Columbia, South Carolina – Once again, South Carolina recognized great charitable efforts with the Angels for 2025 award. Secretary of State Mark Hammond revealed the winners during a ceremony at the Edgar Brown Building on the Capitol Complex. Representatives from 10 NGOs came to the event. They were recognized this year for their hard work, financial responsibility, and deep influence on the community.
Hammond said that the Angel honor, which started in 1998, has become an important aspect of the holiday season. He stated that NGOs are very important to the state’s health and that the ceremony was a chance to highlight groups that always put their purpose first. Each organization that was awarded got a plaque and a personal thank-you for their work.
The selected charities represent a wide range of missions and are recognized for directing the majority of their spending toward program work. Listed alphabetically, the 2025 Angels include: AccessHealth Horry, Inc. of Conway at 96.1%; Bluffton Community Soup Kitchen at 82.6%; Ezekiel Ministries, Inc. in Columbia at 85.4%; Family Promise of York County, Inc. in Rock Hill at 88.4%; Greater Florence Habitat for Humanity, Inc. at 85.0%; Rabbit Sanctuary, Inc. of Simpsonville at 93.6%; Ride To Work Ministry Nonprofit, Inc. of Seneca at 91.4%; Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Inc. of Pocatello, Idaho at 95.1%; The Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic, Inc. on Johns Island at 82.9%; and United Way of Pickens County in Easley at 85.7%.
Charities who are chosen as Angels must meet a number of requirements, including as spending at least 80% of their money on program services, staying in business for at least three years, having a lot of volunteers, and not relying too much on government funds. Each must also follow the South Carolina Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act. Hammond said that the goal is to show off groups that have strong links to South Carolina, no matter what their mission is.
“We recognize each charity as an Angel only once in order to recognize as many deserving organizations as possible in future years. I hope this recognition inspires everyone to be generous not only during the holidays, but throughout the year. Remember to always give from the heart, but please give smart,” Hammond added.
Donors can use the free Give Smart SC mobile app or the online Charities Search engine to look at organization records and make sure they are giving effectively. These tools let people check their registration status and see important financial information. People who have concerns about shady fundraising methods can make a private complaint through the app or the Secretary of State’s website.
The announcement ended with a reminder that while people are usually more generous over the holidays, they need help all year round.
