SC budget stalemate leaves Lowcountry nonprofits without state funding

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) — South Carolina’s ongoing budget deadlock is pushing Lowcountry nonprofits to the edge, forcing some organizations to freeze hiring, delay expansion and, in some cases, turn people away.

Without a new budget agreement, nonprofits that rely on state funding are operating under a continuing resolution that limits them to what was approved last year. Any new or expanded funding is on hold and may not arrive until the end of the year, if at all.

Federal funding not filling the gap

Nonprofit leaders say federal funding was not designed to cover the shortfall. It reaches only the lowest-income residents, leaving working families with no options.

Laura Addis, director of marketing and communications at the Sustainability Institute, said the threshold disqualifies many who still struggle.

“The federal funding typically comes to only qualified individuals, meaning low or extremely low-income community members,” Addis said. “Nowadays, a family of four with two working parents just are over that threshold of low income, don’t qualify for those services, but struggle to meet basic needs.”

Addis said that the Sustainability Institute, which has been around since 2009, has diversified their funding to help combat future issues, but for younger nonprofits, oftentimes that isn’t the case.

Young Moms Together feeling the strain

The Lowcountry organization Young Moms Together lost state support last year and is now entirely dependent on private donors and foundations. This year alone, more than 200 young women reached out seeking safe housing, help continuing their education, employment assistance and support escaping abuse or avoiding homelessness.

“As our community navigates continued economic uncertainty, supporting nonprofit organizations like Young Moms Together is not simply charitable — it is essential," Young Moms Together Executive Director Cheryl O’Donnell said in a statement. “When nonprofits are asked to do more with less, it’s not the organizations that ultimately pay the price — it’s the families and children who have nowhere else to turn.”

What comes next

Addis said the budget disagreement carries a cost beyond the statehouse.

“This isn’t just a budget number,” Addis said. “There are neighbors of yours, community members that rely on these services and a lot of times these services aren’t just handouts.”

Lawmakers are scheduled to meet again July 14. If they reach a deal, the budget still requires the governor’s approval, meaning relief for nonprofits could be weeks away.