Request for Proposals – 2024/2025 Ball4Good Celebrity Basketball Game Grant

2024 Ball4Good Request for Proposals

Ball4Good is inviting applications from eligible organizations that would like to apply to receive a grant to support direct services. The application is now open and due by 11:59 PM EST on January 15th, 2025. 

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Eligibility 

Ball4Good considers only those organizations and institutions that are recognized as 501(c)(3) non-profit and/or tax-exempt entities providing services to the residents of Spartanburg County, South Carolina. By meeting these criteria, certain institutions, and organizations located outside Spartanburg County may be eligible for funding; however, funding is restricted to benefit Spartanburg County only. Organizations that serve multiple counties must clearly show that the funds will remain in Spartanburg County. Additionally, eligible organizations must provide services that impact children in one of the following areas: 

  • Positive Youth Development
  • Education 
  • Family Services 
  • Health Services 
  • Homelessness 
  • Poverty 

The Ball4Good Celebrity Basketball Games will not provide funding for: 

  • Annual fund campaigns 
  • Annual operating support other than for start-up purposes 
  • Lobbying activities, political organizations, or candidates for public office
  • Individual projects 
  • Organizations that have received $5,000 or more in funding from Ball4Good in the past 24 months

Grant Application — to be considered, applicants must submit the following: 

Cover sheet that includes the following: 

● Name and address of organization 

● Organization’s tax identification number 

● Organization’s mission statement 

● Grant contact name and email/phone number 

● Requested grant amount 

● Proof of 501 (c) (3) – IRS determination letter 

● Organization’s most recent IRS form 990 

Proposal narrative (maximum of two pages, must be in a font of at least 12 point size and have reasonable margins) that addresses the following: 

  • A description of the project for which you are requesting funds. Include the depth and reach of the project (degree and duration of intervention and number of people served). 
  • A detailed, itemized project budget and an outline of how the funds requested will be used. 
  • An explanation of how your organization addresses one or more specific community need(s)/issue(s). Describe how this project will work to address that need/issue. Please include supporting data. 
  • A project timeline. 
  • The measurable outcomes/goals you hope to achieve and how you plan to measure progress. Include the specific measurements that will be used.
  • If community partners are involved, list each partner and their role in the project. 

Please email proposals to info@ball4good.org by 11:59 PM EST on January 15th, 2025. 

Process 

Applications will be reviewed by a Grants Committee representative of students who reside in Spartanburg County. Students across the county will vote for the final recipient(s). 

Additional Information 

For additional questions, email  info@ball4good.org. 

Visit www.ball4good.org to learn more about Ball4Good.

Ball4Good Announces 2020 Celebrity Games Grant Finalists!

The Ball4Good Grants Committee is excited to announce that four nonprofits have been selected as finalists for the Basketball Celebrity Game funds. The committee reviewed grant applications from late December through early February. Past recipients of the Celebrity Game grants are:

2017 Recipient- Boys and Girls Club

2018 Recipient – Children’s Advocacy Center

2018 Finalists – Miracle Hill, Girl Scouts & Boys and Girls Club

2019 Recipient – Project Hope Foundation

2019 Finalists – Citizen Scholars, Sidewalk Hope, and BRUH Mentor

The 2020 finalists are:

YMCA: The YMCA’s mission is to put Christian principles into practice
through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.

Clemson University Tiger Alliance: Seeks to increase educational
opportunities and upward economic mobility for underrepresented youth in
the Upstate of South Carolina

Mental Fitness: Leads professional development training for school professionals and educators on relevant mental health topics such as suicide prevention, stress management and managing serious mental illness in schools.

Citizen Scholars: Provides disadvantaged youth, through mentoring and program support, with the life skills, knowledge, and character development needed to obtain college scholarships, complete college, and become contributing citizens.

 

Students will be voting for the grant recipient during the month of February. Congratulations to our four finalists!

Zion Williamson Day in Spartanburg!

