SPOTLIGHT: Communities in Schools of South Carolina

Name of organization: Communities in Schools of South Carolina

Year established locally: 1987

Top local executive:  Jamie Cooper, President & CEO

Contact information:  
1691 Turnbull Ave., Suite 200
North Charleston, SC 29405
Phone: 877-920-3633
Website: ciscofsc.org.org

Corporate giving contacts:
Latasha Taste, Regional Director of Development – Midlands
1691 Turnbull Ave., Suite 200
North Charleston, SC 29405
Phone: 803-254-9727
E-mail: Latasha Taste

Average number of volunteers in 2020: 250

Total operating budget (2019-2020):
$3.9 million

Percent of revenue dedicated to program services: 80%

Geographic area or specific population served: Statewide. 

Greatest need  
Students are struggling to adapt to a variety of changes in their day-to-day and academic lives as the pandemic continues. The increased need of our particular program, Communities In Schools, is focused on three main areas of support:
1. Additional funding to expand into high-need communities
2. Mentors and tutors to support our case-managed students
3. Individuals and businesses to partner with us for school supply, clothing closest and holiday drives.   

2021 Top achievements:

In January 2021, Communities In Schools in South Carolina merged three pre-existing CIS affiliates, Greenville, Midlands and Charleston, to form Communities In Schools of South Carolina. This merger was designed in an effort to strengthen, deepen and grow our student impact across the state. Within our first year of merger, we have served an additional three school sites in the state and added four new staff members, allowing us to increase our impact to more than 18,000 South Carolina students. In the Midlands, the merger afforded us the opportunity to expand into Fairfield County by serving Fairfield Middle School's 400 students in 6th and 7th grades.

2022 Goals:

Following the lead of our 2021 merger, CISSC is excited to fulfill our strategy of strengthening, deepening and growing our program throughout the state of South Carolina. Our intentions are to expand to additional rural markets, launch our alumni engagement program providing additional college and career supports to CIS program alumni after highschool graduation, and continue to build our network of partners to ensure our program's success. Additionally, our student outcomes are measured annually by grade level advancement, graduation, and CIS’s ABC’s (Attendance, Behavior and Course work). By the end of the school year, we expect to achieve the following:

By June 2022, 85% of case-managed students will have maintained or improved adequate school behavior as measured by the number of out-of-school suspensions.

By June 2022, 75% of case-managed students will demonstrate positive gains in social emotional competencies from pre- to post-testing on DESSA or SEAD social emotional assessments.

Fundraising events:

Illuminating the Power of One
Join us from 5-6 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 14, at the Statehouse. Together, we’ll shine the light of over 4,000 luminaries on the Statehouse steps to honor students we work with in the Midlands, and raise funds to strengthen, deepen and grow our programming. If you would like to be a regional partner, purchase luminaries on behalf of your organization or learn more, visit cisofsc.org or contact Latasha Taste at ltaste@cisofsc.org.

2022 Corporate Giving Opportunities:

Individuals, corporations, foundations and civic groups and churches are encouraged to participate in the following programs: 1. Corporate Program Partnerships ranging from $1,000 to $100,000; 2. Regional event sponsorships for Illuminating the Power of One luminary event (ranging from $500 to $1,000); 3. Midlands Gives May 2022 Individual contributions, one-time, monthly, or stock donations. To make a tax-deductible gift, please contact Latasha Taste, Regional Director of Development at ltaste@cisofsc.org.