by Nicole Acosta | Nov 24, 2020 | Uncategorized
The Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties has selected four nonprofits to participate in a fundraising challenge on Giving Tuesday, a world-wide day of giving held each year the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Earlier in the fall, the Community Foundation announced the opportunity for Loudoun-based human services nonprofit organizations to apply to participate in the Giving Tuesday Matching Challenge, a new grant opportunity offered by the Foundation in response to COVID-19 relief efforts. The four selected organizations will conduct fundraising campaigns with the goal of raising at least $5,000 on Giving Tuesday, held on December 1, 2020. The Community Foundation will match up to $5,000 of donations made to the participating organizations on Giving Tuesday, as well as the week before and the week after December 1. The four nonprofits selected to participate in the challenge are ECHO, Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter, StoryBook Treasures and Women Giving Back. Matching grants will be provided by the Community Emergency Relief Fund, which was established by the Community Foundation in March 2020 to collect and disburse donations to address the impacts of COVID-19 in the Loudoun community. Since March, the Community Relief Fund has disbursed more than $210,000 to nonprofits in Loudoun providing rental assistance and supportive services to Loudoun residents in need due to the health and financial impacts of the pandemic. Now the Community Foundation and the four nonprofits participating in the Giving Tuesday Matching Challenge hope to double the impact of the donations raised on Giving Tuesday by matching with grants provided from the Community Emergency Relief Fund. “We know our community and the nonprofits chosen to participate...
by Nicole Acosta | Nov 17, 2020 | Uncategorized
The Pay-it-Forward Animal Welfare (PAW) Fund recently announces providing $11,200 in grants to five animal welfare organizations serving Loudoun County. The PAW Fund, a fund of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties, was established to provide grants nonprofit organizations focusing on animal safety, education, adoption, health, and overall animal welfare, as well as animal-based human therapy organizations. The PAW Fund is structured as a giving circle, a model that pools donations together from local donors who participate in the grant decision-making process. To become members of the PAW Fund, veterinary practices and individuals were required to donate a monetary gift at various levels depending on the size of the veterinary practice. The PAW Fund was created in 2018 by a group of local veterinarians of the Loudoun County Veterinary Medical Association, led by local veterinarian, Dr. Bill Tyrrell. Tyrrell and the PAW Fund founders saw needs in the community that also impacted the pets and animals in their care. Tyrrell previously participated another local giving circle within the Community Foundation, and experienced firsthand how giving circles provide an opportunity to make high-impact grants to local organizations. Those who joined the PAW Fund at the required giving levels include representatives from The Life Centre Emergency & Specialty Veterinary Hospital, CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets, Old Mill Veterinary Hospital, Animal Medical Center of Cascades, Towne Animal Clinic, and Dawn and Brian Kennealy. “Despite residing and working in one of the nation’s wealthiest counties, there is a tremendous amount of need in our local community especially since COVID-19. This need can sadly trickle down to our pets,” said Tyrrell....
by Nicole Acosta | Nov 12, 2020 | Uncategorized
The Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties now offers 2-3 nonprofit organizations the opportunity to undertake a Racial Equity Audit, as the final phase of this year’s Racial Equity Framework program. Selected organizations will work with consultant Tamara Copeland to review and assess organizational norms, systems, policies, and practices, that will culminate in a report with observations and recommendations as they pertain to organizational goals of racial equity. This audit is intended to reveal the invisibility of disparate treatment of people of color, the potential role of the participating organizations in maintaining that reality, and to shape a course toward more equitable treatment and, hopefully, more equitable outcomes for the individuals served by our nonprofit community. Selected organizations will be required to contribute $250 of the consulting fees for these professional services valued at approximately $4,500 per organization. Application Deadline Application and supporting documents must be submitted electronically via email to Nicole Acosta at nicole@CommunityFoundationLF.org on or before January 8, 2021 5:00 p.m. (subject line: Racial Equity Audit Application). The Community Foundation will accept applications on a rolling basis until the deadline; earlier submissions are encouraged. Download Application and Guidelines Download the document below to access the full program description, eligibility guidelines, and application form: Click Here to Download Racial Equity Audit Application and Guidelines About the Consultant Tamara Lucas Copeland has more than 30 years of executive leadership experience. She knows how to lead a nonprofit organization to effectively address its mission. She has also worked in government, at the local, state, regional and national levels. She recognizes that leadership is not a solo undertaking but...
by Nicole Acosta | Nov 2, 2020 | Uncategorized
The Loudoun Chamber of Commerce is now accepting applications for grants from its charitable fund, the Loudoun Chamber Foundation. Loudoun Chamber nonprofit members are invited to review the eligibility requirements to submit an application for a Loudoun Chamber Foundation grant. The deadline to apply is Monday, November 23, 2020, 5:00 p.m. Since it was launched in December of 2014, the Loudoun Chamber Foundation has awarded $116,000 in grants to 32 local nonprofit groups focused on issues as diverse as education, health care, hunger and mental health. The Loudoun Chamber Foundation was created to provide financial support to area nonprofits focused on economic development, education and workforce development, public safety and healthy communities. The Loudoun Chamber Foundation’s online grant application and grant guidelines can be found here: https://funding.communityfoundationlf.org/ and at www.loudounchamber.org/nonprofits. Questions regarding the online application may be directed to Nicole Acosta...
by Nicole Acosta | Oct 19, 2020 | Uncategorized
Date: Thursday, November 19, 2020 Time: 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (with a one-hour break between 12:00-1:00 p.m.) Location: Virtual training using Zoom Registration Cost: $25 Registration: https://learninglabgrants101.eventbrite.com Join us for a Social Impact Institute: Learning Lab workshop, “Grants 101: Grant Writing, Grantor Research, and Program Evaluation,” where we will demystify the grant-seeking process. From proposal narratives to budget forms, from outcome measures to funder relationships, we will cover the all the basics you need to know to submit quality grant proposals to potential funders (and, properly manage your grants once received). A representative from George Washington University Virginia Science and Technology Campus Library will also teach participants how to use the Foundation Directory Online, a local resource provided by GWU Loudoun, available to local nonprofits seeking grant funding. Presenters The Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties’ team of Amy Owen, President, and Nicole Acosta, Director of Grants and Nonprofit Programs, have more than 40 years combined of nonprofit experience, including development, nonprofit management, grant writing, and grant making. Tara Patterson serves as library manager at the George Washington University Virginia Science and Technology Campus (Ashburn, VA), with more 20 years of experience in providing student research assistance and interlibrary loan services. In addition to traditional academic library resources, the branch offers public visitor access to the Foundation Directory Online, a free service and database that helps nonprofits search for the grantmakers most likely to fund their projects. About the Social Impact Institute The Social Impact Institute, a program of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties, offers personalized support, specialized training, and in-depth programming...
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...
