Best Norfolk city Grants for Nonprofits in Virginia

Amazon Web Services

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a cloud computing service that offers servers and data centers to organizations worldwide. AWS is a part of Amazon dedicated to delivering web services to developers and businesses who build online applications.

AWS support offers a range of plans that provide access to tools and expertise to aid the success and operational health of your AWS solutions. All support plans provide 24/7 access to customer service, AWS documentation, white papers, and support forums. For technical support and more resources to plan, deploy, and improve your AWS environment, you can select a support plan that best aligns with your needs.

AWS Nonprofit Credit Program

The AWS Nonprofit Credit Program provides access to up to $5,000 USD in AWS Promotional Credit, helping to offset costs for nonprofits associated with implementing cloud-based solutions. This helps nonprofits meet mission goals without upfront investment in physical infrastructure.

Your organization needs reliability and efficiency to run applications that support your website and operations. AWS infrastructure for websites, fundraising, database management, and more provide rapid access to flexible and low-cost IT resources.

Reduce IT costs

• AWS gives you the flexibility to scale and save on IT costs by not having to invest in physical infrastructure. Use only the resources you need when you need them.

Increase giving

• AWS offers advanced, cost-effective services that let you simply process, analyze, and visualize data so you can make well-informed targeting and fundraising decisions.

Scale globally

• AWS lets you widen your global reach and deploy solutions where they are needed. Equip volunteers and staff with the tools, resources, and access they need without long-term licensing agreements.

About Us

Our mission is to strengthen our community through philanthropy.

We do this in collaboration with donors and community partners who share our vision for community transformation through stewardship of charitable endowments, superior donor services, effective grantmaking, and leadership to address community needs.

The Community Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors and staffed by a team of local experts, representing diverse backgrounds, interests, and professional expertise. Foundation staff members work closely with donors, grantees, community leaders, government agencies, and businesses to ensure the Community Foundation effectively meets community needs.

Who We Are

Empowering generous people with meaningful giving opportunities

Since 1968, The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region (CFGCR) has been dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Greater Capital Region. We work with — and for — all our neighbors across the community because together, we are stronger.

Herbert K. and Isabel C. Liebich Scholarships

Established to honor the founders of Albany Frosted Foods, one of the original companies to form Sysco Corporation, by awarding a scholarship each year to the children of employees or retirees of Sysco Foods of New York, Inc. 

About Virginia ABC

Virginia ABC is a leading revenue producer for the Commonwealth of Virginia and the source of future economic growth and innovation for the state. The profits that Virginia ABC contributes—collected from distilled spirits sales at ABC stores conveniently located across the state and taxes collected on beer and wine sales—provide much-needed funding for use in a multitude of state programs. This benefits all Virginians. Since its establishment in 1934, Virginia ABC has contributed $13.9 billion to the commonwealth’s general fund supporting major education, health and transportation initiatives.

Virginia ABC’s more than 4,300 employees take pride in our role as public servants and put customers first in all we do. As an authority, ABC administers alcohol-related laws with an emphasis on public safety by ensuring an orderly and regulated system for convenient sales and responsible consumption of alcohol. In 2018, Virginia ABC transitioned from a traditional state government agency to an authority, an independent political subdivision, which provides more flexibility and efficiency as a retailer, wholesaler and regulator of distilled spirits.

Alcohol Education and Prevention Grants

Virginia ABC seeks to partner, collaborate and build capacity with those who share in promoting our message of alcohol safety and responsibility. Through Education and Prevention, Virginia ABC offers annual Alcohol Education and Prevention Grants of up to $10,000.

Grantees are encouraged to build partnerships and embrace collaboration to achieve a meaningful, measurable and long-lasting impact. Members of the Community Health & Engagement team stay in contact throughout the grant cycle to provide support and encourage success.

About Us

The Virginia Department of Historic Resources is the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) in Virginia. As the SHPO, DHR administers a number of federal programs. DHR is also a state agency in the Natural and Historic Resources Secretariat. DHR fosters, encourages, and supports the stewardship and use of Virginia’s significant architectural, archaeological, and historic resources as valuable assets for the economic, educational, social, and cultural benefit of citizens and communities. Our programs include both the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places, Survey, Grants, Archaeology, Cemetery Preservation, African American and Tribal Outreach, the Historical Highway Marker program, 106 Review and Compliance, Conservation, Collections, Easements, and the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program.

Certified Local Government Grants (CLG)

Certified Local Government (CLG) designation allows a jurisdiction to apply for CLG grants through federal Historic Preservation Funds (HPF). Ten percent of all HPF monies that come to the Commonwealth of Virginia must be distributed to CLGs. DHR does this through a competitive grant process, open only to CLGs.

Communities strengthen and expand their local preservation programs through Certified Local Government (CLG) designation. The CLG program was created by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (as amended in 1980). It establishes a partnership between local governments, the federal historic preservation program(National Park Service), and each state’s State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), which in the case of Virginia is the Department of Historic Resources (DHR).