April 22

In recognition of Spartanburg Day student and Duke Commit Zion Williamson’s service to the city of Spartanburg, the city honored Zion with a proclamation at the Ball4Good Celebrity Basketball game. The proclamation was read by city councilman Max Hyde of the Hyde Law Firm. Ned Page – President of the Spartanburg Day Board of Trustees and Mary Thomas – Chief Operating Officer of the Spartanburg County Foundation were present during the ceremony. From this day forth, April 22nd shall be known as Zion Williamson day in Spartanburg! In addition to the proclamation, Zion received a framed photo highlighting the stats of his high school basketball career. The photo was curated by Chris Jones. Ball4Good honored Zion with a #12 jersey and a hoodie.

 

Photography by Jeremiah Drummond and Hill Mitchell

Children’s Advocacy Center Named Grant Recipient for Ball4Good Celebrity Games!

We are happy to announce that the Children’s Advocacy Center has been chosen as the recipient of the Ball4Good Celebrity Game funds. The Center’s mission is to help children speak up about abuse and heal from it. The executive director, Mrs. Suzy Cole is busy preparing for her celebrity basketball debut on game day!

Three other organizations were named finalists and will be honored at the games. These organizations are the Boys and Girls Club of the Upstate, Girl Scouts and Miracle Hill Ministries.

Event tickets are scheduled to go on sale on March 20th, 2018. The event will be held on April 22nd. Several local celebrities have signed up to play, coach or cheer. The list includes, former NFL and WNBA stars, CEOs, community leaders, college presidents, coaches, the nation’s number one high school power forward, high school standouts and many more.

The event is made possible by the Spartanburg County Foundation, Sports Medicine Institute, SunTrust Bank, Spartanburg Day School, Carolina Alliance Bank, Spartanburg Nephrology Associates and Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Miller.

It’s going to be a fun afternoon!

 

Ball4Good Partners with Spartanburg County Foundation for Celebrity Games!

We are partnering with the Spartanburg County Foundation to bring the community a fun afternoon of celebrity basketball! Check back for updates.

A big thank you to our sponsors to date:

Sports Medicine Institute (Gold Sponsor)

SunTrust Bank (Gold Sponsor)

Carolina Alliance Bank (Silver Sponsor)

Spartanburg Day School (In kind sponsor)

Please contact us if you have any additional questions about the tournament.

 

20Time Fair Success

Thank you all for your incredible support at the 2018 20Time Fair! Thanks to you, our community will benefit from great projects. Ball4Good was able to sell hoodies and t-shirts to fans who wanted to show their spirit!

Ball4Good Acquires 1st Official 2018 Celebrity Games Sponsor

We are happy to announce that Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Sports Medicine Institute will be one of our major sponsors for the 2018 Ball4Good Tournament!

We are super excited for what lies ahead. Please contact Ball4Good if you are interested in sponsoring, volunteering, playing or being a part of the tournament. 100% of the proceeds raised from the tournament will benefit nonprofits!

Keep an eye out for updates!

Happy Holidays from Ball4Good!

Dear All,

Happy Holidays! At this special time of year, I’d like to thank you for supporting Ball4Good. We’ve had a great first year, and none of it would have been possible without you. I mean, who would have thought that a kid’s school project could turn into this? I sure didn’t.

Your support drives me to grow Ball4Good. With your help, we have supported or impacted the Boys and Girls Club, Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas, St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital, Boy Scouts, The Cancer Association, Miracle Hill and the Hope Center for Children. We’ve had a lot of fun playing ball, raising funds and bringing the community together.

Thanks to my Ball4Good experience, I wrote a book to inspire kids to change the world and has been receiving public speaking engagements. Once again, thanks a million for believing in me! A big thank you to Ms. Thomas (mentor), Ms. Kelsea Turner (teacher), Houston Graves (2018 Tournament Partner), our volunteers, our celebrity players, my advisors, parents, family, friends and the entire community.

Enjoy your holiday season! Look out for details about the 2018 Ball4Good Tournament!

 

Sincerely,

Adom Appiah

Founder – Ball4Good

Ball4Good Launches Hoops4Miracles

We are happy to start Hoops4Miracles, a drive that will support nonprofits on Giving Tuesday. This year, we are asking fans to bring items to the Spartanburg Day vs. Carolina Day Game at Spartanburg Day School on Tuesday, November 28. The items will benefit Miracle Hill Ministries. We hope that other basketball teams will adopt Hoops4Miracles to help their communities in the future.