by Nicole Acosta | Sep 30, 2020 | Uncategorized
This week, Loudoun Serenity House opened its new sober living facility for women, located in Leesburg. Loudoun Serenity House was founded by local community member Melissa Hinton, who identified a need for a sober living home in Loudoun County that served women. While there are sober living homes for men in Loudoun, the county had yet to open a similar program for women. You can learn more about Melissa’s journey in a recent article by the Loudoun Times-Mirror. Over the last two years, Melissa and a dedicated group of volunteers worked with the Community Foundation to make Melissa’s vision become reality. The Community Foundation, recognizing the need that this program would meet in Loudoun, served as fiscal sponsor to Loudoun Serenity House and provided guidance as Melissa and volunteers put the pieces in place to form a nonprofit, raise start-up funds, and find the right property to open the sober living facility. After months of planning and hard work, Loudoun Serenity House has now formed its own organization and has opened Loudoun’s first and only sober living house for women. To learn more about Loudoun Serenity House’s mission and how you can help, visit:...
by Nicole Acosta | Sep 17, 2020 | Uncategorized
Date: Friday, September 25, 2020 (with second workshop on Thursday, October 1) Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (both dates) Location: Online webinar Registration Link ($15 for Loudoun Chamber members, $25 for nonmembers)This two-session workshop will introduce how to create a successful communications plan, will give you tools to do your own, and will provide time in the second session for you to get an expert review of your individual strategy, plan and messages. After this workshop you will: Know how to build a communications plan that stimulates engagement and gets results. Understand the difference between a Mission and Vision plan. Know the importance of a strong and consistent brand. Know effective techniques to make “the ask” that drives donations. Know what the press wants to hear about what you’re doing as an organization and how to get the press to spread your story (for free!). Join us for both sessions to be entered into a raffle for a one-hour, one-on-one assessment of your organization’s communications plan (a $3,000 value). NOTE: This event is a part of a series. The second workshop is on Thursday, October 1st from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. You will be automatically registered. About the Presenters Deb Haynes Swider: Chief Strategist, Loud & Clear Marketing, LLC Deb has always been a collector of stories – whether reading, writing, or listening to them.Turning the love of storytelling into a career, Deb has helped tell the story of companies across the United States, trade associations in the DC metro area, non-profit organizations who are changing the world, and politicians who often hang around longer than they should. Sharon L. Wright: Owner and...
by Nicole Acosta | Sep 17, 2020 | Uncategorized
The Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties is now accepting applications to be considered for a new grant opportunity, the Giving Tuesday Matching Challenge. As part of its COVID-19 relief efforts, the Community Foundation offers the Giving Tuesday Matching Challenge opportunity to five human services nonprofits that are members of the Loudoun Human Services Network. Funding for the Giving Tuesday Matching Challenge is provided through donations made to the Community Foundation’s Community Emergency Relief Fund. The Community Emergency Relief Fund was established in March 2020 to accept and strategically disburse funding to address COVID-19 emergency response and relief efforts in Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties. The Community Foundation will select five human services nonprofits that can demonstrate significant hardship due to COVID-19 to participate in the Giving Tuesday Matching Challenge. As many organizations have lost revenue during the pandemic due to cancelled fundraisers, reduced fees for services, or funders changing grant priorities, the Giving Tuesday Matching Challenge is designed to help catalyze fundraising efforts for nonprofits and energize their donors to support their work during this difficult time. Selected organizations will commit to raising at least $5,000 during Giving Tuesday, and in return, the Community Foundation will grant up to $5,000 in general support funding per organization matched from the Community Emergency Relief Fund. Giving Tuesday is a nationally recognized day of giving to nonprofits, and takes place this year on December 1, 2020. Selected nonprofits will coordinate their own fundraising campaigns to meet the minimum $5,000 fundraising challenge. Donations received by the selected nonprofits between Tuesday, November 24 and Tuesday, December 8, 2020 may count towards the minimum $5,000 fundraising...
