Giving Back through Scholarships

IN THIS ISSUE: Letter from The Chairman…2 | Welcome Karen Minogue…3 | Year End Giving…3 | Grantee Spotlight: Pee Dee Teen Improvement Project…4More To Do for Flood Relief…6 | Coastal Community Foundation — Six Months In…7

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Paul and Sharon Malone are committed to their community, especially when it comes to education. After decades of community involvement, they wanted to help people with a goal to get ahead. That’s why they started the Sharon Malone Scholarship for Habitat for Humanity, which provides up to four years of support to graduating seniors from Habitat homes in Horry or Georgetown Counties.

But why Habitat? After attending a meeting at Habitat for Humanity’s Georgia headquarters, Sharon became very interested in the organization’s model of helping people with a “hand up, not a hand out.”

Sharon received calls from people interested in starting a Habitat program in Horry County after that meeting. No stranger to community leadership, Sharon got busy,

Paul and Sharon Malone. Provided.

and in 1990, Habitat for Humanity of Horry County was born, with Sharon as a co-founder.

“Through so many wonderful friends who donated money and time, it just worked. It worked really well,” she shared. Sharon’s many years of involvement with Habitat inspired her and Paul to start the Sharon Malone Scholarship for Habitat for Humanity at Waccamaw Community Foundation in 2007.

Habitat for Humanity of Horry County

helps promote the scholarship to families

with children close to entering college,

meeting them in person to explain the full

details of the program, which can provide

$10,000 in total.

The scholarship program is just one piece of the Malone’s extensive community involvement. Residents of the Myrtle Beach area for more than 40 years, Paul, who co-founded Chicora Real Estate in 1972, was a founding director of both Waccamaw Community Foundation and United Way of Horry County. Sharon spent her career as a schoolteacher and juvenile justice probation officer and also founded a mentoring program called Future for Kids.

The Malones worked with Waccamaw Community Foundation to develop the criteria for their scholarship. In addition to being a dependent family member of a Habitat homeowner, students must be attending either Coastal Carolina University or Horry-Georgetown Technical College. Their families must be in good

CONNECTING DONORS

THEY CARE ABOUT.WITH CAUSES

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A Letter from The ChairmanOver my years of involvement with Waccamaw Community Foundation, I have often been asked,

“What does WCF do? Why do you exist?”

Throughout the past 16 years our answer has been, “We exist to connect donors to the causes they care about.” But what does this mean?

CONNECT. As I tell current and potential donors, we are the “Gift Planner” of your estate planning process. We assist donors by connecting them to the charities that tug their hearts and do good work so they can come along and help. Last year alone we gave out $2.1 million in more than 560 grants. Over the past 16 years we helped our donors give back more than $20 million.

DONORS. We were formed 16 years ago for the purpose of assisting donors, and that is still true today. We aim to get to know each of our 120 current donors and every new donor so that we can help you carry out your dreams while you are alive and even after. We want to help individuals and families put together a legacy of giving, and our new Director of Development, Karen Minogue, will be key to achieving that goal.

standing with Habitat, and Habitat must recommend the student to the scholarship program. All of these pieces help the scholarship committee narrow the field to candidates who are a good fit.

Habitat for Humanity of Horry County helps promote the scholarship to families with children close to entering college, meeting them in person to explain the full details of the program, which can provide $10,000 in total. The respect and admiration Habitat has for winners is evident.

“College is something that seems unattainable for most of the families we serve,” explained Rachel Kennon, Operations Manager at Habitat for Humanity of Horry County. “The people that do go on to higher education and apply for this scholarship have a drive most of us cannot understand.”

This drive underscores the Malone’s reasoning for directing their scholarship fund to Habitat families. In a way, the dedication Habitat parents show in accepting responsibility for their property, and wanting to improve the lives of their children, “pre-vets” applicants. These students are already motivated to succeed, Paul explained. “If they’re willing to work hard, they can apply themselves and achieve a lot.”

“And if we can help them reach their goal,” Sharon added, “that would be wonderful.”

