A quarterly update on Cypress Fund's grantmaking activity across the Carolinas movement ecosystem.
48 organizations across North Carolina and South Carolina — all grants sourced through direct staff relationships and field expertise.
All 6 South Carolina partners are fully paid out at $25,000 each. North Carolina's 8 partners have received their initial $10,000 disbursement; the remaining $15,000 per partner ($120,000 total) is the active gap heading into the close of the cycle.
| Organization | Issue Area | State | Focus | Paid | Remaining | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina Tenants Union | Housing | NC | Issue Organizing | $10,000 | $15,000 | $25,000 |
| South Carolina Tenants Union | Housing | SC | Issue Organizing | $25,000 | — | $25,000 |
| Southern Workers Justice Campaign | Labor | NC | Advocacy & Policy | $10,000 | $15,000 | $25,000 |
| Chester Worker Center | Labor | SC | Issue Organizing | $25,000 | — | $25,000 |
| Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED) | Education & Youth | NC | Issue Organizing | $10,000 | $15,000 | $25,000 |
| UE Research and Education Fund | Labor | NC | Issue Organizing | $10,000 | $15,000 | $25,000 |
| E3 – Educate Empower Elevate | Education & Youth | SC | Advocacy & Policy | $25,000 | — | $25,000 |
| We Are Family | Education & Youth | SC | Political Participation | $25,000 | — | $25,000 |
| NC Environmental Justice Network | Climate & Energy | NC | Advocacy & Policy | $10,000 | $15,000 | $25,000 |
| SC Energy Justice Coalition | Climate & Energy | SC | Advocacy & Policy | $25,000 | — | $25,000 |
| Casa Azul de Wilson | Rural Communities | NC | Political Participation | $10,000 | $15,000 | $25,000 |
| SC Counts | Rural Communities | SC | Political Participation | $25,000 | — | $25,000 |
| PODER Emma | Immigration | NC | Issue Organizing | $10,000 | $15,000 | $25,000 |
| SEAC Village | Immigration | NC | Issue Organizing | $10,000 | $15,000 | $25,000 |
| Total — 14 Partners SC fully paid · NC gap remaining |
$320,000 | $120,000 | $350,000 | |||
Three targeted grants address SC's documented gap in election protection infrastructure — from legal capacity to constituency-based voter access.
Mutual aid is not charity. It is infrastructure. It is how communities build food systems when food is unstable, care when care is unaffordable, and belonging when belonging is weaponized.
ISF is Cypress Fund's rapid-response fund, redesigned in 2026 for the current moment. When SNAP instability swept the Carolinas in November 2025, ISF moved first. The strategy is organized around four foundational ingredients — material conditions in people's lives, not funder categories.
Q2 round doubles down on South Carolina, directing all additional resources exclusively to SC mutual aid organizations.
19 organizations across both Carolinas received rapid-response grants in January 2026, moved quickly to hold communities steady amid SNAP instability and ongoing disruption.
| Organization | State | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| South Carolina — 12 Organizations · $28,500 | ||
| Alliance for Collaboration with the Hispanic Community | SC | $2,500 |
| Charleston Legal Access | SC | $2,500 |
| Columbia Bethlehem Community Center | SC | $2,500 |
| Girl Get Up Society | SC | $1,000 |
| Latino Communications Community Development Corporation | SC | $2,500 |
| Low Country Arts Movement for African Consciousness | SC | $2,500 |
| Be The Ones | SC | $2,500 |
| Positively Influencing the Community with Heart | SC | $2,500 |
| Power in Changing – The Diaper Bank of the Midlands | SC | $2,500 |
| South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center | SC | $2,500 |
| Alianza Spartanburg | SC | $2,500 |
| BEE Collective | SC | $2,500 |
| North Carolina — 7 Organizations · $19,000 | ||
| Lyfe Three Inc | NC | $2,500 |
| New Alpha Community Development Corporation | NC | $1,500 |
| Greensboro Mutual Aid | NC | $2,500 |
| Carolina Migrant Network Inc | NC | $5,000 |
| Men and Women United for Youth and Families Inc | NC | $2,500 |
| Partners in Community, Inc. | NC | $2,500 |
| Pender United Inc | NC | $2,500 |
| Total — 19 Organizations | $47,500 | |
A collaborative grantmaking initiative designed to sustain Black-led movement organizations in North Carolina. The 2025 Safety & Joy cycle is now closed, with final reports due January 2026.
Two Durham institutions received priority grants in response to executive order-driven federal funding cuts.
South Carolina Rooted & Rise partners are fully paid out. The active gap is $120,000 owed to 8 North Carolina partners. ISF Q2 South Carolina deployment is underway.
| Line Item | Cycle Total | Deployed to Date | Actual Paid | Remaining |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rooted & Rise — NC Partners (8) | $200,000 | $80,000 | $80,000 | $120,000 |
| Rooted & Rise — SC Partners (6) | $150,000 | $150,000 | $150,000 | — |
| Rooted & Rise Total | $350,000 | $230,000 | $230,000 | $120,000 |
| ISF — Q1 Deployed + Q2 SC Underway | $97,500+ | $47,500 | $47,500 | $50,000+ rolling |
| Funding to Win Safety & Joy | $82,000 | $82,000 | $82,000 | — |
| All Cycles — Grand Total | $529,500+ | $359,500 | $359,500 | $120K gap + $50K ISF |
Two priorities are driving our work through the close of 2026:
Closing the Rooted & Rise NC gap. All 8 North Carolina partners have received their initial $10,000 disbursement and are owed a final $15,000 each — $120,000 in total outstanding commitments. Releasing these funds is our most urgent near-term priority. Site visits with NC cohort partners are underway through the summer, deepening relationships and informing our understanding of how partners are deploying these resources ahead of the 2026 elections.
Rolling out ISF Q2 South Carolina funds. With the Q1 ISF deployment complete across both states, we are now moving $50,000+ exclusively to South Carolina mutual aid organizations for the Q2 round. Grants will be staff-sourced and relationship-based, continuing ISF's commitment to reaching groups that traditional philanthropy consistently misses — informal networks, emerging collectives, and community infrastructure far outside philanthropy's usual channels. A full grantee list and deployment summary will be included in our next update.