Build Back – Dream Forward

A Post COVID-19 Growth Initiative of the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia

build back dream forward
In 2021, the Community Foundation launched Build Back – Dream Forward, an event and community investment initiative, to achieve economic mobility, promote racial justice and equity, and catalyze more inclusive systems of economic growth in Northern Virginia, particularly in local communities of color that were disproportionately impacted by the virus and its fallouts.

Over the course of two years, the Community Foundation convened three conferences and awarded more than $2.6 million in grants. Learn about the impact of this initiative on the greater community below.

Events

The Community Foundation hosted three separate conferences under the Build Back – Dream Forward banner in partnership with the business, government, and nonprofit sectors to elucidate these themes.

Renowned guest speakers and panelists shared their perspectives on paths towards a more equitable and inclusive region.

Supporting Minority-Owned Businesses in Northern Virginia
June 23, 2021


Business NOT as Usual: We Need More Capital, More Loans, More Equity for Black-Owned Businesses
December 3, 2020


Build Back – Dream Forward: A Virtual Town Hall
July 9, 2020


Community Investments

The Community Foundation awarded more than $2.6 million through the Build Back – Dream Forward: COVID-19 Response Fund for Northern Virginia initiative over the course of two years. Initial grants provided emergency support to address needs as they were arising throughout the region at the onset of the pandemic. Subsequent grants were awarded to support and stabilize small and minority-owned businesses throughout the region and to address racial justice and economic parity.

Learn about the impact of its grants to support community conversations through this video, and see the full list of grantees below.


Full Listing of Grantees

  • AAKOMA Project
  • ACCA Child Development Center
  • Action in Community Through Service (ACTS)
  • ACTS of Prince William County
  • ALIVE!
  • Arc of Loudoun
  • Arlington Free Clinic
  • Arlington Thrive
  • Asian American Chamber of Commerce
  • BEACON for Adult Literacy
  • Bethany House of Northern Virginia
  • BRAWS
  • Bridges to Independence
  • Capital Area Food Bank
  • Capital Caring
  • Capital Youth Empowerment Program
  • Carpenter’s Shelter
  • CASA
  • Catholic Charities
  • Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington
  • Centreville Immigration Forum
  • Charlottesville Area Community Foundation
  • Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties
  • Community Foundation for Rockbridge, Bath and Alleghany
  • Community Foundation of Northern Shenandoah Valley
  • Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge
  • Community Foundation of the Dan River Region
  • Community Foundation of the New River Valley
  • Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region
  • Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia
  • Cornerstones
  • CRi
  • Culmore Clinic
  • Doorways for Women and Families
  • Dulles South Food Pantry
  • Eastern Shore of Virginia Community Foundation
  • Edu-Futuro (Educacion Para Nuestro Futuro)
  • Ethiopian Community Development Council
  • FACETS
  • Fairfax Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
  • Fairfax Diapers
  • Food for Others
  • George Mason University Foundation
  • George Mason University, Mason Innovation Lab
  • Good Shepherd Housing
  • GPW Health Center
  • Hampton Roads Community Foundation
  • HealthWorks for Northern Virginia
  • Herndon – Reston FISH
  • Hispanics Against Child Abuse and Neglect (HACAN)
  • Homestretch
  • Hopkins House
  • House of Mercy
  • Infant Toddler Family Day Care
  • Inova Health Care Services
  • Inova Kellar Center
  • InsideNoVa
  • La Cocina VA
  • Leadership Arlington
  • Leadership Fairfax
  • Leadership Prince William
  • Legal Aid Justice Center
  • Legal Services of Northern Virginia
  • Lorton Community Action Center
  • Loudoun Citizens for Social Justice / LAWS
  • Loudoun Free Clinic
  • Loudoun Hunger Relief
  • LULAC Institute
  • Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area
  • Medical Care for Children Partnership
  • NAACP Fairfax
  • NAACP Loudoun
  • National Coalition of 100 Black Women Prince William County Chapter
  • National Korean American Service & Education Consortium
  • Neighborhood Health
  • New Hope Housing
  • Northern Piedmont Community Foundation
  • Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce
  • Northern Virginia Family Service
  • NOVA Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  • NOVA Scripts Central, Inc.
  • Nueva Vida, Inc.
  • OAR of Fairfax
  • Operation Homefront
  • Pathway Homes
  • Peninsula Community Foundation
  • Phoenix Houses of the Mid-Atlantic
  • PRS, Inc.
  • Recovery Program Solutions of Virginia
  • Rising Hope UMC
  • Rock Recovery
  • Rx Partnership
  • SafeSpot Children’s Advocacy Center of Fairfax County
  • SCAN of Northern Virginia
  • Second Story
  • Share
  • Shelter House
  • Shenandoah Community Foundation
  • Tenants and Workers United
  • The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County
  • The Community Foundation Serving Richmond & Central Virginia
  • The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation
  • The House, Inc.
  • The House, Inc.
  • The Women’s Center
  • Trillium Center
  • United Community Ministries
  • United Methodist Family Services
  • Ureeka
  • Ventures in Communities / Rising Hope
  • VHC Pediatrics (Arlington Pediatric Center)
  • Virginia Asian American Chamber of Commerce
  • Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights
  • Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  • Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE)
  • Volunteer Alexandria
  • Volunteer Fairfax
  • Volunteer Prince William
  • Volunteers of America Chesapeake
  • Western Fairfax Christian Ministries
  • YMCA of Metro Washington
  • Youth for Tomorrow


Impact

Read stories of impact and learn more about the grantees through each of the different rounds of funding awarded through the Build Back – Dream Forward: COVID-19 Response Fund for Northern Virginia.
Learn More