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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.

2021 COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANTS SUMMARY

Grants Awarded Total: $3,552,237

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

American Civil War Museum - $20,000 

To support development of the “After Slavery: Convict Leasing and the Reinvention of White Supremacy” exhibition.  

 

ART 180 - $30,000 

To support innovative arts-based programs that give voice to young people in our community. 

 

Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia - $30,000 

To support virtual, technology-driven programming that enhances and supports exhibitions and serves as educational resources for children. 

 

CultureWorks - $30,000 

To foster equitable access to arts and culture and facilitate artistic collaborations throughout the region. 

 

Oakwood Arts - $10,000 

To support free training and workforce development for under-represented Richmond youth to enter the film, television production and creative industries. 

 

Richmond Ballet - $15,000 

To expand and enhance after-school initiatives so that more 3rd-12th graders can benefit from dance training. 

 

Richmond Performing Arts Alliance - $20,000 

To support community arts education projects so families can participate in community art projects without barriers. 

 

Richmond Symphony - $20,000 

To support artistic and staff salaries for the Richmond Symphony School of Music, including a new part-time position to enhance SOL alignment of digital offerings. 

 

Robinson Theater Community Arts Center - $10,000 

To support after-school and summer camp programs for all East End youth, regardless of their access to transportation. 

 

Science Museum of Virginia Foundation - $20,000 

To support development of the Stormwater Management Demonstration Bed and green workforce training opportunities in partnership with Groundwork RVA. 

 

SPARC - $25,000 

To support community performing arts education programs for youth. 

 

The Valentine - $30,000 

To support the creation and delivery of innovative and dynamic distance educational programming for Pre-K to12th graders in the COVID-19 learning environment. 

 

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Foundation $20,000 

To support a gallery installation dedicated to exploring identity and representation through an examination of monuments and memorials. 

 

Virginia Repertory Theatre - $20,000 

To support a summer camp program serving rising 4th, 5th and 6th graders from Title I schools in  Richmond, Henrico and Chesterfield. 

 

Visual Arts Center of Richmond - $15,000 

To support Youth Partnership Programs, delivering art education and mentoring to 2,000 local youth.

 

Community Inclusion

Chamber RVA - $50,000

To reduce the economic disparity in communities of color by increasing access, participation, and opportunity within the business community.

 

Diversity Richmond - $20,000 

To support the ongoing merger of Diversity Richmond and Virginia Pride. 

 

Leadership Metro Richmond - $15,000 

To promote nonprofit board service, connect diverse residents to nonprofit board opportunities, and support organizations' recruitment activities for diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

 

Metropolitan Richmond Sports Backers - $25,000 

To support the Bike Walk RVA advocacy program for a healthier, more vibrant region through networks of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. 

 

Storefront for Community Design - $20,000 

To support the design and implementation of a Participatory Budgeting engagement process that makes public budgets more equitable and effective. 

 

Urban League of Richmond - $100,000 

To support partnerships with civil rights and social justice organizations championing advocacy and education efforts that address  criminal justice reform, housing, employment, and health 

 

Us Giving Richmond Connections - $5,000 

To support the planning and implementation of a leadership development cohort to increase the leadership capacity of Black LGBTQIA+ persons.   

 

Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities - $25,000 

To support workshops, retreats, and forums to help shape the Richmond region into a community based on inclusion and equity. 

 

Virginia Community Voice $25,000 

To provide salary support.

 

Natural Resources

Blue Sky Fund - $20,000 

To support nature-based science education for elementary school students from Richmond’s underserved neighborhoods.  

 

James River Association - $15,000 

To support programs and projects that are protecting the James River and boosting community engagement with our waterways. 

 

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Inc. - $15,000 

To support RESTORE exhibit and accessibility to the botanical garden. 

 

Maymont Foundation - $20,000 

To support virtual and in-person youth education efforts to help learners experience Maymont’s 100-acres of resources. 

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 - $40,000 

To support the distribution of eviction prevention funds to meet  the needs of residents in financial crisis. 

 

Better Housing Coalition - $150,000

To support general operating costs. 

 

Central Virginia Legal Aid Society - $25,000 

To support salary costs for a housing attorney offering free representation to clients facing homelessness from an office in the John Marshall Courthouse. 

 

GoochlandCares Inc - $25,000 

To support the restoration of homes for low-income Goochland residents. 

 

HousingForward Virginia - $25,000 

To support targeted research, resources and training that will help dismantle racial disparities in the housing sector. 

 

Habitat for Humanity Powhatan - $20,000 

To support salary costs for a project manager to oversee critical repairs, accessibility modifications and auxiliary dwelling unit construction. 

 

Hanover Habitat for Humanity - $25,000 

To support salary costs for a full-time construction manager to lead a critical repairs program. 

 

Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, Inc. - $75,000 

To support HOME’s efforts to answer three questions around housing equality in the Richmond Region: Where are we now? Where do we want to be? How will we get there? 

