Mary-Carson Stiff, Executive Director of Wetlands Watch, presented “The Escalating Climate Change Impacts Throughout Virginia: How the Philanthropic Sector is Responding, and What You Can Do To Help” on the afternoon of August 21. Participants gathered over Zoom to learn about the growing climate concerns Virginians face in the years ahead.
Cool Springs Elementary School, a 2024 Healthy Kids grantee, will allow students to use functional fitness and yoga equipment to combine the 5 C's (contributor, collaborator, critical thinker, communicator, creator) with their 5 components of fitness.
The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia has awarded $19,130 to eleven schools in Northern Virginia through its 2024 Healthy Kids Grants. Schools awarded will be implementing new or reinforcing established programs focused on students’ nutrition, physical activity, or better mental health in the 2024-2025 school year. Over the course of fourteen years, the Healthy Kids Grants have awarded over $200,000 in support of healthy lifestyles through increased exercise, balanced nutrition, and constructive mental health practices.
by Lisa A.K. Kirchenbauer, CFP®, CPWA®, RLP®, CeFT®, Founding Partner and Senior Advisor at Omega Wealth Management
Often overlooked, most people focus on the technical documents of legacy planning: will, trust, powers of attorney, etc.… What those documents don’t provide is the “why” or context of wealth and values which can be critical for heirs to have. Over the years, having worked with a number of beneficiaries, without any context or direction, heirs can often go one of two ways...
The legacy of Amy Takayama-Perez is characterized by a commitment to educational opportunity, equal access, and inclusivity. According to her best friend Julie Simmons, Amy wanted to “build a longer table and make room for diverse perspectives at the table,” a goal she pursued for 23 years as the Dean of Admissions at George Mason University. Yet Amy’s time was cut tragically short when she passed away last year following a courageous battle against triple-negative breast cancer.
Nevertheless, Julie and the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia team carry on Amy’s torch through the Amy Takayama-Perez Fund for George Mason University and its scholarship programs. Here, we survey Julie’s philanthropic career with the Community Foundation and why she started a fund in memory of her best friend.
A retired IT professional turned philanthropist, Meera Pillai is an influential figure in Northern Virginia nonprofit circles who has become prominent through board membership and outreach. She left a lucrative IT career to pursue philanthropy, which she felt was her life's purpose. Since then, Meera has served as Board Chair of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of DC, a member of the Board of the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, and a member of the Board of Educate Fairfax.
As a second-generation Indian-American, Meera appreciates the value of paying it forward, as such opportunities enabled her family’s pursuit and achievement of the American Dream. Indeed, Meera was pivotal in the recent launch of The Scholarship Fund for Northern Virginia, which supports local students pursuing higher education at a Virginia public college.
by Rich Harpe, Principal CPA at Matthews, Carter & Boyce, P.C.
In the digital age, clients often ignore—or even resent—forms and paperwork that aren’t yet online. But don’t let your clients fall into the trap of omitting critical assets from their estate and financial plans. Indeed, clients may forget to mention or outright neglect beneficiary designations on life insurance policies and retirement plan documents.
On June 1 and 2, Creighton Farms launched its annual Creighton Gives program with musical performances, games, and treats from local BBQ and ice cream vendors. This sunny, two-day event was the perfect backdrop for Creighton Farms friends and families to learn about the member-driven philanthropic initiative, which aims to strengthen the Northern Virginia community.
On June 11, 2024, Amazon announced it would replenish its Housing Equity Fund with an additional $1.4 billion, dedicating substantial resources to affordable housing in Arlington, VA, near its HQ2. The initial investment of $2.2 billion—devoted to Nashville, Seattle, and the DMV—took only 4 years to allocate, of which $1.1 billion was dedicated to boosting affordable housing across the Metro D.C. area. Such significant investments from the private sector are crucial, particularly since the government’s limited resources alone struggle to meet the demand for affordable housing.
The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia has awarded $506,600 in scholarships for the 2024-2025 school year to 114 students pursuing higher education. This substantial financial support encapsulates our 35 Community Foundation scholarship funds launched by individual donors over the years wishing to make a difference for students in Northern Virginia and beyond. Together, these efforts reflect the Foundation’s commitment to fostering educational opportunities and supportive legacies throughout the region.
The hardships of those who flee their homes due to war, persecution, or natural disasters aren’t over when they arrive in an asylum country. Integrating into a new culture presents an array of novel (yet still demanding) challenges and obstacles. With that in mind, the Community Foundation team established the Afghan Relief and Resettlement Fund in 2021 to help the thousands of asylum seekers resettling in Northern Virginia.
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