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After nearly 20 years serving as Regional Affiliate Director, Margaret Nost has announced her plans to retire at the end of January. She first joined the staff of the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond in 2002 in a part-time role to shepherd the early growth and development of three regional affiliate foundations – the Gloucester Community Foundation, the Mathews Community Foundation, and the River Counties Community Foundation – established between 1996 and 2001 to serve five counties in the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck.
With a background in banking and an inherent ability to connect with people, Margaret was the right fit from the start. Community foundations were flourishing in cities across the country at the time but were lesser known or understood in rural communities. Working closely with the volunteer boards, Margaret expanded outreach, built trust within the community, and championed the community foundation as a strategic partner that brings deep community knowledge and expertise to helping donors achieve their charitable goals and to community organizations seeking to fulfill their missions.
Under Margaret’s leadership, the Gloucester, Mathews and River Counties Community Foundations now steward over 240 donor-established funds with assets totaling $56 million. This has translated into $23 million in cumulative grant support to a wide range of important community programs and initiatives in the arts, education, the environment, health care and so much more. This year marked a milestone as their respective community impact grant programs combined to award over $1 million for the first time.
“Margaret is the face of the Community Foundation in Gloucester, Mathews, Lancaster, Middlesex and Northumberland Counties,” said Sherrie Armstrong, CEO of the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond, which provides financial and administrative support for the affiliate foundations. “We join these communities in honoring Margaret’s dedication to and vision for philanthropy in the region and her ability to build partnerships for the greater good. We are grateful for her leadership and enduring friendship and we wish her all the best for a happy, healthy and much deserved retirement.”
As the regional affiliates have experienced this explosive growth, the local staff team grew to include Regional Affiliates Officer, Lincoln Boykin, and Regional Administrative Associate, Ashleigh Elliott. At this important time of transition, the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond and its Affiliates are pleased to announce that Lincoln will move into the role of Director of Affiliate Foundations starting January 1. Since joining the team in February 2020, he has overseen community grantmaking and outreach to nonprofit and community partners across the five counties. He has proven to be a strategic fit for the role and has earned the approval of the Affiliate Foundation’s Board Chairs in moving to the Director position. Previously, Lincoln served as Associate Director of Philanthropy and Board Relations at American Rivers.
Margaret Nost has a heart of gold and, in many ways, she has been the heart of the communit(ies) she has served. In honor of her hard work, dedication to the mission, and compassion for others, the Community Foundation is establishing the Margaret Nost Heart of the Community Fund - an endowed fund that will be used to support annual grantmaking for all three affiliate community foundations. If you wish to honor Margaret in this way, you may make an online contribution using the link below or make a grant recommendation from your donor advised fund.
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The Community Foundation is proud to partner with Better Housing Coalition to bring new affordable housing units to downtown Richmond as part of the proposed Navy Hill project. On November 1, Mayor Levar Stoney described the project to transform a 10-block area north of Broad Street as the "largest economic development project in our City's history," as well as the largest empowerment project for residents. In addition to modernizing several entertainment venues and city streets to create a thriving, walkable community, the project also calls for a significant increase in affordable housing units and jobs. It will also expand the City's tax base and generate new revenues that will be used to improve schools and enhance critical public services.
We are excited to be part of an effort to bring new vitality and opportunity to residents of our City. The Community Foundation's $5 million lead gift to Better Housing Coalition - the largest single grant ever awarded - helps exceed the original expectation that 10% of all new residences will be affordable. The core development will include 280 affordable rental units as part of the core development, while Better Housing will construct an additional 200 to 220 units within the surrounding downtown area.
In the early 1900’s, Navy Hill was a thriving African American neighborhood in and around 4th and Jackson Streets. It was later torn apart by the construction of Interstate 95 and the Richmond Coliseum. Today, the Navy Hill project aims to redevelop the neighborhood by adding new residences, new jobs, a state-of-the-art transportation center and more.
> Learn more at navyhillrva.com
We believe that affordable housing, quality public education, and living wage jobs are fundamental to economic stability and family success across generations. Not only will our $5 million investment begin to create much-needed affordable housing units, but it also will create opportunities for individuals and families to participate in and contribute to the incredible transformation underway in our City, with ripple effects for our entire region. We also believe that when a community is thriving and connected, it also will yield deeper investment in our schools and young people.
Throughout our history, local donors have come together to build a community endowment so that resources would be available when opportunities like this emerge. There is currently a high level of collaboration among government, business and the philanthropic sector partners that helps builds credibility and confidence in this project. We believe this is the right time to put our resources to work, allowing Better Housing Coalition to develop and steward affordable housing that will transform lives across generations.
> See how this builds on our previously announced grant of $1 million to the Maggie Walker Community Land Trust.
