Search Through Agriculture Grants in Virginia in the U.S.

Community Grant Program

Purpose and Overview

The mission of the ARH Foundation for Healthier Communities is to further healthcare, education and community involvement in Eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia through philanthropy and fundraising for Appalachian Regional Healthcare.

In accordance with our mission the Foundation will accept grant applications on a continuing basis from non-profit organizations within our service area. All proposals must fall withing the following guidelines:

• Sound plan to increase the health and wellbeing of a group or community within the ARH Service Region.
• Specific and measurable goals for project evaluation.
• Desire to promote coordination and collaboration among organizations or institutions to prevent duplication of services.
• Evidence of realistic organizational planning and management.

Project Areas Considered for Funding

The program or project for which funding is being requested must address needs or opportunities to improve the quality of life for women and children in South Central Kentucky and meet at least one or more of the following criteria:

• Education: Activities that promote or strengthen health and healthy lifestyle education.
• Health: Activities that improve health outcomes.
• Human Services: Activities that support public protection, employment/jobs, food and nutrition, agriculture, housing and shelter, public safety, disaster preparedness and relief.
• Other Civic Endeavors: Other activities that will improve the health and quality of life for our communities..

Mission

The DanPaul Foundation will use its resources to help train teachers and parents in early childhood development, protect children from abuse and neglect, stimulate children's personal social responsibilities, and offer them opportunities for enrichment and growth.

The Foundation will also encourage children to be concerned and informed about the environment and the underprivileged, particularly with regard to clean air and water, and adequate housing and nutrition for all.

Beliefs

The DanPaul Foundation believes that children should have ample opportunities for enrichment in their lives, and thus strives to provide many different ways to enrich and expand children's minds through direct programs and monetary support to organizations doing similar work.

We have provided or currently provide grants related to the following program areas:

• Workshops, Conferences, + Seminars: We strive to offer educational workshops, conferences, and seminars for parents and teachers on topics related to early childhood development.
• Student Scholarships: We aim to help students attending post-secondary education institutions by providing need-based and academic scholarships.
• Scientific Endeavors: We desire to advance scientific endeavors which seek to improve the quality of life for everyone in the world.
• Clean Air + Water: We hope to pass on knowledge and practical life skills to youth regarding their personal responsibility to the environment, teaching them about issues surrounding clean air and water.
• Child Advocacy: We believe in protecting children from abuse and neglect and particularly love to support programs that provide education and assistance to children as well as organizations advocating or caring for vulnerable children.
• Homelessness: We want to encourage young people to take a personal interest in seeing that adequate housing and proper nutrition, especially for the underprivileged and homeless, are available.
• Poverty + Neglect: We seek to help those in poverty as well as educate youth about their responsibility to consider the underprivileged and take care of those most in need of life's basic essentials like adequate housing and proper nutrition.
• Refugee Enrichment: We wish to help refugee youth by supporting programs that provide them enrichment and help them transition to life in a new country.

The DanPaul Foundation provides grants to 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organizations as defined by the IRS. The Foundation is interested in providing funding to programs that directly serve the health, education, development, and welfare of the world's youth.

Grants range from a few hundred dollars up to $15,000 per calendar year.

Background

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation seeks to dramatically improve the lives of underserved communities across the globe by supporting scalable, innovative, and impact-first solutions that leverage existing systems and stakeholders. Our goal is to find social entrepreneurs with dynamic products or services that have a proven ability to positively impact the lives of underserved people, and nurture those organizations at the early stages by providing capacity, capital, and community.

Our application process is designed to be open and accessible, and we accept applications year round from across our priority geographies and sectors. Borrowing from our venture capital legacy, we find exceptional entrepreneurs and provide them with: 

Capacity

• The core of DRK’s model is deep and extensive operational and technical support for each portfolio organization, both through dedicated hands-on Board service and specialist capacity-building resources for fundraising, board and organizational development, leadership, financial support, and scaling strategy,

Capital

• DRK provides up to $300,000 USD in either unrestricted grant funding or investment capital over a three-year period, and

Community

• DRK convenes our portfolio and alumni annually, facilitating connections and community. 

What We Fund

DRK Foundation funds early-stage social impact organizations solving the world’s biggest social and environmental problems using bold, scalable approaches.

What stage of growth does DRK Foundation typically fund?

Early stage: Organizations who are early stage, which we define as post-pilot and pre-scale. This typically means: 

• Your program, product or service is already being used in the market or in the field, 
• You have early indication that your model is having its intended impact on the beneficiary populations,
• Your organization is relatively young (ideally between two and five years old, although we will consider both younger and older organizations).

Venture funding: In the case of for profits, we typically support Seed to Series A organizations, and never lead rounds; we also generally but not exclusively refrain from participating in financings exceeding a $15M USD post-money valuation.  

Global Impact Cash Grants

Identifying and incubating innovative early-stage solutions. We identify, incubate, and develop innovative early-stage solutions with the highest potential for impact. Global Impact Cash Grants go to nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that address a significant social problem. We're looking for programs that fit within our investment sectors, focus on the underserved, and use technology to improve the reach and efficiency of services.

We accept applications year-round from eligible organizations. A brief Letter of Inquiry (LOI) is used to determine whether your organization will be invited to complete a full application. Please expand and carefully review each of the three sections below to learn more

Our priority social impact sectors

We focus on investing in innovative, tech-enabled solutions to the challenges and opportunities that matter most to communities in need, prioritizing four social impact sectors:

Cisco Crisis Response

Mobilizing to provide essentials to communities in need and those in crisis, including food, housing, secure connectivity, and disaster relief

By leveraging Cisco’s people, technology, financial resources, and strategic partnerships, we help strengthen community resilience and drive long-term recovery from crises.

