The Community Foundation is committed to improving the quality of life for residents of the Greater Richmond region.
Our Community Impact grants support nonprofits whose strategies and outcomes align with our four focus areas: community vibrancy, economic prosperity, educational success, and health and wellness.
We have an online application process for any nonprofit seeking program or operating support.
- The application process will open in early January.
- We will host information sessions (optional) on Monday, January 13 at 3 p.m. and Tuesday, January 21 at 9 a.m. Click here to register.
- The deadline for proposals is February 21, 2020.
- Final grant decisions are made and communicated in June.
See recent Community Impact grants
Our Philosophy
The Community Foundation’s funds can create greater impact in the community by targeting a focused set of persistent, regional challenges.
For fifty years, the Community Foundation’s philanthropic presence in the Richmond Region has supported nonprofit organizations in making our community a better place for all residents to call home. Despite broad-based community investments, there exists today two realities in our community:
- RVA, a place where economic development is driving revitalization of neighborhoods, a stronger arts and cultural presence, national awards for quality of life, and an overall optimistic view of our region’s future.
And…
- Richmond, a place where low-wealth families are locked in cycles of poverty, access to jobs and essential services is limited, schools are in disrepair and do not meet students’ academic needs, and a lack of hope has led to spiraling violence in neighborhoods. To create lasting impact, the Community Foundation will focus its resources on the persistent challenges that keep all residents from benefiting from the positive growth in our region.
The Community Foundation’s grantmaking will focus on activities that are most directly tied to increasing opportunity for low-wealth residents. We will approach our grantmaking decisions through a priority of requirements that include access and equity for all residents, high quality programming, capacity building, and collaboration with public, private, and other non-profit partners.
Focus Areas
Click each focus area below to see the broad framework guiding our decisions:
Community Vibrancy | Economic Prosperity | Educational Success | Health & Wellness
High Impact Areas
Narrowed from the focus areas above, the following strategies have been identified as those that have the greatest potential to create opportunity for low-income residents.
Affordable Housing | Out-of-School Time Programming | Workforce Development
Our Grant Process