The full project details will be submitted to Richmond City Council and, and after careful consideration, they will hold a vote whether to approve the deal. As more details become available, we will share them with you.
The R.E.B. Awards for Distinguished Educational Leadership seek to recognize public school principals who go beyond the day-to-day demands of their position to create an exceptional educational environment. Every year, four principals are selected for this achievement – one each from the Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, and the City of Richmond school districts. They each receive a $10,000 cash grant and an additional $20,000 to support a project of their choosing to benefit the school. New in 2021, a runner-up from each district will also receive a $10,000 award to support their proposed school project.
The following principals were selected as the 2021 winners:
LaShante’ Knight, Salem Church Middle School (Chesterfield) With her R.E.B. Award, Ms. Knight will create a Learning Lab for Teachers, providing a permanent professional learning space; a Resource Center for Parents where workshops such as Conversational Spanish and English will be offered and career support will be accessible; and a Real-World Connections Amphitheater for Students providing access to virtual field trips, student leadership conferences, and guest speakers.
Lisa Thompson, Washington Henry Elementary School (Hanover) With her R.E.B. Award, Ms. Thompson will create a sustainable outdoor learning environment that will become a permanent footprint of Washington-Henry Elementary. A student “task force” will design the outdoor classroom plan to share with teachers and families, allowing input and feedback from multiple stakeholders.
Ryan Stein, Greenwood Elementary School (Henrico) With his R.E.B. Award, Mr. Stein will enact KinderGator Camp, a 5-week summer in-person experience open to all rising 1st graders at Greenwood Elementary School. KinderGator Camp will aim to re-engage young learners to the in-person educational environment, where students will work with master teachers who provide a robust focus on connection, literacy, and social and emotional development.
Latonya Waller, T.C. Boushall Middle School (Richmond) With her R.E.B. Award, Ms. Waller will create a Next Century School Learning Classroom that will offer a state-of-the-art learning space with augmented reality, video conferencing, and AV production capabilities. The complementary Next Century School Learning Lab will expand the small mobile MakerSpace cart into a full learning lab, designed to be highly interactive with all the materials that support true inquiry-based instruction and problem-based learning.
The following candidates were selected as runners up and will receive a $10,000 award to support their proposed school project:
Lindsay Porzio, Crestwood Elementary School (Chesterfield) To construct a new greenhouse, pour a concrete slab and walkway to comply with the ADA, and install a safety fence around the area.
Leigh Finch, John M. Gandy Elementary School (Hanover) To enhance the current House system to include sister school, Henry Clay Elementary School, as they prepare to merge into one school in the coming years. Assigning students to “houses” helps them develop relationships with other students and teachers in different grades.
Leigh Dunavant, Mills E. Godwin High School (Henrico) To bolster continuous school improvement at Godwin High School, this award will support a partnership with New Pedagogies for Deeper Learning, providing a variety of professional learning opportunities to teachers and resources to conduct an all-faculty book study on Dive into Deep Learning: Tools for Engagement.
Tiawana Giles, George W. Carver Elementary School (Richmond) To build capacity in science through the purchase of Science Foss Kits for all 4th and 5th grade teachers and science lab coats for teachers, as well as implement parent engagement nights focused on Science.
Richmond, VA: The Community Foundation is pleased to announce the following individuals as the 2015 recipients of the Stettinius Awards for Nonprofit Leadership – Ryan Ripperton, Avi Hopkins and Mary Dunne Stewart. Now in its 11th year, the awards program seeks to recognize outstanding professionals who provide effective organizational leadership within the charitable sector. After reviewing nominations of many exceptional candidates, the selection committee chose these three individuals to receive $10,000 grants each to pursue professional development activities of their own design.
Since 1992, U-Turn Sports has successfully connected youth from Richmond, VA’s inner-city and suburban neighborhoods for high-performance athletic development, team competition, fellowship events and bible-based guidance. During his 9 years as Executive Director, Avi was an integral part of this mission, growing the organization to benefit over 2,000 Richmond area youth and expanding its physical space into a 150,000 sq. ft. facility. If Avi takes on his next challenge within Richmond’s nonprofit sector, he will have the opportunity to use his Stettinius Award to participate in the Nonprofit Capacity Conference and attend Stanford University’s Nonprofit Management Institute.