Education

Supporting students, teachers, and schools by increasing engagement, building skills, promoting subject mastery, and expanding their capacity to thrive

Cisco is committed to inclusive access to digital skills training and supporting those who use technology to educate. Through programs like Cisco Networking Academy and social investments in education, we create new opportunities for individuals to thrive.

Economic Empowerment

Transforming communities through skill development, long-term career opportunities, entrepreneurship, and access to financial products and services

Strategic grants that unlock economic prosperity and growth for individuals and communities.

Climate Regeneration

Building an inclusive, regenerative, and resilient climate future through education, regenerative agriculture, conservation, protection, and clean energy solutions

Our efforts began in 2021, when the Cisco Foundation committed US$100 million over 10 years to fund nonprofit grants and impact investing in climate solutions. 

The Labcorp Charitable Foundation

We believe every person deserves equitable care and education.

In 2020 Labcorp established a private charitable 501(c)(3) foundation to advance our desire to bring quality healthcare access to all by supporting education and our local communities. 

Common grant opportunities include:

• Supporting food pantries and meal programs
• Providing healthcare and patient services for underserved populations
• Encouraging STEM programming
• Advocating for healthy lifestyles through ongoing medical research and screening

Mission

Driven by a philanthropic calling to support marginalized communities throughout the world, the Semnani Family Foundation partners with on-the-ground organizations and leverages its resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner that delivers the maximum benefit.

History

Guided by his grandmother Maliheh’s example and teachings, Khosrow Semnani and his wife Ghazaleh established the Semnani Family Foundation in 1993. The foundation’s first grant was issued through CARE International to an orphanage in Romania that cared for newborns affected by HIV. Over the last few decades, the foundation has continued to build upon its mission to empower the disaffected, partnering with a variety of organizations in different countries who can make the greatest impact.

In addition to its global influence, the Semnani Family Foundation established roots within the state of Utah with the founding of Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005 to provide free healthcare to thousands of uninsured people in the Salt Lake City area.

Where We Work

The Semnani Family Foundation focuses primarily on promoting health, education, and disaster relief for marginalized communities all around the world. Driven by a clear mission to adapt and serve at the global level, we have leveraged our resources to make a meaningful impact in the following countries so far:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia
• Colombia
• England
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Romania
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Uganda
• United States
• Yemen

At the heart of the Foundation lies a fervent commitment to human welfare, always prioritizing health and the needs of society’s most vulnerable.

Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation

Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) drives innovation and economic growth in Virginia by focusing on three key areas: supporting entrepreneurship and startups, expanding regional innovation ecosystems and industry sectors, and advancing research and technology.

As part of its mission, VIPC attracts and helps catalyze private investment in early-stage startups, awards research and commercialization grants to universities and entrepreneurs, and provides resources and funding to support entrepreneurial ecosystems, innovation networks, and public-private partnerships across local, state, and federal levels. VIPC is the operating nonprofit on behalf of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority (VIPA).

VIPC fuels innovation in Virginia by advancing cutting-edge research and turning novel ideas into real-world solutions. Through competitive grants, VIPC supports universities in developing technologies at the earliest stages of commercialization and the infrastructure to support these efforts, thereby driving job growth, new business creation, and ensuring the Commonwealth remains a national leader in science and technology.

Technology Commercialization Grants

VIPC’s Commonwealth Commercialization Fund (CCF) higher education program provides grant funding to Virginia’s public and private colleges and universities, as well as eligible nonprofit Virginia-based research institutes. Grants generally support early technology validation and the exploration of commercial potential, including in-depth customer discovery; for more advanced technologies, funding may also support the development of working prototypes that align with market and/or customer needs. Grants range from $100,000 to $300,000 across three tiers, with each tier supporting a more advanced stage of commercialization and technology readiness level (TRL).

Funding Tiers

Tier 1: Proof-of-Concept Grant

Eligible applicants are invited to seek Tier 1 funding. Tier 1 grants provide funding up to $100,000 and generally support early technology validation (TRL 2-4) and exploration of commercial potential, including in-depth customer discovery. Basic lean startup training is preferred prior to the CCF project’s period of performance. Applicants are expected to have filed an invention disclosure.

Tier 2: Commercialization Grant

The opportunity to seek Tier 2 funding will be by invitation only for applicants that have successfully executed a Tier 1 grant. Subsequent award decisions will take into consideration performance on and compliance with the prior award(s) and project timelines will not overlap. Tier 2 grants provide funding up to $200,000 to support the development of a working prototype that aligns with market and/or customer needs (TRL 4-6). Lean startup or other similar training that includes in-depth customer discovery, business model validation, and team development is required before or during the CCF project’s period of performance. Applicants are expected to have filed a provisional patent(s).

Tier 3: Advanced Commercialization Grant

The opportunity to seek Tier 3 funding will be by invitation only. Eligible applicants will have successfully executed a Tier 2 grant and be deemed by VIPC to have exceptional strategic value for Virginia. Subsequent award decisions will take into consideration performance on and compliance with prior award(s) and project timelines will not overlap. Tier 3 grants provide funding up to $300,000 for applicants on a high-potential commercial path with significant customer or licensee traction (TRL 5-7). Applicants are expected to have filed a PCT and/or utility patent(s).

