Foundation Statement for Racial Justice

The Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region has been supporting our nonprofit community for over 20 years. We recognize that this period in American history is an opportunity for us to listen and learn about the deeper questions of race, justice and equity in our community. 

We stand in solidarity with our grantees and partners who experience and respond to racism and injustice every day. We stand with Black, Indigenous and People of Color. No one should be subjected to discrimination or have to live in fear for themselves or their children.

By advancing philanthropy, The Community Foundation advocates for the vitality and well-being of the Rappahannock River region. We know that solutions come from within communities. The perspectives of affected people should be the primary source for what practices are best, what needs are greatest and what solutions are most promising. We will work alongside our neighbors to enact sustainable change to advance racial equity. We will mobilize people, ideas, and investments so that all individuals – no matter their place, race, or identity – have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

We will:

• Audit our internal operations - our initiatives, our grantmaking policies, procedures and practices, and our fund development - to ensure a diverse and equitable organization; 
• Identify and work to dismantle unconscious bias and rethink ingrained practices, which can lead to discrimination against People of Color; 
• Leverage current board diversity and build a representative, equitable and racially inclusive board and staff, and ensure these core values are reflected within all foundation programs and initiatives;
• Create a designated fund to combat systemic racism and ensure a safe community for People of Color;
• Convene community members to promote racially diverse leadership within the nonprofit community and across the region we serve;
• Become a resource for best racial equity practices, particularly with regard to nonprofit programming and grantmaking.

Skin color should not dictate life outcomes, opportunities for success, or the ability to thrive, or even survive. We must work together in solidarity to address the entrenched institutional practices that have led us to this moment, to this movement.

Our Mission

The Community Foundation is a devoted advocate for the vitality and well-being of the Rappahannock River region. Our mission is to build a flourishing philanthropic community.