Growing Philanthropy

Giving the Gift of Freedom

July 15, 2016

Jill Hottel serves as Executive Director of Diving With Heroes and as the advisor of the Diving With Heroes Designated Fund at the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia.

Diving with Heroes, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded in June 2014 with the purpose of unlocking the treasures contained in the underwater world and sharing them with those who have fought so valiantly to secure and defend our freedom. The men and women of the U.S. armed forces have dedicated themselves to protecting our freedoms; in return, we want to gift them with the freedom that diving provides. Our aim is to enable our hero divers to participate in dive trips and scuba experiences allowing them to live the diving lifestyle.

Northern Virginia Community Rallies for Innovation

June 13, 2016

Exceeds $30,000 Goal to Jumpstart Innovation Fund Endowment

The Northern Virginia community is well on its way to having a committed pool of funds investing in innovative programs that will help diversify the local economy, give local students a leg up as they navigate their education and future careers, and support complex social issues in new, creative ways.

Local Giving to Support Children and Innovation

May 23, 2016

Tanya La Force is a member of the Business Women's Giving Circle and a recent donor to the Innovation Fund at the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia. We asked her a few questions her personal philanthropy and how she strives to make an impact in our region.

Leaving a Legacy for Local Youth

March 24, 2016

Milton Herd recently opened a donor advised fund at the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia – The Milton J. and G. Ronald Herd Charitable Fund provides direct grants to nonprofits, schools, and other non-religious affiliated programs to benefit children and youth 12 to 19 years of age living at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level in Northern Virginia.

We asked him about why she chose to open a fund with us here at the Community Foundation.

Leaving a Legacy Through a Scholarship Fund

January 11, 2016

Michell Merhige, in honor of whom Marcy Mager established her scholarship.Marcy Mager is a donor advisor at the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia. The Michell Merhige Scholarship Fund provides an award of up to $1,500 to a graduating senior attending a Fairfax County public school and honors the memory of her daughter - a young woman who overcame great obstacles in her life and went on to graduate from college, establish a successful career and give back to her community in numerous ways.

We asked her about why she chose to open a fund with us here at the Community Foundation.

Helping Local Neighbors Through a Donor Advised Fund

June 15, 2015

Beatriz McNelly recently opened a donor advised fund at the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia – The Caimi-Markis Family Fund provides direct grants to nonprofits, schools and faith based institutions serving women, children, families, economically disadvantaged populations, poverty relief, education, health and community improvement.

We asked her about why she chose to open a fund with us here at the Community Foundation.

Community Foundations Support Our Local Philanthropy

April 20, 2015

Raymond and Jessica Burmester are donor advisors at the Community Foundation. We asked the Burmesters to share their story about why they opened a fund here.

Groundhog Day becomes A Brand New Day

December 15, 2014

Nancy K. Eberhardt is a founding member of the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia's Business Women's Giving Circle.

For two decades I have been frustrated about the pace of growth of young women as leaders in entrepreneurship, business, and the science, technology and math professions here in Northern Virginia. It was 20 years ago that I served on an Advisory Board at George Mason University attempting to accelerate the number of young women graduating with business, math, engineering and science degrees. Many other advocates, with greater commitment and more concentrated efforts, have been at work on this issue for a long time.

Launching our Business Women's Giving Circle

June 18, 2014

Women Empowering Women to Innovate, Lead and Succeed

The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia has launched a new Business Women’s Giving Circle, the first group of its kind in the region comprised of women who are successful business leaders looking to empower girls and women of all ages through philanthropy in the Northern Virginia region.

Community Foundation for Northern Virginia Ranks in Top 100 Most Active Grantmakers

April 24, 2014

Reveals deep philanthropic engagement in the community

In a recent report published by CF Insights, “Benchmarking Beyond Asset Size: 2014 Top 100 Lists,” the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia ranked #85 on the top 100 list of Most Active Grantmakers. This report is based on the most recent Columbus Survey results, which surveyed community foundations across America to help gauge success across several dimensions of grantmaking and community engagement. The survey is available at http://bit.ly/QFlqlt.

We Live Here, We Give Here - Vol. 1

February 11, 2014

Global nomad is a word that truly describes my formative years. As a proud Navy daughter, we had the privilege of living throughout the US, Japan and the Philippines as I grew up to support my father’s career. When I arrived as a freshman at George Mason University in 1992 I didn’t know a soul. My primary focus was to understand and engage with the local community. Upon graduation, I found a robust job market which embraced my skills. I continued to leverage the idea of community throughout my career. When Greg and I married, we slowly deepened our roots in Northern Virginia. Over the course of the past 20+ years it has been incredibly rewarding to nurture the wonderful relationships this area has to offer.