Matching Funds

A minimum one-to-one match is required. Matching funds are monies that will be supplied by the applicant in an amount that equals or exceeds the CCF request. Matching funds may come from federal, foundation, private, or other non-Commonwealth of Virginia sources and must support the proposed CCF project and be spent during its period of performance. As it relates to Commonwealth of Virginia sources, however, the salary of a public university researcher and/or associated indirect costs, even if considered state monies, may be used as the source of matching funds.

Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation collaborate with a wide range of nonprofit organizations that align with our strategic funding priorities. We prioritize our funding to activities and programs that have a broad reach and support the needs of underserved communities. We aspire to have a positive impact on the communities we serve by using our financial and volunteer resources and business expertise in collaboration with community organizations to help solve complex societal problems.

• Financial health
• Housing affordability
• Small business growth
• Sustainability

We may also support other local needs in eligible communities such as disaster relief, arts and culture, civic engagement, education, human and social services, and workforce development. However, opportunities are limited as our intent is to direct the majority of our giving within our major focus areas.

Perdue Farms is the family-owned parent company of Perdue Foods and Perdue AgriBusiness. Perdue Farms are dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for everyone we touch through innovative food and agricultural products.

Through Perdue Farms Perdue, Harvestland and Coleman Natural food brands; through Perdue Farms agricultural products and services; and through Perdue Farms stewardship and corporate responsibility programs, Perdue Farms are committed to making Perdue the most trusted name in food and agricultural products. At Perdue, Perdue Farms believe in responsible food and agriculture.What We Support

• We strive to strengthen our communities by focusing our efforts on agriculture and the environment, education, fighting hunger and poverty, health and social services, and public safety
• We also support organizations that celebrate the heritages and cultures of our communities
• We may give additional preference to organizations in which our associates have direct involvement, but the overarching consideration is the betterment of the community

Perdue Farms is a fourth-generation, family owned U.S. food and agricultural company. We were founded on trust—a value that carries through everything we do. Through our two operating divisions, Perdue Foods and Perdue AgriBusiness, we’re making steps every day toward our goal of becoming the most trusted name in food and agricultural products. Our path forward is about getting better, not just bigger.

We're Committed to Being Careful Stewards. Stewardship is one of our company's core values. Our stewardship platform, "We believe in responsible food and agriculture®," challenges us to continually improve. Learn more about the progress we've made in the areas of food, environment, animal care, people, community and our partners.

What we support

We believe in putting our resources where there is a direct benefit to a broad-based spectrum of the community.

• We strive to strengthen our communities by focusing our efforts on agriculture and the environment, education, fighting hunger and poverty, health and social services, and public safety
• We also support organizations that celebrate the heritages and cultures of our communities

Our Responsibility

• Food Producing: Quality Food
• Environment: Protecting the Environment
• Animal Care: Providing for the Welfare of Animals
• People: Caring About Others

Ballyshannon Fund

Grants to promote citizen understanding of the economic importance of agricultural and forestry enterprises in Central Virginia.

Founded by a man who spent a lifetime in the countryside, the Ballyshannon Fund is a donor-advised fund of the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation. We support educational projects and programs, only.

Our Mission

Our mission is to continue and further the philanthropic legacy of Gardner Cowles, Jr. and the Cowles family, which includes promotion of education, social justice, health, and the arts.

The Founder

The Cowles Charitable Trust was first established in 1948 by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr. (1903-1985). Born into the Cowles publishing family of Des Moines, Iowa, Mike was the youngest of Gardner Cowles and Florence Call Cowles’ six children. A newspaper editor and publisher by trade, he was committed to his family’s traditions of responsible, public-spirited, and innovative journalism as well as philanthropy. 

The Cowles Charitable Trust supports the arts, education, the advancement of ethical journalism, medical and climate research.

About VDACS

Established in 1877, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) promotes the economic growth and development of Virginia agriculture, provides consumer protection and encourages environmental stewardship.

The agency is headquartered in Richmond and has several field offices, four regional diagnostic animal health laboratories and a global network of representatives promoting Virginia products internationally.

Food Distribution

Virginia’s Food Distribution program manages the distribution of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) donated foods and administrative funds to approximately 500 public and private entities throughout Virginia. Recipients include Virginia's public and private schools, hospitals, nursing homes, soup kitchens, elderly nutritional programs, correctional facilities, summer programs and day care centers. Foods are also made available to food banks for distribution to Virginians in need.

This program proudly supports Virginia’s agriculture industry and markets Virginia products as well as USDA-donated foods to schools and institutional buyers. Contact the Food Distribution program if you have a product suitable for Virginia food service programs.

Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program Grant

VDACS is seeking proposals from agencies that have the capacity to procure local foods from farmers and growers to be distributed to persons in need or be provided to charitable food assistance organizations that can distribute to persons in need across the state.

About the Foundation

Jesse W. Couch lived a life of zeal, honor, and dedication to the betterment of his community. The Couch family now humbly stewards the foundation he created to carry on his legacy of service for future generations. We believe that impact is best accomplished through partnerships with local organizations that know the people and communities they serve. We invest in and support efforts to protect the environment, further conservation and preservation initiatives, and save historical architecture that preserves community heritage. We also support initiatives that promote wellness and mental health and organizations seeking to provide and further education for all communities.

