Media
Project 100: Quality Childcare for Spartanburg's Growing Future
July 1, 2025
Five childcare providers across Spartanburg County will receive $164,000 in funding thanks to an innovative pilot led by OneSpartanburg, Inc., Power Up Spartanburg, the Mary Black Foundation, Spartanburg County First Steps, and Quality Counts. Funds will go towards facilities upgrades that will lead to more childcare slots throughout Spartanburg County.
The Upstate Tea: The SC Childcare Crisis & The Local Soutions
May 14, 2025
In this podcast episode of Upstate Tea, host Kathryn Harvey dives deep into the childcare crisis impacting Spartanburg and the broader Upstate South Carolina region. Joined by Molly Talbot Metz, CEO of the Mary Black Foundation, and Tina Belge, city planner and Greenville City Council candidate, they explore innovative local solutions to the challenges faced by families, childcare providers, and businesses. From the transformative Quality Counts program to the power of public-private partnerships, they discuss the critical role affordable, high-quality childcare plays in community health, economic growth, and workforce stability. Discover how Spartanburg is pioneering change and setting a model for the rest of the state.
Expand Health Care Access for SC Families
February 4, 2025
“In South Carolina, thousands of working families are navigating the difficulties of life without access to affordable healthcare. Governor Henry McMasters’ recent efforts to expand Medicaid eligibility for working families is a step in the right direction, but there is more that can be done to increase access…”
In this op-ed, President & CEO, Molly Talbot-Metz, shares about the importance and urgency behind ensuring that all SC families have access to health care.
Piggly Wiggly Closure Highlights Ongoing Challenges
December 18, 2023
In September of 2023, a newly opened Piggly Wiggly in Spartanburg’s Southside neighborhood—backed by support from the City of Spartanburg and a $900K loan from the Foundation—closed after just 13 months. The project sought to bring resources to an area considered a food desert. While the closure meant the original needs were still present in the neighborhood, it highlighted deeper structural challenges and potential solutions on which the community can now focus.
Six Questions for Molly Talbot-Metz
December 6, 2023
Inside Philanthropy’s Mike Scutari caught up with Molly “to discuss her career trajectory, what advice she’d give her 20-year-old self and how it felt to channel her inner MacKenzie Scott.” Click below to read the full interview.
Molly Talbot-Metz awarded Order of the Palmetto
December 1, 2023
In November 2023, Molly Talbot-Metz was presented the Order of the Palmetto award. With a career spanning over two decades in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, Talbot-Metz’s influence and contributions have been pivotal in advancing local and statewide initiatives aimed at improving health outcomes.
MacKenzie Scott gives $8M to Spartanburg’s Mary Black Foundation
November 14, 2022
“Amazing things are happening here in Spartanburg. A lot of things have received national attention like the Northside initiative and the Spartanburg Academic Movement,” said Talbot-Metz, President & CEO for Mary Black Foundation. “It says a lot about this community that we attract the interest of national funders.”
MacKenzie Scott's Gifts Keep on Giving
2024
Philanthropy Southeast catches up with several foundations and nonprofits who received gifts from MacKenzie Scott who are making good use of the billionaire philanthropist’s game-changing unrestricted gifts.
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In Their Own Words: Funders Share Stories Of Change
2022
Leaders from eight foundations, including the Mary Black Foundation, share the most important changes they have made since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020 that they plan to sustain going forward.
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Blazing a Path to Progress
2021
In 2021, the Mary Black Foundation and Spartanburg County Foundation were honored with the Truist Award for the launch of the Spartanburg Racial Equity Collaborative.
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