To learn about Waccamaw Community Foundation’s scholarship fund opportunities, contact Director of Development Karen Minogue at (843) 357-4483 or karenm@mywcf.org.

Chair, Waccamaw Community Foundation

G. David Bishop

CAUSES. Our primary service area is Horry & Georgetown Counties. We work hard to stay connected to the 700 or so nonprofits that serve these counties so we can assist you with our knowledge of local efforts and organizations. Many — if not most — of us just don’t know what exists in a community. We can help by conducting research on local causes, providing extra insight on current initiatives at different nonprofits or facilitating anonymous giving.

THEY CARE ABOUT. I often tell people that this foundation is not about us. It’s about the donors we have the privilege to serve and the causes dear to them. Whether it is rescuing animals, helping the homeless, education, faith work or the environment, we exist to help connect donors to the causes they care about.

We appreciate the trust and opportunity you have placed in us the past 16 years and will work hard to maintain it. If there is anything we can do to better serve you, please let us know. We are excited to assist in connecting each of you to the causes you care about.

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If you plan to make a year-end gift to Waccamaw Community Foundation using a check sent via the US Postal Service, please have the envelope postmarked to our office by December 31st.

For gifts of appreciated stock and mutual funds, please allow at least one week for the transaction. Remember, the gift date is the date we receive the asset, not the date you instruct your broker to make the transfer. When working with a broker, please give us a call at (843) 357-4483 so we can be on the look-out for your gift.

Please submit grant recommendations by December 15th so that they can be distributed before year-end. You can make recommendations via email, fax, or in person. Contact Shawna for the recommendation form at shawna@mywcf.org.

Chair, Waccamaw Community Foundation

Welcome Karen Minogue!

YEAR-ENDGIVING

After several months of searching, we are happy to announce that Karen Minogue has started as Waccamaw Community Foundation’s new Director of Development. She will focus her time on getting to know the donors and board members that make WCF possible.

Karen is no stranger to the community foundation world. She spent 16 years working at two different community foundations in the beautiful Hudson Valley of upstate New York. In her own words, “Community foundation

work is where I have found my true calling. We are the vehicle that inspires greater giving among donors. They are our community change-makers and our very own superheroes!”

We cannot wait for all of you to meet Karen. Reach out to her anytime at karenm@mywcf.org or (843) 357-4483.

Karen Minogue is a native of upstate New York with 16+ years of community foundation experience. Photo credit: Monica Tanouye.

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The devastating flooding across our state in early October shocked the nation, but the long-term effects are

still being felt by our local communities. Statewide cleanup costs alone could reach $1 billion. Locally, more

than 300 homes were affected by flooding, and with just over 150 worked on to date, there is much more

work to do.

Luckily, there are many dedicated organizations in our community focused not only on relief, but also long-term rebuilding.

For example, The Knight Foundation, a donor- advisor of WCF, generously fast-tracked funds to support statewide relief efforts, sending $50,000 to Central Carolina Community Foundation’s SC Flood Relief Fund and other local organizations. All in all, they have provided $75,000 in support to relief and rebuilding efforts.

Impact Ministries is working with the Horry County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Conway to coordinate relief efforts between groups of volunteers and provide training for them as well. Longer-term, they will focus on recruiting skilled volunteers to support rebuilding efforts. Contact Todd Wood to learn more about helping out at todd@impactmb.org or (843) 254-7777.

Lowcountry Food Bank has worked hand in hand with partner feeding agencies and state authorities to make sure immediate needs are met in Georgetown and Horry Counties. To date, the Food Bank has distributed nearly 200,000 pounds of food in direct

More To Do for Flood Relief

Scenes from flood relief. Images provided by Impact Ministries.

disaster relief. Visit www.LowcountryFoodBank.org for more information and ways to help.

Salvation Army of Horry County is part of Salvation Army Carolinas’ statewide relief effort. Across the state, Salvation Army has provided 55,874 meals, spiritual and emotional care for 2,575 individuals and 11,453 hours of employee and volunteer service. Learn more at www.salvationarmycarolinas.org/flood.

