South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond announced today the Angels of 2021. Fifteen Angels were recognized at a press conference in the Edgar Brown Building on the Capitol Complex.
The Angels honored represent organizations that exemplify charitable giving in South Carolina. Representatives from all organizations were in attendance to receive a plaque and recognition from Secretary Hammond. The Angels recognized, with the percentage of their expenditures that went toward their program services, are listed below. Those recognized are listed in alphabetical order and are NOT ranked by the Secretary of State.
All 4 Paws, Pawleys Island, SC 89.9%
All Things Possible Medical Fundraising, Fort Mill, SC 84.9%
Center for Developmental Services, Greenville, SC 91.5%
Connected Hearts Ministry, Inc., North Augusta, SC 97.9%
Greenwood Soup Kitchen Ministry, Inc., Greenwood, SC 99.0%
Helping Hand of Myrtle Beach, Inc., Myrtle Beach, SC 96.0%
Kershaw Area Resource Exchange, Inc., Kershaw, SC 96.8%
Kids On Point, Inc., Charleston, SC 86.8%
Moss Creek Marines, Inc., Hilton Head Island, SC 97.3%
Our Lady of Mercy Community Outreach Services, Johns Island, SC 86.4%
Pee Dee Speech and Hearing Center, Florence, SC 88.7%
Project Safe Pet, Lake Wylie, SC 96.4%
The ETV Endowment of South Carolina, Inc., Spartanburg, SC 84.3%
The Free Medical Clinic Inc., Columbia, SC 94.2%
Upstate Warrior Solution, Inc., Greenville, SC 90.9%
The Angels were selected by review of financial reports submitted annually to the Secretary of State’s Office, as well as by nominations from the public. To be selected as an Angel, the charity must have devoted 80 percent or more of its total expenditures to charitable programs; must have been in existence for three or more years; must make good use of volunteer services; must receive minimal funding from grants; must have a significant presence in South Carolina; and the charity must be in compliance with the South Carolina Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act. Each year the Secretary of State’s Office attempts to showcase Angels with diverse missions from several areas around the state.
“Every year I look forward to recognizing several charities as ‘Angels,’ not only to commend them for their service to the state, but also to raise public awareness about wise charitable giving,” said Secretary Hammond. “Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, our office was unable to host an Angel ceremony last year. Therefore, we are recognizing 15 Angels this year instead of 10 as we have done in prior years. There are so many wonderful organizations doing good work in South Carolina, and I am thrilled to recognize the contributions of this year’s Angels.”
In addition to recognizing fifteen Angels, Secretary Hammond released the 2020-2021 Wise Giving Report in October as part of International Charity Fraud Awareness Week. The report provides wise giving tips for donors and includes data from professional solicitor contracts and joint financial reports filed with the Secretary of State’s Office. Furthermore, the Wise Giving Report includes the 2021 Give Smart Watch List, which names 10 charities that have reported spending less than 40% of their expenses on charitable programs, or that have refused to comply with the filing requirements of the Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act.
In addition to reviewing the 2020-2021 Wise Giving Report, charitable donors may research charities registered in South Carolina by visiting the Secretary of State’s website at www.sos.sc.gov. To review a charitable organization, select the Charities Search feature to learn a charity’s total revenue, program expenses, total expenses, net assets, and fundraiser costs. The website even calculates the percentage of total expenses that the charity has devoted to its program services. You can also call the Division of Public Charities at 1-888-CHARITI (242-7484) or send an email [email protected] for more information. If donors have concerns about a charitable organization, professional fundraiser, or raffle, they can file a confidential complaint with the Secretary of State’s Office by using the online Charitable Solicitation Complaint Form.