VFN is excited to announce our new special feature opportunity, “Bringing You in the Know.” It’s another opportunity to highlight work amongst members across our issues of Network News and Upcoming Events. While Member Spotlights focus more fully on an organization, BYITK allows members to highlight a specific funding partner, or collaborative relationship, or similar partnership. If your organization has a feature you want to share in an upcoming “Bringing You in the Know,” please email Patte at patte@vafunders.org.
This month, we are excited to feature The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia‘s (CFNOVA) recent release of a report called, “Towards Social and Economic Mobility,” which highlights their move towards trust-based philanthropy and details their three year, unrestricted grantmaking partnership with a non-profit called United Community. Here’s a little more about this project/initiative:
“With the $200,000 in funds, United Community invested in their theory-based initiative, Lived Experience Consultants, so that they may better understand the communities in Alexandria and Fairfax County, Virginia. They were able to build trust and provide deeper access to community supports,” shared Amanda Bomfim, Manager of Marketing, Communications and Events at CFNOVA.
Tell us about a project or an area of work you’re most excited about.
Denise Bellows, PhD, Senior Director of Insight Region®, recently curated a case study report on the impact of unrestricted grantmaking to a nonprofit organization called, United Community. In alignment with our strategic priority to improve social and economic mobility in Northern Virginia, CFNOVA has embraced the growing momentum towards trust-based philanthropy in our grantmaking. The trust-based approach has allowed nonprofits to support programs or initiatives that foster deeper community engagement.
Over three years, CFNOVA’s Lamond Fund to Benefit Children and Youth invested $200,000 in United Community through unrestricted, multi-year grants. This funding enabled United Community to pursue an innovative, theory-based Lived Experience Consultants (LEC) initiative to understand the community along the Route 1 corridor in Alexandria and Fairfax County, helping build trust and provide deeper access to community support. The LEC initiative demonstrated impact on LEC participants, the community, and within the organization itself.
What else would you like your fellow funders to know about this initiative?
CFNOVA is working to build a community that works for everyone. By working towards trust-based philanthropy through unrestricted grantmaking, CFNOVA is prioritizing funding in a way that truly supports nonprofits and is responsive to their needs. This $200,000 multi-year grant to United Community is a model for a stronger partnership with the nonprofit leadership, a deeper connection among community members, and better access to community services in an underserved area.
We hope that grantmakers, funders, and donors will engage in trust-based philanthropy, collaborating with and granting funds to nonprofit leaders in order to achieve long-term impact and growth.
