With their penchant for Hawaiian shirts, Jimmy Buffett fans have never been hard to spot; but far less conspicuous has been their role as philanthropic powerhouse, thanks to the performer’s Singing For Change (SFC) foundation, headquartered right here on Sullivan’s Island. For the past 15 years, one dollar of every ticket sold to Buffett’s concerts has gone to SFC, resulting in more than $6 million in grants for grassroots nonprofits engaged in humanitarian and environmental work around the world.
Along with funding a medical clinic for tsunami survivors in India and rebuilding efforts in New Orleans and Haiti, SFC has given nearly $100,000 to Lowcountry groups, including Wings for Kids, Operation Home, and Water Missions International. SFC executive director Judith Ranger Smith is proud that the effort “supports small organizations taking on critical issues in extraordinary ways that otherwise might go unnoticed.”
