Applications are now being accepted for the 2023-2024 grant cycle and are due by Friday, February 2, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.
Grant Program Summary
Forward Turn is a youth-led charitable grantmaking program that takes a “forward turn” to benefit communities in Fauquier and Loudoun Counties. Forward Turn is a partner with the Youth Advisory Council in Loudoun County and funded by the S. Murray and Mary H.C. Rust Student Philanthropy Project endowment fund of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties. Forward Turn Youth Advisors consider applications that strengthen youth leadership, create a united and caring community, and encourage community involvement in Loudoun and Fauquier Counties.
About the Donors
Children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of Stirling and Murray Rust and his wife Mary Hilton Coburn Rust seeded a permanent endowment, the S. Murray Rust and Mary H.C. Trust Student Philanthropy Project, to create the Forward Turn Youth Grantmaking program.
Forward Turn Grant Guidelines
The Community Foundation and its Forward Turn Youth Advisors will consider applications that strengthen youth leadership, create a united and caring community, and encourage community involvement in Loudoun and Fauquier Counties.
We have a strong preference for youth involvement in the application process. See more about that below. Here are some ideas for grant programs, but we’re interested in your ideas, too:
• Address substance use disorders and/or eating disorders in teens
• Educate teen users about internet safety
• Offer educational mentoring or tutoring programs for youth
• Teach tolerance and anti-bullying to youth
• Demonstrate road safety and safe driving practices
• Build meaningful links between youth, adults, and/or elderly
• Help with teen food insecurity, clothing, and housing needs
• Promote wellness, leadership, and/or civic engagement among teens
• Bring awareness and address mental health with youth and teens
• Support programs that protect and preserve our environment
Grant Making Priorities
Grants will be prioritized for the following:
• Proposals written by teen applicants!
• Projects that include collaboration with another student group, faith-based organization, or charitable nonprofit
• Projects that leverage additional resources, like volunteer time, in-kind gifts of materials or supplies, or that are matched by other funding sources
• Ideas that have high impact with a small grant
Who is eligible to apply…and who receives a grant?
Forward Turn grant applicants may be faith-based organizations, local nonprofit organizations, government groups, or schools (public schools or nonprofit schools) serving Loudoun and/or Northern Fauquier Counties. Nonprofit organizations must be a 501(c)(3) public charity in good standing with the IRS. Grants to faith-based organizations must be for projects or programs that do not include religious teachings as part of its activities.
We prioritize grant proposals written by youth. However, the grant application may also be written and prepared by an adult project leader, as long as a youth volunteer/program participant writes a Letter of Endorsement that is submitted with the grant application. For some quick summaries of past grants awarded, visit https://communityfoundationlf.org/forwardturn/
Application Deadlines, Interviews and Reviews
Applications must be submitted electronically through our online grants portal by Friday, February 2, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. (The grant application portal will CLOSE at 5:00 p.m.). Applicants and the youth endorsing their work must be available for an interview with Forward Turn youth grantmakers. Interviews will take place on the evenings of March 4, 2024, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. and March 18, 2024, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. (you only need to attend one of these dates, and we’ll work with you on the best date and time for you). It is anticipated that interviews will be held in person in Leesburg.
Pre-Application Workshop
The Community Foundation will hold an optional pre-application workshop for interested applicants via Zoom on Thursday, January 11, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. Registration required to attend this workshop. To receive the link to attend the workshop, register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEsc-6tpzouE9Ki8GfmGnwzNMN_7duBMPE8. A recording of the workshop will be emailed to all those who register and will also be posted after January 11, 2024 on our website here: https://communityfoundationlf.org/grant-seekers/
Grant Size, Announcement, and Final Reporting
Grants usually range from $500 to $1,500 (and you must request a specific amount of funding in your application). Grants are anticipated to be announced by April 1, 2024. Grant recipients have one year to complete a project and spend their grant funds once funded.
Application Instructions
All applications will be submitted online through our online grants portal at https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=cflf
Questions?
Contact Joanne Trimmer, Director of Grants and Nonprofit Programs, at [email protected] or 703-779-3505, x1