All Hands Volunteers was one of the first national organizations on the ground in our community for disaster relief. Based in Andrews, they have partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Georgetown County to focus on repairing Habitat homes. They aim to address 5-6 homes per month, at $15,000 per home, over the next 10 months. Learn more at www.hands.org/active-projects/.

Coastal Community Foundation launched a Disaster Relief Fund in response to October floods for which Georgetown and Horry County nonprofits are eligible to apply. Organizations may request up to $10,000 in funding to support recovery efforts, and applications are due by January 1st, 2016. Please visit www.waccamawcf.org for further details.

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Our Education FundingWaccamaw Community Foundation aims to meet a range of community needs, but there’s no denying that many donors hold education near and dear to their hearts. Through donor-advised funds, competitive grants and scholarship funds, WCF has awarded more than $2.3 million to educational causes in the past five years alone.

WCF’s competitive grant funding for education programs comes from The Elsie Beavers Carver and E. Lois Carver

Educational Fund, which supports programs and projects focused on education in Horry and Georgetown County with grants of $500-$3,000. The Fund was started after the passing of Lois Carver, a dedicated educator and administrator who was

one of the first female administrators in the Charlotte school district.

Muriel O’Tuel, a friend of Lois, explained that Lois was a “talented lady” who came from a disadvantaged background. However, with the support and hard work of her mother, Elsie Beavers Carver, Lois graduated from a four-year college – the first generation in her family to do so.

“Ms. Carver was particularly interested in reading and literacy,” shared Muriel. Lois gave away her entire

estate to start the Elsie Beavers Carver and E. Lois Carver Educational Fund after her passing in 2005. “She was so determined that whatever she had would go to education.” Now, thanks to Lois’ generosity, nonprofits from Horry and Georgetown Counties can quarterly apply for this funding, supporting many worthy programs in our community.

Scholarships at Waccamaw come from more than the Sharon Malone Scholarship for Habitat for Humanity (mentioned earlier in this newsletter). There are multiple active scholarship funds at WCF serving a variety of

students. For example, the Allan Blum Memorial Scholarship helps graduating students of Conway High School attend the University of South Carolina. Every January, students who meet scholarship criteria apply to the funds, and WCF’s scholarship committee reviews applications to make award recommendations.

John Draughn, a current WCF Board Member, currently sits on the scholarship committee. “It’s interesting talking to young students about what they want to do in the future and how we can help,” he explained. In total, Waccamaw Community Foundation has awarded $128,100 in scholarships since 2000.

Through the generosity of our donors, we have supported literacy classes, college students, after school programs and so much more through education funding, truly making an impact on our community. Contact us any time at (843)357-4483 to discuss ways we can help connect you with education organizations and any other cause you care about.

John Draughn with Nathan Bell, one of Waccamaw’s 2015 scholarship winners.

CURRENT SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS AT WACCAMAW COMMUNITY FOUNDATION• Allan Blum Memorial Scholarship• Boone Foundation Scholarship• Sharon Malone Scholarship for Habitat for Humanity

• Sue’s Hope Scholarship

Waccamaw Community

Foundation has

awarded $2.3 million to

educational organizations

and scholarships in the

past five years.

Scenes from flood relief. Images provided by Impact Ministries.

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Pee Dee Teen Improvement ProjectGrantee

Spotlight

In the late nineties, the community saw their children needed more help. Many parents were busy working, and they sometimes lacked the skills to help with homework. This was illustrated to the community in the results — only five percent of students were on the honor roll.

These young people needed help to get ahead, so in 1997, the Pee Dee Community Project started an after school

James Jackson, a leader of Pee Dee Community

Project, explained that “when we started, it wasn’t

cool to make honor roll, but our program has

helped change this.”

Twenty-five miles outside of Georgetown lies a community organization with a big heart — and big ambitions. Pee Dee Community Project, a 501(c)3 non-profit founded in 1973, aims to improve quality of life for its residents through its mission of encouraging positive youth development and addressing the root causes of poverty.

program for young people in Grades 1-12. Over the years, the community installed high-speed internet — a luxury in this rural community — to create more access to information. They recruited volunteers to work with kids, encouraged participation in extra- curricular activities and even secured a small bus to safely transport program participants.