Annual Grant Focus

Each year, we seek to partner with and support non-profit organizations making an impact in the focus areas listed here.  The focus areas for 2025 are:

• Animal Wellbeing: We are dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations that nurture compassion and respect for all living animals. We must have animal-focused organizations that advocate for animal rights and provide humane treatment across all spectrums.
• Early Childhood Education: We are looking for schools that are providing young children with a creative and balanced approach to education. Things we love in early childhood curriculums:
  • Life Skills
  • Collaboration With Their Peers and Teachers   
  • Having Fun   
  • Montessori Teachings   
  • Project Based Teachings   
  • Diversity   
  • More Time Outside   
  • Less Screen Time
• Teachers: Teachers are essential to providing children with the best possible education. We must invest in their future and are always looking for teams that help them succeed in educating future generations.
• Get Outside: Being outside can improve memory, fight depression, lower blood pressure, and more! We support organizations that facilitate and encourage more outdoor activities that help create healthier communities. 

About Us

Visionaries for Change, a giving circle of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation, was established in 2019 by Black business and civic leaders in Hampton Roads. Visionaries donate money to a pooled fund, and together fund grants that improve life in Black communities experiencing economic distress in Hampton Roads. Members want to invest in organizations that build a healthy community, increasing everyone’s opportunity for success.

Focus Area

In 2025, Visionaries for Changewill fund Black-serving 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Black-serving nonprofits are those with the majority (51% or more) of their clients being Black.

Grant applications should explain how the program for which funding is sought addresses one or more of the following priority impact areas:

• Strengthen businesses and current entrepreneurs by providing mentorship activities, technical assistance and access to capital.
• Create wealth and build long-term financial assets by providing financial literacy and education and employment opportunities for adults.

Grant Range

Visionaries for Change anticipates awarding grants that average $5,000. Visionaries may award grants that are smaller and larger than $5,000.

Virginia Academy of Science

The purpose of this organization shall be to establish and maintain in Virginia for scientific and educational purposes an association of persons and organizations interested in science and scientific research in all of its branches; to solicit financial and other support; to cooperate with educational institutions, industries, and state agencies in fostering an interest in scientific matters, in promoting scientific investigations and in spreading knowledge of the sciences; to provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of papers on scientific subjects and facilities for their publication; to provide opportunities for the cooperation and fellowship among its members; and generally, in doing these things, to benefit not only its own members, but to promote the civic, agricultural, academic, industrial, and commercial welfare of the people of Virginia.

Small Project Research Grants

Proposals for work to update or extend information on natural systems in Virginia and on human impacts on those natural systems are encouraged. Examples of past work which could be updated were published in The James River Basin: Past, Present, and Future and in The Great Dismal Swamp. The Great Dismal Swamp was published by the University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville for the Old Dominion University Research Foundation.

The Lawrence Foundation is a private family foundation focused on making grants to support environmental, human services and other causes.

The Lawrence Foundation was established in mid-2000. We make both program and operating grants and do not have any geographical restrictions on our grants. Nonprofit organizations that qualify for public charity status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or other similar organizations are eligible for grants from The Lawrence Foundation.  

Grant Amount and Types

Grants typically range between $5,000 - $10,000. In some limited cases we may make larger grants, but that is typically after we have gotten to know your organization over a period of time. We also generally don’t make multi-year grants, although we may fund the same organization on a year by year basis over a period of years.

General operating or program/project grant requests within our areas of interests are accepted. In general, regardless of whether a grant request is for general operating or program/project expenses, all of our grants will be issued as unrestricted grants.

Research & Education Grant

Southern SARE is requesting pre-proposals for either Systems Research Projects or for Education Projects and Activities that address issues of sustainable agriculture of current and potential importance to the region and the nation.

Maximum funding amount for Systems Research Projects is $400,000, and maximum funding amount for Education Projects and Activities is $50,000. Pre-proposals with smaller funding requests are welcomed and encouraged.

Southern SARE accepts proposals from applicants in the Southern region: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Proposed projects must focus on Southern SARE’s program objectives in developing sustainable agriculture systems or moving existing farming systems toward sustainability, as defined by the Congress in the 1990 Farm Bill. Under that law, “the term sustainable agriculture means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term:

• Satisfy human food and fiber needs;
• Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends;
• Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls;
• Sustain the economic viability of farm operations; and
• Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.”

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

Calling to Serve

Since its inception in 2016, the Robinson Foundation has sought to demonstrate God’s love through sharing the gifts we have received. We understand the often unspoken hardships and struggles that people in and outside of our community face everyday. As such, our contributions are focused on relieving these hardships for the betterment of our world.

As a family-operated foundation, we pray that our small efforts will not only create immediate change in the lives of our neighbors, but will help set those lives on a course for success in the future. We are thankful for each and every day we have on this earth to use what God has granted us to make a difference.

Areas of Interest

• Animal Welfare
• Children & Families
• Disaster Relief
• Education
• Medical Assistance
• Nature & Wildlife Conservation
• Poverty Relief
• Religious & Spiritual Endeavors
• Veterans' Issues

Grant Considerations

We take many different aspects of applications into account when making grant issuing decisions, however these are some of the high-level questions we ask ourselves during the process:

• How does the organization serve their key audience goals?
• Is the organization fiscally responsible?
• Will a grant have a tangible, meaningful impact?
• Will we see direct results from this grant?
• Does the organization have other financial contributors?

Mission and Focus

The mission of the Virginia Environmental Endowment is to improve the quality of the environment by using its capital, expertise and resources to encourage all sectors to work together to prevent pollution, conserve natural resources, and promote environmental literacy.

