How to Apply

Join Us in Our Mission

The Jolley Foundation is committed to supporting projects and organizations that align with our vision and mission. We have developed funding strategies to guide our grantmaking process, so that we can partner with organizations who share our values and goals. If your 501(c)(3) organization or cross-sector coalition is working to decrease poverty, eliminate discrimination, or increase opportunities for historically underserved populations in Greenville County, we want to hear from you.

Please reach out to us before submitting an application.

Start the conversation

Grant Cycles

We conduct two annual grantmaking cycles. The spring application deadline is April 1 (or the following business day), and the fall application deadline is September 1 (or the following business day). The board of trustees generally makes funding decisions in late June and November, and applicants are contacted shortly thereafter.

Eligibility

Before applying, we encourage you to review our eligibility criteria to ensure that your request aligns with our funding strategies. In addition to strategic alignment, applicants must meet the following criteria:

Tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) and possess a valid Letter of Determination; or have a fiscal agency relationship, memorialized by written agreement, with an entity that is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3)
Provide services in Greenville County, South Carolina or directly serve a significant number of residents of Greenville County, South Carolina
Have current IRS Form 990 filings; or provide financial statements for the previous fiscal year and the current fiscal year through the date of application
Provide an operational budget when seeking general operating funds

Letter of Inquiry Requirements

If your organization intends to request $50,000 or more, you must submit a letter of inquiry before proceeding with the grant application. The deadline for submission of your inquiry is February 1 for the spring application cycle and July 1 for the fall application cycle.

The letter of inquiry must be submitted by completing the form below. and should include a meaningful yet brief description of the potential funding request. This will allow our staff to evaluate whether the request aligns with our funding strategies and to provide feedback before you submit a full application. Due to the limitation of funds, it is rare for an applicant to receive an award exceeding $50,000 in any grant year.

Submit Your Letter of Inquiry

Applications

Applications must be submitted through the online grant application form or an alternative accessible application designed for assistive technology users.

When submitting a grant application to the foundation that requires additional attachments, please submit those attachments via email to grantadministration@wellsfargo.com with copy to grants@jolleyfoundation.org in addition to completing the online grant application. Please reference your application when emailing this information.

Start your application

Communications

Applicants will receive an automated email confirming submission of an application. Foundation staff may contact you for additional information about your application or request a site visit. Please timely respond to such requests from staff.

Grant decisions are generally communicated by the end of July for the April application deadline and November for applications received by the September deadline. Applicants are strongly encouraged to refrain from inquiring about the status of their application before the stated notification times.

All applicants will receive a letter or email regarding the decision on your application. If you do not receive a grant award, you may contact staff for additional information about the decision to determine whether or not you should apply again in a future grant cycle.

Reporting

If you are awarded a grant, we request that you submit a report by the anniversary date of the initial award. Recipients of multi-year awards are expected to submit an annual report and a final report. Please reference your award letter to determine if you are exempt from the formal reporting process.

Submit your report