Information

The program allows DHR, as the SHPO, to recommend for certification local governments that have put key elements of a sound local preservation program in place in their communities. Designation as a CLG gives local governments a way to participate more formally in the state and national historic preservation programs. General requirements for certification are identified in the federal program; specific requirements for the Virginia program have been established by DHR.

Goals of the Virginia CLG program are threefold:

• Promote viable communities through preservation
• Recognize and reward communities with sound local preservation programs
• Establish credentials of quality for local preservation programs

Benefits of CLG Designation

There are many advantages to earning CLG designation as a community. The program helps a community with preservation generally in three ways, since it—

• promotes community-wide preservation;
• recognizes and supports a community’s local preservation programs; and
• establishes the credentials of quality for local preservation programs.

As a CLG, a community

• assumes a formal role in the identification, evaluation, and protection of its heritage resources;
• has the right to comment on the eligibility of resources nominated for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in its jurisdiction;
• receives technical assistance from DHR and the National Park Service;
• learns from each other CLGs by sharing experiences, concerns, solutions to problems;
• can apply for matching grants for preservation programs from a 10% share of Virginia’s annual federal appropriation;
• gains full access to DHR’s GIS-based Virginia Cultural Resource database (V-CRIS), an $800 value annually;
• is eligible for stipends to selected preservation conferences and workshops;
• is automatically considered for the DHR Cost Share Program funding for survey projects in which CLG grant funding is unavailable; and
• is granted the right to be a “consulting party” in a project requiring Section 106 review.

CLG grants can be used in the following ways:

• for surveys of architectural or archaeological resources;
• for preparation of Preliminary Information Forms or National Register of Historic Places nominations for local heritage resources;
• for heritage stewardship planning projects such as drafting historic preservation plans, archaeological assessments, preservation components of comprehensive plans, or condition assessment reports;
• for public education programs concerned with a heritage stewardship program;
• for local review board or targeted audience training and education projects such as development of materials or programs, including training sessions and hands-on workshops;
• for testing archaeological sites to determine their significance or for pure research, education, or mitigation (as the latter pertains to Section 106 requirements);
• for rehabilitation of buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places that are publicly owned or are privately owned and selected through a local grant competition;
• for drafting new or updated design guidelines; and
• for materials research on a rehabilitation project.

DHR is currently reviewing the CLG program requirements to identify other local government planning efforts that promote heritage stewardship activities and that contribute to an effective local preservation program. As a result of this review, some of the requirements for the CLG program may be amended.

Virginia Department of Education

The Virginia Department of Education is the administrative agency for the commonwealth’s public schools. VDOE works in partnership with Virginia’s 132 school divisions to support and improve teaching and learning, set high expectations for all students, and promote student safety, wellbeing, and health.

Virginia Adult Education Competitive Grant Program

Purpose of WIOA Title II

In accordance with the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014, the purpose of this funding opportunity is to assist eligible providers in developing, implementing, and improving adult education and literacy programs to provide concurrent services that focus on the following:

• Assist adults to become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and economic self-sufficiency;
• Assist adults who are parents or family members to obtain the education and skills that are necessary to become full partners in the educational development of their children, and lead to sustainable improvements in the economic opportunities for their family;
• Assist adults in attaining a secondary school diploma and in the transition to postsecondary education and training, including through career pathways; and
• Assist immigrants and other individuals who are English language learners in improving their reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension skills in English; mathematics skills; and acquiring an understanding of the American system of government, individual freedom, and the responsibilities of citizenship.

This grant funding includes opportunities 1.0 – Adult Education Regional Programs, 2.0 – Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE), and 3.0 – Corrections Education and Other Institutionalized Individuals (C&I).

Adult Education Activities (Adult Education Regional Programs)

Eligible providers will be required to provide adult education services based on identified needs in the region. Programs must also prepare adult learners for and support them in achieving successful transitions to postsecondary education, training, or employment.

Eligible providers are required to offer all the activities below, per the WIOA Combined State Plan and the State Priorities:

• Adult education
• Literacy
• English language acquisition activities
• Workforce preparation activities
• Integrated education and training (IET)

Eligible providers may also offer the following activities, with justification of need:

• Integrated English literacy and civics education
• Workplace adult education and literacy activities
• Family literacy activities

Virginia Department of Education

The Virginia Department of Education is the administrative agency for the commonwealth’s public schools. VDOE works in partnership with Virginia’s 132 school divisions to support and improve teaching and learning, set high expectations for all students, and promote student safety, wellbeing, and health.

