by Nicole Acosta | Jan 17, 2019 | Uncategorized
Registration Join us for our 5th Give Choose event on Tuesday, May 7, 2019! Nonprofits serving Loudoun and Fauquier Counties are invited to register for this monumental day of online giving at GiveChoose.org. Returning Organizations: Organizations joining Give Choose again should have received an automated email to Sign In to your organization’s account at GiveChoose.org. Be sure to use the “Sign In” button; the “Register” button is for new organizations only. Once you Sign In, you will be able to refresh your organization’s information from last year and add additional organizational administrators if needed. Please review and update your organization’s profile, goals, and logo. New feature this year – you can now add videos and photos! All organizations, returning and new, must upload a signed 2019 Give Choose agreement before you can be approved to join in 2019. New Organizations: Organizations participating in Give Choose for the first time may visit Give.Choose.org and select Register to begin the registration process. All organizations, returning and new, must upload a signed 2019 Give Choose agreement before you can be approved to join in 2019 (agreement available for download on the Registration page). Deadline to register or renew: April 12, 2019 Give Choose Catalogue In partnership with Loudoun Now, this year we are offering the opportunity for participating Give Choose organizations to be featured in a first-ever Give Choose Catalogue! In this special section of Loudoun Now, organizations participating in Give Choose will be featured with an organizational description and logo. To be featured in the Give Choose Catalogue, returning and new organizations must: Upload on the Give Choose site a signed 2019...
by Nicole Acosta | Jan 17, 2019 | Uncategorized
Forward Turn is a youth-led charitable grantmaking program that takes a “forward turn” to benefit communities in Loudoun and Fauquier Counties. Forward Turn is a partnership with the Loudoun County Youth Advisory Council and funded by the S. Murray Rust and Mary H.C. Rust Student Philanthropy Project endowment of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties. Forward Turn Youth Advisors will consider 2018-2019 applications that Strengthen Positive Youth Lifestyle, Create United Youth Communities, and Encourage Community Youth Involvement in Loudoun and Fauquier Counties. Youth involvement in the application process is strongly preferred. For more information on Forward Turn grantmaking priorities, eligibility requirements, and the grant application process, please download the Forward Turn Grant Application here. The deadline for grant application submissions is January 24, 2019. Please note that in-person interviews with applicants and youth endorsing their work will be conducted on February 11, 2019 between 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Please see the application for more details. Grant submissions and questions should be directed to Amy Owen at amy@communityfoundationlf.org or...
by Nicole Acosta | Jan 10, 2019 | Uncategorized
We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for the Social Impact Institute’s 2019 Board Chair Roundtable. Board chairs play a critical role in a nonprofit organization’s success, and the role often comes with many challenges. Joining the BCR will give you the opportunity to network and connect with other board chairs; learn effective strategies for honing your board leadership; explore topics related to nonprofit board management, governance, and best practices; and provide and receive support from your peers in a confidential and trusted setting. Program Design: The BCR will be comprised of a small group of 6-10 nonprofit board chairs who will meet monthly for 90-minute sessions, over six months. The BCR will be organized and facilitated by the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties’ Nicole Acosta, Director of Grants and Nonprofit Programs. Session topics will be designed with input from the BCR participants and may include guest speakers or presenters. BCR participants must complete a Registration Application, due by Friday, February 15, 2019. BCR sessions will begin in March 2019, and will be held at a Leesburg location (exact location to be determined). BCR session schedule will be provided to participants in late February, based on the availability provided in the application form. Program fee is $60. Eligibility and Commitments: Participants must be a current Board Chair of a 501(C)(3) public charity serving Loudoun and/or Northern Fauquier Counties; Participants must be a Board Chair of an organization with a Board membership of at least five individuals, with no more than 30% of the majority comprised of family members; Participants must complete Registration Application, including cover...
