Community Foundation of the Lowcountry

Community Foundation Awards Grants

July 25, 2012 -- Hilton Head Island, SC - - The Community Foundation of the Lowcountry recently awarded $240,000 in grants to Lowcountry nonprofits bringing its total grantmaking to more than $43 million since 1994.

The Bluffton Boys & Girls Club was awarded a grant in the amount of $25,000 for the Explorer: Learning for Life program, a 44-week program that targets 60 hard-to-reach, at risk teens to discourage their participation in criminal activities. All 60 teens, ages 13-17, will be participants in a mentorship program led by the Bluffton Police Department and service personnel from the U.S. Marine Corps. Components of the program will also involve participation from prison officials, lawyers, court officers and judges. The program will focus on the consequences of poor decision-making while offering life skills training, character and leadership development and exposure to career opportunities in law enforcement. In addition, it includes a component entitled "Meth Awareness" that addresses the lethal scourge and effects of methamphetamine abuse.

The Hilton Head Island Institute Fund was awarded a grant of up to $65,000 broken into a $32,500 outright grant and a $32,500 challenge grant for the planning work for the Renaissance at Hilton Head Island. The Renaissance at Hilton Head Island will be modeled on similar programs with proven track records, such as the Chautauqua Institution, the Aspen Institute, and the Matrix Midland Festival. Each week will have a theme and a pattern. Themes under consideration include: foreign affairs, regional history, green and sustainable community planning, and small business development. In the first year the leaders expect to draw 1,000 additional visitors per week. Once established it is expected that this number will grow to 2,500 additional visitors per week of the season.

The Port Royal Sound Foundation was awarded grants totaling $100,000, with $75,000 for its Maritime Center Building Campaign and $25,000 for its Explorer Program. The Center will feature exhibits, classrooms, hands-on learning spaces, and other areas where residents and tourists can learn and directly experience the uniqueness of the Sound, learn about the marine life species, how to protect the estuary, learn smart water and land management practices, and participate in environmental and ecological programs. Classes will be taught to area school children and programs will be available to individuals, families, and area groups on conservation and preservation unique to the Sound.

The Port Royal Sound Explorer series will provide hands-on lessons about the ecology of Port Royal Sound and the importance of smart water practices for maintaining good water quality and species diversity. Also, in partnership with NOAA and USCB, the organization will launch a first time survey and health assessment of the resident and migrating dolphin populations as indicators of water quality and also human health.

May River Montessori was awarded a grant in the amount of $50,000 for its Primary Building expansion and creation of new office space.

The Community Foundation of the Lowcountry also elected officers at its recent board meeting. Officers for the July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2013 term are: Ernst W. Bruderer, Chairman; Perry Washington, Vice Chairman; Beth Mayo, Treasurer; and Denise K. Spencer, Secretary.

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