Impact Stories

Faith Boettger’s path to collective philanthropy began with her passion for making a meaningful impact in her local community and involvement with the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia. 

When CFNOVA launched the Business Women’s Giving Circle, the idea of collective giving (also referred to as giving circles) appealed to Faith as a way to meet like-minded women and invest in programs to support girls and women’s success.   Recognizing that her own path faced discouragement in high school about pursuing a math-based career, the idea of inspiring and encouraging others to overcome obstacles was appealing.  As a founding member and the first Chair of CFNOVA’s Business Women’s Giving Circle (BWGC), Faith encouraged the group’s members to make a difference for girls and young women throughout Northern Virginia by applying their collective strength to support STEM programs over the past ten years.

Well before establishing their partnership with the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia (CFNOVA), Linda Carr and her husband, Clarence James, were committed to supporting the causes they hold dear. Indeed, giving back is a cornerstone of Linda’s life, instilled from an early age by her family. “Even when we didn’t have much, we still gave,” Linda recalls. Thanksgiving dinners were shared with other families, and Christmas gifts were offered to those in need. These moments shaped Linda’s belief that giving back builds character and brings joy. “I enjoy giving because it makes a difference. I think of it as something you’re supposed to do,” she says. Over time, her generosity has helped support organizations like St. Jude’s Research Hospital, Shelter House, Parkview Community Center, Shriners Hospitals for Children, ASPCA, and WETA.

Fairfax, VA (November 26, 2024) – This Giving Tuesday, your generosity can go twice as far in strengthening Northern Virginia, thanks to a dollar-for-dollar match. A generous anonymous donor has donated a $10,000 matching gift to the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, meaning your donations will be doubled. For example, your gift of $50 will become $100, gifts of $100 will turn into $200 and so on, until the $10,000 matching gift is fully met, doubling the total to $20,000.

Community Foundation staff recently visited Bryant High School and met administrators and representatives from Food for Neighbors, a nonprofit dedicated to ending child hunger across Northern Virginia through community support. This year, Food for Neighbors is a proud recipient of the Lamond Fund grant.

Benton Fisher, a Northern Virginia local and an economic consultant at FTI Consulting, has long championed community-driven causes. Long before he founded his donor-advised fund, the Avalon Charitable Fund, with the Community Foundation, Benton was the child of a Naval officer and a Unitarian minister. This upbringing ingrained an interest in service and has shaped his philanthropic endeavors ever since. Benton’s journey toward philanthropy was further influenced by his time coaching his children in team sports, which fostered his passion for leadership and collaboration. These experiences taught him that the most meaningful rewards come from uplifting others.

Michelle Sullivan, Executive Director of All Ages Read Together (AART), truly embodies the organization’s mission. Inspired by her early childhood experiences, Michelle is passionate in providing accessible preschool education across Northern Virginia. Passion is essential to every mission; however, Michelle appreciates that operating a successful organization requires thoughtful long-term planning. That’s why she, alongside the AART Board, established the All Ages Read Together Fund at the Community Foundation.

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and it is a great time to spotlight the Yolonda Pajot Memorial Fund for Ovarian Cancer, a Donor Advised Fund.

Recently, the Community Foundation’s Renée Byng Yancey, Sari Raskin, Jennifer Cochran, Gaby Webster, and Amanda Bomfim visited Boxes of Basics, a local nonprofit that provides schoolchildren in need with clothing. Our team met program manager Sally Crockett and Founder/Executive Director Sarah Tyndall to learn more about their critical work and the inspiration behind it.

Recently, the Executive Director of the Family Counseling Center of Greater Washington (FCCGW), Chun-Shin Taylor, PhD, welcomed Sari Raskin and Amanda Bomfim of the Community Foundation to FCCGW’s office and counseling space. Their conversation was a wonderful teaching moment for Sari and Amanda, as the two learned more about past and present Korean-American culture and the client services FCCGW offers.

Each year, thousands of individual donors passionately support causes close to their hearts through the Community Foundation. Although we may never meet some of those individuals, we know how much of an impact they can make. For instance, we recently received an anonymous gift that pushed our Environment Fund past the $1 million endowment mark. This is the first issue area focused fund to reach this milestone! Given that such funding enables critical opportunities for our region, we are ecstatic over this milestone and the generosity required to reach it.

A lifetime of generosity can ignite a legacy of philanthropy. Brian Vogel is a perfect example, so much so that—to honor him—the Brian N. Vogel Positive Change Fund with the Community Foundation’s Family Giving Program was created. This was established by Brian's trusted, loving, inspirational, and once-in-his-lifetime significant other Cathy Tran, Principal and Senior Client Advisor at Bessemer Trust. Community members can remember Brian and support those in need by donating to a charity through this fund.

The combination of compassion and action can leave an enduring legacy. Indeed, one individual’s goodwill can achieve more than short-term relief—it can create a ripple effect of generosity. Take Sandra Swirski, who recently described how gratitude for philanthropy inspired her to launch a career in philanthropy law and the Swirski Family Fund with the Community Foundation’s Family Giving Program.