by Nicole Acosta | Jan 4, 2019 | Uncategorized
Check out what we’ve got in the works for 2019! Give Choose Join your fellow nonprofits and register your organization for Give Choose 2019 — our 5th Give Choose event! Mark your calendars for these important Give Choose dates. More information coming soon about the dates listed below. February 4, 2019, 9:00am-12:00pm – Give Choose training (registration info coming soon) May 7, 2019 – Give Choose event (early giving begins April 23, 2019) Nonprofit Academy Workshops In partnership with the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce, we are pleased to offer another year of Nonprofit Academy Workshops! Workshops on topics including strategic planning, fundraising, and board engagement will be held quarterly. Save the date for our first workshop, Developing a Strategic Plan, on March 12, 2018, 8:30am-12:00pm. More details and registration info coming soon. Social Impact Institute – Board Chair Roundtable Leading as a nonprofit’s Board Chair can be a rewarding yet daunting job. A strong Board Chair plays a critical role in an organization’s success. Local nonprofit Board Chairs are invited to join our first Board Chair Roundtable, where Board Chairs will have the opportunity to learn from one another, strengthen their Board leadership skills, and explore topics such as Board roles and responsibilities, engaging your Board members, supporting your Executive Director and staff, and more. The Board Chair Roundtable will meet as a group once per month, over six months. Interested in receiving emails, news, and updates about the Board Chair Roundtable? Email nicole@communityfoundationlf.org Cost: $60 total ($10 per month) Dates: Registration opens January 10, 2019; monthly sessions beginning March, 2019 Social Impact Institute – Executive Coaching “Leading for Success” Leading For Success offers area...
by Nicole Acosta | Dec 14, 2018 | Philanthropy Rocks
This week, community foundations across Northern Virginia, including the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties, welcomed Amazon to our community in a joint letter. As we prepare for and anticipate the impact Amazon will have across the region and here in Loudoun, we look forward to new opportunities that lie ahead. Recently, Jeff Bezos, founder, chairman, and CEO of Amazon, and his wife Mackenzie Bezos, donated $97.5 million to 24 nonprofits across the country that are working on family homelessness. The Bezos The Day 1 Families Fund announced in November that it will invest $2.5 million in Northern Virginia Family Service’s efforts to end family homelessness in the region. The grant will support fund NVFS’s work to pursue solutions to family homelessness. Funding from the grant will go toward housing after shelter and providing families with services, skills training and job support needed in transitioning to and remaining in permanent housing. Community foundations have a long-standing history of working with corporations to create solutions to local needs in the communities they serve. Northern Virginia’s community foundation leaders welcome Amazon our vibrant, diverse community; below you can read our welcome letter. Dear Amazon, Welcome to Northern Virginia! As the timeframe for your decision on HQ2 drew closer, those of us who already call this region home began to think about how we’d welcome you to our community. Community foundations have a more than 100-year history as community conveners and conversation brokers who work tirelessly to preserve, enhance and protect the quality of life for our neighbors. This role often places us directly in the middle of our...
by Nicole Acosta | Dec 6, 2018 | Uncategorized
This week, we announce two local leaders joining our Board of Directors! Rajan Seth, a resident of Ashburn, is the President of Seth Enterprises CPA, LLC, and has extensive experience in tax and financial management. Kimberely Evans, a lifelong Loudoun resident currently residing in Leesburg, is Senior Manager of IT Procurement at Maximus, Reston, VA, and has extensive experience in the telecommunications field. She is also the owner and founder of Generations Gourmet, a local catering business. “We are very pleased to welcome Kimberely and Rajan to our active and engaged Board of Directors. The expertise and passion for the community that they each bring to their board service will be a plus for the Community Foundation and the nonprofits and individuals that we serve,” stated Board Chair, Tracey White. The Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties has an all-volunteer Board of Directors of thirteen members. Amy Owen serves as the organization’s President and CEO and was recently named Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2018 Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce Small Business...
by Nicole Acosta | Nov 27, 2018 | Uncategorized
Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and now…..Giving Tuesday! This year, join the movement of Giving Tuesday by supporting your local community. Here are some ways to give locally, where your gift will join forces with others, for maximum impact right in your own backyard. Endowment for the Community Established by our Board of Directors to create permanent endowment supporting our community, the Endowment for the Community makes grants to meet changing and pressing needs in Loudoun and Fauquier Counties. Gifts for Good Gifts for Good is an alternative gift portal with a collaboration of local human service organizations working together to offer you the perfect choice to make a gift in honor of someone special during an event or holiday celebration. Your gift will support 18 nonprofit organizations in Loudoun County working together to meet local needs. Your donation includes a printable card for you to send to the person your gift honors. PAW Fund Loudoun County charities that focus on animal safety, education, adoption, health, and overall animal welfare, as well as animal-based human therapy nonprofits, benefit from the PAW Fund, a giving circle founded by local veterinarians in 2018. Loudoun Impact Fund The Loudoun Impact Fund is a giving circle of annual philanthropic investors who review and recommend grants into our Loudoun Community. Make a gift to join this partnership between the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties and our neighboring sister community foundation, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia. Gifts to join are $1,000 per individual and $5,000 for businesses for a fall grants cycle. Learn more. ...
