Fiduciary Partnership Spartanburg Academic Movement

The Spartanburg Academic Movement, SAM, was initially funded with a matching grant of $500,000 provided by the Spartanburg County Foundation Community Impact Fund and its donors.

Critical Indicators, now known as Strategic Spartanburg (pg. 10) identified the need for an entity to lead efforts to improve educational outcomes for Spartanburg County Residents. That entity is SAM.

Strivetogether Partnership

Through a national partnership with StriveTogether, developed under SAM's Executive Director, Dr. John Stockwell (also a Foundation Trustee Emeritus), SAM gained recognition for its innovation in Spartanburg. SAM launched the Wardlaw Institute for Continuous Improvement in 2019, training teachers on how to apply Continuous Improvement science in the classroom environment, and the Out of School Time Collaborative, a network of organizations working together to support students when they are out of school. Under the leadership of Dr. Russell Booker, SAM added the Center for Resilient Schools and Communities in 2021, which is training educators and community leaders in how to help children and families overcome adversity. It has also begun expanding its post-secondary degree attainment initiatives.

Blue Meridian Involvement

When Blue Meridian Partners sought locations likely to be successful with large-scale investments, Spartanburg became one of twelve communities across the nation considered. In 2020, Blue Meridian Partners made a $5.8 million investment to allow SAM and its local partners to support COVID recovery and create a plan for a potential larger-scale investment. The Foundation's fiduciary role and ability to serve as a fiscal agent for SAM gave the small organization the capacity to receive a conditional $50 million to support a $100 million transformation plan. The Duke Endowment committed $25 million to support the plan, contingent on Spartanburg raising the final $25 million. The Foundation is again serving as fiscal agent and fiduciary for the funds needed to fuel transformational change to improve the lives of Spartanburg County residents.