Your Dollars at Work: The Impact of our 2023 Grants

In 2023, the Community foundation awarded more than $7 million in grants and scholarships, including $1,038,812 in grants from our discretionary funds, and donor advised funds that the Community Foundation awarded to directly support our community. Forty-four organizations were awarded $763,969 in our Community Investment Funds (CIF) cycle. Organizations that receive this funding have proven that they work to support differing needs and address complex social issues across the region. This funding, and the work it enables, is built on two of the core pillars of the Community Foundation's strategic work: to build communitiy resilience, and to advance social and economic mobility for all of Northern Virginia's residents.

Here are just a few examples of how our 2023 CIF grantees are changing lives:

Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (FACS) | $34,000
FACS used their funding to lift up and spread awareness of Northern Virginia Faith Communities to move towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions, and to be better stewards of the environment. In doing so, they bring together two important, but seemingly unrelated missions: working towards a healthier planet, and nurturing the soul.

Genesys Works | $15,000
Funding went towards providing college and career pathways to students from historically underserved communities in Fairfax County VA, Washington DC, and Montgomery County MD. All 100 of Genesys Works' 2023 students graduated high school. Ninety-nine of these 100 students applied to and were accepted into college, with 1 entering the armed forces. You can learn more about their programming from this impact video:  

STEM for Her Foundation | $15,000
With just one grant of $15,000, they were able to serve more than 1,000 young women in Northern Virginia, almost all of whom live in communities that are historically underserved. This single investment helped the organization increase their scholarship giving, expand their mentorship program, and deliver their biggest and best STEM for Her Day, their signature program.