FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT: Jane McDonald
PHONE: 540-373-9292
Fredericksburg, VA – The Community Foundation proudly hosted its 2025 Women and Girls Fund Live Ballot Event on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at the Mary Washington Monument. The evening brought together Women and Girls Fund members to hear from four nonprofit finalists competing for a $50,000 grant: Fairy Godmother Project, Girls on the Run – Piedmont, Healthy Families Rappahannock Area, and Virginia Community Food Connections. After finalists presentations, members of the Women & Girls Fund voted to award the $50,000 grant to the Fairy Godmother Project.
“This evening is always a highlight of our year—it shows the power of community-led giving,” said Sharon Schmidt, President of The Community Foundation. “Through the Women and Girls Fund, our members come together to support transformative work being done in our region.
Established in 2009 through The Community Foundation, the Women and Girls Fund is a powerful movement of women coming together to uplift and invest in the lives of local women and girls. The goal is bold yet simple: unite 1,000 women each giving a one-time contribution of $1,000 to create a $1 million fund—by women, for women. This permanent fund supports programs that promote safety, health, education, and economic empowerment for women and girls across our region. Since its founding, the Fund has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to nonprofits making a meaningful difference. Today, the movement has 539 members and is actively recruiting others to join.
This year’s Women & Girls Fund grant recipient, the Fairy Godmother Project (FGP), provides critical emotional and financial support to families navigating the challenges of pediatric cancer. With the awarded funds, FGP will expand its impact by increasing direct aid for gas, lodging, and basic necessities for families enduring extended cancer treatments. In addition, the grant will help FGP grow its counseling and emotional support services for parents and siblings, offer meal assistance and care packages, and enhance respite support to reduce family stress. This initiative ensures no family has to choose between financial security and being by their child’s side during treatment.
“It’s always inspiring to see so many women come together to support causes that matter,” said Jane McDonald, Programs Specialist at The Community Foundation. “This event reminds us that when we assemble our resources and our voices, we can make a real, lasting difference right here in our own community.”
This year’s Live Ballot Event would not have been possible without the extended generosity of our donors. We gratefully acknowledge the support of:
- Sue Botts
- Pat Breme
- Rhonda Cary Fried
- Sandy Gillenwater
- Susan Graham
- Gail Greene
- Heather Hagerman
- Casey Hu
- Lana Ingram
- Kelly Johnson
- Mary Gray Johnson
- Jackie King
- Samantha King
- Vicki Lewis
- Michele Mansouri
- Jane McDonald
- Rosemarie McKeown
- The Jennalee Ritchie McNally Fund for Women & Girls
- Teri McNally
- Coleen Norair
- Grace Norair
- Meghan Norair
- Missy Norair
- Allyson Poska
- Anna Repp
- Christine Repp
- The Kathy Salvas Charitable Fund
- In Honor of Megan Carter Shepherd
- Megan Shepherd
- Kristin Shields
- Anne H. Shiner Memorial Fund
- Cathy Wack
- Lisa Rauch Walsh
- WINGS (Women in the Giving Spirit) Charitable Fund
The 2025 Live Ballot Event highlights the growing influence of the Women and Girls Fund, an initiative of The Community Foundation that continues to make a measurable impact on local nonprofits serving women and girls. The Fund is steadily working toward its goal of building a $1 million endowment created by women to support women. Grant applications for the next funding cycle will open in January 2026, and next year’s Live Ballot Event is expected to draw continued interest from both nonprofit organizations and community members alike.
For more information about the Women and Girls Fund or how to become a member, please visit https://www.cfrrr.org/who-we-are/women-and-girls-fund-2-2/.
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About The Community Foundation
The Community Foundation is a tax-exempt public charity serving the 330,000+ residents of Planning District 16 who share a common goal—improving the quality of life in our region. With a mission to build a flourishing philanthropic community, the Foundation stewards more than 219 charitable funds, manages over $173,000 in scholarships, and awarded more than $2.8 million in grants last year.
For more information, please call (540) 373-9292, email info@cfrrr.org or visit www.cfrrr.org.