DONATE: Remembering the Emanuel 9

Staff reports  |  More than a million dollars have been raised through two official funds set up by the city of Charleston to take donations following the June 17 shooting at Emanuel AME Church that left nine dead.

As of 9 a.m. today (Monday), contributions of $926,389 went to the Mother Emanuel Fund, and $147,429 to the Lowcountry Ministries Pinckney Fund.

• Updated numbers can be found here.

The Mother Emanuel Hope Fund will provide direct financial support for the funeral and burial expenses of the nine victims of the tragedy. Any money left after the expenses are paid will be donated to the church to use in ways determined by its governance board. Donations to the HOPE Fund are not tax-deductible, according to sources.

• To donate by check, send your contribution to Mother Emanuel Hope Fund, City of Charleston, P.O. Box 304, Charleston, SC 29402. Or you can stop by any Wells Fargo bank nationwide to donate. Finally, you can donate by going online here: www.Bidr.co/prayforcharleston.

The Lowcountry Ministries Pinckney Fund is an initiative by the city and Palmetto Project to fund community initiatives in areas in which one of the victims, state Sen. Clementa Pinckney, who also was pastor at Emanuel AME Church. Donations to this fund are tax-deductible. This fund is to be guided by an advisory board of Pinckney’s colleagues, friends and family along with representatives from congregations he served including Emanuel AME Church.  The Palmetto Project will provide professional oversight and management of the fund.

• To donate by check, send your contribution to Lowcountry Ministries Pinckney Fund, Palmetto Project, 6296 Rivers Avenue, #100, North Charleston, SC 29406. Or you can donate online at www.PalmettoProject.org.

Big gifts to the funds

Other key gifts have been made by local, state and national businesses to remember the victims. A selected list:

• SCE&G: $100,000 to Emanuel AME Church and a dollar-for-dollar match to employee contributions to promote healing and help the church.
• Wells Fargo: $100,000 to the Lowcountry Ministries – Pinckney Fund.
• Volvo Cars of North America: $100,000 to Hope Fund.
• Benefitfocus: $100,000 to Hope fund.
• Google: $375,000 to three funds, including $125,000 to the Avery Research Center for a social justice initiative, $175,000 to the International African-American museum and the rest to a unity fund (outlined below).
• Lowcountry Unity Fund, set up by the Coastal Community Foundation to promote long term solutions for issues like racism and economic inequality. South State Bank pledged $50,000 to this fund and Google added $75,000. The bank also contributed $50,000 to the Hope fund.
• Palmetto Moon, pledged $35,000 to Mother Emanuel Hope Fund through sale of 3,500 Charleston Strong T-shirts (www.PalmettoMoonOnline.com). The shirts feature the image created by local graphic designer Gil Shuler of the palmetto tree with nine doves ascending. The doves represent the people who were killed in the tragedy.

 “We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the South Carolina community. Our phones have not stopped ringing. Every single person has come into our store with the desire to help the community. It makes me proud to work at Palmetto Moon and live in this city,” said Jamie Dement, Online & Media Coordinator.

• Daimler Vans Manufacturing: $25,000 to the Pinckney Fund.

• Daniel Island Community Fund: Pledging a dollar-for-dollar match of up to $50,000 donated by island residents and others toward the Hope fund.
• Zucker Family and The Intertech Group: $75,000 endowed scholarship to be called the Mother Emanuel AME Scholarship Endowment.