As is our usual practice, the Community Foundation convened a large volunteer committee of 46 individuals, including subject area experts, donors, and Community Foundation Board members to review applications in the following areas of need: Child and Youth Development; Education; Aging; Poverty Relief; Military Personnel and Their Families; and the Angus Slater Lamond Fund for Children and Youth. The Community Investment Fund Grant Cycle has always been focused on making a difference for our neediest, most vulnerable neighbors. In a word, we are honored to help them.
Brandon Elledge, a partner with Holland & Knight and the Chairman of the Community Investment Funds Grants Committee, shared the following statement:
“This year's level of giving reflects the extreme generosity of our donors, and, most importantly, the Foundation’s commitment to help make a positive impact on those who are disadvantaged throughout Northern Virginia. I am very honored to have been a part of this process and want to thank the over 40 volunteers and the Foundation’s staff who helped make this such an unprecedented and successful grant cycle.”
2020 Grantees Community Investment Funds:
Child & Youth Development (Total: $60,000/ 6 grants)
Acting For Young People, $10,000
Serving Fairfax County
Funding will support 3 sessions of Time to Shine afterschool program at two FCPS Title I elementary schools.
All Ages Read Together, $10,000
Serving Loudoun County
Grant will support two summer classes to be offered in Sterling. This is an opportunity for children with no preschool experience to have a free summer program that will prepare them for kindergarten.
Higher Achievement, $10,000
Serving Alexandria
The grant will support a year-round out-of-school time program to advance academic achievement and social-emotional growth of Alexandria students in grades 5 – 8.
Hispanics Against Child Abuse and Neglect, $10,000
Serving Fairfax County
Funds will be used to continue implementing the LEER+ program and will continue to support literacy growth of families.
National Inventors Hall of Fame*, $10,000
Serving Prince William County
Funding will support underserved youth, grades K-6, in Camp Invention – a high-quality STEM enrichment program that builds critical thinking, self-confidence, entrepreneurship, collaboration, and other 21st century skills.
The House*, $10,000
Serving Prince William County
This grant will support an out-of-school time program for marginalized youth through leadership development, training, mentoring, and co-curricular elective opportunities.
Education (Total: $78,660/ 8 grants)
BEACON for Adult Literacy*, $10,000
Serving Manassas/Manassas ParkFunding will provide students with an integrated adult education program of ESL and citizenship/workforce preparation, civics education and computer/financial literacy.
Future Kings, Inc*, $10,000
Serving Prince William County
Funds will support a research project using the virtual reality game created by Future Kings. The game teaches college-level biomedical topics to students in secondary school.
Generation Hope, $8,660
Serving All of Northern Virginia
Funding will help teen parents learn college degrees, enter a competitive workforce, and provide their children with early childhood supports.
Literacy Council of Northern Virginia, $10,000
Serving Fairfax County
Funding will support LCNV's Family Learning Program, providing English literacy and language instruction to children and their low-income parents.
Literacy Volunteers of America-Prince William, Inc.*, $10,000
Serving Prince William County
Funding will sustain basic services and expand the ESL and Job Readiness for New Immigrants Program to reduce the number of individuals living at/below the poverty line.
The Literacy Lab, $10,000
Serving Alexandria
Funds will allow full-time tutors to be embedded at five partner schools to provide literacy interventions.
Together We Bake, $10,000
Serving Alexandria
The grant will enable TWB to recruit and train at least 50 women in need, along with providing post program support to at least 100 alumni Team Members.
Year Up National Capital Region, $10,000
Serving All of Northern Virginia
Funding will support training and certifications for 150 students in Northern Virginia which creates a pathway for them to gain the necessary knowledge and experience to secure meaningful employment.
Military Personnel & Their Families (Total: $42,000/ 2 grants)
Arcadia Food, Inc., $21,000
Serving All of Northern Virginia
This grant supports Arcadia's nationally recognized Veteran Farmer Program, which trains military veterans, active-duty service members, and family members in the business and craft of farming on a Northern Virginia farm.
