History of Impact
In 1994, a network of grassroots advocates and supporters came together around a shared urgency: to prevent teen pregnancy and ensure that young mothers had the support they needed to thrive. What began as a bold, community-driven response quickly evolved into a statewide movement grounded in partnership, innovation, and evidence.
With original funding from the March of Dimes and a matching grant from the South Carolina Health and Human Services Finance Commission, the organization focused on five foundational action areas: adolescent pregnancy prevention, public awareness, technical assistance, education, and advocacy. From the start, this work was not about isolated programs—it was about building capacity, shifting systems, and equipping communities with the tools to create lasting change.
Over the next three decades, Fact Forward remained steadfastly youth-focused and community-centered. As the landscape of adolescent health evolved, so did we—expanding our strategies, deepening partnerships, and strengthening our commitment to health equity. While teen pregnancy prevention was our starting point, our work has grown to address the broader ecosystem of adolescent health, recognizing that young people thrive when education, services, policies, and trusted adults align.
A defining part of Fact Forward’s story is that we have always worked thoughtfully and strategically. Our approach is grounded in evidence and informed by best practices, implementation science, and continuous quality improvement. We do not chase trends—we test, refine, evaluate, and scale what works. Whether mobilizing communities, advising state leaders, supporting youth-serving professionals, or amplifying youth voice, our work is intentional and data-driven.
Today, Fact Forward stands as a trusted leader in adolescent health—still rooted in the grassroots energy that launched us in 1994, and still guided by a simple but powerful belief: when young people have access to accurate information, supportive relationships, and equitable systems, they are empowered to move their lives forward.
Milestones that Shaped Us
- 1998 – Led a campaign that resulted in the South Carolina Legislature allocating $10.5 million to create the South Carolina County Grant Fund for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Initiatives
- 1999 – Officially became the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (SC Campaign) to reflect an ongoing partnership with the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
- 2001– Secured our first federal funding through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- 2010 – Secured nearly $15 million in federal funding to support teen pregnancy prevention efforts throughout the state of South Carolina
- 2019 – Rebranded to Fact Forward to reflect our comprehensive approach to advancing adolescent health
- 2020 – Secured funding to operationalize systems thinking to mobilize community stakeholders in developing, piloting, evaluating, and scaling innovative strategies that increase access to sexual health services
- 2023 – Secured funding to expand Adolescent Reproductive Health Education initiatives into North Carolina
