Last week, members of the Virginia Funders Network (VFN) participated in a roundtable discussion with Governor Abigail Spanberger and Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Services Marvin Figueroa about the anticipated effects of H.R. 1 on communities across the Commonwealth.

The Governor and Secretary outlined significant changes facing Virginia’s health and social services systems, including projected revenue losses for the Commonwealth and Virginia hospitals, the potential loss of health coverage for hundreds of thousands of Medicaid recipients, and SNAP provisions that could cause thousands of Virginians to lose food assistance.

The conversation also highlighted how VFN Members are responding to community needs and collaborating across regions. VFN shared the place-based mission of many of its members and discussed how funders are working together to support critical services and strengthen community-based organizations throughout Virginia.

VFN members participating in the roundtable included:

• Kelly Cannon, VHHA Foundation
• Carolyn Champion, Dominion Energy
• Bill Hazel, Claude Moore Opportunities
• Bess Littlefield, Virginia Funders Network
• Sherry Norquist, Sentara
• Rachel Rees, Virginia Health Care Foundation

The roundtable concluded with a discussion about opportunities for greater collaboration among philanthropy, community-based organizations, and state government, including coordinated efforts to help eligible Virginians retain access to health coverage and other essential benefits.

VFN Launches New Learning Series

To help Members better understand these evolving federal policy changes and their implications for Virginia communities, VFN has launched “Connecting Federal Policy to Virginia Communities,” a series of virtual learning sessions exploring the issues, the state’s response, and opportunities for philanthropy to support the communities it serves.

The first in the series, “Rural Health Transformation in Virginia,” is tomorrow, July 22 from 10-11 AM. To register and learn more, click here.

The second in the series, “Navigating H.R. 1 Impacts in Virginia,” will be on Tuesday, August 4 from 12-1 PM. To register and learn more, click here. 

We anticipate hosting our third webinar, focused on the drastic changes to federal grants that impact our public health systems, etc., in early fall.