The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia is making more possible for our region by awarding $745,000 in grants to 45 local nonprofit organizations, strengthening the services and supports that help Northern Virginia thrive.
Funded through the Foundation’s 2026 Community Investment Funds (CIF) distributions, these grants reflect one of the most direct and impactful ways the Community Foundation responds to the region’s most pressing needs. Each organization received either $15,000 or $30,000, flexible awards designed to bolster essential operations and programming.
The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia accelerated its 2026 Community Investment Funds (CIF) grant cycle in direct response to the growing needs across our region. Nonprofit partners are serving more clients while simultaneously working to stabilize and strengthen their own operations. To meet this moment, the Foundation advanced its timeline—ensuring that critical funding reached organizations when they needed it most.
This year’s grants were awarded across a broad spectrum of key focus areas, reflecting the diverse challenges and opportunities present in Northern Virginia communities. Funding supported organizations working in:
- Aging Services
- Basic Needs/Safety Net
- Children and Youth
- Education
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
- Mental Health
- Military Families and Personnel
A Transparent Process Fueled by Community Voices
More than 50 community‑minded volunteers played an integral role in this year’s transparent and collaborative review process. They carefully evaluated 130 applications, bringing local insight, lived experience, and subject‑matter understanding to every discussion.
Basic Needs/Safety Net services saw the highest number of submissions, followed closely by programs supporting Children and Youth. The regional reach of applicants remained strong—nearly 70% reported serving more than one locality, underscoring the interconnected nature of challenges faced by individuals and families across the region.
Nonprofits Are Adapting in Real Time
The stories revealed through the grant review process paint a vivid picture of resilience and strain. Most organizations shared that they are actively adapting to shifting conditions—some expanding to meet increased demand, others scaling back or capping services to protect essential programs in the face of staffing and financial pressures.
The data further highlights this landscape:
- 80% of applicants reported declines in funding
- 52% requested support for operational needs
- 67% sought funding for program delivery
These numbers tell an urgent story: while the community’s needs increase, nonprofit resources are tightening. Flexible, responsive grantmaking like the Community Investment Funds is helping organizations navigate this difficult tension—meeting today’s needs while sustaining their capacity to serve tomorrow.
Thanks to the Community Foundation’s endowment funds, generous support from donors, fund partners, and corporate partners like Avison Young, Bank of America, Inova, Inside NoVA, Robert and Pamela Kipps, KME.digital, McGuire Woods LLC, Verisign, We’re Good Podcast, and We Rock the Spectrum Kid’s Gym, the Foundation is able to boost nonprofit funding through these annual grants.
The Community Foundation is making more possible for Northern Virginia and we want you to join us in our community of changemakers. Celebrate with us and build a future where our community’s needs are taken care of, forever. Visit cfnova.org to learn more.
Grants were awarded to the following programs and organizations:
Aging | $45,000 | 3 Organizations
“We are deeply grateful to the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia for this award. This grant strengthens our capacity to provide life-changing home repairs and accessibility modifications for older adults and individuals living with disabilities, making their homes safer and healthier places to live.” - Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church, 2026 Aging Fund Grantee | Home Care Partners | $15,000 |
| Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church | $15,000 |
| Shepherd's Center of Northern Virginia | $15,000 |
Basic Needs / Safety Net | $225,000 | 12 Organizations
"Thanks to this grant from the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, LCAC will be able to enhance its support for our Financial Assistance Program. This program plays a vital role in our work for the Lorton Community, providing emergency rent and utility assistance to those in need." - Lorton Community Action Center, 2026 Safety Net Fund Grantee | Action in Community Through Service of Prince William | $30,000 |
| BRAWS | $15,000 |
| Carpenter's Shelter | $30,000 |
| Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington | $15,000 |
| Culmore Clinic | $15,000 |
| Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services | $15,000 |
| Herndon-Reston FISH, Inc. | $15,000 |
| Legal Services of Northern Virginia | $30,000 |
| Lorton Community Action Center | $15,000 |
| Mobile Hope Loudoun | $15,000 |
| Rising Hope United Methodist Mission Church | $15,000 |
| Western Fairfax Christian Ministries | $15,000 |
Children & Youth | $160,000 | 11 Organizations
“The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s $15,000 grant comes at a critical moment for families in our community. With an unexpected surge in requests for preschool tuition assistance following federal layoffs, furloughs, and shutdown, many working parents are struggling to keep their children enrolled in safe, high-quality early learning programs,” said J. Glenn Hopkins, Hopkins House President/CEO. “This support will provide immediate tuition assistance to low-resourced families, helping prevent disruptions in childcare that could otherwise force parents to leave the workforce or delay their search for new employment. We are deeply grateful to the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia for this timely investment, which helps ensure that children continue learning and growing while their families regain stability.” - Hopkins House, 2026 Children and Youth Development Fund Grantee | Aspire Afterschool Learning | $15,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington | $15,000 |
| CASA CIS | $15,000 |
| Child and Family Network Center | $15,000 |
| Cornerstone Craftsman Inc. | $15,000 |
| Genesys Works | $15,000 |
| Hopkins House | $15,000 |
| Pink Space Theory | $15,000 |
| The House, Inc. | $15,000 |
| Urban Alliance | $10,000 |
| Young Playwrights' Theater | $15,000 |
Education | $150,000 | 10 Organizations
"This grant will support Kitchen of Purpose's growing After-School Supper Program for at-risk kids in Northern Virginia at a critical moment when families are doing more with less. Thank you, CFNOVA, for your continued support as we use the power of food to change lives!" - Kitchen of Purpose, 2026 Education Fund Grantee | All Ages Read Together | $15,000 |
| Computer CORE | $15,000 |
| Edu-Futuro | $15,000 |
| EduTutorVA | $15,000 |
| Infant Toddler Family Day Care | $15,000 |
| Kitchen of Purpose | $15,000 |
| Literacy Volunteers of America-Prince William, Inc. | $15,000 |
| Main Street Child Development Center | $15,000 |
| Our Minds Matter | $15,000 |
| Together We Bake | $15,000 |
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities | $60,000 | 3 Organizations
"This award from the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia will allow us to assist more Fairfax County residents facing barriers such as disabilities, housing instability, limited education, and justice involvement in developing work readiness skills and finding employment options that lead to self-sufficiency." - ServiceSource, 2026 Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Fund Grantee| A Farm Less Ordinary | $15,000 |
| Volunteers of America Chesapeake | $15,000 |
| ServiceSource | $30,000 |
Mental Health | $60,000 | 4 Organizations
“This grant from the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia strengthens our ability to meet people where they are and support them through some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives as they move toward stability and recovery. It allows us to provide consistent peer support, essential resources, and a safe community where adults living with serious mental illness are seen, supported, and empowered to rebuild their lives.” - Lindsey Bradley, Executive Director, Trillium Center, 2026 Mental Health Fund Grantee | Family Counseling Center of Greater Washington | $15,000 |
| SafeSpot Children's Advocacy Center of Fairfax County | $15,000 |
| The Women's Center | $15,000 |
| Trillium Center | $15,000 |
Military Personnel and their Families | $45,000 | 2 Organizations
“This Community Foundation for Northern Virginia grant allows us to open our doors wider to Warrior families who have carried the invisible weight of service for far too long. Through respite stays, we can give these heroes and their loved ones a safe place to rest, reconnect, and begin healing together. Because of this support, families in crisis will have not just a break—but a renewed sense of strength, hope, and community.” - Serve Our Willing Warriors, 2026 Military Personnel and their Families Fund Grantee| Operation Renewed Hope Foundation | $30,000 |
| Serve Our Willing Warriors | $15,000 |
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