Blue Star Families, $21,000
Serving All of Northern Virginia
Funding will support Spouseforce, the workforce development platform from Blue Star Families, which seeks to end the military spouse unemployment crisis by connecting them with military friendly opportunities and skills training.
Poverty Relief Grants (Total: $100,000/ 10 grants)
Amara Legal Center, $10,000
Serving All of Northern Virginia
The Funding will provide legal representation of survivors of sex trafficking specifically expungement and vacatur representation: filing petitions of expungement of criminal records obtained while involved in the commercial sex industry against their will.
Arlington Thrive, $10,000
Serving Arlington County
The Funds will support the Daily Emergency Financial Assistance Program. All funds will be used to provide same-day emergency assistance to prevent eviction, homelessness, and other catastrophes.
Ayuda, $10,000
Serving All of Northern Virginia
This grant will support culturally specific emergency services for low-income Hispanics, Blacks, and Asian immigrant victims of sexual assault and domestic violence in Northern Virginia.
Britepaths, $10,000
Serving Fairfax County
Funding will support the Financial Assistance Program which provides emergency rent, utility, pharmaceutical, and car repair assistance to low and middle-income clients.
Fairfax Law Foundation, $10,000
Serving Fairfax County
The grant will be used to provide free necessary and critical legal services to individuals and families in poverty facing legal challenges in maintaining or improving their housing situation, working to ensure that their health and safety is not threatened.
Friends of Guest House, Inc., $10,000
Serving All of Northern Virginia
Funding will support general operations to support its prison-to-community reentry services tailored to women's unique needs.
Offender Aid and Restoration of Arlington, Inc., $10,000
Serving Arlington County
The grant will provide housing assistance to individuals who are returning home to Arlington County and the Cities of Alexandria and Falls Church after incarceration.
Project Mend-a-House*, $10,000
Serving Prince William County
Funding will support continued home repair services to the vulnerable population living in Prince William County and Greater Manassas areas. Repair services will include accessibility, modification, plumbing, electrical & other home repair need.
Second Story, $10,000
Serving Fairfax County
Funding will assist with general operating support to provide safe, stable housing for homeless, runaway, thrown away and abused youth.
Volunteers of America Chesapeake, $10,000
Serving Alexandria
Funds will support the Alexandria Community Shelter to help 5 families transitioning into permanent housing pay their down payment and first month’s rent ($1,000/family), provide Metro and gas cards to travel for job interviews, work, and referral services and pay rental application fees for 68 families transitioning to permanent housing.
Angus Slater Lamond Fund for Children and Youth (Total: $100,000/ 4 grants)
Community Lodgings, $25,000
Serving City of Alexandria
Funding will address the academic and behavioral needs of homeless and low-income students in the Arlandria community of Alexandria through our out of school time and summer programming, mentoring and extracurricular activities.
Northern Virginia Family Services, $25,000
Serving South Fairfax County (along Route 1 corridor)
This grant will provide accessible, culturally competent mental health services and trauma-informed group therapy to recently immigrated youth in the Route 1 area.
The Child and Family Network Centers, $25,000
Serving City of Alexandria
Funds will assist at-risk, four-year old children and immigrant families to thrive in kindergarten; reduce language, health, social-emotional, and socioeconomic barriers to learning; and empower parents to advocate for their long-term success in school and in life.
United Community Ministries, $25,000
Serving South Fairfax County (along Route 1 corridor)
This grant will fund SPARK (Success through Purpose, Achievement, Respect and Knowledge), which provides tutoring, homework help, STEM activities, and social/emotional wellness.
Aging (Total: $35,000/1 grant (2 years at $17,500 each)
Insight Memory Care Center, $35,000
Serving All of Northern Virginia
This grant will support programs that allow older adults to safely age in place during this difficult disease journey- which effects 1 in 10 over 65. Funding will primarily support the adult day center program and the caregiver education and support programs.
Other Community Investment Funds Grant
FACETS+, $6,500
Serving Fairfax County
A grant of $6,500 to FACETS, representing the 20% portion of the annual 5% of available spending from the Huntsman Endowment Fund as requested by Ken and Marci Huntsman.
*Funding made possible by Haymarket Fund
+Funding made possible by the Huntsman Endowment Fund
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