Palmetto State Extra: The Small Business Report

**2022 Building OneSouthCarolina Forum**

Tuesday, May 10, 2022 | Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center9-11:30 a.m. | $35 per person

Gain inspiration and insight relevant to your community’s complex challenges from the leaders who’ve shaped the Spartanburg Northside Initiative (SNI) — one of the state’s and nation’s most ambitious neighborhood revitalization efforts and the winner of the Riley Institute’s inaugural OneSouthCarolina Partners in Progress Award.

The Riley Institute’s first annual Building OneSouthCarolina forum will honor SNI and this collaboration that has advanced social and economic progress in the state. Join other leaders from across South Carolina to hear the broad spectrum of SNI principals talk about what it takes to effect community transformation. You’ll gain:

An insider’s view of one of the most inspiring large-scale projects happening in South Carolina right now.

Insight from an honest discussion of their work — the good, the bad, and the ugly.

A real-world appreciation of how cultivating trust, partnerships, and sustainability are critical to the success of any large-scale community project.

An opportunity to meet other community-minded leaders from across South Carolina as we connect over coffee and croissants before the start of the discussion.

**Leadership Florence “Kickball For A Cause” Fundraiser**

Our Kickball for a Cause event is just around the corner, and we would be honored to have you involved! One hundred percent of the funds raised from this event will benefit six local nonprofit organizations, Harvest Hope, House of Hope, Lydia’s Nest, NCNW, Pee Dee Coalition, and United Way. This philanthropic event is not only a chance for our community to participate a healthy, fun activity, but it will also have broad-reaching benefits for these worthy nonprofit organizations.

Kickball for a Cause will be held on Dailey Field at Florence Darlington Technical College on Saturday, May 21, 2022, and we hope that you will consider showing your or your company’s support for such a deserving cause. To this end, we welcome contributions in the form of event sponsorships or donations.

Please find sponsorship information enclosed. There is no better way to promote your business and philanthropic efforts than by donating to Kickball for a Cause.

If you would like to show your support, please contact your representative from the Leadership Florence Class of 2022 for more information on sponsoring or donating.

**Gullah Geechee Environmental And Energy Conference**

Save The Date!

Saturday, October 15, 2022 from 9am to 3pm.

A hybrid event hosted by the Gullah Geechee Chamber of Commerce in-person at Howard Center, 1610 Hawkins Street, Georgetown, SC 29440.

**McLeod Health And MUSC Health Release 2021 Community Health Needs Assessment**

Florence, SC (Date) -- Earlier this year, McLeod Health and MUSC Health conducted a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) to assess the health needs of the Pee Dee region. The 2021 CHNA is a demonstration of MUSC Health and McLeod Health's joint commitment and dedication to the community and improving health outcomes for those we serve.

The assessment was open to residents of the Pee Dee region. Patients, clinical experts, nonprofit organizations, and community members shared their voices regarding the health needs of the area through online and paper surveys deployed throughout the communities. With the help of 22 community partners, more than 1,330 survey responses were received, 15 key informant interviews were conducted, and four focus groups were held. Community partners included:

As a result of the data collected and analyzed, the following four significant health needs were identified:

• Obesity, Nutrition, and Physical Activity

• Access to Care

• Clinical Prevention Services

• Mental Health

"There have been major strides to mitigate health risks and make it easier for people to make healthy choices. However, we believe more can be done. Success should be linked to collaboration where collective efforts build a healthy community that nurtures its families and communities. McLeod Health and MUSC Health encourage partnerships with volunteers, businesses, government, civic and religious institutions to join us in this work," said Will McLeod, CEO, McLeod Regional Medical Center.

"I am optimistic and energized as a health care partner and personally as a community member about what we have learned. The assessment is complete, but this is only the beginning of good things to come and the hard work we can do together to make the Pee Dee a healthier place for everyone," said Jay Hinesley, CEO, MUSC Health Florence Division

McLeod Health and MUSC Health are committed to working with community partners to share progress, identify and address challenges, and continuously improve the quality of our efforts to best serve the Pee Dee region.

To review the CHNA community report, visit MUSChealth.org/florence or McLeodhealth.org

For any additional questions regarding the CHNA and how to get involved in community collaborations that will address the identified needs, contact Christina O'Malley at omalleyc@musc.edu or Michelle Logan-Owens at michelle.logan-owens@mcleodhealth.org.

**Johnson-Brown Innovation And Opportunity Center Established At CCU**

Coastal Carolina University has announced the establishment of the Johnson-Brown Innovation and Opportunity Center, which is designed to engage underrepresented youth and young adults in activities geared toward increasing the likelihood of their academic and career success. Funded by generous support from Conway, S.C., residents T.J. Johnson, and Thomas P. Brown Jr., his wife, Jessie Campbell Brown, and their son, Thomas P. Brown III, the center will focus on entrepreneurship and innovation, life and leadership skills, technology, personal financial literacy, and service.

