Abstract

The issue of inadequate funding opportunities for community development foundations and non-profits that serve the needs of rural and poor communities in the US is a concern that is very well documented. In rural South Carolina, poverty, the lack of opportunity, and limited income or financial resources to work with have been identified as major causes for population losses from the rural areas to urban and metropolitan areas. This paper reviews information on the situation to show that development agencies and non-profits especially in rural South Carolina do not have access to enough community development foundations and financial resource (relative to the neighboring states of Georgia and North Carolina) for infrastructure and human capital development. As far as South Carolina is concerned, the foundations available are seen to be predominantly urban focused. To this end, state governments and regional level development agencies and practitioners all have a role to play. They can embark on comprehensive development planning where the interests of rural communities are given due consideration as a way to address the challenges that community development foundations face with accessing financial resources.

Key words: Community development foundations, faith-based organizations, rural development.