Which SC charities put their money where their mouth is? These are among best in spending

The Greenwood Soup Kitchen Ministry had the highest score of all the charities on S.C. Secretary of State annual “angels” list.

Each year, South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond highlights charities that devote at least 80% of expenditures for their programs. Last year, his office was unable to have an event honoring charities due to the coronavirus pandemic, so this year 15 organizations were honored instead of 10.

Greenwood Soup Kitchen, which is an all volunteer agency, scored 99%, which means all but 1% of the money it spent went to support feeding hungry people.

Shannon Wylie, general counsel for the Secretary of State’s Office, said a charity’s filings are reviewed to ensure the money they are spending goes to program services and not fundraising, and that the percentage of the money they claim to be used for services does not include grants or in-kind services.

The Secretary of State has compiled the angels list since 1998, she said.

Hammond said his list is not a ranking, but a glimpse of diverse organizations that meet their missions, by making good use of volunteers, are not funded primarily by grants and have a significant presence in South Carolina.

Hammond’s staff reviews the financial reports submitted to his office to compile the list and considers nominations from the public.

The other organizations Hammond listed as “angels” were:

All 4 Paws, Pawleys Island — 89.9%

All Things Possible Medical Fundraising, Fort Mill — 84.9%

Center for Developmental Services, Greenville — 91.5%

Connected Hearts Ministry Inc., North Augusta — 97.9%

Helping Hand of Myrtle Beach Inc., Myrtle Beach — 96.0%

Kershaw Area Resource Exchange Inc., Kershaw — 96.8%

Kids On Point Inc., Charleston — 86.8%

Moss Creek Marines Inc., Hilton Head Island — 97.3%

Our Lady of Mercy Community Outreach Services, Johns Island — 86.4%

Pee Dee Speech and Hearing Center, Florence — 88.7%

Project Safe Pet, Lake Wylie — 96.4%

The ETV Endowment of South Carolina Inc., Spartanburg — 84.3%

The Free Medical Clinic Inc., Columbia — 94.2%

Upstate Warrior Solution Inc., Greenville — 90.9%

Greenwood Soup Kitchen, which was modeled after an organization in Greenville, opened in 1987 at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection.

It moved in 2001 when the First Presbyterian Church of Greenwood bought the former Turner House Senior Center on Bailey Circle, then obtained a permanent home in 2009 at the former Blake School and Burton Center, which is now called The United Center for Community Care.

The Secretary of State’s Office also has a publication on wise giving that includes a list of 10 charities that reported spending less than 40% of their revenues on charitable programs or refused to comply with the filing requirements of the Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act.They include the National Cancer Assistance Foundation Inc. and the Law Enforcement Officers Relief Fund, both based in Florida.

None of those 10 flagged organizations are located in South Carolina.

The report also includes a list of professional solicitors, which are hired to raise money for charities.