Grant Guidelines and Procedures

The Virginia Community Foundation focuses resources where our investment can build capacity, increase impact, and serve more people.

The Virginia Community Foundation gives favorable consideration to grant proposals that:

Are likely to make a clear difference in the quality of life of a substantial number of people for a significant period of time;
Show evidence of grassroots support, the need for Virginia Community Foundation funding, and plans for future sustainability;
Propose practical approaches to resolve current community problems or are preventive in nature;
Encourage cooperation and collaboration, without duplication of services;
Promote volunteer involvement;
Respond to well-documented community needs and/or require a moderate amount of grant money but produce significant results in the service area.

Low priority will typically be given to on-going program support. Because grants from unrestricted funds cannot provide long-term or permanent support for any purpose, agencies must have the financial potential to sustain a program after the Community Foundation’s funding has ended. In rare cases, the unrestricted fund may provide more than one grant to ensure stability of a new program or agency.

The Virginia Community Foundation provides this information as grant guidelines, not rules. The Foundation is willing to consider any proposal that could have a major positive impact on the community, especially if funding is not available from any other source.