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2023 Community Impact Grants

Made possible by donor established funds, the Community Foundation's Community Impact grants are awarded through a competitive process and support local nonprofits whose strategies and outcomes align with the Foundation’s four focus areas: community vibrancyeconomic prosperityeducational success, and health and wellness. Within these areas, the Community Foundation has adopted funding priorities in education, housing, and workforce development initiatives that will increase access and opportunity for low-income residents in Richmond. 

Grants Awarded Total: $6,059,000

June 2023

Community Vibrancy

Community Vibrancy

Grants awarded in this category aim to ensure that community members enjoy good quality of life, with access to and an appreciation for the arts, cultural opportunities, and natural assets.

Arts & Culture

Afrikana Film Festival - $20,000
To provide general operating support for the only active Black-owned festival with a focus on BIPOC stories.

ART 180 - $50,000

To support quality arts programming for Richmond students.

 

Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia - $50,000 

To support the promotion of the many contributions of African-Americans to Virginia’s history through exhibitions, events, and educational resources.

 Cadence Theatre Company - $20,000
To support the STAGE WRITE program, connecting creative writing coursework with post-secondary readiness for RPS students.

CultureWorks - $50,000 

To provide general operating support.


Library of Virginia Foundation - $25,000
To support the Indigenous Perspectives exhibition, preserving the stories and artifacts of Virginia's native peoples with 11 indigenous tribes.

 Oakwood Arts - $40,000
To train youth and young adults in creative industries and connecting them with opportunities for gainful employment in those fields.

Richmond Ballet - $25,000
To support the Minds In Motion program, exposing Title I RPS students to the art of dance while connecting lessons to VA SOLs.

Richmond Symphony - $20,000 

The Richmond Symphony provides youth with opportunities to engage in the arts through orchestra programs.

 

Robinson Theater Community Arts Center - $40,000 

To support after-school classes and summer camps, as well as transportation, for children and families living in public housing developments.

 

SPARC - $50,000 

To provide general operating support.  

The Valentine - $45,000 

To support Richmond-specific education programming and resources for students throughout the region.


Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Foundation - $25,000
To support education and community programming for 2023-34 VMFA exhibitions, designed to connect art to culturally specific Richmond neighborhoods.

Virginia Repertory Theatre - $25,000 

To support Theatre Education Programming with an emphasis on Title I Schools in the metro Richmond area.

 

Visual Arts Center of Richmond - $25,000
To support Youth Partnership Programs serving K-12 youth in the region’s public schools.

Community Inclusion 

Leadership Metro Richmond - $20,000 

LMR's Board Leaders Engagement and Enrichment programs that connect residents to nonprofits for board service and prepares them to serve/lead effectively.

Richmond Community ToolBank - $25,000
the RVA ToolBOX Program, providing skills and tools needed for home repair for Richmond region homeowners with an emphasis on households 80-200% AMI.

Sports Backers - $30,000
Bike Walk RVA as they advocate for networks of safe, connected pedestrian/bicycle infrastructure as a mode of transportation and recreation.

Storefront for Community Design- $25,000
SFCD's Design Session program, providing Richmond residents (local businesses, nonprofit organizations, and neighborhood associations) design and planning assistance at an intimate, approachable and affordable level.

The Hive - $25,000
General operations to continue their economic mobility work with young people previously impacted by the justice system in the City of Richmond. 

Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities - $40,000
VCIC's general operations as they address prejudices to improve academic achievement, increase workplace productivity, and enhance local trust.

 

Natural Resources

Beyond Boundaries - $20,000
Outdoor, nature-based adventures for people with disabilities and youth from historically marginalized communities throughout the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Blue Sky Fund - $30,000
BSF's Explorers program, providing RPS Title I elementary students with hands-on, nature-based education connecting to Science SOLs.

