Public/Non-Profit Business in S.C.? (Orangeburg, North: fit in, job market, buy)

[veganwriter]

I'm thinking about opening a non-profit in either South Carolina or another state. Naturally I'm looking for places where I can buy land inexpensively and where the likelyhood of getting funding for the non-profit I want to start is best ... or ... "good." My questions are:

1. Is S.C. a state where a new non-profit is likely to find funding? I'm a middle-age black man and I've heard about the history of "healers" along with the great support for the Arts that is in the SC culture. Do you think there also money for working with the homeless and vets in different ways?

2. I'm currently a "truck driver" and engaged in a year of searching. I've only had the opportunity to drive into S.C. once ... and I really loved how it looks. I've also worked as a Technical Writer. I've heard that S.C. has a growing High Tech industry. (Spartenburg?)

3. S.C. attracts me for different reasons that other states do .... but no much different. (Low cost land/housing, and proximity to high value markets.) But overall ... how is the job market?

4. S.C. is the deep South and one friend of mine who was born and raised there says it's "too conservative" for him to return. Yet, it seems that thousands of "out-siders" are flocking to S.C. Overall, it seems that matters of race arn't all that bad or ... very different than any other state in America these days.

Comments?

[baylovers]

I cannot factually comment on the first three questions you have posed.

S.C. is the deep South and one friend of mine who was born and raised there says it's "too conservative" for him to return. Yet, it seems that thousands of "out-siders" are flocking to S.C. Overall, it seems that matters of race aren't all that bad or ... very different than any other state in America these days.

I am a NY'er who has relocated to SC and feel that my thoughts & opinions are more in line with the "conservatives" of this state than with my more liberal neighbors in NY. It is one of the things that have attracted me. Please note that I am not a Rush Limbaugh, banner waving Republican, I actually registered as an independent but I am much more comfortable politically here than I was up North.

[eureka1]

I can't tell from your post what it is that your non-profit will actually DO. You need to do the same kind of market research that you would in starting any other kind of business. I have worked in the non-profit world and KNOWING THE COMMUNITY in which you will be operating your non-profit is essential. I'm sure there are areas of opportunity in SC but I would suggest treading softly and going slow,so you don't come on like an outsider coming in to fix their problems. There's a lot of underserved areas in SC, Orangeburg looks like one of them. If you have never managed a nonprofit I would suggest working or volunteeering for one for a while until you build up some cred. Your question about availability of funding is too general for any one to answer. Good luck to you but you have a lot of homework to do.