On April 8, 2025, Senior Director of Insight Region®, Denise Bellows, PhD, attended a meeting of the Virginia House of Delegates for the Emergency Committee, established by the Virginia General Assembly, as a response to stay aware of the recent Federal changes. This meeting specifically focused on the Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions.
by Steve Wittenberg, JD, LL.M, MBA, Director of Legacy Planning, SEI Private Wealth Management
As “goals based” wealth advisors, we have learned over the years that wealth creators possess unique goals and challenges. Most believe that philanthropy is part of their legacy. Passing down values to future generations is important. However, some worry the “good” may conflict with a “selfishly social benefit.” This is the perception that one is giving back for personal attention and accolades. Some believe giving large sums may lead to reduced privacy. Others avoid getting started out of fear of being inefficient or because they struggle with how to measure impact.
Happy Memorial Day from the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia! We honor those who have served our country by reflecting on the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to supporting military personnel and their families. Over 200,000 residents of Northern Virginia are current or former military, including 24,000 on active duty, 18,000 in training for reserves or national guard, and 168,000 veterans. The needs of this population are diverse, as described in our 2014 report on veterans in Northern Virginia. The Community Foundation supports our region’s military and their families through the Military Personnel & Their Families Fund, made possible by generous donors to the Permanent Fund, a perpetual source of community support.
Pictures from Mary Ellen Henderson’s ‘Stress Less Week’
Co-written with Colleen Hoover, School Social Worker at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School
2024 Healthy Kids Grantee Makes an Impact
In August 2024, the Community Foundation awarded a grant to the Falls Church Education Foundation to support a new club called Henderson Minds Matter at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School. Henderson Minds Matter, is a part of a nationwide student-led movement called Our Minds Matter that is designed to change school culture around mental health.
The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia was proud to join philanthropic partners from across the Commonwealth at the 2025 Virginia Funders Network Conference to explore innovative solutions and strategies that support thriving communities.
by Catherine F. Schott Murray, Esq., Odin Feldman Pittleman
Many attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors will share that one of the reasons their clients love working with a community foundation is because the foundation is truly part of the community. Whether a client has established a multi-million dollar field-of-interest fund, an endowed fund or a donor-advised fund to organize thousands of dollars of annual charitable gifts, a client gains full access to a community foundation’s charitable giving expertise and deep knowledge of the needs in the region in which they live or the specific mission and vision they want to support.
Continuing the Conversation about Health and Safety of Northern Virginia Youth
April 7, 2025 at 12:00 pm - 12:30 pmIn April, we took a deeper dive into the critical issues impacting the safety and well-being of youth in Northern Virginia. We explored key challenges related to students' perceptions of safety, mental health concerns, and trends in substance use across the region. This session continued conversations from the Shape of the Region Conference on March 25. Senior Director of Insight Region®, Denise Bellows was joined by doctoral candidate in the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience at George Mason University, Dylan V. Scarton. Dylan has worked closely with Dr. Holly Matto, who was on our panel at Shape of the Region. Dylan shared his work using the iCONNECT app to prevent adolescent risk behaviors and support youth facing substance use challenges.
Learn more by watching our recording and reading our recap questions.
Driven by a passion for breaking barriers and empowering others, Beth Wadle’s journey to becoming a legacy donor of the NVTC Foundation Kilberg Scholarship Fund is truly inspiring. As a young woman, fields like math and science were not considered a traditional career path. Nevertheless, she pressed on, and her determination earned her two engineering degrees. She went on to a more than 30-year career as one of the few women in her field of choice, the intelligence community. Although she was often the youngest person in the room during that time, Beth used her standing to encourage other women to follow in her footsteps and pursue STEM careers.
The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia convened hundreds of leaders, community members, and changemakers for its annual Shape of the Region conference, an essential gathering focused on the pressing challenges and opportunities shaping the region’s future. This year’s event focused on the urgent challenges facing Northern Virginia’s youth—including bullying, school safety, substance use, and mental health access—while also highlighting solutions that can create lasting impact.
At the heart of the conference was the launch of the Insight Region® Data Report: A Portrait of Northern Virginia's Youth 2025, a groundbreaking research initiative from the Community Foundation. This report delivers critical data on the state of youth well-being in our region, equipping policymakers, educators, and community organizations with the insights needed to drive meaningful change. Expert panelists explored the report’s key findings and discussed actionable strategies to improve youth mental health services, expand access to resources, and strengthen community resilience.
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