AdvanceSC director seeks $1.3M, larger tribal grants and changes to small-business certification

Dr. Dolores DeCosta, director of the South Carolina Commission for Community Advancement and Engagement (AdvanceSC), told the Patient Regulatory Subcommittee the agency has rebranded from the Commission for Minority Affairs and is seeking funding to support staffing, tribal grants and a small-business program. "Our ask for this year request number 1, we are asking for $50,000 to increase salaries," DeCosta said, and she added the commission seeks to increase grants for state-recognized Native American tribes to $500,000 (up from $250,000 approved last year).

DeCosta said AdvanceSC has grown from fewer than nine full-time employees in 2018 to about 25 now, runs a "Second Chance" resource guide for returning citizens used by agencies such as the Department of Corrections and DSS, and in June 2024 integrated the small minority business contracting and certification program into the commission. She described the proposed small-business certification change as a shift to race- and gender-neutral language and a new three-tier, capacity-based certification framework that would evaluate a contractor’s ability to deliver outcomes rather than focusing primarily on cost.

DeCosta also said the commission is requesting $250,000 to replenish one-time rebranding costs and is proposing a nonrecurring small-business grant program delivered via partners such as CDFIs and local chambers; she summarized the total request as $1,300,000. When asked whether the Native American grant money could be used for gambling or casinos, DeCosta replied, "No sir. It is strictly written and it's only for use for tourism to improve the infrastructure of their tribal areas, education and to promote their pow wows."

Senator Daryl Jackson thanked DeCosta for the agency’s work and for engaging with the General Assembly on the rebranding and expanded focus. No formal action or vote on the requests was recorded during this meeting.