Administered through CCU’s College of Graduate and Continuing Studies, the center also will emphasize workforce development across the disciplines, entrepreneurship alliances with local employers, and college completion programs using workforce skills. In addition, it will fund graduate entrepreneurship fellows.

“This new center will provide an opportunity for our graduate students to draw on the knowledge they’ve gained in the classroom and actively engage the community, especially our underserved and rural neighbors, in ways that will promote their academic success and drive economic improvement through the development of career-ready skills,” said J. Lee Brown III, dean of the College of Graduate and Continuing Studies.

The fellows will collaborate with CCU’s Each 1 Teach 1 (E1T1) Entrepreneurship Institute to help students develop a concept, product, or service idea, learn marketing and sales skills, and draw upon the resources, databases, and the expertise of CCU’s faculty and staff. As a graduation enhancement institute, ElTl will provide age-appropriate content and relevant applied experiences to help ensure that high school students will be college, career, and military ready.

In a shared statement, the donors said: “T.J. Johnson and the Thomas P. Brown Jr. family are pleased to establish the Johnson-Brown Innovation and Opportunity Center in the College of Graduate and Continuing Studies. Through this center’s focus on providing innovative and project-based activities, underrepresented youth and young adults will be prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Acknowledging the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, students will develop and apply entrepreneurial leadership and technological knowledge and skills in real-world settings.

“By establishing this center, we are blessed to be able to support the community and the Each 1 Teach 1 Entrepreneurship Institute by creating opportunities to help vulnerable youth and young adults become successful now and in their futures.”

The collaboration between the Johnson-Brown Innovation and Opportunity Center and E1T1 will be facilitated by a shared advisory committee consisting of founding donors, directors, and other stakeholders. The two programs will collaborate and share resources with regards to equipment, facilities, guest speakers, mentorship opportunities, field experiences, fundraising staff, and other areas.

“We are so grateful to Mr. Johnson and the Brown family for always being advocates for Coastal Carolina University and for having the vision for this center as well as investing in it,” said Diane Sanders, CCU’s vice president for advancement and alumni engagement. “The center will certainly enhance the University and impact our students, and the students it serves, in so many ways.”

**Pee Dee Partnerships For Non-Profits And Small Business**

Nonprofit organizations and other grantseekers in Florence county and the Pee Dee looking for funding sources now have a valuable new collection of resources at the Doctors Bruce and Lee Foundation Library, which is the home of a Cooperating Collection of the Foundation Center of New York.

The Foundation Directory Online Professional

Updated weekly to keep you current, Foundation Directory Online provides the most comprehensive and accurate information on U.S. grantmakers and their funding activities.Top-tier intelligence on grantmakers and their grants. more than 92,000 foundations, corporate donors, and grantmaking public charities

Over 1.3 million recent grants

More than 400,000 trustees, officers, and donors

Over 441,000 IRS 990s–all keyword-searchable 39 search fields plus keyword search

Foundation Grants to Individuals Online (Library Use Only)

An online database of more than 6,500 foundation and public charity programs that fund students, artists, researchers, and other individual grantseekers. It provides online access to accurate, up-to-date information on foundations that fund:

Educational support – scholarships, fellowships, loans, and internships

Students and graduates of specific schools

Arts and cultural support

Awards, prizes, and grants by nomination

International applicants

Employees/families of employees at specific companies

Research and professional support

General welfare and special needs
Recommended Web Sites

There are thousands of Web sites that the small business person or entrepreneur could go to for information. Which ones are best? We provide a list of high-quality sites with reliable, accurate information for particular needs.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Contains information on all federal assistance programs.

Florence County Charities and Nonprofits List provided by the South Carolina Information Highway (SCIway.net). Allows you to add your organization to the list. Foundation Center Information about grants and grant making foundations. “Find Funders” search tool is simple and effective. Very helpful information on the “Gain Knowledge” page.

GPO Access Learn about federal funding opportunities as soon as they are announced.

Grants.gov Helps identify the over 1,000 grant programs offered by all federal grant-making agencies. Users may also apply for grants electronically.

South Carolina Association of Nonprofit Organizations “SCANPO serves as the statewide network, information center and advocate for the charitable nonprofit sector in South Carolina.” Site provides template for searching membership database.

South Carolina Foundation Directory 8th Edition 2006 Listing of active private foundations, community foundations and grant-making public charities located or registered in South Carolina that also provide funding in the state.