James River Water Quality Improvement Program (JRWQIP)

VEE continues to seek substantial proposals that produce significant water quality benefits through on-the-ground investments and initiatives. The JRWQIP Strategic Investment Plan will continue to help guide VEE’s funding decisions.

The JRWQIP funding priorities, as noted in the Strategic Investment Plan, are:

• Riparian buffer installation: The implementation of riparian forested or vegetative buffers, with a focus on agricultural and rural lands containing restoration area opportunities which will generate significant pollution reductions. Permanent protection and long term maintenance of the riparian buffers are critical elements of this investment priority.
• Accelerating implementation of agricultural pollution reduction practices: Programs that enhance and accelerate the delivery and implementation of cost-effective farming best management practices along with other agricultural initiatives that reduce agricultural pollution and improve water quality.
• Construction of living shorelines: Living shoreline construction, particularly in the Lower James River region. The provisions of the “Virginia Shoreline and Tidal Marsh Inventory,” consistency with regional and county-level conservation and shoreline management plans, the incorporation of riparian buffers, and permanent protection are important relevant elements.
• Stream restoration: Stream restoration can be expensive, so proposed location, inclusion of riparian buffers, and co-location with other water quality improvement efforts are important factors.
• Investments in the Jamestown region (“Area of Potential Effects”) and surrounding jurisdictions: The “Area of Potential Effects,” or APE, is a region upstream and downstream of Jamestown on both sides of the James River. (See Map of Area of Potential Effects.) Remediation of illicit sewage discharges and failing septic systems as well as cost-effective stormwater management initiatives are potential investments.

Applicants that submit proposals which differ from VEE’s identified funding priorities will be expected to demonstrate the significance and cost effectiveness of the proposal to improving the water quality of the James River.

Grant-making Priorities

As part of its Strategic Planning process, the Virginia Environmental Endowment’s Board of Directors adopted the following grant-making priorities in 2013. Current grant-making priorities in the Virginia Program are focused on improvement of local rivers and protection of water quality, restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, innovative land conservation and sustainable land use practices, environmental literacy and public awareness, and emerging issues of concern.

Water Issues 

• Improve local rivers and protect water quality throughout Virginia:  With a focus on tangible improvements to water quality, pollution reduction and pollution prevention, preference will be given to projects and policies that promote implementation of best practices for advancing agricultural stewardship, address local and regional stormwater infrastructure needs and achieve on-the-ground improvements that contribute to healthy watersheds.     
• Restoration of the Chesapeake Bay:  With a focus on implementation of Virginia’s Watershed Implementation Plan to meet the Bay’s total maximum daily load (TMDL) interim and final goals by 2017 and 2025, respectively, preference will be given to innovative and creative strategies designed to reduce implementation costs and pollution and accelerate progress, when possible. Improved fisheries management, restoration of keystone fisheries and expanded recreational access are also an interest. 

Land Conservation and Use     

• Enhance land conservation and sustainable land use:  Special emphasis is placed on strategies, policies and projects focused on conserving large landscapes, restoring and protecting riparian buffers and headwater streams, establishing conservation practices on land previously placed under protective easement, and establishing local land trusts in areas where a gap exists.  A nexus with water quality protection is important. The Endowment does not provide grant funds for land purchases. 

Environmental Education and Public Awareness     

• Advance environmental literacy and public awareness:  Preference will be given to outcomes-based proposals that incorporate best practices related to student learning and teacher/principal training, including regional standards and Next Generation Science Standards, and those that offer meaningful experiential learning opportunities which connect students and families to nature.  Regarding public awareness, projects that tie environmental stewardship to jobs and those that use innovative, collaborative, and creative approaches such as media messaging to reach non-traditional environmental supporters are also encouraged. 

Climate Adaptation and Emerging Issues

• The Virginia Environmental Endowment is interested in using its strategic investments to make a difference on emerging issues, such as climate adaptation for coastal communities and projects that advance water supply planning and implementation, and efforts to mitigate invasive species.

About the Hughes Memorial Foundation

Hughes Memorial Foundation was established by John Edward Hughes who built his fortune in the tobacco industry and upon his death in 1922 left most of his estate to build Hughes Memorial Home, an orphanage located in Danville, Virginia. He established a trust fund, which was governed by a Board that was elected and approved by the church, to financially assist with the needs of the facility. The orphanage was self-sufficient in that the staff and children raised vegetables and animals to assist with the cost of food. The agricultural program also served as a training program for the residents. Many of the individuals that were raised at the orphanage still consider it their "home". The alumnae of Hughes Memorial Home meet annually. Being a non-profit organization, Hughes Memorial also received charitable contributions from individuals wishing to help financial support the orphanage and the children. In the mid 1970's because of the reduction in need for the orphanage, Hughes Memorial became a residential treatment facility for abused and neglected adolescents. The residential treatment program was discontinued in 1999 and the Board of Hughes Memorial Home made the decision to become a private foundation that kept as its focus the example of Jesus Christ and the legacy of Mr. Hughes' original wishes which was to help children "most in harm's way" ... they chose to do this by awarding grants and scholarships that were targeted for the benefit of children. The first awards were made by the Board in November of 2000. Since then, the Hughes Memorial Foundation has awarded $5.1 million in grants to nonprofit organizations for programs benefiting children, and educational scholarships.

Our Mission

The Hughes Memorial Foundation is a charitable non-profit organization that seeks to aid deserving children in Virginia and North Carolina, and linear offspring of Hughes Memorial Home alumnae. Guided by the example of Jesus Christ and continuing the legacy of John E. Hughes, the Foundation will be prudent stewards of the resources entrusted to us and will provide scholarships and grants, support projects, and initiate programs which will provide care, training, and nurture.