Virginia Adult Education Competitive Grant Program

Purpose of WIOA Title II

In accordance with the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014, the purpose of this funding opportunity is to assist eligible providers in developing, implementing, and improving adult education and literacy programs to provide concurrent services that focus on the following:

• Assist adults to become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and economic self-sufficiency;
• Assist adults who are parents or family members to obtain the education and skills that are necessary to become full partners in the educational development of their children, and lead to sustainable improvements in the economic opportunities for their family;
• Assist adults in attaining a secondary school diploma and in the transition to postsecondary education and training, including through career pathways; and
• Assist immigrants and other individuals who are English language learners in improving their reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension skills in English; mathematics skills; and acquiring an understanding of the American system of government, individual freedom, and the responsibilities of citizenship.

This grant funding includes opportunities 1.0 – Adult Education Regional Programs, 2.0 – Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE), and 3.0 – Corrections Education and Other Institutionalized Individuals (C&I).

Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE)

The IELCE program enables adult English Language Learners (ELL), including professionals with degrees and credentials in their native countries, to increase their proficiency in reading, writing, and comprehension skills in English and mathematics using standards-based instruction in order to understand and navigate American systems of government, individual freedom, and responsibilities of citizenship while preparing them for unsubsidized employment for in-demand industries that leads to a family-sustaining wage. All IELCE providers must offer at least one IET; not all IELCE participants must be enrolled in this component. 

IELCE Funds

IELCE grants are not allocated within the regional structure of adult education. Rather, they are competed and awarded based on demonstrated local need to develop education and training opportunities for local immigrant and refugee populations and the applicant’s past effectiveness in delivering such services. Eligible applicants for regional adult education providers, as well as other eligible applicants, including a consortium, may submit a single application for a local IELCE award.

Virginia Department of Education

The Virginia Department of Education is the administrative agency for the commonwealth’s public schools. VDOE works in partnership with Virginia’s 132 school divisions to support and improve teaching and learning, set high expectations for all students, and promote student safety, wellbeing, and health.

Virginia Adult Education Competitive Grant Program

Purpose of WIOA Title II

In accordance with the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014, the purpose of this funding opportunity is to assist eligible providers in developing, implementing, and improving adult education and literacy programs to provide concurrent services that focus on the following:

• Assist adults to become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and economic self-sufficiency;
• Assist adults who are parents or family members to obtain the education and skills that are necessary to become full partners in the educational development of their children, and lead to sustainable improvements in the economic opportunities for their family;
• Assist adults in attaining a secondary school diploma and in the transition to postsecondary education and training, including through career pathways; and
• Assist immigrants and other individuals who are English language learners in improving their reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension skills in English; mathematics skills; and acquiring an understanding of the American system of government, individual freedom, and the responsibilities of citizenship.

This grant funding includes opportunities 1.0 – Adult Education Regional Programs, 2.0 – Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE), and 3.0 – Corrections Education and Other Institutionalized Individuals (C&I).

Corrections Education and Other Institutionalized Individuals (C&I) 

The purpose of this funding is to support educational programs for criminal offenders in correctional institutions and other institutionalized individuals. The C&I-funded instruction must give priority to serving individuals who are likely to leave the correctional institution within five years of participation in the program. Examples of institutional facilities that are eligible for these services include local and regional jails, Virginia Department of Corrections facilities (with special permission), halfway houses, community corrections alternative programs, and confined recovery facilities. These funds may not be used for participation in post-release programs or services. All C&I providers must offer at least one IET; not all C&I participants must be enrolled in this component.

C&I Funds

C&I grants are no longer allocated with the regional structure of adult education. Rather, to ensure a direct and equitable competition, these funds are competed and awarded based on demonstrated local need and active partnerships with correctional facilities and institutions. Eligible applicants for regional adult education providers, as well as other eligible applicants, including a consortium, may submit a single application for a C&I award.

Department of Environmental Quality

Responsible for administering laws and regulations related to air quality, water quality, water supply, renewable energy and land protection, DEQ is the primary environmental permitting agency in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Through the work more than 800 employees at six regional offices across the state and the Central Office in Richmond, DEQ issues permits, conducts monitoring and inspections, and enforces the law. 

Section 319(h) Nonpoint Source (NPS)Implementation Program

Purpose and Background

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is making available up to $1.5 million in Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 319(h) grant funding through this Request for Application (RFA) to support implementation of goals and milestones included in eligible Nonpoint Source (NPS) cleanup plans. DEQ also anticipates up to an additional $2 million will be available for septic repair, replacement and connection projects. Cleanup plans include a variety of types of plans, including but not limited to implementation plans (IPs), advance restoration plans (ARPs) and watershed-based plans (WBPs). In Virginia, Implementation Plans are the most commonly developed type of plan and henceforth this document will only reference the term IP.

This RFA is intended to identify implementation projects that do not currently have an active or pending CWA Section 319(h) Subrecipient Agreement(s) in the cleanup plan of interest. Existing subrecipients who wish to continue their current project should contact their assigned DEQ NPS Regional Coordinator or email to inquire about the process of continuing their current CWA Section 319(h)-funded project.

