Impact Stories

Local journalism plays a very critical role in our communities. It helps to shape our communities’ stories, which impacts our economy, education, health, homes, jobs transportation, and more by providing relevant content that connects us to each other as we address issues affecting the community.  

In an effort to support local journalism the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia is excited to announce it has made a $12,500 grant through its Build Back – Dream Forward initiative to InsideNoVA to hire a reporter solely dedicated to writing stories that elevate voices within our community that are often underrepresented.

Update: In Early 2022, InsideNoVA was awarded a second grant, which will also go towards staffing a reporter dedicated to writing stories that uplift underrepresented persons in Northern Virginia. A third and final grant will be given next year.

People of color have been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic but remain hesitant when it comes to taking the COVID-19 vaccine. A recent report by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds African Americans and Latinos in the U.S. are less likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine than any other racial or ethnic group.

Efforts are underway to educate both communities across the nation and locally about vaccine safety. Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS), a Community Foundation for Northern Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund grantee will host a series of town hall meetings beginning Wednesday, May 12, 2021, at 6:30 p.m. for organizations, local businesses, clients, and citizens in an effort to clear up misinformation about the vaccine and address vaccination hesitancy among communities of color.

"Together, I believe we can set a new foundation for a robust
economy now and for our next generation of business leaders
in Northern Virginia"...Sheila Dixon, Executive Director, Northern
Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce

The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t just put stress on minority-owned businesses in the Northern Virginia region, but also on the chambers of commerce that serve them. The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia today announced it has awarded grants totaling $43,000 to five area Chambers of Commerce: Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce, Asian American Chamber of Commerce, Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, NOVA Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce.

Food insecurity has been a problem in America long before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. But it’s clear the virus has exacerbated the problem, with images of long lines at food distribution sites shining a light on the harsh reality.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, food pantries across Northern Virginia quickly shifted into high gear, after experiencing a surge of residents in need of food assistance. In Fairfax County, Virginia, one of the Nation’s wealthiest regions, more than 70,000 people live in poverty, according to government figures.

As the coronavirus crisis unfolded across our region, food banks had to expand their services to address not only the increase in the demand for food aid, but also healthcare, housing assistance, and other services.

Today, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia announced it has awarded $100,000 in grants to four organizations in a new round of funding through its Build Back – Dream ForwardCOVID-19 Response initiative. The grant recipients include ALIVE!, Arlington Free Clinic, Capital Area Food Bank, and The House, Inc. Each organization received a grant of $25,000 that will be used to support creative and innovative solutions for food access and distribution to residents in Northern Virginia.

In Northern Virginia, like much of the nation, Black-owned businesses are being negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. One report found 41% of Black-owned businesses have been forced to close due to COVID-19 compared to just 17% of white-owned businesses. All of this while Black-owned businesses face long-term, racial disparities that severely restrict business ownership, growth, and access to investment capital.