ABOUT ROOTED IN JUSTICE

“Rooted in Justice” is a funding program designed to help amplify youth voices and actions in the environmental and food justice movements.  Rooted in Justice supports community-based organizations and groups that manage established, youth-led, urban greening programs within a justice framework as a core part of their work, with two-year grants of $25,000/year.  

Rooted in Justice recognizes the importance and undeniable right of every young person to have the ability to develop their own relationship with the environment, be it through growing food, spending time with nature, creating community green spaces, or becoming environmental stewards. Rooted in Justice also honors the power and possibilities that arise when young people collectively work to be change-makers in their communities.

Rooted in Justice supports organizations, groups, collectives, and programs that work with young people between the ages of 12 to 20 in youth-led programming for communities or cultures which have historically or currently experience:

• A lack of access to land or nature;
• Agricultural oppression and/or neglect;
• Food apartheid; and/or
• Other forms of injustice based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics and disability.

Rooted in Justice awards a small number of grants each year with applications due in the fall and decisions made the following spring. Final grant decisions are recommended to the Cedar Tree board via a participatory grantmaking process with outside reviewers who have experience in youth-led urban greening, as well as food or climate justice programming. So far the program has awarded multi-year grants to 21 organizations and one-time grants to 10 additional organizations since 2021. 

Definitions

Rooted in Justice grants support organizations or programs that include all four of the elements described below: social justice, youth-led, urban greening, and cohort-based youth work. We articulate our understanding of those terms below in an effort to provide a guide for prospective organizations to use in determining whether their program is a good fit. However as we continue our work towards questioning and dismantling some of our preconceived notions, we recognize that these are not finite definitions and encourage prospective applicants who still feel their work may be a good fit to describe in their proposals why this is the case.  

Social Justice-Based Programs

Programs dedicated to creating equitable outcomes for communities directly affected by different aspects of injustice by:

• Sharing and redistributing power and resources;
• Amplifying voices and leadership;
• Tackling root problems through ongoing engagement and collaboration to find solutions, organize against oppression of all kinds and create mechanisms for change; and
• Developing a critical analysis with youth and community members.

Youth-Led

The development of youth leadership skills is a core part of programs funded by Rooted in Justice. Young people have the opportunity to play a role in the planning and decision-making for their program and may help shape the internal workings of the organization. Examples of youth-led programs include programs where participants: 

• Managing a portion of their programming budget;
• Co-facilitating program activities, meetings and gatherings;
• Shape their own programming and/or organizational strategic planning;
• Have regular and end-of-program opportunities to provide program feedback and evaluation; and
• Have opportunities for personal and/or professional growth within the program and organization.

Urban Greening

For the purpose of this grant we define “urban greening” as any activity that creates a mutually beneficial relationship between city dwellers and their environments. Programs that are a strong fit for Rooted in Justice will have many opportunities for youth to be outdoors.  Project settings can include, but are not limited to: 

• Urban and aquaponic farms
• Greenhouses and rooftop gardens
• Community gardens, green spaces, and rain gardens
• Composting sites
• Land conservation efforts
• Urban forests
• River or other water restoration  

Cohort-Based Youth Works

Rooted in Justice looks to fund organizations that build community with cohorts of youth through intentional, recurring programming. This grant is intended to support programs that offer youth significant learning and leadership opportunities as a group and as individuals. Priority will be given to organizations that have program infrastructure that supports a cohort of youth over time.  Drop-in programming, one-time conferences, or individual internships are not a good fit for Rooted in Justice.  

Youth Budgeting

As part of grant proposal, all Rooted in Justice grantees must share a plan to allocate a portion of the grant funds for youth participants to manage. What do we mean by this? We ask applicants to specifically set aside some amount of grant funds for youth to allocate to priorities of their choosing.  For example, youth participants can use their allocated funding to:

• Fund an entrepreneurial endeavor;
• Design the brand or swag for their group;
• Hire a speaker or outside expert to teach a new skill;
• Purchase supplies for a community-based art project;
• Host a celebration for their families, friends and neighbors;
• Pay for transportation to programming, special events, or conferences; and/or
• Any other youth-led activity the group may find beneficial.

Use of Funds

Rooted in Justice funding must be used for project support of existing youth led, urban greening, social justice work and associated general operating expenses. Operating expenses can include anything from program costs like staff salaries and youth stipends to organizational sustainability needs like major equipment purchases and leadership/staff training. If your organization’s entire mission is youth led, urban greening, social justice work, the Rooted in Justice grant can be general support. 

Funding

Two Year Grant

• Rooted in Justice Grant awards are two-year grants of $25,000 per year.
• After the initial two year grant, grantees may be eligible for a third year of funding at the same or lower level through a simple renewal process.
• In the 2025-2026 grant cycle, the Cedar Tree Foundation expects to support 4 organizations with multi-year grant awards.

Funding for Professional Development

• Each Rooted in Justice grantee organization also has access to an additional $6,000 to support professional development opportunities identified by each organization.  Half of these funds must be used to directly support the professional development of youth. 
• Rooted in Justice grantees can request reimbursement from this professional development fund to attend conferences, hire consultants, purchase equipment or software that increases organizational capacity, or participate in any activities that strengthen youth programming or justice practice of program providers in support of their youth development programming. The funds set aside for youth professional development can be used for youth exchanges or youth participation in conferences and other professional development opportunities directly for youth.  

