Power:Ed joins funding collaborative led by The Duke Endowment, supporting Carolinas-based nonprofits and leaders. Awards $25,000 grant benefitting Successteam Foundation for Youth Development in Aiken
COLUMBIA, S.C. – December 12, 2025 — Power:Ed, the philanthropy of SC Student Loan Corporation, has joined a coalition of funders, led by The Duke Endowment, supporting the Launch Carolinas Leadership Accelerator Program. This investment in nonprofit leaders, their organizations and funders is essential to ensuring that these changemakers have the skills, tools and networks needed to sustain solutions. Power:Ed’s $25,000 investment will specifically support the Aiken-based nonprofit, Successteam Foundation for Youth Development, and founding CEO Tim Behling for one year.
“Launch Carolinas represents a unique opportunity for nonprofit leaders and philanthropic partners to strengthen each other and our work to advance the well-being outcomes of communities with limited resources in North Carolina and South Carolina,” said Tamika Williams, associate director of The Duke Endowment’s Child & Family Well-Being program area. “We are thrilled Power:Ed has joined this collaborative of funders and approved a grant to support Successteam in South Carolina. Tim Behling is a visionary founder and executive director, and his organization’s mission is to advance the educational outcomes of promising youth.”
“We are honored and grateful for Power:Ed’s investment as well as the opportunity to advance our work through the Launch Carolinas Leadership Accelerator Program,” Behling said. “Since 2015, Successteam has been committed to developing future-ready leaders. With partners of this magnitude who share our vision for what youth can achieve, we are building the capacity to serve more students, elevate their voices, and shape stronger communities.”
Successteam Foundation for Youth Development creates a safe, empowering space for youth to develop leadership skills, guided by principles and a hopeful outlook. The organization addresses mental and behavioral health by providing mentorship, fostering a sense of belonging, and helping students overcome challenges such as depression, financial barriers, first-generation confusion, and limited exposure. To date, 92 percent of Successteam participants report improvements in grade point average, social skills and outlook on life.
Through purpose-driven programs, they cultivate resilience, emotional regulation and positive behavior patterns, ultimately promoting mental and emotional well-being in high school students. Successteam engages 2,500 youth each year and has a 10 percent annual growth goal. It is also launching a new chapter in Columbia and piloting a small cohort of about 30 students with plans to double that number by 2027.
“Supporting great organizations in rural and underserved communities across South Carolina is at the heart of what we do,” said Power:Ed Executive Director Claire Gibbons. “Sucessteam is working to address systemic barriers to higher education attainment, build a pipeline of skilled talent and leaders and boost economic mobility in the community it serves, and we at Power:Ed and SC Student Loan are so excited about the transformative impact Successteam will continue to have as its programs scale.”
Power:Ed plans to award $1,325,000 in grants to South Carolina education and career readiness organizations in FY2025-26. In this second fiscal quarter, Power:Ed awarded five grants, including this grant to Successteam, totaling $264,000. Grants are administered quarterly, and the next grant funding deadline is January 1, 2026.
About Successteam Foundation for Youth Development
Successteam helps high school students, grades 9th – 12th, via experiential leadership development programming geared toward college and career readiness, professional training and community outreach. Since 2015, Successteam has aided more than 10,000 youth by creating a safe space for them to become leaders with principles, direction, and an optimistic outlook to overcome hurdles such as financial inadequacy, first-generation confusion, and lack of exposure. Learn more about Successteam by visiting successteam.org.
About Power:Ed
Founded in 2019, Power:Ed, the philanthropy of SC Student Loan, is dedicated to creating opportunities for South Carolina’s youth and adults by supporting low-income, underrepresented and first-generation students; improving access to college and degree completion; and creating pathways to quality workforce opportunities. Organizations serving middle school through post-college talent who are interested in applying for a grant or partnering with Power:Ed should visit power-ed.org.
About The Duke Endowment
Based in Charlotte and established in 1924 by industrialist and philanthropist James B. Duke, The Duke Endowment is a private foundation that strengthens communities in North Carolina and South Carolina by nurturing children, promoting health, educating minds and enriching spirits. Since its founding, it has distributed more than $5 billion in grants. The Endowment shares a name with Duke University and Duke Energy, but all are separate organizations.