OUR STORY
Four decades ago, visionary leaders in the Palmetto State recognized that innovation was the key to advancing health, education, and economic outcomes in South Carolina.
They believed in the power of new ideas to fulfill the promise of our home.
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They founded Palmetto Project in 1984. Since then, the Palmetto Project team has worked alongside civic leaders, educators, businesses, government agencies -- and our fellow neighbors and South Carolinians like you! -- to expand access to healthcare, improve early literacy, and strengthen our communities.
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Our people are what take ideas from imagination to impact.
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As we look ahead to the next 40 years, our commitment to our foundation remains steadfast -- to improve the lives and increase opportunity for every South Carolinian. Because we are what makes the Palmetto State special.
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This year, we are building on what works, we are growing what is possible, and we are launching new initiatives to help families and communities thrive.
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Because we are here to help. And we are South Carolina.
We want your ideas too.
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Join us in shaping a South Carolina where everyone has access to health, wealth, and opportunity.​ Join us in transforming the Palmetto State. Join us in changing our future!​
OUR INITIATIVES
WHAT IS WORKING
HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
INSURE SC is our nonprofit health insurance brokerage. Our team of licensed health insurance agents assist anyone anywhere in the state of South Carolina understand and select the right health plan for their needs.
Our agents are experts in Medicare, Medicaid, and ACA Marketplace plans. With rapid changes at the state and federal levels, our team is ready to assist you navigate the complexities of the health insurance industry.
We are here to help - whether you need assistance understanding annual enrollment, what the Medicaid work requirements may be, which Medicare plans offer the best prescription drug coverage for your needs, or how to affordably cover your family after a major life event like moving, changing jobs, or getting married.
​FAMILIES
HELPING FAMILIES
FAMILIES HELPING FAMILIES (FHF) is our signature program in the Midlands and has helped families thrive since 1990. Over the 35 years, our incredible Midlands community has provided holiday assistance to more than 75,000 low-income families with children, senior citizens, and adults with disabilities. In 2025, we are replicating FHF in the Lowcountry.
And in 2026, we are expanding the FHF model of community-led, grassroots support for others year-round -- families will be able to work through Palmetto Project to help others get ready for the school year, recover after a natural disaster, or rebuild after a crisis.
5-FOR-5 FOR EARLY LITERACY
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You can help us ensure children in our16 counties will be inspired to love reading by giving just $5 per month. Five dollars to ensure a brighter future for our children from birth to five years-old. Five dollars to brighten the future for all of South Carolina.
WHAT IS NEXT
WILHELMENIA'S WAY
Children are our most precious natural resource in South Carolina.
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And caring for children is one of the most noble and important professions. For decades, families entrusted their children to affordable, local caregivers within their home communities. But zoning, licensing, and other bureaucratic challenges have jeopardized the future of in-home childcare.
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Palmetto Project wants to help restore a thriving and affordable model of local childcare that empowers in-home providers to return to serving as the neighborhood anchors for thousands of working families across the Palmetto State.
Just like Ms. Wilhelmenia L. Geddis did through Dreamland Nursery & Mickey's Preschool in the Wagener Terrace neighborhood of Charleston in the 1980s.
THE FRONTAGE
PROJECT
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And as we welcome new families to experience our smiling faces and beautiful places, it is important that we also ensure a future for the generations of South Carolinians who reside on land to be developed.
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The Frontage Project will launch a new model of land use that will create sustainable revenue for families while providing developers with much-needed real estate to meet the demand of our growing populations.
The Frontage Project will preserve our history while providing for our future.
THE REDIRECT
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Emerging data indicates that transformative mentorship provided by Credible Messengers is correlated to reductions in recidivism and out-of-home placements for justice-involved youth, resulting in enhanced safety and prosperity within communities. Our goal in 2026 is to extend our training and technical assistance academy into a formal curriculum with a licensing and certification program as Community Safety Workers, or CSWs, creating workforce development opportunities for Credible Messengers and their juvenile mentees.