A Blueprint For Community Leadership

at the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia

The Blueprint for Community Leadership is the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s design strategy for our community leadership role.

As Northern Virginia’s economy has expanded over the years, so too have the levels of income inequality and racial wealth disparities. The pandemic further exposed and exacerbated these inequities, while the murder of George Floyd in May of 2020 made the call to address them ever more urgent.

Community leadership is a labor-intensive process. It is an entire suite of activities that helps the region define, and then act upon, the biggest challenges we face and the greatest opportunities we have. Community leadership means listening to and learning from community, raising awareness, analyzing and reporting on data, educating, convening, discussing, inspiring, and ultimately creating lasting change.

It is a proven strategy to elevate a whole community narrative for better, more impactful philanthropic investments.

The Blueprint for Community Leadership is informed by a rich organizational history spanning more than 40 years of partnership with the most critical nonprofits in the region. It is advised by our existing and expanding relationships with diverse community leaders who possess a deep understanding of what works and what doesn’t work in their spheres of influence. And it is fed by four foundational pillars that support our vision of a community that works for everyone.

Pillars of Community Leadership

Nothing fuels our passion for community leadership like the Community Foundation’s vision statement:

“Building a Community that Works for Everyone.”

It is an inspirational statement because it evokes a deep sense of connectedness, belonging, and place. It is also an aspirational statement because our community does not work for everyone, not by any means.

The Community Foundation has therefore identified four foundational pillars to guide our community leadership endeavors.

Community Leadership in Action