Project Types

Implementation of eligible U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-accepted (nine element) cleanup plans and related best management practice (BMP) installation, information and outreach and water quality monitoring.

GO Virginia Program Overview

GO Virginia is a collaborative economic development initiative, that provides project-based incentives to encourage collaboration between private industry, higher education and local government in each region to produce results that will grow and diversify the regional economies and ultimately the commonwealth.

To achieve the program goals, the GO Virginia State Board has created nine regional councils. These councils are responsible for developing regional Growth and Diversification Plans and implementing those plans through the submission of project applications. Applications approved at the regional level are advanced to the GO Virginia State Board for funding.

The GO Virginia State Board has identified four primary investment strategies to achieve the program goals. The four priority investment strategies are:

• Workforce Development – building talent pipelines aligned with business needs that increases the pool of qualified workers
• Site Development and Infrastructure - preparing a regional portfolio of business-ready sites that attract private investment
• Entrepreneurship & Innovation (Startup Ecosystem) - creating a resource-rich environment for scalable start-ups and early-stage companies 
• Cluster Scale-Up -  helping existing regional industries grow and compete at a larger scale

All successful projects should align with at least one of these strategies and demonstrate a clear connection to a region’s Growth & Diversification Plan. See the GO Virginia Program Manual for details.

• GO Virginia is not an economic development incentive program. Individual private businesses may not receive funding, nor can any project provide exclusive benefits to a single private business.

• GO Virginia funds must support new and expanded efforts — not ongoing operations. Funding cannot be used to continue, sustain, or supplement the operating costs of existing programs. Projects must clearly demonstrate added value and represent new activity that advances GO Virginia’s mission. Proposals must fill a documented gap, scale a proven model, or introduce a new approach that supports regional priorities.

Virginia Growth and Opportunity Fund (GO Virginia) Competitive Grants

Competitive Grants are designed for projects that involve two or more GO Virginia regions (multi-regional) or go beyond what a single region’s annual allocation can support. They give regions the ability to collaborate or pursue initiatives that deliver substantial economic impact. To qualify, a project must present an extraordinary economic opportunity—one that is transformative in scale.

Competitive Grants allow regions to scale their ideas, tackle challenges that cross boundaries, and pursue transformative projects leverage regional strengths aiming to expand opportunities that benefit multiple localities and industries.

Application Types

Competitive Grants can support planning or implementation projects. The type of application depends on whether your project is multi-regional or single region. Competitive Grants include: Multi-Regional Planning Grants; Multi-Region Implementation Grants and Single Region Implementation Grants.

Multi-Regional Planning Grants

Multi-Regional Planning Grants give regions the chance to work together on big ideas before moving into implementation. These grants support the research, coordination, and strategy development needed when challenges or opportunities cross regional boundaries.

The goal is to help regions align priorities, engage key industry partners, and produce a clear roadmap that positions them for a future implementation project. By investing in planning first, regions reduce risk, build stronger partnerships, and ensure that later projects are grounded in real data and regional consensus.

Only planning projects that demonstrate a clear path toward a future multi-region implementation project of extraordinary economic opportunity will be considered for funding. In addition to the attached PDF document, see also the Planning Grant Administrative Guidance.

GO Virginia Program Overview

GO Virginia is a collaborative economic development initiative, that provides project-based incentives to encourage collaboration between private industry, higher education and local government in each region to produce results that will grow and diversify the regional economies and ultimately the commonwealth.

To achieve the program goals, the GO Virginia State Board has created nine regional councils. These councils are responsible for developing regional Growth and Diversification Plans and implementing those plans through the submission of project applications. Applications approved at the regional level are advanced to the GO Virginia State Board for funding.

The GO Virginia State Board has identified four primary investment strategies to achieve the program goals. The four priority investment strategies are:

• Workforce Development – building talent pipelines aligned with business needs that increases the pool of qualified workers
• Site Development and Infrastructure - preparing a regional portfolio of business-ready sites that attract private investment
• Entrepreneurship & Innovation (Startup Ecosystem) - creating a resource-rich environment for scalable start-ups and early-stage companies 
• Cluster Scale-Up -  helping existing regional industries grow and compete at a larger scale

All successful projects should align with at least one of these strategies and demonstrate a clear connection to a region’s Growth & Diversification Plan. See the GO Virginia Program Manual for details.

• GO Virginia is not an economic development incentive program. Individual private businesses may not receive funding, nor can any project provide exclusive benefits to a single private business.

• GO Virginia funds must support new and expanded efforts — not ongoing operations. Funding cannot be used to continue, sustain, or supplement the operating costs of existing programs. Projects must clearly demonstrate added value and represent new activity that advances GO Virginia’s mission. Proposals must fill a documented gap, scale a proven model, or introduce a new approach that supports regional priorities.

