- rickmantei0@gmail.com
- Lexington, South Carolina 29072
Organizations
Our Mission
The Mantei Charitable Fund, founded by Rick and Lisa Mantei, is dedicated to supporting impactful initiatives and organizations that improve the lives of individuals and communities. Inspired by Rick’s distinguished career as a retired Air Force F-4 Phantom and F-16 instructor pilot, our mission is to provide vital support and resources to those in need. Through our commitment to generosity, service, and community, we strive to make a lasting difference in the lives of others.
Foundations We Support
Spring Valley High School Air Force JROTC
Since 1971 Spring Valley AFJROTC has been carrying out the mission of all JROTC programs – developing better citizens of character, dedicated to serving their nation and community.
The program simply aims to produce a better quality of people, of American citizens. Designed to teach each cadet personal skills that are vital to success in any field, we are the catalyst that eases the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Our instructors bring their knowledge of military customs, decorum, and discipline to the forefront of the classroom.
Midwest Food Bank
Midwest Food Bank, the largest faith-based food bank in the US, is a non-denominational, non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
With the help of volunteers, dedication of strategic leaders, and generosity of donors, Midwest Food Bank has flourished into something greater than the founding family could have ever imagined. Now, Midwest Food Bank has a presence across the globe and is widely recognized not only for its service to those in need, but also because of its organizational transparency.
Harvest Hope Food Bank
Harvest Hope is South Carolina’s largest food bank, providing over 20 million meals on average to neighbors in need across the Midlands, Pee Dee and Upstate.
Harvest Hope is on a mission to eliminate hunger and food insecurity in South Carolina. We rescue nutritious food from stores throughout the state and distribute it to food pantries, shelters, and soup kitchens. We operate programs that provide food for our most vulnerable citizens – children, seniors, and rural residents who don’t have access to grocery stores. We also run our own emergency food pantries in Greenville and Columbia where anyone in need can get a week’s supply of groceries for free.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of our founder Danny Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family’s ability to pay.
USAFA Foundation
The Air Force Academy Foundation is dedicated to providing transformative private support to the Air Force Academy.
In order to substantially increase the impact of philanthropy at the United States Air Force Academy, the Foundation has a commitment to increase the amount of unrestricted funds that are available to help advance Academy priorities.
Gifts can be classified by intent or type. Donors can support the Academy through the Foundation in several ways: annual giving, class gifts, estate gifts, memorial gifts, or funds for specific purposes.
Gary Sinise Foundation
At the Gary Sinise Foundation, we serve our nation by honoring our defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need.
We do this by creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities.
Marine Toys for Tots Program
The mission of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is to assist the U. S. Marine Corps in providing a tangible sign of hope to economically disadvantaged children at Christmas. This assistance includes providing day-to-day leadership and oversight of the Program, raising funds to provide toys to supplement the collections of local Toys for Tots Campaigns, to provide promotional and support material and defray the costs of conducting annual Toys for Tots Campaigns.
Oliver Gospel Mission
Oliver Gospel is a community-based mission that helps those experiencing homelessness, poverty, or addiction transform their lives through physical, spiritual, and relational support so that they can lead full, healthy lives.
Through our Men’s Center, Toby’s Place (center for women and children), and our social enterprises, we provide holistic rehabilitation, transitional housing, and career development, always aiming for permanent housing and a solid community for each person who comes through our doors.
Columbia City Ballet
Columbia City Ballet’s mission is to bring new levels of excellence to ballet – both on- and off-stage. We will accomplish this through processes that are inclusive in scope, educational and creative.
Through this mission, we will significantly advance ballet as an art form and enrich the cultural life of our community while providing artistic excellence, exhilarating performances, innovative choreography and superb educational programs.
Epworth Children’s Home
The mission of Epworth Children’s Home is to serve children, youth and families through caring, safe, Christian communities, where hurts are healed, hope is nurtured, and faith in God, self, and others is developed.
Sole Stepping
SOLE Stepping is a certified 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides new shoes and socks to elementary school students in Lexington County, South Carolina. Shoes are often the most visible sign of poverty. With 1 in 5 children living in poverty, that’s a reality that impacts every school district in America. The simple gift of a new pair of shoes can positively change a child’s world. That’s why we never distribute previously-owned shoes to our children in our sponsored schools.
Since 2016, we have provided more than 12,000 pairs of shoes to elementary school children in the Midlands of South Carolina.