make a charitible impact

Established in 1998, the private Fredericksburg Savings Charitable Foundation donated generously to many community organizations over the years.  In 2020, the fund contributed $691,000 to nearly 80 local nonprofits. In January 2021, this private foundation transferred its over $13 million in assets to The Community Foundation as an unrestricted fund.

The Fredericksburg Savings Charitable Foundation Fund shall be used to support not-for-profit programs and projects including community development, housing assistance, scholarships, local education, medical facilities, community groups, cultural organizations and other similar types of organizations and civic-minded projects that contribute to the quality of life in the Counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford and the City of Fredericksburg.

Grant Opportunities

The Fredericksburg Savings Charitable Foundation Fund will begin accepting applications for funding on July 17, 2023. 

Applications must be received by August 28, 2023 by 5:00 PM.

About this Grant

The Fredericksburg Savings Charitable Foundation Fund is intended to support not-for-profit programs that contribute to the quality of life in Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, Stafford and Fredericksburg. The fund’s fields of interest are wide-ranging and include:

• community development
• housing
• scholarships
• education
• medical
• community groups
• cultural organizations
• other similar types of organizations and civic-minded projects

To qualify for a grant from the Fredericksburg Savings Charitable Foundation Fund, applicants must be formally recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization or have a fiscal agent.

All grants will be made for organizational support.

The Community Foundation will not award grant support to organizations that, in their constitution, bylaws or practices, discriminate against a person or group because of age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, different ability, sexual orientation or religious belief.

Grantees, however, may target services to a particular population when the targeted groups require specialized programs to meet specific needs not shared by the general population.

Foundation Values

The Community Foundation’s stated organizational values reflect qualities that are found in the most promising grant proposals. These qualities are not used as the sole deciding factors, but proposals that demonstrate these qualities will be considered most competitive. Proposals that uphold the following values are preferred:

Stewardship. Projects that evidence the careful and responsible management of capital and human resources. These projects show sustainability, fiscal prudence and integrity.

Inspiration. Projects that creatively inspire collective effort and positive action. Such projects might include plans to disseminate information or challenge others to act.

Collaboration. Projects that foster and create productive partnerships and reduce redundancies. Signed letters of commitment among partners are one example of a best practice in collaborative work.

Vision. Projects that demonstrate visionary leadership. Such projects show commitment to responsibly accomplishing set goals and to achieving remarkable outcomes.

Accountability. Projects that measure and share with community stakeholders the impact that their efforts create in our communities. These proposals have a clear statement about what will constitute success for the project and how progress toward the stated goals will be measured.

Other Terms of Funding

The Community Foundation recognizes that many organizations previously budgeted grants from the former Fredericksburg Savings Charitable Foundation. Fredericksburg Savings Charitable Foundation dissolved effective January 2021 and transferred its assets to The Community Foundation. The Community Foundation follows best practices of competitive grantmaking. The process is now competitive with applications and reports required.

Note: The annual amount available to grant through this fund is determined by The Community Foundation’s Spending Policy, created by the Board of Governors. The current spending rate is 4% of the fund’s 12-quarter rolling average. Previously as a private foundation, the Fredericksburg Savings Charitable Foundation operated on a 5% spending policy. The total amount available to grant from the Fredericksburg Savings Charitable Foundation Fund of The Community Foundation for amount available to grant for FY 22 is 18.26% less than the amount granted by Fredericksburg Savings Charitable Foundation in FY21 prior to its dissolution.

Requests from this fund are determined by your organization’s operational budget:

Before beginning an application, please prepare the following:

• Introduction:Describe the organization's history, mission, and goals.
• Board Responsibilities: Describe the role of your organization’s board of directors, including how your board carries out its responsibilities for financial and program oversight and fundraising.
• Statement of Need: Describe current challenges the organization faces. How will this funding advance your organization's mission?
• Request Details: Describe how you are proposing to spend the grant funds.
• Describe the organization's planned activities for the year ahead. What are your internal goals? What are your external goals? Include a brief description of your most significant collaborations and partnerships with other organizations in your field or region
• Evaluation: What evaluations tools do you use to measure progress toward goals? How are evaluation results used?

To contribute to this fund, simply click Donate to This Fund.

Donations may also be mailed to:
The Community Foundation
The Fredericksburg Savings Charitable Foundation Fund
PO Box 208
Fredericksburg, VA 22404-0208

Please make your check payable to:
The Fredericksburg Savings Charitable Foundation Fund