Virginia Growth and Opportunity Fund (GO Virginia) Competitive Grants

Competitive Grants are designed for projects that involve two or more GO Virginia regions (multi-regional) or go beyond what a single region’s annual allocation can support. They give regions the ability to collaborate or pursue initiatives that deliver substantial economic impact. To qualify, a project must present an extraordinary economic opportunity—one that is transformative in scale.

Competitive Grants allow regions to scale their ideas, tackle challenges that cross boundaries, and pursue transformative projects leverage regional strengths aiming to expand opportunities that benefit multiple localities and industries.

Application Types

Competitive Grants can support planning or implementation projects. The type of application depends on whether your project is multi-regional or single region. Competitive Grants include: Multi-Regional Planning Grants; Multi-Region Implementation Grants; and Single Region Implementation Grants.

Multi-Region Implementation Grants

Multi-Region Implementation Grants are designed to turn collaborative plans into action. The goal is to deliver projects that create broad economic impact, strengthening targeted industry sectors, growing higher-paying jobs, and expanding opportunities across all participating regions. Because these projects represent a significant investment, applicants must demonstrate strong regional collaboration, clear economic outcomes, and a plan for sustaining results beyond the grant period.

Successful projects should create benefits that are shared across all participating localities, not concentrated in just one community. In other words, the project’s impact—such as new jobs, business growth, or expanded industry capacity—should be visible in each region that is part of the application.

GO Virginia Program Overview

GO Virginia is a collaborative economic development initiative, that provides project-based incentives to encourage collaboration between private industry, higher education and local government in each region to produce results that will grow and diversify the regional economies and ultimately the commonwealth.

To achieve the program goals, the GO Virginia State Board has created nine regional councils. These councils are responsible for developing regional Growth and Diversification Plans and implementing those plans through the submission of project applications. Applications approved at the regional level are advanced to the GO Virginia State Board for funding.

The GO Virginia State Board has identified four primary investment strategies to achieve the program goals. The four priority investment strategies are:

• Workforce Development – building talent pipelines aligned with business needs that increases the pool of qualified workers
• Site Development and Infrastructure - preparing a regional portfolio of business-ready sites that attract private investment
• Entrepreneurship & Innovation (Startup Ecosystem) - creating a resource-rich environment for scalable start-ups and early-stage companies 
• Cluster Scale-Up -  helping existing regional industries grow and compete at a larger scale

All successful projects should align with at least one of these strategies and demonstrate a clear connection to a region’s Growth & Diversification Plan. See the GO Virginia Program Manual for details.

• GO Virginia is not an economic development incentive program. Individual private businesses may not receive funding, nor can any project provide exclusive benefits to a single private business.

• GO Virginia funds must support new and expanded efforts — not ongoing operations. Funding cannot be used to continue, sustain, or supplement the operating costs of existing programs. Projects must clearly demonstrate added value and represent new activity that advances GO Virginia’s mission. Proposals must fill a documented gap, scale a proven model, or introduce a new approach that supports regional priorities.

Virginia Growth and Opportunity Fund (GO Virginia) Competitive Grants

Competitive Grants are designed for projects that involve two or more GO Virginia regions (multi-regional) or go beyond what a single region’s annual allocation can support. They give regions the ability to collaborate or pursue initiatives that deliver substantial economic impact. To qualify, a project must present an extraordinary economic opportunity—one that is transformative in scale.

Competitive Grants allow regions to scale their ideas, tackle challenges that cross boundaries, and pursue transformative projects leverage regional strengths aiming to expand opportunities that benefit multiple localities and industries.

Application Types

Competitive Grants can support planning or implementation projects. The type of application depends on whether your project is multi-regional or single region. Competitive Grants include: Multi-Regional Planning Grants; Multi-Region Implementation Grants; and Single Region Implementation Grants.

Single Region Implementation Grants

Single-Region Implementation Grants are available for extraordinary opportunities within one region that cannot be fully supported by that region’s annual allocation. These projects are intended to address unique, high-impact needs where the scale of investment exceeds local resources but still delivers outcomes consistent with the goals of GO Virginia.

The expectation is that single-region projects will demonstrate the same level of rigor as multiregional efforts—clear economic impact, measurable outcomes, and long-term sustainability—while making the case for why Competitive Grant support is essential. In some cases, the request may use a mix of per-capita funds and Competitive Grant funds; in other cases, it may rely entirely on Competitive Grant funds.

GO Virginia Program Overview

GO Virginia is a collaborative economic development initiative, that provides project-based incentives to encourage collaboration between private industry, higher education and local government in each region to produce results that will grow and diversify the regional economies and ultimately the commonwealth.

To achieve the program goals, the GO Virginia State Board has created nine regional councils. These councils are responsible for developing regional Growth and Diversification Plans and implementing those plans through the submission of project applications. Applications approved at the regional level are advanced to the GO Virginia State Board for funding.

