Greenville Women Giving embodies the idea that women can create a greater impact together than separately.
The local philanthropic organization was established in 2006 to empower women to help improve the lives of those living in Greenville County. Greenville Women Giving accomplishes this goal through collective grant-making.
Greenville Women Giving recently kicked off its 20th year of providing philanthropic support to the local nonprofit community. Since its inception, the women’s collective-giving organization has distributed more than $9 million to 92 organizations in Greenville County.
“Thanks to the hundreds of women who have been our members, we have made a difference in this place we call home,” said Sue Priester, co-founder of Greenville Women Giving.
The idea
The inspiration for Greenville Women Giving came from Harriet Goldsmith’s “good idea” file. The folder contained an article about the Washington Women’s Foundation, a women’s philanthropic organization based in Seattle, Washington.
Goldsmith became interested in creating a similar women’s collective-giving organization in Greenville County. She took her idea to Bob Morris, president of the Community Foundation of Greenville, who connected her to Priester and Frances Ellison.
The three women worked together to establish Greenville Women Giving as a special initiative of the Community Foundation of Greenville. Priester said the organizing principle was to create a pool of funding that could be used to do more than what women philanthropists could do alone: provide high-impact grants to local nonprofits.
Greenville Women Giving’s three founders were challenged to recruit 50 members during the first year. If they achieved this goal, the Community Foundation of Greenville agreed to donate $50,000 from the Jean Harris Knight Fund. As self-proclaimed overachievers, the women successfully recruited 135 members.
Members of Greenville Women Giving contribute $1,300 annually to the organization. A thousand dollars from each member contributes to the organization’s grant pool. With the Jean Harris Knight Fund donation, Greenville Women Giving collected $185,000 for grant funding in its first year.
Two decades later, Greenville Women Giving has grown into one of the largest women’s collective-giving organizations in the country with more than 500 members. Priester said the organization enables members to develop their social capital by connecting with other women who share their motivation to give back to their community.
“They find out what the needs are in our community and then they very often go out and do things on their own, motivated by what they have learned and seen with Greenville Women Giving,” Priester said. “They join boards. They become volunteers. They make their own grants. So the ripple effects of this are pretty outstanding.”
The impact
Greenville Mayor Knox White recently declared Sept. 18 as “Greenville Women Giving Day” in the city at the organization’s 20th annual Fall Kickoff event. Photo by Megan FitzgeraldJill Fivecoat, co-chair of Greenville Women Giving, said the organization has played a significant role in the philanthropic fabric of the Greenville community for the past 20 years. Since its inception, Greenville Women Giving has distributed a total of 159 grants to local nonprofits.
Greenville Women Giving officially began distributing grants ranging from $25,000 to $50,000 in 2007. Today, the philanthropic organization awards grants to local nonprofits ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 each year. Greenville Women Giving’s strategic grants specifically target five areas: arts, education, environment, health and human services.
The women’s collective-giving organization completes a thorough evaluation and selection process for its grant recipients. Fivecoat said the organization receives an average of 75 applicants each year.
“We had 97 applications last year,” Fivecoat said. “With the need for funds and uncertain funding that’s out there on the horizon, we anticipate that this year will also have a high number of applications.”
A review committee consisting of approximately 75 women volunteers evaluates the applications and conducts site visits with the nonprofits. Around 15 of the nonprofit applicants are chosen for the voting ballots sent to the members of Greenville Women Giving. Each woman has one vote.
Fivecoat said six to eight grants are distributed each year in May. Greenville Women Giving’s 2025 grant recipients included Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Upstate, the Conestee Foundation, Greenville Theatre, New Morning, Project Host, Rebuild Upstate and Triune Mercy Center.
Greenville Women Giving also established an endowment fund in 2016 to ensure long-term financial stability for the organization. Fivecoat explained the endowment also allows Greenville Women Giving to provide additional financial support to local organizations. Greenville Women Giving’s endowment currently holds approximately $800,000.
“We do grants in cycles and the need in the community doesn’t go in cycles,” Fivecoat said. “We made our first grant from the endowment last year with Hurricane Helene. That was not in our grant cycle, and so we gave $25,000 out of our endowment to the United Way (of Greenville County) to help the community through that disaster.”
In addition to philanthropy, Greenville Women Giving has educated its members about the needs in the local community for the past two decades. The organization hosts free education sessions each year that are open to members and the general public. Each session focuses on a topic related to Greenville Women Giving’s five grant areas.
“It helps our members become better philanthropists,” Fivecoat said. “It doesn’t just stop with writing a check from Greenville Women Giving; the members become better citizens in the community.”
This year’s education sessions will cover the topics inspired by the community issues that Greenville Women Giving first addressed in 2007. Fivecoat said the education sessions will discuss how these issues have changed over time and what is being done today.
Looking to the future, Greenville Women Giving aims to continue to support the local nonprofit community to better the lives of those living and working in Greenville. Fivecoat said the organization also plans to diversify and grow its membership while moving into new communities in Greenville County.
Proclamation
Greenville Mayor Knox White recently declared Sept. 18 as “Greenville Women Giving Day” in the city at the organization’s 20th annual fall kickoff event.