 

The Maggie Walker Community Land Trust - $50,000 

To support a community engagement specialist position to focus on increasing the participation of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) in the community land trust homeownership program. 

 

Partnership for Housing Affordability - $50,000 

To support programs increasing Black homeownership in the region, including the implementation of the Richmond Regional Housing Framework and the region’s Housing Resource Line. 

 

project:HOMES - $50,000 

To support the Immediate Response Program which quickly addresses emergency and hazardous living conditions of low-income families in Greater Richmond. 

 

Rebuilding Together of Richmond - $25,000 

To support the RT RVA Critical Home Repair Program for low-income families. 

 

Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity - $55,000 

To support the construction of three homes in the Church Hill neighborhood, which will be sold to families who qualify for RMHFH’s Affordable Homeownership Program. 

 

Urban Hope, Inc. - $25,000 

To help low-income families gain financial health, secure truly affordable housing, and increase their stability. 

 

Virginia Housing Alliance - $25,000 

To support general operating expenses. 

 

Virginia Supportive Housing - $50,000 

To support formerly homeless individuals with affordable housing and supportive services.

 

Homelessness Reduction

CARITAS - $50,000 

To support operations and case management for the CARITAS emergency shelter to move clients into permanent housing as quickly as possible. 

 

HomeAgain - $30,000 

To support the continued operation of the essential shelter and support services, aimed at helping families and individuals secure and maintain a home again. 

 

Homeward - $55,000 

To support regional homelessness data and trend analysis and capacity building for the Greater Richmond homeless services provider network. 
 

Housing Families First $30,000 

To support general operations. 

 

St. Joseph's Villa - $45,000 

To support Flagler Housing and Homeless Services, which serve individuals residing in Greater Richmond and the Tri-Cities who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

 

Neighborhood Development

HumanKind - $35,000 

To support fair-interest vehicle loans and one-on-one employment, financial and benefits coaching for low- to moderate-income and credit-challenged individuals. 

 

Local Initiatives Support Corporation - $25,000 

To support comprehensive workforce development programming and the creation and preservation of affordable housing in Richmond and Petersburg. 

 

Neighborhood Resource Center - $35,000 

To support the NRC Works Out-of-School Time and Food Programs that serve at least 100 families in the Greater Fulton community. 

 

Re-Establish Richmond - $20,000 

To support transportation independence services for refugees and new immigrants. 

 

Sacred Heart Center - $50,000 

To support general operations.

 

Workforce Development

The Commonwealth Institute - $20,000

To support efforts to advance advocacy and systems change in Virginia with policy research and analysis focused on issues at the intersection of economic and racial justice. 

 

Groundwork RVA - $25,000 

To build Richmond’s green workforce by supporting workforce development programming for youth, with a focus on abating racial and climate inequities. 

 

IT4Causes - $20,000 

To support a program to help low- to moderate-income technology students build on-the-job experience, soft skills, and professional networks. 

 

The READ Center - $15,000 

To support adult literacy programs. 

 

REAL LIFE - $20,000 

To support workforce training and employment placement services for individuals impacted by incarceration, homelessness or substance use disorders. 

 

RE:work RICHMOND - $15,000 

To support general operations. 

 

RVA Rapid Transit $20,000 

To support salary costs for a full-time Director of Community Engagement. 

 

Startup Virginia - $20,000 

To support incubator services, facilitation of the Idea Factory and Entrepreneur Certificate Course, and sustainment of a new, local angel investor network. 

 

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 - $25,000 

To support high-quality preschool programming in Chester through the creation of the Early Childhood Academy. 

 

Commonwealth Autism - $30,000 

To support inclusive programming for early childhood education systems and children with special needs.  

 

Family Lifeline - $50,000 

To support the Early Childhood Home Visiting Initiative. 

 

FRIENDS Association for Children - $25,000 

To support local youth development and preschool programs to match the changing landscape of COVID-19 restrictions. 

 

Goochland Education Foundation - $8,237 

To support the purchase of materials and supplies for at-risk preschool children to develop the necessary reading and math skills for entering kindergarten. 

 

Henrico Education Foundation, Inc. - $25,000 

To support the expansion of early childhood education opportunities to more low-income students in Henrico County. 

 

Smart Beginnings Greater Richmond - $100,000 

To support development and implementation of the new Regional Plan and build capacity around grants and finance management. 

 

Smart Beginnings Southeast - $25,000 

To support Westview Early Learning Center in providing quality early childhood education in Petersburg. 

 

SOAR365 - $25,000 

To support high-quality occupational, physical, and speech-language therapies and caregiver support for babies and children with disabilities. 

 

Virginia Early Childhood Foundation - $100,000 

To support efforts to deliver on the promise of equitable early childhood opportunities for all families with young children. 

 

Virginia Literacy Foundation - $35,000 

To support a comprehensive equity-focused kindergarten readiness project. 

