Happy Friday, GVL. You made it. 👏 To hit you with some #FeelGoodFriday content, we’re here to tell you about the annual Charitable Giving Awards event by the Community Foundation + co-sponsored by TOWN Magazine. The Charitable Giving Awards, presented by Elliott Davis, recognizes individuals, businesses, nonprofits, etc., that provide outstanding service to the community.

TOWN Magazine | Photography by Paul Mehaffey

Here are the awards which were presented, who won them, and a link to some awesome videos about why they earned the award they were given:

Visionary Leadership Award, sponsored by Elliot Davis – Joe Erwin.

#GivingHighlights: He’s donated more than $5 million to his alma mater, Clemson University. His philanthropic interests vary greatly, however. He’s served many places, from the South Carolina Special Olympics, the Chamber of Commerce, the Humane Society, the Greenville Revitalization Corporation, Partnership for a Drug-Free America, the American Association of Advertising Agencies, and more.

Ruth Nicholson Award, sponsored by Community Foundation’s Board of Directors – Bill Bridges.

#GivingHighlights: A retired senior VP with Bank of America, then handled grants + administration at The Graham Foundation, now a board member and elected chair of the Conestee Foundation.

Philanthropic Spirit Award, sponsored by Marsh & McLennan Agency, locally known as Rosenfeld Einstein – Auro Hotels.

#GivingHighlights: Auro Hotels has a program – Auro One – which donates 1% of profits, hotel rooms, and employee hours (a.k.a paying employees to volunteer). In 2018, they donated $250,000 to local charities + donated $500,000 towards Unity Park’s Auro Bridge, plus $1 million in scholarships.

Healthcare Transformation Award, sponsored by Prisma Health – Dr. Brenda Thames.

#GivingHighlights: She is currently Prisma Health’s VP of academic + faculty affairs and the dean for institutional culture + inclusivity at the UofSC School of Medicine.

Education Spirit Award, sponsored by the Capital Corporation – William Brown.

#GivingHighlights: A founding board member of Legacy Early College with the dream of helping lower income + underprivileged kids, or “scholars,” as he calls them.

Community Spirit Award, sponsored by IBERIABANK – United Ministries.

#GivingHighlights: United Ministries changes the lives of 6,000+ people every year through crisis assistance, housing, adult education, and so much more. Their vision is making sure that “everyone has the opportunity to thrive in Greenville.”
Congrats to all of the award winners, plus everyone else who goes out of their way to make an impact in our community every day. 👏