Throughout the fall, the Community Foundation of the New River Valley (CFNRV) has awarded $157,645 in grants to 54 nonprofit organizations through its Responsive Grant Program.
The CFNRV manages over $10.6 million in more than 200 endowed funds created by NRV individuals, families, and businesses to award grants to charitable organizations and scholarships to students. In a typical year, the Responsive Grant Program awards grants for both general operations and for specific community projects focused on issues such as poverty, natural resource conservation, education, the arts, and housing. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CFNRV Board of Directors decided to award only operational support, giving organizations maximum flexibility to put the money where it is needed most. Nonprofits could apply for up to $4,000.
The CFNRV received nearly one hundred applications, and staff and volunteers then vetted the applications and made grant awards from dozens of endowed funds managed at the foundation. In addition to grants from endowments, the CFNRV opened its grant process to the public through an online grant catalog for the first time ever. Individuals and businesses could go to the online catalog to directly support a grant request, expanding the amount of money available to award this year. Public contributions totaled almost $10,000, making the first year of the grant catalog a great success.
The annual awards celebration that gathers donors and grant recipients could not be held this year, but many nonprofits sent in photos of appreciation when they received their checks in the mail. Executive director, Jessica Wirgau shared “2020 has been a challenging year for many nonprofit organizations in the New River Valley. I am proud that the CFNRV could make changes quickly to our grant programs to better serve our community. In the spring, we awarded over $76,000 in COVID-19 Response Grants, and we were admittedly unsure about how much additional money we could award this fall. But, our donors and the broader community really stepped up, and we were able to award a record amount in grants this fall. We appreciate all of the donors that have given this year to allow our nonprofits to continue the great work they are doing during the pandemic.”
A complete list of grant recipients is below. The 2021 Responsive Grant Program will open online in June 2021 with a deadline in late July. Anyone interested in starting an endowed fund to support charitable work in the New River Valley should contact the CFNRV at 540-381-8999 or email jessicawirgau@cfnrv.org.
Adaire Theatre: $4,000 from the Arts Alliance Endowment, the Dean & Rosina Carter Fund for the Visual Arts, the Ghia Borg Memorial Fund and public contributions.
Beans and Rice, Inc.: $2,565 from the Piscura Family Fund and public contributions.
Blacksburg Interfaith Food Pantry (under New River Community Action): $4,000 from the Jim and Sue McAlister Family Fund, the Talbot Family Fund, the Jacobs Family Fund, the Ghia Borg Memorial Fund, and public contributions.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia: $4,000 from the Children’s Shelter Home Endowment.
Building Bridges Child Development Center PTO. Inc.: $150 from public contributions.
Calfee Community and Cultural Center, Inc.: $4,000 from Ann and H.W. Huff, Jr. Family Fund.
Children’s Trust Foundation Roanoke Valley: $50 from public contributions.
CHIP of the New River Valley: $4,000 from the Luba Fabrycky Memorial Endowment Fund.
Christiansburg Institute, Inc.: $2,540 from the Blue Roads Education Fund, the Bob and Emily Stuart Grassroots Leadership Fund, and public contributions.
DePaul Community Resources: $3,740 from the Loving Care Fund.
Floyd Center for the Arts: $4,000 from the Floyd Fund.
Floyd Community Educational Association/Heart of the Child Music Education: $4,000 from the Floyd Fund.
Free Clinic of Pulaski County, Inc.: $555 from the Piscura Family Fund.
Friends of Peak Creek: $4,000 from the Susan Garrison Fund, the Cabell & Shirley Brand and SEEDS Student Fellowship Fund, the Litschert Family Fund, and public contributions.
Giles Animal Rescue, Inc.: $1,810 from the Giles Fund, the MANISTAL Fund, and public contributions.
Giles County Christian Service Mission: $3,000 from the Giles Fund.
Giles County Shelter, Inc.: $4,000 from the Giles Fund.
Giles Health and Family Center, Inc.: $4,000 from the Giles Fund.
Good Samaritan Hospice: $3,000 from the Bell Family Fund, Giles Fund and Ghia Borg Memorial Fund.
