A blog post by Patte Koval, VFN’s Director of Member Engagement & Learning
Thanks to a generous grant from the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond (CFGR) and Dominion Energy, the Greater Richmond & Petersburg Region gathered 4 times (2 virtual and 2 in-person) in 2025 for its Regional Funder Gatherings. This fall, we were fortunate to be together twice! At the end of October, about 50 VFN Members and guests met at CFGR for updates on RVA Rising which was initially shared with the group in early 2025 at its inception.
RVA Rising
RVA Rising is a regional movement uniting people and organizations around a single purpose: creating a Richmond region where everyone has a fair shot at opportunity and success. Focused on increasing economic mobility, the movement connects efforts that support rewarding work, quality education, inclusive neighborhoods, and healthy environments — ensuring that progress for one community becomes progress for all. Born out of years of research and partnership, RVA Rising is grounded in the idea that the region’s greatest potential lies in collaboration. It is not a program or a new organization, but a framework that helps track shared data, align strategies, amplify stories, and build the momentum needed to make structural change possible.
Five anchor organizations — the CFCR, ChamberRVA, Richmond Memorial Health Foundation (RMHF), United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg (UW), and PlanRVA — are deeply committed to the movement, providing the coordination, infrastructure, and accountability that help partners stay connected and focused on outcomes. CFCR, RMHF, and UW are all VFN Members. Barbara Cuoto Sipe, President & CEO of UW, shared these thoughts at the meeting. “We all have something to give in this effort, and we all have something to learn, and we all have something to gain. Together, RVA Rising helps us connect the dots between humanity and economic mobility.”
CFCR’s Isabelle Eljaiek, Sr Officer Research Data & Analysis, presented some of the latest data findings and the factors involved. She shared a metric activity the RVA Rising work teams use to determine data points and next steps, and had attendees break into some teams for their own simulation. At the end of the session, Pem Hall, Executive Director of Memorial Foundation for Children described her next steps. “We believe that RVA Rising is so important that we’re inviting Kim Russell from the Community Foundation and Linzy George from United Way to make a presentation about the initiative to the Foundation Board. We are excited to learn more about the data being gathered and how it will inform our mission to improve the lives of children from asset-limited households and under-resourced communities through our grants program.”
Shockoe Institute Hard Hat Tour
To close out the year, about 20 VFN Members from VFN’s Region 4 attended a tour on December 1 of the soon-to-open Shockoe Institute, a national organization headquartered in Richmond dedicated to understanding the impact of racial slavery on the American experience through learning, reflection, and action. As its website states, it will not be “a museum, a think tank or an arts museum, but all of these and more.” The Grand Opening is scheduled for April 9. To learn more, visit: https://www.shockoeinstitute.org/.