Ryan has served in the nonprofit sector for over 17 years. In his current role as Executive Director of SPARC, he and his team embody their mission of inspiring young people in the Richmond community to reach their full potential through quality training in the performing arts. Over the past 5 years, Ryan has pioneered the implementation LIVE ART, a program that provides arts training and a performance opportunity for children, many with development challenges who don’t otherwise have an opportunity to perform. Ryan will use his award to attend the national conference of Independent Sector in Washington D.C. this year. Additionally, he will attend a SCORRE Conference in Beaver Creek, Colorado and the National Guild for Community Arts Education Conference (NGCAE) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Under Mary’s leadership, Greater Richmond Fit4Kids serves the community as a best practice program focused in childhood obesity prevention. Under her leadership, Fit4Kids has grown from a startup with a plan, to an effective non-profit that serves 4,000 children per year. With her award, Mary plans to participate in the Leadership Quest offered through Leadership Metro Richmond. In 2016, she will attend the Executive Program for Nonprofit Leadership (EPNL) at Stanford University, which includes lectures, discussions and exercises led by Stanford MBA faculty. Mary believes these opportunities will transform her leadership skills and positively impact the productivity for Fit4Kids.
The Stettinius Fund for Nonprofit Leadership was established by Cadmus Communications Corporation to honor Wallace Stettinius’ retirement from the Cadmus Board of Directors. An active board volunteer throughout his business career, Stettinius expanded his scope of volunteer work in his “first” retirement to become a trusted advisor, teacher and mentor to many area nonprofits. Stettinius is a former chairman of The Community Foundation, serving on its board from 1986 - 1995. Since inception, the awards program has supported professional development for 33 rising leaders in the field. The deadline for 2016 nominations will be announced in January.
Learn more about how to apply for the Stettinius Award for Nonprofit Leadership.
RICHMOND, Va. – Richmond Memorial Health Foundation (RMHF) is launching an Equity and Health Fellowship program to bring regional knowledge and diverse perspectives to its work on social,economic, and structural conditions that influence health outcomes.
The Fellowship program is part of RMHF’s new strategic focus on equity and health that will be formally announced in December. Fellows will serve as strategic advisors to the Foundation, informing its equity and health agenda.
Eighteen fellows will be selected for the 2017 program. Fellows will be senior leaders representing local government and nonprofit organizations actively working to foster equity and health in the City of Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico and Powhatan. The Fellowship program will run from January through October 2017. Grants of $12,000 per organization will support the release time of the senior leader selected as a Fellow.
“Reducing health disparities cannot be done by any one organization or sector alone. RMHF seeks partners to help us approach our work with an equity lens and to consider how we might apply tools beyond traditional grantmaking. By finding creative ways to focus our efforts and connect with other organizations that align with our mission, RMHF can better support and accelerate efforts to foster an equitable and healthy Richmond region,” said RMHF Board Chair Michele A.W. McKinnon.
Mark D. Constantine, RMHF President & CEO, added, “We seek applicants who are deeply committed to reducing health disparities and increasing equity in the work of their organizations and have the energy and interest to help RMHF create and implement a broad strategy for achieving its mission.”
Goals of the Fellowship program include informing an equity and health framework to guide RMHF and building a new network of advocates committed to fostering an equitable and healthy Richmond Region.
RMHF will host an in-person session for interested applicants on Friday, October 21st from 10:00-11:30 AM at the Foundation’s offices. During the session, Mark Constantine will provide background on the Fellowship program, discuss the emerging curriculum and expectations for Fellows, and answer questions. RMHF will post all questions and responses online at www.equityandhealth.org.
The Community Foundation for a greater Richmond is pleased to announce a significant commitment to increasing affordable housing in the region with two new grant awards of $1 million each to Better Housing Coalition and Maggie Walker Community Land Trust (MWCLT). Funding will support construction of over 600 new affordable apartment and housing units in the region, as well as financial coaching and wrap-around support for residents.
The Community Foundation is highly focused on investing in long term solutions that close racial wealth gaps and provide opportunities for residents to achieve upward economic mobility. Its emphasis on housing is based on the belief that quality, affordable housing affects nearly every aspect of a person’s life and that it is fundamental to a thriving and economically competitive region. With this newest commitment, the Foundation and its donors have invested over $10 million to local housing efforts since 2018.
“While the Community Foundation has invested in housing for years, the Richmond Regional Housing Framework allowed us to align to something bigger and more consequential for our region – a collaborative action plan that calls on all residents, local government, business and philanthropy to unite around solutions that will make Richmond stronger with a variety of housing options for all,” said Sherrie Armstrong, CEO of the Community Foundation. “As a partner and catalyst in this work, we hope our grants can instill a sense of confidence and urgency for others to join us in investing their dollars as well.”
The grant to Better Housing Coalition is part of a $10 million campaign, which has also secured significant contributions from Altria and The Cabell Foundation. These gifts will leverage development of rental units and single-family homes for individuals who are at 40 to 60% of the average median income, as well as seniors, in Richmond, Chesterfield and Henrico.
“We’re fortunate that elected officials, leaders of our local business, and philanthropic organizations are recognizing that affordable housing can help address social and racial equity disparities in our region in a significant way. By allocating the majority of this generous grant to capital for affordable housing, the Community Foundation will accelerate our ability to produce 1,000 additional units over the next three years,” said Greta Harris, President & CEO of Better Housing Coalition.
