March 31, 2020
March 25, 2020
March 20, 2020
Supporting Immediate Emergency Needs
Round One Grantee, Northern Virginia Family ServiceOur entire community, across all sectors, has come together to respond to COVID-19 and its impacts in our region. The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia is glad to do its part and is especially pleased to announce today the Round One Grants from the COVID-19 Response Fund for Northern Virginia.
Round One Grantees
Northern Virginia Family Services - $25,000
NVFS provides services to the elderly and others who fall into high risk/vulnerable health categories, low income families, those without adequate health insurance, families experiencing food insecurity, and the immigrant community. This grant will support services in Prince William, Fairfax, and Loudoun County, including support for NVFS’s Food Distribution Center that serves approximately 10,000 clients per year, their health access programs providing access to free or reduced cost prescription medication and health care for 6,600 clients per year (including those who become ill with COVID-19), and their housing programs in Fairfax and Prince William that will help subsidize rent and other basic expenses.
Loudoun Hunger Relief - $20,000
Loudoun Hunger Relief provides fresh groceries for low income and other vulnerable Loudoun residents. Currently they are providing up to 950 emergency food preparedness bags per day for Loudoun County Public School children, the elderly, and low income households. Their pantry provides emergency food assistance, including fresh produce, frozen meat, and dry goods. They currently report that demand is up 50% since the end of last week, while at the same time grocery store donations, which constitute 55% of the food they distribute, is down 44%.
ACTS of Prince William County - $20,000
ACTS of Prince William County provides a myriad of programs that address the needs of the elderly and low-income families in the county. Their Hunger Prevention Center has now expanded its hours of operation and its grocery delivery service to the home bound elderly and disabled to meet the increased demand, even while capacity to meet that demand drops. They also offer emergency financial payments to avoid utility disconnections and have expanded their Senior Link program, provides more than 1,200 check-in wellness calls per month to this same population.
Food for Others - $20,000
Food for Others, a very large provider of free emergency groceries in Northern Virginia, distributes food to more than 2,000 families per week, and has seen a sharp increase in the number of families requesting food, coupled with a steep decline in food donations. They also provide services to the elderly, low income families experiencing short term financial crises, food insecure residents, residents with limited English language proficiency, and families from immigrant communities and communities of color.
Cornerstones - $15,000
Cornerstones promotes self-sufficiency by providing support and advocacy for those in need of food, shelter, affordable housing, quality childcare, and other human services. Cornerstones works closely with government and community partners to provide critical supportive services safely.
We are especially thankful for Amazon’s philanthropic giving in our region. On Wednesday, they announced a $1 million gift to 4 local community foundations, including ours, to kickstart collaborative philanthropy and bolster front line services and safety net needs across the DMV. You can see their generosity in action reflected in these Round One Grants. On behalf of a grateful community, thank you!
We have also benefited from the advice and information flowing from our local health and elected officials, nonprofit leaders, and donors. It has all combined to help us improve our response and effectiveness in real time. Even so, like many of you in your businesses and organizations, we feel like we have built the plane while we are flying it. We are working remotely as a team yet staying in constant contact both with each other and with other community leaders to optimize service to our community.
Overall, it is important we stay as responsive to local needs as possible in a highly dynamic environment. The COVID-19 Response Fund for Northern Virginia has attracted over $400,000 to date, and we are currently thinking through the Round Two Grants. Please give generously if you can through your donor advised fund or directly to our COVID-19 Response Fund for Northern Virginia.
March 18, 2020
Eileen Ellsworth, President/CEO Community Foundation for Northern VirginiaDear donors, volunteers, grantees, and friends:Here is some very good news: All sectors of our beloved community in Northern Virginia have come together to respond to COVID-19.
We are particularly blessed in our region with strong anchor institutions led by extremely well trained and responsive leaders. Of even greater significance, to my mind, is that existing relationships between and among our region’s leaders are also strong. Intra-sector and cross sector communications are active and ongoing. There is no doubt that the level and quality of these community-based conversations will drive better outcomes for our region.
March 18, 2020
The donation will kick-start COVID-19 response funds to four local community foundations
Amazon has donated $1 million total to kick-start collaborative emergency COVID-19 response funds that will immediately benefit four local community foundations across the Greater Washington region who are working to support vulnerable populations disproportionately impacted amid the coronavirus outbreak. ACT for Alexandria, Arlington Community Foundation, Community Foundation for Northern Virginia and the Greater Washington Community Foundation will each use these funds for grants to nonprofits addressing food insecurity, housing/shelter, and providing emergency financial assistance.
March 12, 2020
Online Conference shared One Region Report and ideas to promote a more welcoming community in Northern Virginia
The Community Foundation's 2020 Shape of the region conference was held as an online conference on Thursday, March 12, 2020. Nearly 300 guests attended virtually to kick-start a big conversation around the large and growing impact of recent immigrants in Northern Virginia.
March 11, 2020
Northern Virginia Regional Commission, Community Foundation and New American Economy Release first One Region Report on Economic Impact of Immigrants on Northern Virginia
Immigrants are major contributors to Northern Virginia's economy. A new report from the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, in partnership with the New American Economy, finds that immigrants in Northern Virginia contributed $57.7 billion to the local economy in 2017 or 25.7 percent of the region’s $224.9 billion GDP.
February 6, 2020
College Funds for Northern Virginia High School and College Students
(Oakton, VA) - The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia has opened its scholarship applications for the 2020 – 2021 school year. The scholarships are open to graduating high school seniors in Northern Virginia, and current college students.
December 16, 2019
Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s Giving Circle Supports Local Women’s Philanthropy
(Oakton, VA) –The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s Business Women’s Giving Circle (BWGC) announced the winners of its sixth annual grant cycle today. A total of $69,148 has been awarded to five local nonprofit organizations that provide science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs to girls and young women in Northern Virginia. To date, the BWGC has awarded and established grant funds totaling over $300,000.
December 2, 2019
Melwood received a $13,000 grant in 2019 from the Military Personnel & Their Families Fund through the Community Investment Funds grant cycle. This grant supported its Vets Ready2Work Program, providing workforce development and vocational support services for veterans in Northern Virginia in need of employment. Melwood shared the following testimonial to show how this grant helped one of their clients, Mary Ann.
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