Impact Stories

Raise the Region

A Message from President and CEO Eileen Ellsworth on the 2022 Raise the Region Gala

October 11, 2022

Dear Community Foundation Friends and Supporters,

Last Friday evening, we gathered for the first time in 3 years to celebrate our region’s resilience, success, and growing sense of home and place. As always, your support literally helped Raise the Region!

More than 500 guests joined us in person and another 100 tuned in to the virtual live stream. It was an incredibly heartening reunion and opportunity to celebrate the ties that bind us all together. Your support and generosity were unprecedented. The event raised a total of $650,000, which will help the Community Foundation build a community that works for everyone.

Sponsor's Voice: Peraton's Theory of Building Community

September 28, 2022

Corporate and individual sponsorships are a critical tool for the Community Foundation to lead and convene the community. One of our 2022 Raise the Region Gala sponsors is Peraton, a tech and cybersecurity firm based in Herndon, Virginia. Peraton have experienced a meteoric rise since their founding in 2017, and were expected to be worth $5 billion dollars in 2021. We spoke with Stefanie Hale, Corporate Citizenship lead, about what community building means to Peraton.

Philanthropist Karen Schaufeld Chosen As 2021 Community Leadership Honoree

October 14, 2021

Philanthropist, author, entrepreneur, and lawyer Karen Schaufeld has been named Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s 2021 Community Leadership Honoree. The Community Leadership Award is given each year to an individual who is a demonstrated leader with a long history of commitment to supporting the Northern Virginia region through volunteer and community service and charitable giving.

Fundraising Record for Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s 2021 Raise the Region

October 14, 2021

A record fundraising total of more than $500,000 was raised during Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s 2021 Raise the Region, an annual, mission-critical fundraiser for the Community Foundation.

Community Foundation Hosts First-Ever Virtual Gala

October 7, 2020

The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia hosted its first virtual Raise the Region Gala on Friday, October 2, 2020. Business, philanthropic, and community leaders joined us from their own homes across the region and the nation to take part in this live-streamed event.

Hosted by NBC4’s Leon Harris, 2020 Raise the Region gala is an annual mission-critical fundraiser that enables the Community Foundation to respond to need, seed innovation, and lead and convene the community. The theme for this year’s event was Building a Community that Works for Everyone.

Community Foundation for Northern Virginia Honors Maj. Gen. Carl H. McNair, Jr. (RET) with the 2019 Community Leadership Award

October 14, 2019

Annual Gala Raises $570,000 to Support Critical Needs in the Northern Virginia Region

(Oakton, VA) – Major General Carl H. McNair, Jr. (RET) of Springfield, Virginia has been awarded the 2019 Community Leadership Award presented by the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia. General McNair was recognized for his lifetime of community leadership, public service, and philanthropy during 2019 Raise the Region Gala held on Friday, October 4, 2019, at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner.

2019 Raise the Region Gala Results

October 14, 2019

Dear Community Foundation Friends and Supporters,

It was pure joy celebrating home and place with you at the Community Foundation’s 2019 Raise the Region Gala on Friday, October 4th. Thank you for coming, for supporting our work, and for helping us honor Major General Carl McNair (RET) with the 2019 Community Leadership Award.

The event raised $570,000, which beat our expectations. It was a terrific outcome made possible by the dedication and hard work of the Community Foundation’s Board, staff, our amazing event honoree Carl, an army of caring volunteers and auction donors, a tireless Gala Committee, Gala Chair Ki Ho Kang, and the generosity of our many wonderful sponsors and supporters listed here.

2019 Raise the Region Gala – Building A Community that Works for Everyone

September 24, 2019

Major General Carl H. McNair, Jr. (RET) to receive the 2019 Community Leadership Award.

On Friday, October 4, 2019, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia will hold 2019 Raise the Region Gala at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner from 6:30 – 10:00 pm.

The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia Launches the Ross-Roberts Fund for the Arts

November 1, 2018

Fund to Celebrate, Support and Promote the Arts in Northern Virginia

The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia launched The Ross-Roberts Fund for the Arts. The mission of the new fund is to celebrate, promote, and support the arts in Northern Virginia. Thanks to a generous donation from Stephen Roberts and his donor advised fund, the Sue Goetz Ross and Stephen S. Roberts Endowment Fund, this new fund is endowed as part of The Permanent Fund for Northern Virginia, forever able to make grants to support the arts in our region.

