Impact Stories

Advancing Equity in Northern Virginia

Learn about our impact on the local community and beyond. Since its inception in 1978, the Community Foundation has awarded more than $90 million in cumulative grants and scholarships. Here’s how we are putting philanthropy to work.

If you would like to contribute to an impact story please contact Tara Nadel, Vice President of Marketing and Events.
September 27, 2021
Public Interest Technology is an emerging field that uses technological expertise in service of the common good, often with a focus on under-resourced communities. Today, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia hosted Public Interest Technology, the latest event in our Innovation Breakfast Series.

September 16, 2021
brian.vogel suitBrian Nicholas Vogel was born and raised in Trumbull, CT, attended St. Catherine of Siena and St. Joseph High School, and earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He graduated from Indiana University, and later from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. After graduating from Indiana University, Brian taught business English at the Nankai University MBA program in Tianjin, China. When he returned, he worked at Morgan Stanley in Baltimore, the Bessemer Trust in Washington, DC, and then at Dodge & Cox in San Francisco. Brian’s Dodge & Cox friends and colleagues became his California family.

Brian had a passion for life. He was always loyal and devoted to his family, his treasured friends and respected colleagues, and known for his very special and truly caring relationships with his clients. Brian is sadly missed by all, and he would want to be remembered with a smile.

September 14, 2021
Healthier kids through access to exercise and better nutrition are the goals of the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s Healthy Kids Grants program. For 2021, the Community Foundation has awarded $18,981.93 in Healthy Kids Grants to 10 public Elementary and Middle School programs in Northern Virginia. Grants up to $2,000 will be used to support programs that promote healthy lifestyles through increased exercise or healthy nutrition. The grants are for the 2021-2022 school year.

September 8, 2021
As we continue to face challenges in Northern Virginia created by the pandemic, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia is returning to a virtual format for this year’s annual fundraising event. On Friday, October 8, 2021, at 7 pm EST, the Community Foundation hosts its 2021 Raise the Region, a virtual event that will be live-streamed and will include an online auction and opportunities to engage and connect with our community from the comfort of your home. The theme this year is Building a Community that Works for Everyone, and the event will highlight a record level of giving from the Community Foundation throughout the region.

September 2, 2021
Afghan evacuees have arrived in communities across the country after leaving everything behind to begin a new life in America.  The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia today announced the launch of the Afghan Relief and Resettlement Fund for Northern Virginia.

August 23, 2021
Dear, Community Foundation Staff, and Board Members, 

I would like to thank the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia for welcoming me as the Summer Research and Marketing Intern. Though this internship was virtual, I was fortunate enough to learn many new skills, see different perspectives, and meet some amazing community members.

August 20, 2021
In our ongoing mission to recognize and support innovation in our region, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia is pleased to announce its 2021 Innovation Fund has awarded a $40,000 grant to the George Mason University Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) Food Depot.

This Innovation Fund grant to the Food Depot will provide the opportunity to further develop a community of innovators and entrepreneurs in Mason’s CIE. Specifically, Mason's students and faculty will create, develop, and staff the Food Depot.

August 20, 2021
The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, the leader in local philanthropy in the region, today announced the recipients of the 2021 Micron Opportunity Fund Grant. This year, Micron provided a total of $14,000 for two grants. The winners are Rosie Riveters Programming for Produce, and Fairfax County Public Schools Luther Jackson Middle School ESTEEM Center for Equity in STEM and English Greenhouse Ecosystems Lab. Each program will receive a grant of $7,000.

August 19, 2021
christopher consultants of Prince William County, Virginia opened a fund last year at the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia to provide scholarships to outstanding Unity Reed High School (Manassas, VA) graduates pursuing a career in civil engineering or a related field.

Bill Zink, president of christopher consultants manages the scholarship fund through the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia. We recently asked Bill to share his thoughts about the importance of this philanthropic effort.

August 17, 2021
The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia today announced a $15,000 grant from its Build Back - Dream Forward: COVID-19 Response Fund to the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce (NVBCC).

The NVBCC is a 501(c)3 public charity with a mission to help Black owned businesses succeed in the region. They are currently engaging in a number of initiatives focused on the impact of the pandemic on Black business owners, including programs that help them obtain access to existing local, state and federal program funding and that also help them obtain better access to capital, mentoring, and coaching services.