About Success By 6

The United Way of Sumter, Clarendon, and Lee Counties received a nine-month planning grant for United Way Success By 6 from the Bank of America Foundation in 1999 and an implementation grant in 2000. Bank of America Foundation continued their support of United Way Success By 6 for the next three years with a sustaining grant.

United Way Success By 6 is now funded through United Way of Sumter, Clarendon, and Lee Counties, Inc., and through partnerships with Sumter County First Steps and South Carolina Department of Social Services. United Way Success By 6 serves 10 counties: Sumter, Clarendon, Lee, Clarendon, Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Florence, Williamsburg.

United Way Success By 6 is an early childhood school readiness initiative, which leverages resources to invest in issues such as early literacy, child care and child health. United Way Success By 6 was initially started in Minneapolis in 1989 with leadership from the United Way, a corporate CEO, the Mayor and Superintendent of Schools. The convened leaders felt that early childhood was the critical starting point for an effective future workforce. 

The Bank of America Foundation committed over $50 million to United Way Success By 6, and the United Way of America is managing the administration of the United Way Success By 6 grants. Sumter, Clarendon, and Lee communities are now among the 300 communities across the country that have convened leaders from the areas of business, faith, government, labor, education and for young children and their families. Children are our greatest economic investment and our future Sumter, Clarendon, and Lee communities are now among the 300 communities across the country that leaders. Research shows that every dollar invested in quality early childhood development saves have convened leaders from the areas of business, faith, government, labor, education and society over $7 million in remedial education, welfare costs, and court and prison expenses. Through health/human services to form United Way Success By 6 coalitions. Our focus is to improve conditions United Way Success By 6 people and organizations come together to leverage existing resources and create prevention-based strategies that help prepare our children for success.