The Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties and the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia have partnered to offer grant opportunities to qualifying organizations serving Loudoun County through the Loudoun Impact Fund.

The Loudoun Impact Fund is a giving circle of caring donors, each making gifts of $1,000 (per person) or $5,000 (per foundation or corporation) to the Fund. Gifts are pooled together to leverage funding and offer grants with impact, here at home. Some members may be new to grantmaking and look forward to learning more about programs, needs, and solutions in Loudoun County.

Grantmaking Priorities
The Loudoun Impact Fund grant advisors will consider applications to fund services and projects that positively impact vulnerable or at-risk children and youth in Loudoun County.

Proposed projects should address one or more of the following:

  • Basic needs support for low-income, vulnerable, or at-risk children or youth, including food, shelter, and housing;
  • Physical and behavioral health and wellness for low-income, vulnerable, or at-risk children and youth;
  • Trauma-informed services for low-income, vulnerable, or at-risk children and youth addressing and preventing family violence and/or child abuse;
  • Academic and school-readiness support for low-income, vulnerable, or at-risk children and youth;
  • Programs providing high-quality child care for low-income, vulnerable, or at-risk children and youth;
  • Programs providing life-skills and training to low-income, vulnerable, or at-risk children and youth;
  • Youth development and leadership opportunities low-income, vulnerable, or at-risk children or youth.

Priority may be given to organizations/programs that:

  • Can demonstrate significant hardship or increased demand for services due to COVID-19, or;
  • Provide services directly to populations that may be disproportionally impacted, physically or financially, by COVID-19.

Organizations may request project-specific funding, or funding for general operating support.

Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity in good standing with the IRS, school, or faith-based organization (NOTE: The Loudoun Impact Fund can support faith-based organizations; however, it will not support projects that either provide or require religious teachings to its program participants or exclude participants of different faiths). Applicants must provide services in Loudoun County.

Application Deadlines and Reviews
Applications must be submitted electronically through https://funding.communityfoundationlf.org.

Applications will be accepted starting Monday, August 31, and are due by Wednesday, October 21, 2020, 5:00 p.m. The Loudoun Impact Fund members will review applications and make funding recommendations to the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors for approval.

Grant Size, Notification, Final Reporting
An estimated $75,000 will be available for distribution. Grants are expected to range from $5,000 to $15,000; grants of less than $5,000 will be considered. Grants will be announced no later than Wednesday, November 25, 2020. Grantees will be invited to participate in an evening grantee & donor reception planned for December 3, 2020 (format/location TBD).

A final report of outcomes and grant expenses must be provided to the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties by November 1, 2021. Extensions may be allowed, but must be approved in writing in advance.

Pre-Application Workshop
An optional pre-application workshop will be held online for interested applicants on Friday, September 18, at 2:00 p.m. To attend the workshop, applicants must register here to get the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcoc-6ppz8uHdH4o0gbAyxaRo1bpIt-lzk1

A link to view the recording of the workshop will be posted here after September 18.

Application
To view the full grant guidelines and to access the online application, visit: https://funding.communityfoundationlf.org

Questions?
Contact Nicole Acosta, Director of Grants and Nonprofit Programs, at [email protected] or 703-779-3505 x3.