The GO Virginia State Board has identified four primary investment strategies to achieve the program goals. The four priority investment strategies are:

• Workforce Development – building talent pipelines aligned with business needs that increases the pool of qualified workers
• Site Development and Infrastructure - preparing a regional portfolio of business-ready sites that attract private investment
• Entrepreneurship & Innovation (Startup Ecosystem) - creating a resource-rich environment for scalable start-ups and early-stage companies 
• Cluster Scale-Up -  helping existing regional industries grow and compete at a larger scale

All successful projects should align with at least one of these strategies and demonstrate a clear connection to a region’s Growth & Diversification Plan. See the GO Virginia Program Manual for details.

• GO Virginia is not an economic development incentive program. Individual private businesses may not receive funding, nor can any project provide exclusive benefits to a single private business.

• GO Virginia funds must support new and expanded efforts — not ongoing operations. Funding cannot be used to continue, sustain, or supplement the operating costs of existing programs. Projects must clearly demonstrate added value and represent new activity that advances GO Virginia’s mission. Proposals must fill a documented gap, scale a proven model, or introduce a new approach that supports regional priorities.

Virginia Growth and Opportunity Fund (GO Virginia) Planning, Feasibility, and Small-Scale Pilot Gran

GO Virginia Planning, Feasibility, and Small-Scale Pilot grants are intended to build regional capacity for impactful, saleable projects.

Planning Grants help regions explore and refine ideas that have the potential to drive economic growth. They provide an opportunity to test concepts, formalize strong partnerships, conduct indepth research or feasibility studies, and develop actionable strategies. These grants can also support small-scale pilot initiatives that, if successful, can be scaled up through a GO Virginia Implementation Grant or another measurable investment opportunity.

The primary intent of Planning Grants is to prepare projects for future GO Virginia Implementation funding. In some cases, planning work may also strengthen a project’s ability to compete for other funding sources or, occasionally, determine that an initiative should not move forward. While those opportunities are valuable, applicants should design proposals with a clear line of sight to GO Virginia Implementation as the expected pathway.

Virginia Department of Fire Programs

Since 1969, Virginia has been at the forefront of firefighter training, starting with the Fire Services Training section within the State Department of Education.

Later becoming part of the Division of Fire Services Training under the State Fire Commission and eventually the Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP).

• VDFP is headquartered in Glen Allen, VA and has seven geographical boundaries with a training division chief and State Fire Marshal’s Office staff.
• VDFP is part of ten agencies under the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security.
• VDFP administers an annual budget of $61 million and has over 90+ full–time staff, 17 part time staff and over 400 adjunct instructors who provide support and deliver our training programs through site-specific mobile training, at any of the regional training facilities or at locality training centers.

Conference & Education Assistance Grant

The Conference & Education Assistance Grant provides financial assistance for the professional development of Virginia’s fire and emergency services personnel.

• Administered by the Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP) and overseen by the Executive Director or their designee, the program aims to offer essential financial support for training conferences and seminars.

• These events, sponsored by Virginia-based non-profit organizations, enhance the education and skills of fire and emergency services personnel throughout the commonwealth.

• Grant funds shall be used for the purposes of providing training to volunteer or career firefighting personnel and funding fire prevention and public safety education courses.

Department of Conservation and Recreation

The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is the state's lead natural resource conservation agency. DCR provides access for outdoor recreation, strengthens communities’ flood resilience, and protects what Virginians care about: clean water, parks, natural habitat and open space.

Virginia Watershed Educational Programs Project

The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) seeks qualified applicants to provide exemplary “meaningful watershed educational experiences” (MWEE) within Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The Fund was established to provide support for qualified applicants across Virginia who will provide Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) to k-12 learners. The Fund aligns with Virginia’s commitment to enhance students’ understanding of the watershed through teacher-supported educational experiences.

As one of the signatories to the Chesapeake Bay 2014 Agreement (as amended), Virginia is committed to increasing “students age-appropriate understanding of the watershed through participation in teacher-supported, meaningful watershed educational experiences and rigorous, inquiry-based instruction, with a target of at least one meaningful watershed educational experience in elementary, middle and high school depending on available resources.” 

Lilly Foundation

To extend Lilly’s charitable reach and impact, the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation (Lilly Foundation) was established in 1968 and is supported by donations from Eli Lilly and Company.

The Foundation is a tax-exempt, private foundation supporting programs that align with its philanthropic priorities.

Grantmaking Approach

The Lilly Foundation’s work is guided by a charitable vision of a world where every person has an opportunity to live their healthiest life. Through grantmaking focused on Lilly Foundation’s charitable vision, grants can serve as a catalyst for closing gaps and empowering individuals and communities to thrive.

All proposals should demonstrate clear alignment with at least one focus area and include charitable outcomes that are measurable and consistent with the Foundation’s long-term charitable goals.