James River Association - $25,000
G
eneral operations as the only organization solely dedicated to protecting the entire James River watershed having subsequent hands-on environmental education for Richmond youth.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Inc. - $25,000
Lewis Ginter's Workforce Development program, providing workplace learning experiences for Richmond region students from diverse backgrounds, that prepare them for careers in horticulture, botany, and library services.

Maymont Foundation - $20,000
Nature-based programming enhances learning for students at under-resourced schools.

OpenSpace Education - $20,000
OpenSpace's nature-based art programming for RPS students in grades K-8.

The Happily Natural Day - $25,000
Brook Road Youth Farm, training community youth in urban farming and an online training platform for Richmond residents to learn urban farming to further mitigate food insecurity.

Economic Prosperity

Economic Prosperity

Grants awarded in this category aim to ensure that the region’s resources are sustainable, and its residents are economically stable and secure.

Affordable Housing

ACTS--Area Congregations Together in Service - $70,000
To provide general operating support to assist with eviction diversion programs. 

Better Housing Coalition - $50,000
To provide affordable housing enriched with free and voluntary wraparound services.

Central Virginia Legal Aid Society, Inc - $25,000
To support free legal representation for respondents in eviction or foreclosure cases in Richmond City.

Commonwealth Catholic Charities - $50,000
To expand housing development for residents below 60% AMI in Richmond City and Henrico.

Enterprise Community Development - $25,000
To provide supportive services for low-income seniors at three affordable housing complexes in Richmond.

Equal Justice Works - $25,000
To support local legal fellows who provide direct representation, advocacy, and education meant to keep low-income residents stably housed.

GoochlandCares - $30,000
Critical home repairs restore existing homes to safety for homeowners in the Goochland area who do not have the resources for repairs or relocation.

Habitat for Humanity Powhatan - $40,000
Critical home repairs restore existing homes to safety for homeowners in Powhatan who do not have the resources for repairs or relocation.

Hanover and King William Habitat for Humanity - $30,000
To provide critical home repairs for low income households in Hanover County.
 

Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, Inc. - $75,000
To provide general operating support.

Legal Aid Justice Center - $25,000
To support Economic Justice legal direct services in Richmond, including community engagement, education, and representation in eviction cases.

Maggie Walker Community Land Trust - $50,000
To provide operational support and assist with reaching a goal of 90% BIPOC home buyers in 2023, and a majority overall.

Partnership for Housing Affordability - $114,000
This is the first year of a 5- year grant to increase staffing to include policy and communiucations professionals.

project:HOMES - $100,000
To provide general operating support for this regional affordable housing developer and innovation center serving Richmond and the Tri-Cities.

Rebuilding Together of Richmond - $50,000
To support critical home repairs for low income households in metropolitan Richmond and the Tri-Cities.

Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity - $55,000
To provide general operating support for the subsidized home ownership and critical home repair programs.

Southside Community Development and Housing - $35,000
To support affordable housing development and support services in Richmond's Southside.

The Community Builders - $25,000
To provide supportive services for seniors and family households at Armstrong Renaissance, the mixed income development adjacent to Creighton Court.

Urban Hope - $50,000
To provide general operating support for continued services for residents of the East End earning >60% AMI.

Virginia Community Capital - $25,000
To provide technical asssitance for borrowers participating in the Affordable Housing Loan Fund and Pre-Construction Line of Credit programs in the Richmond market.

Virginia Community Development Fund - $2,5000
To provide technical assistance for borrowers who use VCDC capital for affordable housing development in Richmond and the Tri-Cities.

Virginia Housing Alliance - $40,000
To provide operating support for affordable housing and homelessness services advocacy in the Richmond region and across the state.

Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy - $25,000
To identify and unlock underused church-owned property for affordable housing development across the Commonwealth, including Richmond/Tri-Cities.

Virginia Supportive Housing - $75,000
To provide operating support for permanent supportive housing developments in Richmond and Henrico.

 

Homelessness Prevention

CARITAS - $50,000
To provide operating support for CARITAS' homeless services and addiction recovery services.

