Three Things to Know About Virginia's Danville Regional Foundation

The state of Virginia is home to more than a couple dozen community foundations that serve the region’s nonprofits and donors. Many of these foundations serve multiple counties in the state, and some even cross state lines to resource the broader region.

For example, the Danville Regional Foundation (DRF) is based in Danville, Virginia but also serves other communities in Pittsylvania County, Virginia and Caswell County, North Carolina. With 15 years of grantmaking under its belt, here are the top three things to know about DRF’s regional giving.

1. There Are Four Focus Areas

Unlike some local community foundations, DRF has four well-defined focus areas. These are education, health and wellness, economic development and community development. DRF believes that education is the first step to transforming any community, and it makes many investments in early childhood education, public school programs and STEM learning opportunities.

DRF sees health funding as a way to promote social, physical and economic vitality in local communities. This translates into grants to fight obesity, chronic diseases and poverty. Economic and workforce development grants have frequently gone to business centers, community colleges and collaborative efforts, often through capital grants for infrastructure. Community development efforts usually focus on capacity building and helping nonprofits improve their internal operations, including via trainings and workshops.

2. DRF Is on an Equity Mission

DRF cites equity as one of its top values and has been paying more attention to equity in its grantmaking lately. DRF’s staff and board want to support nonprofits in ways that eliminate gaps in education, health and economic opportunity. This means it is in an applicant’s best interest for new grant proposals to address equity issues in some way. In addition to equity, other DRF values are engagement, openness, courage and innovation.

3. DRF Grant Opportunities Are Accessible

Fortunately for nonprofits in this part of Virginia and North Carolina, DRF is approachable and accessible where new grants are concerned. It clearly outlines grant guidelines on its website and also lists past grants to give applicants a better sense of what it supports. The staff welcomes inquiries and is helpful to local groups. For responsive grants, potential applicants are encouraged to meet with the staff before even submitting a proposal. The grant application process begins with the creation of an online account and the submission of an electronic application.

Many regional foundations, including the Danville Regional Foundation, are profiled in more detail in IP’s Mid-Atlantic States funding guide.

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