ALL Our Neighbors Deserve To Live With Dignity, Security, Hope & Opportunity
2025: A Year of Improving Lives Beyond Our Gates
MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDERS
Dear Friends & Neighbors,
Every day across the Charleston Sea Islands, just beyond our gates, families face impossible choices: between food and rent, medicine and heat, or repairing a roof and providing their children with basic needs. For many of us living on Kiawah and Seabrook, these worries may feel distant, yet our less-fortunate neighbors face them daily. This dichotomy inspired us to create the Beyond Our Gates Foundation – to extend support, connection, and opportunity to those most in need.
Today, the challenges are only becoming more daunting. The ongoing affordability crisis, driven by rising housing costs, inflation, and limited access to essential services, is putting immense pressure on families already struggling to make ends meet. The needs in the communities we serve continue to grow, and so must our commitment to meet them.
In 2025, thanks to the generosity of donors like you, we awarded $525,000 in grants to 25 incredible nonprofit partners working on the front lines of need. These dedicated organizations, and the heroes who lead and staff them, are helping families put food on the table, repairing homes for seniors, expanding access to affordable healthcare, and supporting children in a myriad of ways. They’re also there for those navigating mental health and disability challenges, and for families facing sudden crises by offering compassion, care, and immediate relief when it matters most.
Across three grant cycles, the Beyond Our Gates Foundation has made 65 grants totaling more than $1.3 million. All of these funds have been invested in strengthening the Charleston Sea Islands community and creating opportunities for those most in need. Every grant reflects a simple belief: that everyone deserves the chance to live with dignity, security, hope and opportunity.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to our current donors whose generosity makes this work possible. We also invite more of our Kiawah and Seabrook neighbors to join us—make a gift, volunteer your time, or tell others about our mission. Your involvement will help build a stronger, more resilient Charleston Sea Islands community for all who call it home.
With hope and gratitude,
Brian & Karen McDonagh
Many Neighboring Communities in Critical Need
100,000 total focus area population
1/3 of residents can no longer afford to stay in their community
< 35% Title 1 school students testing at proficiency level
10% of residents struggle with daily food insecurity 10,000 people without health insurance 20% living in poverty 50% below subsistence
5,000+ children living in poverty – larger than the total population of Kiawah and Seabrook combined
Data from The College of Charleston’s Joseph P. Riley Center for Livable Communities and other sources
Kiawah Island
Wadmalaw Island
Yonges Island Hollywood Meggett
James Island
Johns Island
Seabrook Island
Edisto Island