Fast forward 20 years, and 30 percent of the community’s students now make honor roll. James Jackson, a leader of Pee Dee Community Project, explained that “when we started, it wasn’t cool to make honor roll, but our program has helped change this.”

One aspect of their program, math tutoring, received grant support from Waccamaw Community Foundation earlier this year. The math tutoring program helps students of all ages looking to improve their math skills, whether they’re taking basic arithmetic or calculus.

Tyron Wilson, director of the Pee Dee Teen Improvement Project, another part of the organization that uses technology, educational experiences and field trips to broaden teens’ horizons, shared the story of two kids

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Six months in, all parties are pleased and excited about the

progress made since Waccamaw officially affiliated with

Coastal Community Foundation on July 1st. Together, CCF

and WCF leadership led a successful search for our new

Director of Development, continued to streamline policies

and procedures and increased marketing efforts. We look

forward to everything 2016 has to offer!

Waccamaw Community Foundation is on social media! Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/WaccamawCF/ or Twitter at @WaccamawCF for the latest updates on donors, grantees and community happenings. Our blog at waccamawcf.org shares original content related

to our mission of connecting donors with the causes they care about. In the coming year we will have some exciting changes to share to our website — stay tuned!

Want the Latest WCF News?

Coastal Community Foundation Affiliation – Six Months In

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who recently received help from the program. One, a fourth grade girl, used her tutor to improve her grade by one more point to make honor roll. The other, her male peer, was failing math, but with the help of a tutor, moved to a “C” grade. Tyron was proud of both students — though working at different levels, both got the help they needed from the math program.

And the best part? Pee Dee Community Project employs students from their own community as math tutors. Student tutors are recommended by teachers and guidance counselors.

Pee Dee Community Project is truly a multi-faceted nonprofit. On top of after school programs, they collaborate with many local nonprofits and churches to expose their community’s kids to new environments and opportunities for career or higher education. One of the group’s proudest accomplishments is seeing a valedictorian and salutatorian come out of their community since the after school program started. All in all, James and Tyron have seen kids and parents — the whole community — change for the better.

“You can’t cut the cycle of poverty without education,” James explained. It looks like Pee Dee Community Project might be on their way to doing just that.

Learn more about Pee Dee Community Project online at peedeecommunityproject.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/peedeecommunityproject or facebook.com/pee-dee-teen-improvement-project.

3655 S. Highway 17 Business Murrells Inlet, SC 29576 843-357-GIVE(4483)

www.waccamawcf.org

To be added to our mailing list, make a donation of any size, or to establish a new charitable endowment, please visit our website or give us a call.

Our Guiding Principles: We seek to be an organization of the highest integrity and competence with the primary goal of improving the quality of life for the residents of the Waccamaw region.

We seek to be an organization to reinforce shared values, encourage mutual respect, and develop solutions to problems of common concern.

We understand that a community consists of relationships among people whose lives are inextricably linked, and who, for all of their differences, have many customs, aspirations, and values in common, and we will endeavor to link philanthropic leadership, charitable resources, and civic influence with community needs and opportunities.

We believe that the vitality of the Waccamaw region depends upon the ability of people to be responsible for themselves and concerned about one another.

We will honor and respect the trust and intent of our donors and responsibly manage all the assets entrusted to our stewardship.

Cheryl AdamsonJ. Frank Bullard, IIIJohn DraughnOtis Allen Jeffcoat IIIDennis Wade

Our Mission: Since its inception in 1999, Waccamaw Community Foundation’s mission has been to connect donors and philanthropists with the causes they care about most.

StaffKaren Minogue Director of Development

Shawna Mosley-Foster, Office and Donor Support Manager

Board of Directors G. David Bishop, ChairmanScott W. Hutto, Vice ChairmanMuriel Ward O’Tuel, Ph.D, SecretaryRuell L. Hicks, Jr., Treasurer