Who We Are
Jolley Foundation operates as a place-based funder embracing trust-based philanthropy; community is at the heart of all we do. Our vision is for a just, compassionate, and vibrant community. Our mission is to advance efforts to eliminate the root causes and effects of poverty and discrimination in Greenville County and beyond, focusing on racial and social justice.
We believe that while our community has achieved great economic success and many have benefited greatly from that success — including our family — there are many others who have been left out or left behind. The inequities in our economic structures and fraying holes in our social fabric are real, and we choose not to ignore them.
However, we also know that these longstanding and systemic societal problems can’t be tackled by any single person or entity alone. Instead, we must work together to achieve a unified vision. We are a hopeful family. We believe in the power of community. And, we remain steadfast in our commitment to harness the power of community to effect change.
We believe that while our community has achieved great economic success and many have benefited greatly from that success — including our family — there are many others who have been left out or left behind. The inequities in our economic structures and fraying holes in our social fabric are real, and we choose not to ignore them.
However, we also know that these longstanding and systemic societal problems can’t be tackled by any single person or entity alone. Instead, we must work together to achieve a unified vision. We are a hopeful family. We believe in the power of community. And, we remain steadfast in our commitment to harness the power of community to effect change.
How We Work
We use grants, impact investments, connections, and other resources to partner with organizations and people who align with our values and vision.
Sometimes, this means helping to start a specific project or initiative; often, it means supporting the work of a broad coalition of diverse people and organizations already deeply embedded in the community doing the work. It always means listening, learning, and being open to the ideas of others, especially those closest to the problems our community is trying to solve.
What started as an employee assistance fund nearly 80 years ago has remained, grown, and evolved into a community pillar. Though still family-run today, the Jolley Foundation strives to incorporate and leverage community insight in deploying capital to address the longstanding issues of poverty and discrimination.
Sometimes, this means helping to start a specific project or initiative; often, it means supporting the work of a broad coalition of diverse people and organizations already deeply embedded in the community doing the work. It always means listening, learning, and being open to the ideas of others, especially those closest to the problems our community is trying to solve.
What started as an employee assistance fund nearly 80 years ago has remained, grown, and evolved into a community pillar. Though still family-run today, the Jolley Foundation strives to incorporate and leverage community insight in deploying capital to address the longstanding issues of poverty and discrimination.
