Coastal Community Foundation Featured in ‘Donor Spotlight’ December 8, 2016

Our clinic is able to operate and serve hundreds of uninsured patients who live or work on Johns, James and Wadmalaw Island – thanks to the good will and contribution of our donors. Each month, BIFMC will pay tribute to one of our many generous supporters who seek to improve the overall health and goodwill of the community.

The Team at Coastal Community Foundation.

This month, we shine a spotlight on Coastal Community Foundation for their continued support and commitment to community-based health at BIFMC!

Coastal Community Foundation (CCF) was founded in 1974, and grew out of the idea that there was a need to advocate for individuals and organizations wishing to make a lasting impact through charitable endowments. Today, CCF continues to partner with philanthropists in order to create a long term plan for giving, including new initiatives and collaborate program development. Based out of both Charleston and Beaufort, SC, the foundation has allocated more than 20 million in grants to community organizations over the past year alone – Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic being one just one of CCF’s fortunate recipients.

As Vice President of CCF, Edie Blakeslee, states, they are one of nearly 800 community foundations throughout the world, often focusing on “place-based giving” – working directly with donors to enhance the local communities that are the most meaningful to them. “We can give anywhere, yet our expertise is locally based,” she explains. “We strive to be a local knowledge hub for charitable work, so hence the desire to get to know organizations that are doing the work here, on-the-ground.”

Many of CCF’s grant programs center around a specific “topic” or geography, Blakeslee points out. This ultimately drives some of the framework for their decision making process as they decide where to allocate their funds- of which there are more than $217 million in assets. “Local initiatives are important to us at CCF because we want to advance the community, being a part of the ‘solution’ and working to make this corner of the world a better place,” she shares. “We connect philanthropy to the end goal: that is, improving the community – and Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic does that in spades by providing medical services, resources and referrals to residents without insurance and opportunities to easily access medical care.”

Brenda Falls, BIFMC Clinic Director, shares how the enduring collaboration with CCF has enhanced the Clinic’s mission immeasurably – a partnership for which she is eternally grateful. “Not only do they live up to their mission to ‘foster philanthropy for the lasting good of the community,’ they are friends to our clinic on Maybank Highway,” Falls comments. “I am thankful for the collaborative relationships I have with individual staff members such as Edie Blakeslee, Caroline Mullis, Brian Hussain and Monica Tanouye –  CCF keeps us abreast of all the ‘Giving News’ in our community, including grant opportunities, support on local and national giving days, and so much more.”

As far as Blakeslee is concerned, as long as community based non-profit organizations like BIFMC exist, there will always be a need for the work of charitable foundations like CCF to continue – because giving is an essential part of living in a community. “It’s like breathing; it should be automatic,” she muses. “We all have an opportunity to be part of this amazing, special place, and we all have the opportunity to leave it a little better, in the end. For a community foundation, we know that there are a myriad of opportunities to give back—investing social, moral, intellectual, reputable and financial resources—and it’s what contributes to vibrant, connected communities.”

If you would like to learn more about the types of grants available via Coastal Coastal Community Foundation, as well as eligibility and how to apply, click here. 

If you are interested in making a charitable contribution to Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic, please click here. To learn more about how your generous donation helps our patients, click here.

Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic provides medical care to eligible patients, just like any family practitioner or internist – but it is free. We serve uninsured adults living at or below 200 % of the Federal poverty level who live or work on Johns, Wadmalaw or James Islands. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.