Community Professional Development Calls

• Cedar Tree works with grantee partners to assess their professional development interests and facilitates on-line gatherings of staff or youth for skill shares, trainings, and networking opportunities.
• These network calls will likely happen 2-3 times per year. 

Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity Program

A CCI team led by CCI Associate Professor Feras Batarseh collaborated with DC Water to develop advanced AI models and data science to protect against cyber threats, predict water flows and levels, and optimize energy efficiency and environmental safety. The team won the national 2022 Intelligent Water Systems Challenge.

CCI seeks proposals for seed research grants that advance the state of the art of critical infrastructure cybersecurity.

Presidential Policy Directive 21 defines critical infrastructure sectors as:

• Chemical
• Commercial Facilities (e.g., NFL stadiums)
• Communications
• Critical Manufacturing
• Dams
• Defense Industrial Base, including research universities doing Department of Defense (DoD) research
• Emergency Services
• Energy
• Financial Services
• Food & Agriculture
• Government Services & Facilities, including local and state government
• Healthcare & Public Health
• Information Technology
• Nuclear Reactors, Materials, & Waste
• Transportation Systems
• Water & Wastewater Systems

Over 80 percent of the United States’ critical infrastructure is privately owned and operated. In rural areas, it is common for small cooperatives to provide critical infrastructure services such as electricity distribution. These enterprises rarely have the capacity to staff a security operation center 24x7, evaluate cybersecurity posture, evaluate cybersecurity products, and so on. At the other end of the spectrum, large municipalities such as Fairfax County may have the resources to staff a large cyber fusion center but are also the target of well-funded nation state actors and criminal gangs.

Topics for this call include but are not limited to advancing the state-of-the-art in:

• AI-informed cybersecurity operations for small- and medium-sized critical infrastructure providers.
• Broad, generally applicable horizontal solutions that protect most critical infrastructure sectors.
• Tailored, vertical solutions that protect specific critical infrastructure segments because of the specialized nature of the sector or leverage or address unique characteristics of a sector, such as limited, intermittent connectivity, 30-year equipment lifetimes, legacy installed base, or public policies that inhibit the deployment of modern cybersecurity solutions.

Objectives of this call include:

• To produce seminal contributions to critical infrastructure cybersecurity, targeting the expansion of this research through competitive grants from the federal government, private sector, philanthropic foundations, and other sources.
• To foster interdisciplinary collaboration to produce high-quality research with strong domain knowledge resulting in a high likelihood of future extramural funding.
• To produce research contributions that translate into benefits to Virginia companies.
• To explore opportunities for innovation (commercialization, entrepreneurship, etc.) in critical infrastructure cybersecurity.

Maximum Award Amount: $100,000 per proposal. 

Award Conditions: Successful applicants are expected to participate fully in CCI activities. 

Conservation Stewardship Program

The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) helps you build on your existing conservation efforts while strengthening your operation.

Whether you are looking to improve grazing conditions, increase crop resiliency, or develop wildlife habitat, we can custom design a CSP plan to help you meet those goals. We can help you identify natural resource problems in your operation and provide technical and financial assistance to solve those problems or attain higher stewardship levels in an environmentally beneficial and cost-effective manner.

How It Works

If you are already taking steps to improve the condition of the land, chances are, CSP can help you find new ways to meet your goals.

NRCS works one-on-one with producers to develop a conservation plan that outlines and enhances existing efforts, using new conservation practices or activities, based on management objectives for your operation. Producers implement practices and activities in their conservation plan that expands on the benefits of cleaner water and air, healthier soil and better wildlife habitat, all while improving their agricultural operations.

For example, if you have been planting a cover crop, you may decide to try an enhancement for a multi species cover crop or implement a deep-rooted cover crop to break up soil compaction and further improve the health of your soil.

CSP offers annual payments for implementing these practices on your land and operating and maintaining existing conservation efforts. Want to take it a step further? CSP also offers bundles where you can select a suite of enhancements and receive a higher payment rate.

Benefits

CSP is for working lands and is the largest conservation program in the United States. Thousands of people voluntarily enroll in the program because it helps them enhance natural resources and improve their business operation.

CSP participants are seeing real results.  Some of these benefits include:

• Enhanced resiliency to weather and market volatility
• Decreased need for agricultural inputs
• Improved wildlife habitat conditions

CSP Contracts

The program represents a genuine commitment to conservation – CSP contracts are for five years, with the opportunity to compete for a contract renewal if you successfully fulfill the initial contract and agree to achieve additional conservation objectives. An NRCS conservation planner will work closely with you, throughout the entire contract process.

Contract payments are based on two components:

• Payments to maintain the existing level of conservation, based on the land uses included in the contract and an NRCS assessment of existing stewardship at the time of enrollment, and

Payments to implement additional conservation activities.NRCS may provide a minimum annual payment of $1,500 in any year the Chief determines the total contract payment amount is below a base level.

