About Us

Press Release

Community Foundation of the Lowcountry Hosts Grand Opening Ceremony for the Ekedahl Center for Nonprofit Excellence - September 10, 12:00-1:00 pm

Hilton Head Island, SC – Community Foundation of the Lowcountry (CFL) is extremely excited to announce the grand opening of the Ekedahl Center for Nonprofit Excellence!

The grand opening ceremony takes place on Tuesday, September 10 from 12:00-1:00 pm at CFL, and will feature presentations and speeches by nonprofit executive directors, CFL leadership, and the Ekedahl family.

The center is housed at the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry’s newly renovated office, located at 4 Northridge Drive, Hilton Head Island, SC.

The dream of having a nonprofit capacity building center became a reality due to the generosity of Dave and Patty Ekedahl, longtime Hilton Head Island residents and supporters of numerous local nonprofits and charity events.

“It is our honor to partner with CFL on this important project,” said Dave Ekedahl. “Nonprofits are critical to the well-being of our community, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to help nonprofits reach their organizational goals.”

The Ekedahl Center for Nonprofit Excellence builds on CFL’s commitment to nonprofits and organizations who provide programs and services to those most in need in our four-county service region.

“Through CFL’s recent strategic planning process, our nonprofit partners consistently identified capacity building as a top priority,” said Community Foundation of the Lowcountry President and CEO Scott Wierman. “The generous commitment from the Ekedahls has allowed CFL to accelerate efforts to meet these needs through the Ekedahl Center for Nonprofit Excellence.”

There are a variety of Fall programs and workshops scheduled at the center, including the Nonprofit Excellence in Management & Operations (NEMO) program, with registered participants from 15 local nonprofits. NEMO strengthens nonprofit capacities to enhance community impact and revenue through essential training and consulting. The consulting firm HIGOL (High Impact Growth Oriented Leaders) is leading the year-long NEMO program, which includes six intensive classroom-style presentations, along with one-on-one executive coaching sessions.

Fall workshops scheduled include Board Development, Leading Nonprofit Staff, and Interpersonal Relationship Management. Consultant Neil Sklarew, who currently leads CFL’s Executive Director Leadership workshops, along with other local consultants and instructors, will direct these workshops.