by Nicole Acosta | Jan 8, 2020 | Uncategorized
In 2019, Give Choose raised more than $327,000 for local nonprofits in Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties. Join us in 2020 to make this year’s Give Choose the most successful event yet. What is Give Choose? Give Choose is an online day of giving to support organizations serving Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties, hosted by the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties. Nonprofit organizations serving Loudoun and Northern Fauquier are invited to register or renew their participation at GiveChoose.org, where they will create an online profile and encourage the community to give to their mission on the day of Give Choose – May 5, 2020. How can my organization participate? Review the renewal and registration processes below, and join us for our upcoming training session on February 11, 2020. Renewal and Registration Join our 6th annual Give Choose event on Tuesday, May 5, 2020! Nonprofits serving Loudoun and Fauquier Counties are invited to register for this monumental day of online giving at GiveChoose.org. The 2020 renewal and registration process opens January 8, 2020. Returning Organizations – Renew Your Participation (Read Instructions Carefully): Organizations that have previously participated in Give Choose will receive an automated email on January 8, 2020, to Sign In to your organization’s account at GiveChoose.org, and requesting an updated Give Choose 2020 Agreement document to be uploaded. The automated renewal email will be sent to your Give Choose site administrator. Be sure to use the “Sign In” button ONLY to access renewal documents at GiveChoose.org (do not use the “Register” button if your organization has participated in the past). Once you Sign In, you...
by Nicole Acosta | Jan 6, 2020 | Uncategorized
This week, The Loudoun Chamber Foundation announces the recipients of their 2020 grantmaking, totaling $32,000. The mission of the The Loudoun Chamber is to create a world class quality of life for everyone in Loudoun County. To make that vision a reality, The Loudoun Chamber created the Loudoun Chamber Foundation to conduct philanthropic and community building activities in 2015. The organizations receiving 2020 Loudoun Chamber Foundation grants are: Loudoun Citizens for Social Justice/LAWS – The Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter provides free, confidential services to the victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. A Place to Be – This grant will help A Place To Be purchase music equipment and expand to Eastern Loudoun, to serve those with disabilities, medical and mental health challenges. Friends of Loudoun Mental Health – This all-volunteer group helps those disabled by mental illness with assistance for housing, improved care, promoting recovery and raising awareness. American Red Cross in the National Capital Region – This grant will support the “Sound the Alarm,” a Home Fire Safety Campaign to decrease injuries and loss of life from home fires. The Ryan Bartel Foundation – This grant will support several youth suicide prevention programs, including the We’re All Human initiative in 15 high and 11 middle schools in Loudoun. Loudoun Habitat for Humanity – This grant will support LHFH’s Home Repair program, which fixes unsafe and inadequate living conditions enabling families to stay in their homes. Loudoun Hunger Relief – Loudoun Chamber Foundation funds will be used to purchase food and warehouse storage equipment to help LHR better serve their clients. Special Olympics of Virginia, Loudoun...
by Nicole Acosta | Jan 3, 2020 | Uncategorized
The Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties is now accepting applications for the Social Impact Institute’s 2020 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 the attached Registration Application, due by Friday, February 14, 2020. BCR sessions will begin in March 2020, and will be held at the Claude Moore Nonprofit Training Center (714 East Market Street, Leesburg, VA 20176). BCR session schedule will be provided to participants in late February, based on the availability provided in the application form. Program fee is $60. What did our past Board Chair participants have to say about the program? -“Meeting other Chairs gave me perspectives I had not thought of.” -“The group discussions and practical feedback was valuable.” -“It was great to get feedback from other Board Chairs and ask for advice.” Eligibility and Commitments: Participants...
by Nicole Acosta | Dec 11, 2019 | Uncategorized
The Five Voices of Leadership: Take Your Communication to the Next Level Date: Tuesday, February 4, 2020 Time: Registration: 8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.; Program: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Location: Claude Moore Nonprofit Training Center, 714 East Market Street, Leesburg, VA 20176 Registration Link Every effective nonprofit requires effective team communication, from Board, to staff, to volunteers. Through this dynamic workshop, participants will complete 3 modules of Transforming Team Communication: Discover Your Leadership Voice — Learn the behaviors and value of each of the 5 Voices and identify the foundational Voice you use The Power of Your Voice — Celebrate the contribution your Voice brings and learn the negative impact your Voice can have on others The Art of Collaboration — Get the best from each person in your team by learning to leverage and trust the strengths of their Voices Workshop Objectives: Increased self-awareness and confidence as each participant discovers their Leadership Voice Deeper relational trust Greater collaboration Honest conversations being the norm with fewer tensions and challenges Increased team performance against your metrics Presenter Courtney Jordan is a Senior Consultant with GiANT Worldwide specializing in developing people, increasing team performance and building better leaders. Courtney draws from her 14+ years experience in northern Virginia real estate where she has not only served hundreds of clients by referral, but she’s also trained many top producing agents on taking their business to the next level. She understands from the front lines how people make decisions, react in stress, and navigate change. In her work with GiANT, she helps companies grow into thriving organizations where everyone can bring their...
