Supporting the People Behind the Work
Supporting the People Behind the Work Every day, nonprofit staff across Spartanburg County show up to do meaningful and often challenging work. The Mary Black Foundation believes it is important to not only support our nonprofit partners through funding,...
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OPEN PHILANTHROPY | Making Reporting Matter: How We’re Rethinking Outcomes
OPEN PHILANTHROPY Making Reporting Matter: How We’re Rethinking Outcomes By Haley Wicker, Director of Community Impact If you are responsible for reporting at a nonprofit, you’ve probably felt the tension: outcomes reporting takes time, can feel high-stakes, and it’s...
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2025 Annual Report
LISTEN. LEARN. LEAD.Standing for Children and Families 2025 Annual Report In our 2025 Annual Report, Listen. Learn. Lead.: Standing for Children and Families, we reflect on a year of listening and deep investment. Guided by community voice and data,...
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2026 Newby Fellowship
Mary Black Foundation Announces 2026 Dr. George Newby, Jr. Community Health Fellow The Mary Black Foundation is excited to name Elizabeth Tisdale, executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Spartanburg, Cherokee, and Union Counties, as the 2026 Dr....
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2026 Grants Awarded
The Mary Black Foundation Awards Over $1.3 Million in Grants When women and babies thrive and when young children have access to strong early learning opportunities, our entire community thrives. In its most recent round of funding, the Mary Black...
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OPEN PHILANTHROPY | Who Reads Your Grant Application – and What Happens Next
OPEN PHILANTHROPY Who Reads Your Grant Application — and What Happens Next By Rochelle Williams, Chief Strategy Officer & Vice President of Community Impact We often hear a version of the same question from nonprofit partners: What actually happens after...
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Meet Our New Trustee: Bert Barre
Meet Our New Trustee: Bert Barre We’re excited to welcome Bert Barre to the Mary Black Foundation (MBF) Board of Trustees this year. A Spartanburg native, Bert has spent most of his life in the community and brings a...
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New Year’s Letter
A New Year’s Letter from Our President & CEO As we begin a new year, our team at the Mary Black Foundation is excited about the momentum we saw in 2025 and optimistic about the opportunities ahead. We are...
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Honoring Retiring Trustee, Dr. Nayef Samhat
Honoring Retiring Trustee, Dr. Nayef Samhat As the year begins to come to a close, the Foundation would like to take a moment to honor Dr. Nayef Samhat, who will be retiring from the Foundation’s Board of Trustees after...
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OPEN PHILANTHROPY | When Change Is Hard: Caring for Long-Time Partners While Evolving Our Strategies for Greater Impact
OPEN PHILANTHROPY When Change Is Hard: Caring for Long-Time Partners While Evolving Our Strategies for Greater Impact By Natalia Valenzuela Swanson, Senior Director of Community Impact Impact, collaboration, accountability, respect, and equity are the Mary Black Foundation’s values. These...
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