Established in 2016, Maggie Walker Community Land Trust is already considered among the top 10% of community land trusts in the country, having constructed 50 owner-occupied homes as of January 2021 and projecting 50 more in the next two years. Following a $1 million grant in 2018, this is the second large commitment from the Community Foundation to support the continued acquisition and subsidy of new properties that create permanently affordable home ownership opportunities for people of low- to moderate-income and who typically work in essential jobs like teachers or first responders.
“One of the most hopeful developments in recent years is far greater alignment of the public, private, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors—all leveraging their assets to meet the housing needs of our neighbors. The recent Community Foundation grant of $1M to the Maggie Walker Community Land Trust is an excellent example,” said Laura Lafayette, Immediate Past Chair of MWCLT. “The City of Richmond provided 15 tax delinquent parcels to MWCLT, and the Community Foundation’s grant will support the development of 38 new, permanently affordable homes. MWCLT will seek to recruit buyers of color for these units, as home ownership is a key element in any effort to close the racial wealth gap. The Community Foundation’s leadership on this front and its strategic generosity will change lives for generations to come.”
Through its model, homes are sold to eligible buyers while the trust retains ownership of the land, which creates a permanent subsidy and ensures that the homes will remain permanently affordable. MWCLT estimates that by 2060, 228 households will have been stably housed in these homes, securing the benefit of building wealth through ongoing home equity.
This week, the R.E.B. Foundation and the Community Foundation announce the recipients of the 2018 R.E.B. Awards for Distinguished Educational Leadership. The following four individuals were identified through a nomination process and were selected as winners because of their ability to reach beyond the day-to-day demands of their position to create an exceptional learning environment for their students, teachers and surrounding community. In recognition of their accomplishments as outstanding educational leaders, they will receive cash grants of $15,000 each – half for unrestricted purposes and half for school-based initiatives of their choice.
Edward Maynes, Elizabeth Davis Middle School (Chesterfield) Edward Maynes did not start out as an educator, but quickly found it to be his passion. As principal of Elizabeth Davis Middle School, Mr. Maynes believes strong relationships lead to student success, involving parents and the community to enhance learning experience. Mr. Maynes also boosts teacher morale by making himself accessible, listening to their needs and encouraging them to take risks. He assisted staff to apply for and receive a significant grant to create a MakerSpace, which allows students to benefit from cutting edge technology. With his R.E.B. Award, Mr. Maynes will make the MakerSpace available to the surrounding community and enhance it with updated technology.
Cheri Beth Fisher, Cold Harbor Elementary School (Hanover) Cheri Beth Fisher is a product of Hanover County Public Schools and views Cold Harbor Elementary School as a community school. Dr. Fisher believes that literacy should not be defined in terms of reading only, but also through students articulating their thoughts, conversing, reasoning and writing. Dr. Fisher will use her R.E.B. Award to provide ongoing opportunities for students to access places and experiences to enhance their literacy through virtual and on-location experiences. She will purchase virtual reality technology for in-school use, as well as arrange field trips for students who otherwise may not have an opportunity to visit local destinations.
Nicole Henderson, Laburnum Elementary School (Henrico) Nicole Henderson was tasked with creating a culture change at one of the most challenged schools in Henrico County. She set high expectations for her students and staff and created an environment where they know they can learn. Mrs. Henderson encourages positive behavior and family engagement and it is not uncommon for her to knock on student doors. Community events and weekly update calls to parents are just some of the ways that she connects with families. To avoid the summer slide, Mrs. Henderson will use her R.E.B. Award to make books more accessible to her students and the surrounding community. She will also expand the Toddler Tuesday program to encourage early literacy for families with young children.
J. Austin Brown, Richmond Community High School (Richmond) Richmond Community High School is a specialty school focused on college prep; however, this school does not seek the highest achievers. J. Austin Brown is looking for students with ‘grit’, ones who will persevere in the face of a challenge. Mr. Brown fosters a family-like environment and encourages students to take the lead. With his R.E.B. Award, Mr. Brown will renovate the school’s greenhouse in partnership with Embrace Richmond and Groundwork RVA. The completed greenhouse will serve as an additional classroom where students will grow native plants and study environmental issues faced by Richmond City.
The R.E.B. Awards for Distinguished Educational Leadership involves an intensive selection process, in which representatives of the school community and the public at-large submit nominations. The nominations are narrowed down by a committee in each school district, and from a pool of eight finalists, winners are selected by a committee that consists of the four school district superintendents, representatives of each of the two foundations and one community member.
The R.E.B. Foundation, in partnership with The Community Foundation, launched the R.E.B. Awards for Distinguished Educational Leadership in September 2004 as a complement to the R.E.B. Awards for Teaching Excellence, which has celebrated outstanding public school teachers for 30 years.
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