Cherokee County's Work. Our Name Honors Where It Started.
KNOW2 is a Gaffney-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit built from local data, led by local people, and accountable to this community every year.
Built from Cherokee County's Own Data
KNOW2 was formed to address the challenges identified in the 2009 Cherokee County Community Indicators study — a local assessment that mapped the county's gaps in food access, economic opportunity, and community health. That study wasn't an outside assessment. It was Cherokee County producing data about itself, and KNOW2 grew from the question that followed: now that we know, what do we do?
Begun as a grassroots organization, KNOW2 became an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) charitable organization in 2015. Our name reflects two foundational beliefs that have guided this organization from the start: (1) I KNOW I must be highly educated for economic success and a high quality of life. (2) I KNOW a higher education is achievable by me, my family, and my community.
We bring together individuals and organizations to promote a growth mindset regarding education, economic development, and public health — because progress in these three areas brings reciprocal improvements to our families and safer communities.
Who We Are and Why We Do This
Our Mission
Connecting individuals and organizations in Cherokee County to develop a positive culture of learning and good health for personal success and civic prosperity.
Our Vision
A Cherokee County where every resident has access to healthy food, quality education, and real opportunity. Where community organizations work together, not in silos. Where local data drives local decisions.
What We Value
We lead with connection, operate with accountability, and build for sustainability. Every program we start is designed to belong to Cherokee County long before we hand it over.
Every Year, We Show Our Work
Since 2009, KNOW2 has published Community Indicators research documenting Cherokee County's progress across food access, economic health, and community wellbeing. Our annual reports cover every year of operations as a 501(c)(3) — a public record of where donations go, what programs ran, and what changed.
Open books aren't just a requirement we meet. They're part of how KNOW2 was built.