 

Voices for Virginia's Children - $25,000 

To support a child and family-focused policy agenda to prepare Richmond-area children for success in school and in life. 

 

YWCA of Richmond - $40,000 

To support early childhood and infant care programming at The Sprout School.

 

K-12 Academic Success

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond $40,000 

To support general operating expenses with an emphasis on academic success for 10–18-year-olds and additional support for young alumni during COVID-19. 

 

Communities In Schools of Chesterfield - $25,000 

To support general operations. 

 

Communities In Schools of Petersburg - $25,000 

To support continued implementation of CIS Integrated Student Support services in all Petersburg City Public Schools. 

 

Communities In Schools of Richmond - $75,000 

To support the delivery of the Integrated Student Support model in 40 high-poverty Richmond Public Schools and Henrico County Public Schools. 

 

HARPS Foundation - $20,000 

To support the hybrid music education and performance program and the instrument loan program. 

 

Higher Achievement - $35,000 

To provide year-round academic programming for Richmond scholars for four years, beginning in 5th grade. 

 

Legal Aid Justice Center - $50,000 

To support special education advocacy services, including a pilot program convening private attorneys and community advocates to support students with disabilities. 

 

NextUp RVA - $70,000 

To support equitable access to high-quality afterschool programs through NextUp’s virtual and in school system. 

 

Performing Statistics - $15,000 

To support the expansion of reentry support services for young people impacted by our city and state’s juvenile justice system. 

 

Peter Paul - $50,000 

To support the After School Academy and Summer Promise Academy. 

 

The Podium Foundation - $15,000 

To support operational costs to strengthen youth writing, communication, and leadership programs. 

 

Richmond Public Schools Education Foundation - $20,000 

To support Urban Trauma Certification training for educators and behavioral specialists to facilitate Mindfulness Based Restorative Practices training for boys of color in 4 pilot schools. 

 

Virginia Excels - $25,000 

To support the development and elevation of parent advocates to shape public education. 

 

YMCA of Greater Richmond - $60,000 

To support staff salaries, benefits, and supplies for out-of-school time programs.

 

College and Career Readiness

Children's Home Society of Virginia - $30,000 

To support advocacy work to create systemic improvements in services to children and youth in or aging out of foster care. 

 

Church Hill Activities & Tutoring (CHAT) - $15,000 

To support the vocational preparation of youth and young adults in the East End. 

 

GRASP (Great Aspirations Scholarship Program, Inc.) - $20,000 

To support advisors in Richmond Public High Schools to advise all students to continue education after high school. 

 

Partnership for the Future - $40,000 

To support programs assisting high-achieving high school students in matriculating to college, attaining their college degrees, and successfully transitioning into life beyond college. 

 

Pathways-VA, Inc. - $20,000 

To support young people in their search for prosocial lives, educational attainment, and employment with a livable wage. 

Health and Wellness

 Health & Wellness 

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

Basic Physical Health

Feed More - $20,000 

To support food distribution for local food pantries serving the Latino community. 

 

Greater Richmond Fit4Kids - $30,000 

To support advocacy and programming that promotes physical activity and healthy eating among youth. 

 

Shalom Farms - $35,000 

To support the health and self-sufficiency of communities in Richmond experiencing significant barriers to healthy food, educational resources, and support. 

 

The Society of St. Andrew - $10,000 

To assist with costs associated with SoSA's gleaning programs

 

Access to Primary Care

Conexus - $20,000 

To support the operating expenses associated with continued program delivery for the 2021–22 school year.  

 

Free Clinic of Powhatan $20,000 

To support operating costs associated with the new Dental Clinic. 

 

Richmond City Health District $100,000 

To support the Community Health Worker program. 

 

Targeted Interventions

Assisting Families of Inmates - $20,000 

To support school-based, small group support services designed for children with an incarcerated parent. 

 

Birth in Color RVA Foundation - $15,000 

To support general operations. 

 

ChildSavers - $50,000 

To support increased access to quality children's mental health and development services. 

 

Greater Richmond SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) Inc. - $35,000 

To support the Greater Richmond Trauma-Informed Community Network. 

 

The James House Intervention/Prevention Services, Inc. - $29,000 

To support the provision of trauma-informed services, safe shelter, and advocacy for children and adults impacted by sexual violence, domestic violence, stalking, and child abuse and neglect. 

 

Senior Connections, The Capital Area Agency on Aging - $15,000 

To support the Longevity Project’s systems-level changemaking, education, and advocacy to increase longevity equity and access to services. 

 

Side by Side - $30,000 

To assist LGBTQIA+ youth in Greater Richmond through trauma-informed supports and outreach. 

 

Sportable - $20,000 

To support adaptive sports program for youth with physical disabilities and visual impairments. 

 

Urban Baby Beginnings - $25,000 

To support programs increasing social support access for Medicaid and uninsured pregnant women, ages 15 to 44.