Byerly Foundation Acts As Catalyst with Hartsville Grantmaking

The Byerly Foundation has been making grants in Hartsville since the late 1990s. The Foundation was formed from the proceeds of the sale of The Byerly Hospital to a for-profit hospital company. The Board of the Hospital opted to form a private foundation and use the proceeds from that sale over time to help various projects across the Hartsville area. Today, the Foundation has just over $22 million invested and it distributes grants equal to five percent of the assets on an annual basis.

BYERLY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES GRANT CYCLE

This week the Foundation announced that it has opened the grant cycle for the 2014/2015 grant making year. Grants will be accepted through July 21 and the Board of The Foundation will be discussing the grants at meetings during the summer and early fall. Here is the announcement of the grantmaking process:

May 28, 2014

FOUNDATION ACCEPTING GRANT CONCEPT LETTERS THROUGH JULY 21

                Hartsville, SC – The Byerly Foundation will be accepting grant-concept letters from now through July 21, 2014 for the 2014/2015 grant year.

The Byerly Foundation’s fundamental mission is to help the Hartsville, South Carolina area become one of the best places in the world in which to live. All of the grants approved by the Board must have a direct impact on the immediate Hartsville, SC, community. The Foundation has focused its grant making on education, economic development and quality of life projects.

Concept Letter

The Foundation’s grant making process generally begins with a concept letter of one to three pages. The Foundation funds grants to non-profit 501(C)-3 organizations, schools, colleges, and government-sponsored community projects. Grant making for private foundations is regulated by the U. S. Tax Code. Persons with questions about eligibility should call the Foundation (383-2400).

Concept letters are requested because the Foundation Board desires to minimize the investment of time and resources for organizations to request grant funding. The Board does not require a fully developed grant request but does need certain specific information. The concept letter must include:

·          

      Name of organization and stated proof of eligibility

·         A description of the project envisioned by the organization

·        The outcome(s) that will result from the implementation of the grant project

·         The amount of funding being requested from the Foundation

·        The total cost of the planned project and the sources of other funding

·         The list of officers and board members of the organization

·         An explanation of how the project will make Hartsville a stronger community

The executive director of The Byerly Foundation, Richard Puffer, is available to help answer questions and provide any other guidance that organizations may need as they think about applying for grants. The Foundation’s email is byerlyfdn@yahoo.com. And the phone number is 843-383-2400.

The concept letters may be sent to The Foundation at P.O. Box 1925, Hartsville, SC 29551 or dropped off at the office at 101 North Second Street. They may also be submitted as attachments to an email message.

                                                                                

Grant making timeline

1.       The announcement of the grant-making cycle will be in late May.

2.       Concept letters will be accepted through July 21.

3.       The Board will begin reading and reviewing grant requests after they are received

4.       When the Board has questions, organizations will be contacted for more information.

5.       The Board will plan on taking action on grants at the August and September meetings.

The Byerly Foundation – A short history

The Byerly Foundation was established in 1995 with the sale of The Byerly Hospital to Hospital Management Associates. The proceeds of that sale were put into a private foundation managed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The Foundation has been making grants for the Hartsville area since 1998. The Foundation has approximately $22 million invested and according to tax law givers away five percent of those assets in grants on an annual basis.

The Foundation is governed by a volunteer board of directors. Johnna Shirley is the the Chair of the Board; Rob Tiede is the treasurer; Brianna Douglas is the secretary.  Other members of the Board include: Jerome Reyes,  Steve Avant, Monty Bell, Harris DeLoach, Nancy McGee, Barry Saunders, Alvin Heatley and Todd Shifflet. Richard Puffer is the executive director of The Foundation.

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For More Information:

Richard A. Puffer

843-383-2400

843-229-1492