Virginia Priority Resource Concern Categories

• Agricultural Land
  • Crop
    • Concentrated erosion
    • Degraded plant condition
    • Field sediment, nutrient and pathogen loss
    • Soil quality limitations
    • Terrestrial habitat
    • Wind and water erosion
  • Pasture
    • Concentrated erosion
    • Degraded plant condition
    • Field sediment, nutrient and pathogen loss
    • Livestock production limitation
    • Soil quality limitations
    • Terrestrial habitat
    • Wind and water erosion
  • Farmstead
    • Concentrated erosion
    • Storage and handling of pollutants
    • Terrestrial habitat
  • Associated Ag Land
    • Concentrated erosion
    • Terrestrial habitat
    • Wind and water erosion
• Forestry Land
  • Forest
    • Aquatic habitat
    • Concentrated erosion
    • Degraded plant condition
    • Fire management
    • Pest pressure
    • Soil quality limitations
    • Terrestrial habitat
    • Wind and water erosion
  • Farmstead
    • Aquatic habitat
    • Concentrated erosion
    • Terrestrial habitat
  • Associated Ag Land
    • Aquatic habitat
    • Concentrated erosion
    • Pest pressure
    • Terrestrial habitat
    • Wind and water erosion

EQIP

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is NRCS’ flagship conservation program that helps farmers, ranchers and forest landowners integrate conservation into working lands.

EQIP provides technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers and forest landowners to address natural resource concerns, such as:

• Improved water and air quality;
• Conserved ground and surface water;
• Increased soil health;
• Reduced soil erosion and sedimentation;
• Improved or created wildlife habitat; and
• Mitigation against drought and increasing weather volatility.

How It Works

NRCS works one-on-one with producers to develop a conservation plan that outlines conservation practices and activities to help solve on-farm resource issues. Producers implement practices and activities in their conservation plan that can lead to cleaner water and air, healthier soil and better wildlife habitat, all while improving their agricultural operations. EQIP helps producers make conservation work for them. Financial assistance for practices may be available through EQIP.  Some producers may also qualify for advance payment.

State Priorities

• Conservation Planning Activities (CPAs), Design and Implementation Activities (DIAs) and Conservation Evaluation and Monitoring Activities (CEMAs)
  • Planning, design, implementation and monitoring tasks for NRCS conservation program purposes (previously known as Conservation Activity Plans or CAPs)
• Cropland
  • Practices to enhance water and soil quality while improving plant health and productivity
• Forestry
  • Practices that will lead to the conversion of marginal land (active cropland, pasture or abandoned open land) to hardwood, longleaf or shortleaf pine
• Livestock
  • Practices to improve and protect water and soil quality while benefiting plant and animal health.
• Longleaf Pine
  • Stand establishment and management within the historical range in Southeastern Virginia.
• National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI)
  • Targeted practices to clean up impaired streams and improve aquatic habitats.
  • The following watersheds are eligible for this fund pool: War Branch and Mountain Run in Rockingham County and Gap Creek in Rockingham and Shenandoah counties.
• On-Farm Energy
  • Agricultural Energy Management Plans (AgEMP) or farm energy audits to assess energy use and recommend ways to reduce it.
• Organic
  • Practices to help certified organic growers, those working to achieve organic certification, and specialty crop producers address resource concerns on their operations.
• StrikeForce
  • Priority ranking for cropland, high tunnel and livestock practices to support program participation among underserved producers in rural communities.
• Wildlife
  • Practice to create, improve and manage habitat for wildlife. (See also Working Lands for Wildlife initiative)
    • American Black Duck Initiative
      • Focused conservation practices to restore wintering habitat in the Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay watersheds
    • Eastern Hellbender
      • Targeted conservation practices to reduce sediment and nutrient inputs for improved habitat and water quality
    • Golden-winged Warbler
      • Young forest habitat restoration in Appalachian breeding territory
    • Northern Bobwhite in Pine Savannas
      • Management strategies to convert commercial loblolly and shortleaf pine plantings to highly valuable pine savannah habitats
    • Northern Bobwhite in Working Grasslands
      • Native grass restoration to address habitat loss while maintaining or improving cattle production on the land.

National Program Initiatives

• Conservation Planning Activities (CPAs), Design and Implementation Activities (DIAs), and Conservation Evaluation and Monitoring Activities (CEMAs)
  • Non-Tribal
  • Tribal
• EQIP - Conservation Incentive Contracts: statewide competition for grazing lands to promote implementation of 528 Prescribed Grazing
• High Tunnel Systems (Socially Disadvantaged by NRCS Area)
  • Area High Tunnel System - competitive on an area basis
  • Beginning Farmer High Tunnel System – competitive statewide
  • Socially Disadvantaged High Tunnel System - competitive statewide
• Urban Agriculture - competitive statewide for land within an urban areas as defined by the latest U.S. Census or, or land within an Incorporated towns
• Organic Initiative (Certified and Transitional)
• On-Farm Energy (Conservation Activity Plans)
• StrikeForce Initiatives (eligible land must be within designated StrikeForce localities) Cropland and livestock ranking pools - StrikeForce Cropland
• Joint Chiefs' Landscape Restoration Partnership (Eastern Divide)

Landscape Conservation Initiatives

• Longleaf Pine Initiative
• National Water Quality Initiative (Smith Creek Watershed)
  • Dry Fork
  • Gap Creek
  • Mountain Run
  • War Branch
• Working Lands for Wildlife
  • American Black Duck
  • Golden-Winged Warbler
  • Northern Bobwhite in Working Grasslands

State Conservation Initiatives

• Cropland
• Forestry (competitive statewide)
  • Longleaf Pine/Shortleaf Pine and Hardwood Management
  • Tribal Longleaf Pine/Shortleaf Pine and Hardwood Management
• Livestock
• Wildlife
  • Aquatic
  • Hellbender
  • Northern Bobwhite in Pine Savannahs and
  • Terrestrial (competitive statewide)
  • Tribal Terrestrial Wildlife