by Nicole Acosta | Nov 17, 2018 | Uncategorized
As we wrap up Community Foundation Week, we take a moment to honor all of our nonprofit partners in making Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties an incredible place to live, work, and play. And, we thank these local nonprofits who showed us some love for Community Foundation Week–we love you too! If you want to share why you <3 your Community Foundation, send a selfie with our sign (download to print here) to Nicole at nicole@communityfoundationlf.org and we’ll add yours to our photo gallery! Greg Masucci and Maya Wechsler, A Farm Less Ordinary Olivia Rogers and Katy Tyrrell Reed, Middleburg Community Center HealthWorks for Northern Virginia team Kasia Bochenek and Anarosa, YMCA Loudoun County Susan Mandel Giblin, Louodun Volunteer Caregivers, and her team Judy Hanley, Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter, and her team Nikki Daruwala, Loudoun Literacy Council Nikki Daruwala, Loudoun Literacy Council Nikki Daruwala, Loudoun Literacy Council Beth Driggers, Volunteers of America Chesapeake, and her team Valerie Pisierra, Loudoun Cares Katey Comerford and team, Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia Carol Smith, Crossroads Jobs Bob Dale, Windy Hill Foundation Jennifer Montgomery, Loudoun Hunger Relief, and...
by Nicole Acosta | Nov 16, 2018 | Uncategorized
The Loudoun Chamber of Commerce has announced that its charitable foundation arm, the Loudoun Chamber Foundation, is accepting applications from local nonprofits seeking financial support for their work in our community. All Loudoun Chamber nonprofit members are eligible to submit an application for a Loudoun Chamber Foundation grant. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. on December 1, 2018. Since it was launched in December of 2014, the Loudoun Chamber Foundation has awarded $60,000 in grants to 21 local nonprofit groups focused on issues as diverse as education, health care, hunger and mental health. In 2018, through both the Foundation and other fundraising activities, the Loudoun Chamber generated more than $40,000 for Loudoun-based nonprofit organizations. “The Loudoun Chamber is committed to investing in our community and supporting our nonprofit partners that are focused on improving the quality of life for our families, our employees and our neighbors. There are so many local nonprofits doing outstanding work to serve Loudoun’s citizens, businesses and workforce, and we are privileged to be in a position to support their work,” said Loudoun Chamber President Tony Howard. The Loudoun Chamber Foundation was created to provide financial support to area nonprofits that are focused on economic development, education and workforce development, public safety and healthy communities. The Loudoun Chamber Foundation’s grant application can be found at https://fs21.formsite.com/LoudounChamber/form33/index.html or at www.loudounchamber.org/non-profit-initiative. For questions about the application, please contact Tony Howard at...
by Nicole Acosta | Nov 14, 2018 | Uncategorized
As we celebrate National Community Foundation Week, learn more about Community Foundations in the US and across the world: What is a Community Foundation? A community foundation can be defined simply as a grantmaking public charity dedicated to improving the lives of people in a defined local geographic. Increasingly, however, larger community foundations are funding global initiatives, in addition to programs in their geographic region. Facts about Community Foundations · The first community foundation was created in 1914 in Cleveland, Ohio, and operates now as the Cleveland Foundation. · Every continent but Antarctica has a community foundation, and it is estimated that there are at least 1,000 community foundations outside of the United States and Canada. · As of 2015, there were 795 community foundations in the United States. Indiana has the highest number of any state, with 76 community foundations. · Total giving by community foundations in 2015 was nearly $7 billion. Community foundations in California gave the most, with total giving by community foundations in the state totaling nearly 1.5 billion dollars. · Nearly every type of gift, from cash to real estate to bitcoin to stock, can be donated to a community foundation....
