The Bargain Box Grants Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines

The Bargain Box Board of Governors, at its discretion, each year donates the net proceeds from the sales in its store to qualified Beaufort County charitable agencies (non-profits) in the form of cash grants. In-kind support primarily from donated items may also be provided during the year to local non-profit agencies. 

The Grants Committee consists of the chair and at least two other active Bargain Box volunteers. The committee meets as necessary to review and evaluate all grant requests. When needed, reviews are conducted on the operating site of the requesting organization. Interviews with the executive director or the designated representative may also be conducted by phone or Zoom when the committee finds it appropriate. The committee researches fully the purpose of the request, the needs to be met, and the impact on the local community. 

An organization qualifying for a grant must meet the following criteria:

-Be a 501(c)(3) organization operating in Beaufort County, SC

-Have an active Board of Directors

-Be involved in worthwhile local community activities related to education and youth, health and safety, hunger and housing, or recreation.

Grants will not be made to private individuals, national fundraising campaigns, an organization with their own business (e.g., thrift store) that is deemed to compete with The Bargain Box, or any requests not accompanied by the official application and documentation. Qualifying organizations must apply for Bargain Box grants with a written hardcopy application and also an electronic version. The current application for grants may be downloaded on this website. All grant requests must be received with proper documentation no later than June 1 of the current calendar year to be considered. Only one (1) application per organization will be considered during that time period.

Upon proper vetting and based on the amount of money made during the year, the committee will make its recommendations to the full Board of Governors at their November meeting. Upon full Board approval, the recipients will be notified and provided a contract to be signed and returned prior to the awards being presented. As a follow-up, the grant recipients must provide a year-end report verifying the use of the funds and the impact to the organization and the community being served.

Click Here for Grant Application

Grant applications must be submitted electronically and in hard copy for consideration. For additional information, contact Grants Chair, Deb Bonser at grants@thebargainboxofhiltonhead.org or (301)580-9026.

The Following Nonprofits Received Cash Grants

2023 Bargain Box Grants Awarded - $550,000

Antioch Education Center

Arts Center of Coastal Carolina

BlacQuity

Bluffton Community Soup Kitchen

Bluffton Self Help

Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton

Boys & Girls Club of HHI

Child Abuse Protection Association (CAPA)

The Children’s Center

Coastal Community Development Corporation

Coastal Discovery Museum

Family Promise

First Presbyterian Day School

First Tee - The Lowcountry

Foundation for Educational Excellence

Good Neighbor Free Medical Clinic

Habitat for Humanity of the Lowcountry

HELP of Beaufort

Heroes of the Lowcountry

Heroes on Horseback

Hilton Head Deep Well Project

Hilton Head Island Land Trust

Hilton Head MLK Committee for Justice

Hilton Head Island Recreation Association – Adaptive Camp

Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra