year                 June 2027                           January 2028
2026                                    2 Year                June 2028                           January 2029

*assuming grant assessment is completed

Funding Priorities

The intent of Greenville Women Giving is to award grants that have the potential for high impact and significant positive change in the Greenville Community.  Therefore, GWG gives priority to grants that:

• Focus on funding areas of Arts, Education, Environment, Health and Human Services
• Support an organization’s mission
• Address high impact community needs
• Offer opportunities for collaboration and foster partnerships, as well as leverage other funding sources
• Demonstrate the ability to achieve measurable results, provide clear action steps and a reasonable timeline
• Clearly reflect how the grant funds will be used to accomplish the outlined goals and objectives

Areas Not Funded

Greenville Women Giving does NOT provide funding for:

• Endowments
• Conferences and staff travel expenses
• Re-granting to other organizations (including funding for Scholarships)
• Grants that are restricted to specific religious or political views*
• Organizations not providing services in Greenville County

*Funding may be awarded to faith-based organizations with programs that meet our guidelines and are open to all regardless of religious affiliation.