We are a charitable foundation with a long history of helping people get ahead and make their best life here in Greenville. In the early stages of Hollingsworth, the board focused intently on investments into the broader Greenville community. Early on the board supported a wide range of human service organizations but also made long-term investments in organizations that would ultimately become critical anchors to the pathways of getting ahead in our community.
2014 was a pivotal moment in our philanthropic history that really marked the start of an evolution to a more structured and focused approach to our philanthropy. The release of Dr. Raj Chetty’s seminal research on economic mobility shined a light on the barriers facing people born in the bottom 20% of household income in our community. This helped us better understand that while Greenville’s exceptional quality of life was leading it to become one of the fastest-growing communities in the Southeast, not everyone was experiencing that growth in the same way.
This influence shaped why we’re working together towards a vision of a vibrant, just, and inclusive Greenville, where equitable opportunities exist for all to advance and thrive. And towards our mission to collectively remove the systemic barriers that hold people back based on race, place, and socioeconomic status, and strengthen the pathways that propel all people forward. It is why we believe that when those who have been left behind participate and contribute fully to the economic and cultural vibrancy of Greenville, we all benefit.
