To provide basic needs support in Northern Virginia.
2025 Safety Net Fund Grantee, Falls Church Community Service Council
Rising Economic Strain in Northern Virginia
Despite a decade of relatively stable poverty rates—hovering between 5% and 6%—economic pressures in Northern Virginia have intensified in recent years. The number of Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) households—families who earn above the poverty level but still struggle to afford basic necessities—increased by 20% in the post-COVID environment, reversing a steady decline seen from 2010 to 2021. (A Portrait of Northern Virginia's Youth, 2025)
In 2021, 1 in 5 families (20%) in the region did not earn enough to meet essential needs such as shelter, food, medical care, and other basic expenses. The cost of living in Northern Virginia is high, requiring a family of four to earn between $100,000 and $130,000 annually to afford necessities like housing, utilities, childcare, transportation, healthcare, technology, and taxes. (A Portrait of Northern Virginia's Youth, 2025)
To provide basic needs support, including housing and shelter needs, eviction and foreclosure assistance, and other emergency assistance needs, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia makes grants with a focus on Safety Net assistance annually through the Community Investment Funds grant cycle.The Safety Net Fund is a component fund of The Permanent Fund for Northern Virginia, an unrestricted endowment at the Community Foundation that makes grants to help build a community that works for everyone.
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The 2026 Grant Cycle will run from November 3 through December 8. Find all available resources and information here.
See the list of 2025 Community Investment Fund grantees here.
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