accelerate recovery
The Community Relief Fund
The Community Foundation stands ready to help in the event of any disaster effecting our region.
The Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region established The Community Relief Fund in 2019 as a responsive granting resource that can be deployed to assist and strengthen our region during times of crisis. Our goal is to work collaboratively to accelerate recovery for a thriving, resilient and even stronger Rappahannock River region. The foundation has designed a three-phase funding approach to our COVID-19 grantmaking: Immediate Relief, Community Recovery, and Reimagining & Building Resilience. The Community Relief Fund distributed nearly $700,000 to local nonprofit organizations providing critical services to our community.
COVID-19 Response
In March 2020, when the significant impact of the coronavirus pandemic on our region became clear, foundation staff and board mobilized to activate the Community Relief Fund, secure funding assess community needs and distribute rapid response grants to area nonprofits.
Our goal is to work collaboratively with the nonprofit, government, philanthropic and private sectors to accelerate recovery for a thriving, resilient and even stronger Rappahannock River Region. We support organizations that are addressing immediate needs, longer term effects of the pandemic, and community recovery.
The Community Foundation seeded the fund with $50,000 from our board-directed, unrestricted Community Fund. By June 30, 2020, our generous community had donated another $516,614 to the Community Relief Fund to support area nonprofits as they increased and adapted their programs to meet new needs.
Our local nonprofits continue to demonstrate incredible resilience, ingenuity and tenacity and its an honor to play a part in implementing local solutions. The Community Foundation understands that the effects of the pandemic are far-reaching; that recovery is a marathon, not a sprint.