The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia Honors Ellen and Jim Dyke with the 2018 Community Leadership Award & Celebrates 40th Anniversary

October 10, 2018

Annual Gala Raised $636,000 to Support Critical Needs in the Northern Virginia Region

Ellen and Jim Dyke were recognized by the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia for their history of passionate leadership and philanthropy with the 2018 Community Leadership Award at the Raise the Region Gala held on Friday, October 5, 2018 at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner.

Serving as a Gala Volunteer: Deborah Krat

October 14, 2017

This interview is with Deborah Krat, Community Foundation Gala volunteer.

Honoring Mark and Brenda Moore with Community Leadership Award

October 10, 2017

Annual Gala Raised Over $530,000 to Support Critical Needs in the Northern Virginia Region

Mark A. and Brenda L. Moore of the Mark and Brenda Moore Family Foundation were recognized by the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia for their history of passionate leadership and philanthropy with the 2017 Community Leadership Award at the Raise the Region Gala held on Friday, October 6, 2017 at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner.

John and Virginia Chapel Support Philanthropic Efforts

September 25, 2017

Chapels

This is an interview with John and Virginia Chapel with the Chapel Family Foundation Fund at the Community Foundation. This fund provides direct grants to nonprofits and other programs benefiting child and youth development, poverty relief, health and aging, military personnel and their families, and community improvement. The Chapels are the 2017 Raise the Region Gala Challenge Sponsor, and are long-time supporters of the Gala.

Community Foundation Honors Knox Singleton of Inova Health Systems with the 2016 Community Leadership Award

October 11, 2016

Annual Gala Raises Unprecedented $544,000 to Raise the Northern Virginia Region

J. Knox Singleton, CEO of Inova Health System, was recognized by the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia for his history of leadership and stewardship, providing world-class healthcare to all members of the diverse Northern Virginia community, regardless of ability to pay with the 2016 Community Leadership Award. The longest standing community based recognition award in Northern Virginia, it was presented at the Community Foundation’s annual Raise the Region Gala on October 7, 2016 at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner.

Foundation Honors Jim Wordsworth with Community Leadership Award

October 14, 2015

2015 Sweet Home Virginia Gala Raises $482,000, Engages Hundreds of Donors

Jim Wordsworth of J.R.’s Goodtimes Inc. has been recognized with the 2015 Community Leadership Award by the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia. The Community Leadership Award is the most prestigious, longest standing community based recognition award in Northern Virginia, and was presented at the Community Foundation’s annual Sweet Home Virginia Gala on October 9, 2015 at the Sheraton Tysons Hotel.

Community Foundation Honors Richard Duvall and Holland & Knight LLP

October 23, 2014

Annual Sweet Home Virginia Gala Raises Record Funds and Engages Over 100 Donors to Support Critical Needs in Northern Virginia

Richard Duvall, a partner at Holland & Knight LLP in the Government Contracts and Litigations practices, and the Holland & Knight firm were be recognized by the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia for their philanthropic leadership in the Northern Virginia area with the 2014 Community Leadership Award. The longest standing community based recognition award in Northern Virginia that honors outstanding community service, it was presented at the Community Foundation’s annual Sweet Home Virginia Gala on October 10, 2014 at the Sheraton Tysons Hotel.

Community Foundation's 2013 Sweet Home Virginia Gala Honored J. Hamilton Lambert

October 30, 2013

Raises Funds to Support Local Critical Needs

J. Hamilton Lambert, former Fairfax County Executive and current Executive Director of the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation, was honored with the 2013 Community Leadership award for his visionary leadership in the Northern Virginia region. The award was presented at the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s 2013 Sweet Home Virginia Gala on October 25, 2013 at the Sheraton Premiere in Tysons Corner, Virginia.

Tara Nadel

Questions?
Please contact Alex Carey (she/ they), Manager of Communications and Events.
703 347 7427 alex.carey@cfnova.org

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