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APRIL 22, 2021 — In celebration of Earth Day 2021, the ConseRVAtion Fund has announced five new grants totaling $90,000 to support organizations and projects in Greater Richmond that focus on benefiting the environment, conserving natural resources and enhancing regional sustainability. Grants support a wide array of projects, from the Virginia Oyster Shell Recycling Program to the 12,000 tree giveaway program during Arbor Day 2021.

“What makes this grant process exciting for me is seeing the different ideas that the community can come up with,” said Ron Felmus, a ConseRVAtion Fund advisor. “We try to give applicants a lot of room to get creative in finding new solutions for environmental sustainability.”

^{Darquan Robertson, Groundwork RVA’s landscaping crew chief, tends to a garden plot. Groundwork RVA is a local nonprofit that works with Richmond youth to facilitate environmental, economic and social wellbeing in neighborhoods by transforming blighted, neglected open spaces into public assets}

This year marks the second grant cycle from the ConseRVAtion Fund, a donor advised fund of the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond. Grant recipients and descriptions are listed below:

• Groundwork RVA – $40,000 to support new green infrastructure in the garden spaces of Sankofa Mini Farm and Trinity Family Life Center, including solar-powered rain capture systems, permeable pathways and rain gardens
•  Richmond Community ToolBank – $5,000 to support the purchase of trees, promotional material and community engagement activities for the 12,000 tree giveaway program of the Arbor Day 2021 celebration
•  Science Museum of Virginia Foundation – $20,000 to support the purchase of vegetation for the Stormwater Management Demonstration Bed at “The Green,” a new urban greenspace at the Science Museum of Virginia
•  Virginia Commonwealth University Foundation – $10,000 to support the purchase of a replacement boat hull for the Virginia Oyster Shell Recycling Program (VOSRP)
•  Virginia Community Voice – $15,000 to support neighbor-led greening, recycling and beautification projects in Richmond’s Southside

Click here to learn more about the ConseRVAtion Fund.