Habitat for Humanity of the New River Valley: $2,000 from the Giles Fund, the Gerus-Blieszner Fund, and public contributions.
Healthy Floyd: $4,000 from the Floyd Fund.
Helping Hands Backpack Program: $2,000 from the Giles Fund.
Junior Achievement of Southwest Virginia: $500 from public contributions.
Justice and Peace Committee, Holy Family Catholic Church: $2,400 from the Giles Fund.
Literacy Volunteers of America – New River Valley: $4,000 from the Warren Lloyd Holtzman Merit Grant Fund, the Nelle Oakey Ryan Gardner Fund, the Litschert Family Fund and public contributions.
Lyric Council, Inc.: $3,510 from the Virgil Speaks Fund, the Arts Alliance Endowment, and the Gerus-Blieszner Fund.
Montgomery County Christmas Store: $500 from the Gerus-Blieszner Fund.
New River Community Action: $3,350 from the Bea Kalka Fund, the Ghia Borg Memorial Fund, and public contributions.
New River Community Action, Head Start: $1,120 from the Hazelton Family Fund and the Giles Fund.
New River Conservancy: $1,050 from the Susan Garrison Fund and public contributions.
New River Family Shelter: $4,000 from the Piscura Family Fund, the Miller Family Fund, and the Ghia Borg Memorial Fund.
New River Valley Child Advocacy Resources, Education, and Services (NRV CARES): $4,000 from the David and Lillian Francis Charitable Fund, the Luba Fabrycky Memorial Endowment Fund, and the Giles Fund.
New River Valley Home dba NRV TimeBank: $3,050 from the Ghia Borg Memorial Fund and public contributions.
New River Valley Senior Services, Inc.: $4,000 from the Ghia Borg Memorial Health Care Fund, and the Nelle Oakey Ryan Gardner Fund.
New River Community College Educational Foundation-Student Outreach: $950 from the Young Women’s Life Experience Fund.
Planned Parenthood South Atlantic: $555 from the Piscura Family Fund.
Plenty!: $3,300 from the Floyd Fund and public contributions.
Pulaski Community Youth Center: $4,000 from the Ann and H.W. Huff, Jr. Family Fund.
Pulaski County Animal Shelter: $4,000 from the Ann and H.W. Huff, Jr. Family Fund.
Pulaski Daily Bread, Inc.: $3,055 from the Piscura Family Fund and public contributions.
Radford-Fairlawn Daily Bread: $3,845 from the Ann and H.W. Huff, Jr. Family Fund, the Ghia Borg Memorial Fund, the MANISTAL Fund, and public contributions.
Smithfield Preston Foundation: $250 from the Gerus-Blieszner Fund.
Springhouse Community School: $4,000 from the Floyd Fund.
St. Mary’s Catholic Justice & Peace, Glean Team: $1,000 from Susan Garrison Fund.
SustainFloyd: $4,000 from the Floyd Fund.
The June Bug Center: $4,000 from the Kathy and Bill Sanders Family Fund and the Floyd Fund.
To Our House: $4,000 from the Piscura Family Fund, the Giles Fund, the Ghia Borg Memorial Fund, and the Gerus-Blieszner Fund.
Virginia’s Blue Ridge Music Festival: $2,000 from the Floyd Fund.
Warm Heart Foundation: $3,000 from the Homer T. and Beverly A. Hurst Family Fund and the Ghia Borg Memorial Fund.
Wilderness Road Regional Museum: $4,000 from the Mary E. Sanders Family Fund, the Litschert Family Fund, the Ghia Borg Memorial Fund, and public contributions.
Women’s Resource Center of the New River Valley: $4,000 from Hawks Ridge Fund and NRV Association for Realtors Community Engagement Fund.
Wonder Universe, A Children’s Museum: $4,000 from the Smart Beginnings Charitable Fund, the Giles Fund, the Nicholson Family Fund, and public contributions.
YMCA at VT: $2,000 from the Cottingham-Stuart Fund.
YMCA of Pulaski County: $4,000 from Ann and H.W. Huff Jr. Family Fund.
In lieu of the annual grantee reception, grant recipients sent in photos receiving their checks.
