College of Charleston Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The Mission of the College of Charleston Foundation is to promote programs of education, research, student development, and faculty development for the exclusive benefit of the College of Charleston.
- Income
- $23.2 million
- Spending
- $21.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 64%
- Reserves
- 12.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 94%
- Employees
- 6
- Volunteers
- 56
- Highest pay
- $824,833, basketball coach
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 88% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 12.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 9% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 9% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1564% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 28 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2541 of 41 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (2)
- $8.3 million spent. The College of Charleston Foundation has been dedicated to supporting the activities and goals of the College for more than 50 years. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, the Foundation garnered approximately $29 million from nearly 9,500 donors. Some highlights of the Foundation's FY25 accomplishments include the following: * 3,748 new donors gave to the College; * $16.03 million in cash, stock and in-kind receipts; * 25 new endowed funds were created, adding to the College's more than 735 active endowed funds; * More than $836,000 was secured in unrestricted commitments, which allows the College to focus on areas of greatest need; * 20 new restricted scholarship funds were created for a total of 534 active scholarships; * the 1770 Society, which recognizes donors who give $1,000 or more annually, saw an increase of 643 donors, bringing the number of 1770 Society donors to 2,704; * corporations and foundations contributed $8.51 million; * the College received five seven-figure gifts; and * 488 scholarships, with a value of $4.6 million, were awarded to 1,200 students. The fifth annual CofC Day took place on March 20, 2025. The day celebrating philanthropy raised $710,533 from 1,524 donors, impacting 150 areas of campus. CofC Day is not only a successful fundraising drive, but it is also a way to instill pride and spirit in the hearts and minds of alumni, parents, friends, faculty, staff and students.
- $5.2 million spent. Stories of inspiration and motivation that the Foundation supports, showcase how philanthropy impacts the College of Charleston campus. Following are examples of how commitments to the College provide excellence in education. * three donors gifted $11.5 million total to the Athletics Department and campus initiatives * two donors committed $1million total in support of the Mace Brown Museum of Natural History * a donor pledged $1,550,000 to establish the Center for Intentionality Program * $1,094,985 from a foundation supported the College's Veteran and Military Students Program * a donor who has supported the College for more than 30 years continued its support with a pledge of $242,000 for the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation Scholarship * a donor gifted $500,000 to support the Wendy and Kevin Wellin Scholarship * a donor committed $275,000 in their estate for the James P. and Carolyn N. Anderson Endowed Alumni Scholarship * a donor pledged $50,000 for the Eckle Family Endowed Program Fund * a donor committed $50,000 from their estate for the Ward B. Miller '76 Scholarship * a donor committed $200,000 from their estate for the Dmitar 'Denny' Ciganovic Staff Support Fund * a donor pledged $50,000 for the Collegiate Recovery Program Founders Endowed Scholarship Honors College * a donor pledged $70,000 to the Honors College Community Fund * a donor committed $50,000 from their estate for the Odell Heritage Endowed Honors Scholarship School of Natural and Environmental Sciences * a donor gifted $100,000 to the Earle D. Jennings Laboratory Fund * a donor pledged $75,000 for the Jeffrey L. Wragg Memorial Endowed Scholarship in Physics * a donor pledged $50,000 for the Preyer Endowed Physics Scholarship School of the Arts * a donor committed $100,000 from their estate for the Emmett Robinson Memorial Scholarship in Theatre * a donor committed $50,000 for the Frank Xavier Burkart Endowed Scholarship * a donor gifted $50,000 for the Voice/Opera Fund * a donor pledge $60,000 for the Long Family Arts Management Enrichment Scholarship School of Humanities and Social Sciences * a donor pledged $60,000 for the Civility Initiative Fund * a donor committed $50,000 in their estate to support the Charles Kaiser Endowed Award for Outstanding Psychology Graduates * a donor pledged $50,000 for the John L. Covington, Jr. and Robert J. Lukey Endowed Scholarship for Political Science School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs * a donor gave $100,000 for the Esther B. Ferguson Endowed Study Abroad Scholarship * a donor committed $75,000 from their estate for the John Edwin Mroz Global Leadership Institute Endowment * a donor committed $50,000 from their estate for the Kirkland Family Endowed Scholarship for International Scholars School of Business * a donor pledged $217,753 to the Center for Public Choice and Market Process * a donor pledged $140,000 for the Harold J. Bowen, Jr. Market Process Scholars Endowed Award * a donor donated $50,109.20 in stock/property to the Cracraft Family Endowed Scholarship * a donor gifted $50,000 for the Richard J. Sanders and Dorothy M. Sanders Endowed Scholarship * a foundation pledged $50,000 for Teaching with AI (TWAI) Professional Learning Community (PLC) Program Support Fund School of Education * a donor gifted $50,000 for the Nancy Limehouse Morrow '73 Endowed Scholarship * a donor gifted $50,000 to the School of Education - Dean's Excellence Fund School of Health Sciences * a donor pledged $50,000 for the RoseMary K. Bouvette Memorial Endowed Scholarship * a donor pledged $204,000 for the Health Sciences Capital Improvement Fund School of Engineering, Computing, and Mathematics * a donor pledged $50,000 to the C. Richard and Wynona Crosby Endowed Computer Science Scholarship Graduate School * a donor pledged $50,000 for the Chick-fil-a Graduate Leadership Endowed Scholarship Libraries * a donor gave an in-kind gift of 10 original watercolors by Carols Schwabe completed for Maurice Maeterlinck's "Pelleas et Melisande" valued at $335,000
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since February 1971.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.