Become a Partner

BECOME A PARTNER 

Interested in a year-long partnership with ongoing and consistent volunteer support?  

For a year-long partnership: Click here to download the 2024-2025 Community Partner Project Application 

Interested in partnering for 1 or more specific events that need volunteers?   

For a single-event partnership: Click here to download the 2024-2025 “Done in a Day” Community Partner Application 

Proposals may be submitted electronically to communityprojects@jlcharleston.org  

Questions regarding community projects or the application process should be directed to communityprojects@jlcharleston.org.   

 Community Project Cycle 2024-2025 (June-May) – Year Long Partners:  

  • October 20, 2023: Applications due 
  • October-November 2023: Community Projects and Development (CPD) committee conducts site visits, holds weekly/bi-weekly committee meetings to discuss projects 
  • November: Vote as a committee on 2024-2025 projects  
  • December: Present recommendations to Community Council for vote, Present to Finance Council and present first reading to Board 
  • January: First reading of projects to Board. Present first reading of 2024-2025 Projects to JLC general membership 
  • February: JLC general membership votes on 2024-2025 projects 
  • March: Placement Fair- JLC members sign-up for committee placements, including community projects 
  • May: Notification given to approved 2024-2025 projects 

Additional Information: 

  • Installment payments disbursed in 2024-2025 based on Outcomes Measurements 
  • Project may begin as early as July 2024 
  • Summer concentrated projects are an option 

Community Project Development (CPD) Leadership 

Chair – Lauren Van Damme

Contact information: communityprojects@jlcharleston.org 

Junior League Board Contacts  

VP Community Council – Ashley Macdonald; community@jlcharleston.org 

President – Meghan Norvell, president@jlcharleston.org 

Community Projects – Description and Selection Criteria 

The proposed project should:  

  • Strengthen and empower families in the Tri-County area. 
  • Identify a project goal that includes both significant volunteer participation from League members and a monetary contribution from the JLC.  Project goal may include a volunteer only commitment. 
  • Involve well-defined volunteer opportunities that will be performed and funded within a specific time frame, commencing no sooner than July 1, 2024, and ending no later than May 1, 2025. 
  • Provide for collaboration between the Junior League of Charleston, Inc., and one or more registered 501(C)(3) nonprofit organizations in good standing with the Office of the South Carolina Secretary of State. 
  • Detail a project plan that includes: 
    • Specific details of how the proposed project will strengthen families in the Tri-County area 
    • Goals and objectives of the project  
    • Anticipated tasks needed to accomplish those goals, including number of volunteers, hours and description of volunteer tasks and training requirements, if any  
    • A project timeline 
    • Plan for measuring the impact of the project  
    • A thorough budget encompassing all aspects of the project, as well as additional revenue requirements above the Junior League’s commitment and anticipated sources of that additional revenue  
    • A specific person or team of people in your organization who will work with a Junior League representative to organize and implement the project and who will provide an assessment of the project to the Junior League  
    • A copy of your organization’s most recent audited financial statement A brief summary statement of past projects undertaken in collaboration with the Junior League of Charleston, if any  
    • A brief summary statement regarding your organization’s experience in other collaborations with local nonprofits, including how those experiences have affected your expectations for future partnerships 
    • What your organization expects the Junior League of Charleston to bring to this project 

All selected projects will be thoroughly reviewed by the Junior League members serving on the Community Project Development Committee in the normal course of project selection. A Junior League member may contact you to discuss the proposed project in greater detail or to arrange a site visit to your organization. We appreciate your cooperation during this process.   The Junior League will evaluate project proposals based on the following criteria:  

  • Commitment of an organization to strengthen and empower families in the Tri-County area. 
  • Inclusion of a significant volunteer component, including a description of volunteer tasks and level of commitment (number of hours), days and times volunteers are needed. Please note our members are available for volunteering at various times, but projects with a weekday evening or weekend day volunteer component have been historically more successful.  
  • Clarity of the goals and objectives of the project, including a timeline outlining tasks necessary to accomplish project goals and objectives.  
  • Strength of the plan for measuring the impact of the project.  
  • Depth of understanding about what the JLC can bring to the project.  
  • Demonstration of past experience collaborating with nonprofits, including the JLC, if applicable.  
  • Strength of description in regard to how requested funding will be used to fulfill project goals and objectives, if applicable. The committee will consider how funding the project request fits into the total amount of funding available for all requests.  

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q:  What does the Junior League of Charleston do in the community? 

A: The Junior League of Charleston, Inc. empowers and strengthens families in the Charleston area through projects  with community partners selected annually through a formal project proposal process.  The membership voted in 2019 to adopt this focus for the League’s community financial support and volunteer hours.  

Q. Does Junior League of Charleston grant funds that will then be re-granted? 

A. No (we would give directly, if that were the case).  

Q. May funds be used for salaries? 

A. Yes – although we prefer to see majority of funds used directly for goods and services provided by the applying agency.  

Q. What is the maximum amount of financial assistance that can be awarded? 

A.  Projects are typically funded in the $1,000-$5,000 range.  

Q. When are most Junior League of Charleston volunteers available? 

A. The majority of Junior League of Charleston members work outside the home, so evening and weekend hours are preferred.