HomeAgain - $50,000
To provide genreal operational support.

Homeward - $50,000
To provide general operating support.

Housing Families First - $50,000
To provide general operating support.

St. Joseph's Villa - $50,000
To provide general operational support.

The Salvation Army - $35,000
To increase Richmond City shelter beds at a renovated facility.

Liberation Veterans Services - $25,000
To provide opearting support for this social services hub on the Midlothian Turnpike corridor.

Neighborhood Resource Center- $50,000
To provide neighborhood-based resident support in Fulton/Eastern Henrico.

ReEstablish Richmond - $25,000
To provide critical support services for refugees and other new international residents in Richmond and Tri-Cities.

Sacred Heart Center - $60,000
To support services for the Lation/a and Spanish-speaking community.

Virginia Community Voice - $75,000
To provide operating support for continued community engagement and organizing with Black and Hispanic residents from ten neighborhoods in Southside.
 

 

Workforce Development

Brightpoint Community College Foundation - $75,000
To expand the healthcare professions program as a path to placing more people into high-paying, in demand healthcare jobs.

Cristo Rey Richmond - $25,000
To support the workforce development experience of students.

Greater Richmond Chamber Foundation - $20,000
To support opportunities for students at HBCUs and other BIPOC populations to enter Richmond's workforce through paid internships with local companies.

Greater Richmond Partnership - $20,000
To support programs that make greater Richmond a destination for companies that prioritize ESG, especially those led or serving BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+ communities.

Groundwork RVA - $55,000
To support workforce development opportunities for BIPOC youth in the Richmond region.

Help Me Help You - $30,000
To support a regional re-entry program for returning/justice-involved citizens.

HumanKind - $35,000
To support the Richmond City Economic Resource Center.

J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College Educational Foundation - $75,000
To support low-barrier training to high-demand jobs in Richmond, Henrico, Hanover, and Goochland.

Mechanics of FAITH- $35,000
To provide transportation for job seekers and other Richmonders with low household incomes.

REAL LIFE - $30,000
To provide workforce development support for returning citizens and other justice-involved individuals in the Richmond region.

ReWork Richmond - $30,000
To provide high intensity workforce development in Richmond’s East End..

RVA Rapid Transit- $30,000
To provide program supoprt for the region's only formal public transportation advocacy organization.

Startup Virginia - $25,000
To provide operating support for region-wide entrepreneurial development.

The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis - $50,000
To support statewide advocacy services that advance social and racially just economic policies.

The Next Move Program - $20,000
To support a workforce development program for young adults with intellectual disabilities.

The READ Center - $25,000
To support adult literacy services.

Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation - $25,000
To support bilingual workforce development services.

WorkforceCoalitionRVA (Network2Work) - $80,000
To support the region’s employer/employee hub that includes wraparound support services.

 

Educational Success

Educational Success

Grants awarded in this category aim to ensure that young people achieve in school, engage in their community and are prepared for the workforce.  

Early Childhood Education

Chesterfield Education Foundation - $50,000
To provide free before-and-after school care to families support the formation of a PTA to increase family engagement.

Family Lifeline - $100,000
To support regional home visitation services.

FRIENDS Association for Children - $50,000
To support affordable childcare and education for children ages 0-12. 

Smart Beginnings Southeast - $50,000
To support Child Development Associate certification for early child education staff in Petersburg, as well as parent/family education and engagement programs.

St. James's Children's Center - $50,000
To support early childhood education for children in low-to-moderate income families, including children with suspected developmental delays.

Thrive Birth to Five - $125,000
To support systems and advocacy work to strengthen and expand the regional childcare provider network and to create a coordinated enrollment system.

United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg - $25,000
To support WomenRise, a program that assists single moms with children in daycare while they are finishing a degree or career training program.
 