Global Health, K-12 STEM Education and Economic Mobility Grant

Focus Areas

Global Health

Lilly Foundation, through its charitable grants, aims to support permissible charitable efforts to improve access to quality healthcare for resource-limited communities in low- and lower-middleincome countries (L/LMICs) and in the United States. Strengthening access to care is essential for enhancing community well-being and supporting economic stability in resource-limited settings.

The Global Health focus area aims to close gaps in quality healthcare by supporting charitable solutions that improve access, bring care closer to where people live, and address the high burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in resource-limited settings. To the extent permissible, the Foundation prioritizes charitable efforts related to cardiometabolic health in resource-limited settings.

K-12 STEM Education

The K-12 STEM Education focus area aims to close the gaps for students from low-income communities by supporting programs that foster new pathways and pipelines to STEM education through focused K-12 efforts, concentrating on the critical middle school years. The Foundation’s K-12 STEM Education grants are focused on initiatives that benefit Marion County, Indiana.

Economic Mobility

The Economic Mobility focus area supports charitable and educational programs that strengthen workforce readiness, postsecondary and skills-based educational pathways, and housing stability to promote long-term prosperity. This support is focused on Marion County, Indiana, with the goal of improving economic opportunity for low-income communities and advancing community well-being.

The goal of the Virginia Housing Trust Fund Homeless Reduction Grant program is to reduce homelessness in the Commonwealth of Virginia. DHCD will support Continuum of Care (CoC)/balance of state local planning group (LPG) strategies and homeless service projects that are or will be a part of an effective emergency crisis response system to ensure that homelessness is rare, brief, and one-time.

The Homeless Reduction Grant program must be coordinated with other community-based activities. All CoCs, LPGs, and DHCD homeless services grantees use a local centralized or coordinated assessment/entry system. A local centralized or coordinated assessment/entry system is the best practice for a housing-focused approach targeted toward helping households experiencing homelessness quickly regain stability in permanent housing.

Priority consideration will be given to efforts to reduce the number of youth and families experiencing homelessness. Funding will be awarded to projects best aligned with state and federal goals to end homelessness in communities throughout the commonwealth. 

The Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC)’s Commonwealth Commercialization Fund (CCF) Higher Education (HE) Proof-of-Concept (POC) program provides grant funding to Virginia’s public and private colleges and universities and eligible nonprofit Virginia-based research institutes. Applicants may request $75,000 or $150,000, depending on the designated track, to support translation Virginia research-derived innovations into commercial products. Applicants with technologies at a more advanced technology readiness level (TRL) and/or deemed by VIPC to have exceptional strategic value for Virginia may be invited to seek up to $300,000. Each grant requires a minimum one-to-one match and is expected to support the achievement of two to three key milestones during the period of performance (typically 6-15 months). 

Virginia Department of Fire Programs

Since 1969, Virginia has been at the forefront of firefighter training, starting with the Fire Services Training section within the State Department of Education.

Later becoming part of the Division of Fire Services Training under the State Fire Commission and eventually the Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP).

• VDFP is headquartered in Glen Allen, VA and has seven geographical boundaries with a training division chief and State Fire Marshal’s Office staff.
• VDFP is part of ten agencies under the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security.
• VDFP administers an annual budget of $61 million and has over 90+ full–time staff, 17 part time staff and over 400 adjunct instructors who provide support and deliver our training programs through site-specific mobile training, at any of the regional training facilities or at locality training centers.

Aid to Localities Grant

Aid to Localities (ATL) known as the Virginia Fire Programs Fund (Fund) is a crucial resource, sourced from one percent of fire-related insurance coverage.  

This fund is dedicated to supporting localities in the commonwealth by providing financial aid where it's needed most. Approximately 75 percent of the total fund is allocated directly to counties, cities, and incorporated towns within Virginia.

ATL allocations are population-based and can be used for a range of essential fire services and initiatives. 

How ATL Funds Can Be Allocated

These funds can be allocated to jurisdictions* for the sole purpose of the following:

• Training volunteer or career firefighting personnel in each of the receiving localities.
• Funding fire prevention and public safety education programs.
• Constructing, improving and expanding regional or local fire service training facilities.
• Purchasing emergency medical care and equipment for fire personnel.
• Payment of personnel costs related to fire and medical training for fire personnel; or For purchasing personal protective equipment, vehicles, equipment and supplies for use in the receiving locality specifically for fire service purposes.
• Diesel exhaust removal systems, decontamination equipment, and commercial extractors, that are designed to reduce the incidence of cancer among firefighters 
• *ATL Funds allocated to the jurisdictions cannot be used directly or indirectly to supplant or replace any other funds appropriated by the counties, cities and towns for fire service operations. 

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) provides funding to state, local, tribal, and territory governments so that they can rebuild in a way that either reduces or mitigates future disaster-related losses in their communities. Unlike the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program (FMA) which is an annually-recurring grant opportunity, the grant funding through HMGP is made available following a presidentially declared disaster, and these funds must be requested by a governor or tribal executive in eligible communities in a state, tribe, or territory.