by Nicole Acosta | Dec 6, 2019 | Uncategorized
The Ursula Landsrath Animal Rescue Fund and the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties announced today $34,700 in grant awards to 12 nonprofit animal rescue organizations across Virginia, including those located in Loudoun County. The Ursula Landsrath Animal Rescue Fund was established within the Community Foundation earlier this year by the friends of Ursula Landsrath and her husband, Ken Rietz as a memorial after when she died January 3, 2019. Ursula Landsrath founded the Animal Rescue Fund of Virginia as an independent organization ten years ago, distributing more than $1 million during that time to Virginia-based animal rescue organizations before shutting down grantmaking operations in 2017. Dedicated to building a permanent legacy in her honor, the newly founded Ursula Landsrath Animal Rescue Fund will to continue to provide needed funds to grassroots animal rescue organizations while benefitting from staffing and investment support unique within the Community Foundation. “This is a great start for this new effort,” said Sandal Larose, member of the Ursula Landsrath Animal Rescue Fund grant committee. “We hope to be able to expand the number and amount of the grants in coming years.” The Ursula Landsrath Animal Rescue Fund selected 12 organizations to receive funding, after conducting a competitive grant process: Animal Care Assistance Program received a $2,500 grant to support a fence repair at their sanctuary facility. Blue Ridge Wildlife Center received a $2,500 grant to support the purchase of new surgical instrument packs and specialty instruments for animal surgeries. Community Cat Advocats received a $2,500 grant to support the County Cats program, focused on diversion for community cats who would otherwise euthanized....
by Nicole Acosta | Nov 20, 2019 | Uncategorized
Local donors and nonprofit leaders gathered this week at Integrus Holdings as the Loudoun Impact Fund awarded $102,000 in grants to 15 nonprofit organizations serving Loudoun County. The awards were made possible through the generosity of approximately 50 individuals and businesses that pooled charitable gifts. The Loudoun Impact Fund brings together individuals and businesses interested in grantmaking administered through a joint effort of the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia and the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties. Participants make a gift of $1,000 per individual or $5,000 per business to join the giving circle. Members review proposals submitted from local nonprofits and decide together which charities to grant. More than $457,000 in grant requests were received, almost double in requests than received last year. “We once again were overwhelmed by the quality of the grant requests and the level of need in our community,” said Robert Fiolek, donor and co-leader of the Loudoun Impact Fund. “I fully recommend participation in some form of community giving. Sure, it may be easier to just write a check. But if you are investing your time in learning the true needs of your neighbors and standing shoulder to shoulder with others in helping others, I promise you, you will want to do more.” Amy Owen, President and CEO of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties, noted the long-term impact of the giving circle’s grantmaking. “Since 2014, the Loudoun Impact Fund has contributed almost $600,000 in grants,” she said. “This is a high impact contribution in our community, especially when you recognize the lackluster household giving in Loudoun County....
by Nicole Acosta | Nov 14, 2019 | Uncategorized
Loudoun County’s newly-established Human Services Strategic Plan Advisory Committee kicked off its efforts to create a healthy, thriving, safe and inclusive community during an inaugural meeting November 14, 2019. The committee will implement Loudoun County’s first community-wide human services strategic plan. The Human Services Strategic Plan Advisory Committee will implement the strategies outlined in the Human Services Strategic Plan, which aims to meet the county’s human service needs, such as affordable health care, child care and housing. The Human Services Strategic Plan was developed in partnership between Loudoun County Government, the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties, and the Loudoun Human Services Network. Some of the plan strategies are already underway in the county, including the establishment of a coalition of Loudoun County’s behavioral health providers and the creation of a youth engagement forum. Committee members are expected to create and implement an annual work plan, convene or support subcommittees, conduct or collect research and identify resource needs. The first task of the committee is the development of a one-year action plan that will be presented to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. The committee is comprised of 16 members from human services agencies, organizations, and interest areas from across the county: Standing Members Assistant County Administrator Valmarie Turner Loudoun County Department of Family Services Director Glenda Blake Loudoun County Health Department Director Dr. David Goodfriend Loudoun County Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services Director Margaret Graham Loudoun County Grants Coordinator Shalom Black Loudoun Human Services Network Chair Jennifer Montgomery, Executive Director, Loudoun Hunger Relief Loudoun Human Services Network Vice Chair Nikki Daruwala, Executive Director,...
by Nicole Acosta | Nov 4, 2019 | Uncategorized
The Loudoun Chamber of Commerce is now accepting applications for grants from the Loudoun Chamber Foundation, a fund of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties. All Loudoun Chamber nonprofit, public charity members are eligible to submit an application for a Loudoun Chamber Foundation grant. The deadline to apply is November 26, 2019. Since launched in December of 2014, the Loudoun Chamber Foundation has awarded $84,000 in grants to 27 local nonprofit groups focused on issues including 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 grant application can be found here: https://funding.communityfoundationlf.org/ and...