Virginia Early Childhood Foundation - $100,000
To support continued implementation of Ready Region across the state through increased participation and quality of publicly funded early childhood programs and to launch the Virginia Business Roundtable on Early Education.

Virginia Literacy Foundation - $50,000
To support programming in three RPS schools with a goal to student performance on PALS-K and PALS-1 evaluations.

Voices for Virginia's Children - $75,000
To continue statewide advocacy and policy work in support of youth mental health services, family economic mobility, and the VA Youth in Action cohort.

VPM - $20,000
To support early childhood education initiatives geared towards asset-limited communities, as well as KIDS Edcamps for families and educators.

YMCA of Greater Richmond - $100,000
To support full day, full year preschool, as well as afterschool care, for children ages 3-5 at several locations in Petersburg.

YWCA Richmond - $100,000
To support early childhood education at Sprout School locations in the area.

 

 

K-12 Academic Success 

Communities In Schools of Chesterfield - $75,000
To support in-school interventions at 13 schools.

Communities In Schools of Petersburg - $50,000
To support in-school interventions and supports for 8 schools.

Communities In Schools of Richmond - $120,000
To support in-school interventions and wrap-around services for RPS and select Henrico schools.

Goochland Education Foundation - $10,000
To provide STEM programming in schools.

Hanover Education Foundation - $10,000
To support teachers with classroom innovation grants.

Henrico Education Foundation - $50,000
Henrico Education Foundation supports teacher recruitment and retention through sustained, high-quality training and support.

Henrico Education Foundation - $25,000
To support 21st CCLC "Oak Avenue Complex," teacher retention and recruitment, early childhood education, and out of school time programming in Henrico public schools. 

Richmond Public Schools Education Foundation - $30,000
To support RPS teacher recruitment and retention, K-3rd grade literacy, and increased performance on 3rd grade SOL's.

Science Museum of Virginia - $25,000
To support field trips for students ages 5-18 at Title I schools throughout the Richmond region.

The Literacy Lab - $25,000
To recuit and train AmeriCorps Reading Corps tutors for grades K-3 in Richmond and Henrico public schools and to recruit tutors to become educators.

Virginia Commonwealth University Foundation - $25,000
To support the Richmond Teacher Residency and School Leader Residency mentoring programs.

Virginia Learns - $25,000
Local and state advocacy amplifies the voices of those most impacted by education policy decisions.

NextUp RVA- $125,000
To support out of school time systems in Richmond.

 

Out-of-School Time

Autism Society Central Virginia - $25,000
To provide inclusive programming for children/youth with developmental disabilities.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond - $40,000
To support programs in Northside, Southside, East End, and Petersburg with a heavy focus on workforce development for youth ages 10-23.

Children's Museum of Richmond - $20,000
To support programs and Special Nights for individuals with disabilities and their families/caregivers.

CodeVA - $25,000
To provide STEAM programming in RRHA housing communities.

Girls For A Change - $25,000
To support programming for Black girls middle to high school aged with a heavy focus on technology, career readiness, social-emotional, and leadership.

Higher Achievement - $35,000
To provide out of school time academic tutoring at three Title 1 RPS middle schools.

Mentor Virginia - $20,000
To support OST system mentors and mentoring programs across the region. 

Peter Paul - $50,000
To support tutoring, mentoring, and family engagement in the East End.

Podium RVA - $25,000
To support literacy focused OST programming in Richmond, Henrico and expanding to Tri-cities.

SOAR365 - $35,000
To support individuals with disabilities from ages 13-22

College and Career Readiness

Children's Home Society of Virginia - $25,000
To support policy and advocacy work to reduce the number of children aging out of foster care, increase funding in state budget, and provide advocacy training to youth and families in the foster care system.

Church Hill Activities & Tutoring - $25,000
To support the Workforce Development Program for high school students and young adults in the East End.

GRASP (Great Aspirations Scholarship Program, Inc.) - $25,000
To support the financial aid advising program in 9 Richmond Public high schools.