Eligible Project Types

• Retrofitting existing buildings to make them less susceptible to damage from a variety of natural hazards.
• Purchasing hazard-prone property to remove people and structures from harm’s way. Utility and infrastructure retrofits to reduce risk of failure caused by natural hazards. Drainage improvement projects to reduce potential for flood damage.
• Slope stabilization projects to reduce risk to people and structures.
• Developing and adopting hazard mitigation plans (HMPs), which are required for state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to receive funding for hazard mitigation projects.
• Using aquifer storage and recovery, floodplain and stream restoration, flood diversion and storage, or green infrastructure methods to reduce the impacts of flood and drought.

St. Ignace Area Community Foundation: CTE Technical Scholarship

The St. Ignace Community Fund annually awards scholarships assisting students with higher education, technical training, vocational training or retraining based largely on acknowledgement of student responsibility, community service, and civic involvement. These Scholarships are made possible through the generosity of donors to the various accounts within the St. Ignace Area Community Fund. Some accounts specifically are awarded to recognize higher education in the areas of special education, vocational/technical careers, teaching, law enforcement, and health care.

Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation

The mission of Susan G. Komen® is to save lives by meeting the most critical needs in our communities and investing in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer.

Susan G. Komen Career Catalyst Research (CCR) Grants

Susan G. Komen Career Catalyst Research (CCR) Grants foster promising breast cancer researchers who are in the early stages of their faculty careers by providing support for up to three years of “protected time” for research career development under the guidance of a Mentor Committee. We seek to support those who will emerge as the next key leaders in the fight against breast cancer.

CCR Research Focus: Research projects must be hypothesis-driven, breast cancer-focused studies. They may be considered basic, translational, clinical and/or population science in nature and should align with Komen’s research priorities and mission to save lives from breast cancer. 

Hogg Foundation for Mental Health

The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health was established in 1940 at The University of Texas at Austin by the children of Texas Governor James Hogg. For over a quarter of a century, the Hogg Foundation was guided by the passion and insight of the Governor’s daughter, Miss Ima Hogg, who actively promoted the foundation and encouraged its staff to pursue a bold, new vision. Today the Hogg Foundation is based at The University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work and is funded through an endowment created by gifts from the Hogg family and managed by The University of Texas/Texas A&M Investment Management Company.

The Hogg Foundation is inspired by Ima Hogg’s vision for a Texas that supports and promotes mental health, resilience, and well-being. Miss Ima was ahead of her time in believing that mental health was just as important as physical health. She believed all people should have access to community-based resources to support mental well-being and live fulfilling lives, and she championed supports in everyday environments like schools, workplaces, places of worship, and homes.

Stephany June Bryan: Bold Spirit of Achievement Scholarship

The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health is offering ten $5,000 scholarships in honor of Stephany June Bryan to individuals facing personal and financial barriers to achieving their educational or career goals due to the impact of living with a mental health challenge and/or supporting a loved one with a mental health challenge.

You do not need to be enrolled in a program at the time you submit your application. However, you will need to provide enrollment verification and/or a certificate of completion when/if it is awarded.

About BlackRock

We’re a global asset manager and technology provider dedicated to helping more and more people experience financial well-being. We help millions of people invest to build savings that serve them throughout their lives. The BlackRock Foundation which funds and partners with organizations that strengthen financial security for more people,

BlackRock Future Builders

BlackRock Future Builders is a $100 million philanthropic initiative funded by The BlackRock Foundation to expand economic opportunity and power the next generation of America’s skilled trades workers. Through this Request for Proposals (RFP) process, The Foundation seeks to support U.S. nonprofit organizations (i.e., registered 501(c)3 organizations) delivering or supporting high‑quality skilled trades training.

This competitive grant opportunity operates in parallel to other BlackRock Future Builders partnerships and is intended to surface additional, regionally grounded solutions across the skilled trades ecosystem. Organizations may propose direct worker training programs or capacity‑building efforts that enable systems to function more effectively and at greater scale. This first round RFP will be administered by Jobs for the Future (JFF), a national nonprofit that transforms U.S. education and workforce systems.

Focus Areas and Solutions

Applicants may propose worker training or capacity‑building solutions aligned to skilled trades workforce development.

• Worker training interventions may include direct service proposals such as pre-apprenticeship or career navigation programs, workforce training programs, apprenticeship programs, or wraparound participant supports that are supportive of training persistence and completion.
• Capacity-building interventions are organizational and system-focused, rather than in direct service of participants, and may include, but are not limited to, proposals such as ecosystem-building, demonstration projects, technology or tool adoptions, or research, among others.

AΩA is committed to preparing future leaders in medicine and health care. Leadership is about making a positive difference and can be developed through education, observation, experience, and by working with leader mentors. Service learning provides excellent opportunities for students to develop as servant leaders. Only one team from each school may be nominated.