Impact Stories

Every year, Community Foundation Week shines a spotlight on the vital role community foundations play in strengthening the places we call home. Community Foundations are uniquely positioned to understand and respond to the needs of our local communities, serving as connectors, conveners, and catalysts for change.

Fairfax, VA (September 30, 2025) – The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s data research center, Insight Region®, proudly presents: The State of Nonprofits in Northern Virginia.The report highlights critical research that underscores both the immense value and the growing vulnerability of Northern Virginia’s nonprofit sector. This report helps readers understand the critical role nonprofits play in Northern Virginia’s economy.

Northern Virginia’s Nonprofit Sector: Essential, Evolving, and Under Pressure

Northern Virginia’s nonprofit sector is more than a network of service providers—it is a cornerstone of the region’s economic and social infrastructure. These organizations create jobs, drive innovation, and deliver critical services that support upward mobility, community well-being, and regional resilience. In fact, the sector generates more than $1.6 billion in annual economic activity, underscoring its vital role in the region’s economy.

Fairfax, VA (September 17, 2025) – The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia will honor Warren M. Thompson, Founder and Chairman of Thompson Hospitality at the 2025 Raise the Region Gala, the Foundation’s premier annual event celebrating community leadership and philanthropic impact.

In a powerful new collaboration, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia (CFNOVA) and the We’re Good Podcast have joined forces to amplify the voices of changemakers across the region. This partnership is more than a media initiative—it’s a celebration of the everyday brilliance of individuals and organizations working to build a more inclusive, compassionate, and resilient Northern Virginia.

In a powerful new collaboration, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia (CFNOVA) and the We’re Good Podcast have joined forces to amplify the voices of changemakers across the region. This partnership is more than a media initiative—it’s a celebration of the everyday brilliance of individuals and organizations working to build a more inclusive, compassionate, and resilient Northern Virginia.

Fairfax, VA (August 13, 2025) – The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia (CFNOVA) and We’re Good Podcast have teamed up to amplify community stories. This partnership celebrates the everyday brilliance of individuals and organizations working to create a more positive world—perfectly aligning We're Good’s storytelling vision with the Community Foundation’s mission to build a Northern Virginia that works for everyone.

In a powerful episode of the We’re Good podcast, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia (CFNOVA) takes center stage as a philanthropic changemaker driving meaningful impacts across the region. Host Lee Ann Necessary Brownlee sits down with CFNOVA President & CEO, Renée Byng Yancey and fund partner, Benton Fisher to explore how the Foundation responds to both urgent crises and long-term community needs.

In a powerful episode of the We’re Good podcast, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia (CFNOVA) takes center stage as a philanthropic changemaker driving meaningful impacts across the region. Host Lee Ann Necessary Brownlee sits down with CFNOVA President & CEO, Renée Byng Yancey and fund partner, Benton Fisher to explore how the Foundation responds to both urgent crises and long-term community needs.

Fairfax, VA (March 26, 2025) – The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia (CFNOVA) convened hundreds of leaders, community members, and changemakers for its annual Shape of the Region conference, an essential gathering focused on the pressing challenges and opportunities shaping the region’s future. This year’s event focused on youth well-being, addressing issues like bullying, school safety, substance abuse, and mental health access.

On Tuesday, March 4th, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia reached out to our 2025 discretionary grant applicants and sent them a Pulse Survey regarding federal funding impacts. Out of the 225 organizations that received the request, 113 completed the survey. Of those that responded, about 53 receive federal funding and 60 do not. For the organizations that DO receive federal funding, the range is 1% to 95% of their overall budget. The key takeaways we learned from those who receive federal funding are that:

January 31, 2025 (Greater Washington Area) - Several of the region’s leading community foundations have partnered to launch the DCA Together Relief Fund, a crisis support fund for Flight 5342 and Army Black Hawk Families, in conjunction with the Wichita Foundation. Managed by the Greater Washington Community Foundation, the fund will provide aid to impacted families, first responders, and nonprofit organizations to support the immediate and basic needs, recovery, and healing of impacted families and communities.

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.

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.

Collective action ushers in community-wide impacts. This principle underlies the Virginia Funders Network (VFN), a statewide association of 130+ philanthropy organizations seeking to address the region’s most urgent needs. At the beginning of May, the VFN held its 3rd annual conference in Richmond, a sold-out event that drew over 300 members of the Commonwealth’s philanthropic community. The Community Foundation’s Sari Raskin, Vice President of Grants and Community Leadership, and Renée Byng Yancey, President and CEO, had the opportunity to attend the event. There, they learned about the issues Virginians face and the innovative programs emerging to address those issues.

• Only 1.8 percent of charitable giving is dedicated to women and girls, and the share dedicated to women of color is even smaller; approximately 0.5% in the U.S. (Source: Women and Girls Index, 2023)
• In 2021, women represented 35% of the STEM workforce; up from 32% in 2010 (Source: National Science Foundation). Specifically, women make up 25% of jobs in computer science and 15% of jobs in engineering (Source: Pew Research Center, 2021)
• In evaluating STEM programming by impact on girls interest, confidence, competence and value, GirlScounts USA found that participation in even ONE program can make a difference