Partnership for the Future - $60,000
To continue post-secondary/workforce preparation for students from low-wealth backgrounds and/or first-generation college students.

St. Joseph's Villa - $25,000
To provide career and transition services for individuals ages 14-22 currently enrolled in the Villa’s education programs.

Urban League of Richmond - $50,000
To support a tutoring program for Petersburg youth in collaboration with Virginia State University.

Health & Wellness

Health & Wellness 

Grants awarded in this category aim to ensure that community members are healthy and safe.

Basic Physical Health

Chesterfield County Food Bank - $30,000
To provide food stability for residents in the Chesterfield area.

Colonial Heights Food Pantry - $15,000
To support food access and distribution for Latino/Hispanic and homeless residents of Colonial Heights.

Feed More - $40,000
To support the Mobile Pantry Program in the Richmond region.

Greater Richmond Fit4Kids - $30,000
To support the health and wellness of children by advocating for physical activity and healthy eating.

Henrico Community Food Bank - $30,000
To support emergency food assistance for residents of Henrico County.

LeadingAge - $25,000
To support advocacy for policies and/or legislation that will ease the impact of reduced SNAP benefits for older adults.

RVA Community Development Corporation - $15,000
To improve access to affordable and nutritious foods for older adults in the East End and provide them education and resources that encourage healthy cooking.

Shalom Farms - $30,000
To increase access and distribution of fresh and nourishing food for disenfranchised communities in the Richmond Region.

South Richmond Adult Day Care Center - $15,000
To provide healthy meals and snacks for older adults in South Richmond.

The Society of St. Andrew - $15,000
To continue local food gleaning and distribution in the Richmond Region.

Waymakers Foundation - $30,000
To support food access and distribution to Immigrant Latino families.

 

Access to Primary Care

Birth in Color RVA Foundation - $30,000
To support doula training and certification in an effort to reduce infant and maternal mortality within the Black community.

Capital Center of Virginia/Urban Baby Beginnings - $30,000
To expand patient navigation, Doula support, and home visiting to reduce the maternal mortally rate among Black Women in the Richmond Region.

Casa de la Salud - $25,000
To support Community Health Workers who connect the Hispanic community to health and support services.
 

Conexus - $30,000
To support vision screenings for students at Title I schools in the Richmond Region.

He She Ze and We - $25,000
To empower families, allies, and the larger community to create life-saving, inclusive environments in which transgender and nonbinary people need to live and thrive.

Richmond City Health District - $100,000
Community Health Workers provide services for residents of the Creighton Court public housing community and Latino communities around the Southwood Apartments.

 

 

Targeted Interventions

Assisting Families of Inmates - $25,000
To support mental health and trauma services for children of incarcerated parents.

Central Virginia Health Services - $25,000
To support Peterburg's substance abuse disorder peer recovery program.

ChildSavers - $75,000
To support school-based trauma-informed care in the Richmond Region.

Greater Richmond SCAN - $75,000
To support the trauma-based network, made up of professionals who treat individuals who have experienced trauma in the Richmond Region.

James House - $30,000
T
o provide advocacy, support and education for adults and children in the Tri-Cities region impacted by interpersonal violence.

Latinos in Virginia Empowerment (LIVE) - $25,000
To provide culturally appropriate and linguistically specific mental health program for Latino victims of violence and injustice.

Senior Connections, CAAA - $15,000
The longevity project convenes and coordinates elders, community members, professionals, and organizations working toward longevity equity. 

Sportable - $20,000
To support accessible and inclusive sports opportunities for children with disabilities.

Sylvia's Sisters - $20,000
To support the distribution of free quality period products to low-income and impoverished menstruators.

Virginia Health Care Foundation - $30,000
To support advocacy efforts that will help increase and diversity of licensed behavior health professionals.

Virginia Home for Boys and Girls - $20,000
To support trauma-Informed care for young adults, ages 18-25, who identify as LGBTQ+.