The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia has concluded its discretionary grants cycle for the Ross-Roberts Fund for the Arts and Environment Fund, both permanent endowments (often called 'forever funds') managed by the Foundation.
Thanks to the generous support of donors and partners, grants totaling $210,000 will be directed to seventeen regional nonprofits, selected for their work preserving natural spaces, expanding arts access, and engaging residents through creative and environmental programming.
In addition to the $745,000 the Foundation granted to local organizations last month through the Community Investment Funds, the Community Foundation has given back nearly $1,000,000 in support to nonprofit grantees during this fiscal year to date, reflecting the Foundation’s growing grantmaking and long-term commitment to sustained community impact.
The Environment Fund, which was launched in 2018 provides financial resources to projects that protect, restore, and improve Northern Virginia’s natural environment. As you can see in the chart on the left, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, a trusted steward of charitable investments, is able to continue growing our grantmaking through endowments like the Environment Fund. Supporting these forever funds means that together, we can collectively impact the causes that matter most to us for many, many years.
This year, the Community Foundation is partnering with George Mason University to help establish the Virginia State Climate Office at their institution. "This generous grant from the Community Foundation of Northern Virginia will help us establish the Virginia State Climate Office (VaSCO) at George Mason University", explained Dr. James Kinter, Director, Virginia Climate Center, George Mason University. "VaSCO will do the hard, ongoing work of monitoring our weather and climate, assessing its impacts, and making sure every community in the Commonwealth can access the resources they need to prepare and adapt."
The Ross-Roberts Fund for the Arts, which was also launched in 2018 with a legacy gift supports arts and culture in Northern Virginia. The goals of the Fund are to build a thriving, world-class arts and culture sector by celebrating artistic excellence, strengthening and expanding arts organizations, deepening public understanding of the arts’ vital role in healthy communities, and mobilizing broad support for creative expression.
"We are grateful to the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia and the Ross-Roberts Fund for the Arts for believing in the work we do every day. As a free-admission museum that connects the community to contemporary art and artists, general operating support is among the most meaningful funding we can receive. It gives us the flexibility to sustain our exhibitions, artist residencies, education classes, and public programs, while keeping our doors open to everyone. This grant will ensure that MoCA Arlington remains a vibrant, accessible creative space for all of Northern Virginia." - Catherine Anchin, Executive Director, Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington.
The complete list of 2026 Environment Fund and Ross-Roberts for the Arts Fund grant recipients is below.
Arts | $100,000 | 10 Organizations
“"Funding from the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia will further CFTC's vision of community unification through empowerment of people of all ages and backgrounds to create, learn, inspire, and connect. This award will directly support both CFTC's mainstage productions and youth drama camps, increasing their capacity for long-lasting community impact." - City of Fairfax Theatre Company, 2026 Ross-Roberts Fund for the Arts Grantee
| Arlington Arts Center | $20,000 |
| City of Fairfax Theatre Company | $10,000 |
| Fairfax Jubil-Aires | $5,000 |
| Local Motion Project | $10,000 |
| Reston Community Orchestra | $5,000 |
| Shakespeare Opera Theatre, Inc. | $5,000 |
| Sound Impact | $10,000 |
| Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art | $20,000 |
| The Arlington Players | $10,000 |
| Virginia Bronze Ringers of Northern Virginia | $5,000 |
Environment | $110,000 | 7 Organizations
"Virginia faces real and growing risks from increasing extreme heat and severe weather to flooding and coastal inundation, and VaSCO will serve as the Commonwealth's authoritative hub for weather and climate intelligence to give us the tools to respond," said Kinter, who is a Climate Dynamics Professor in the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Earth Sciences at George Mason. "Through real-time provision of data, products, and tools, periodic climate assessments that translate the latest science into actionable recommendations, a statewide monitoring network, and training and education resources, VaSCO will help communities across the state move from awareness to action." - George Mason University, 2026 Environment Fund Grantee
| Defensores de la Cuenca | $20,000 |
| Ducks Unlimited, Inc. | $20,000 |
| Earth Sangha | $20,000 |
| George Mason University | $25,000 |
| Goose Creek Association | $10,000 |
| Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District | $10,000 |
| Seedling, Inc. | $5,000 |
Learn More
Ross-Roberts Fund for the ArtsStephen Roberts, a donor advisor for the Sue Goetz Ross and Stephen S. Roberts Music Fund, made a legacy gift in 2018 to help launch the Ross-Roberts Fund for the Arts. This gift ensures this fund will become part of the Permanent Fund for Northern Virginia, forever supporting arts and culture in the region.
Environment Fund
Since its inception, the Environment Fund has awarded $595,200 in grants to organizations across the region to invest in organizations committed to help protect the environment and local economy by bringing people and groups together, teaching the public how their choices affect nature, and encouraging residents to get involved in caring for their surroundings.
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