Best Petersburg city Grants for Nonprofits in Virginia

Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development

The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) partners with state, federal, local and nonprofit housing and community and economic development initiatives. DHCD programs strive to maintain the vibrancy of communities throughout the Commonwealth and include providing universal broadband access, investing in economic development initiatives, promulgating the statewide building and fire regulations, preserving the affordability and efficiency of Virginia’s homes and buildings, addressing homelessness, reducing eviction rates across the state and fostering innovative solutions to create affordable housing. DHCD invests over $350 million annually in addition to $2 billion in federal recovery programs as a partner to Virginia communities to create safe, affordable and prosperous communities to live, work and do business in Virginia.

Virginia Enterprise Zone – Real Property Investment Grant

The Virginia Enterprise Zone (VEZ) program is a partnership between state and local government that encourages job creation and private investment. VEZ accomplishes this by designating Enterprise Zones throughout the state and providing two grant-based incentives, the Job Creation Grant (JCG) and the Real Property Investment Grant (RPIG), to qualified investors and job creators within those zones, while the locality provides local incentives.

Highlights

The RPIG is available to investors that are undertaking rehabilitation, expansion, or new construction projects within the boundaries of an Enterprise Zone. The building or facility must be:

• Commercial: Including office and retail
• Industrial
• Mixed-use: At least 30% of usable floor space is devoted to commercial, office, or industrial use

Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development

The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) partners with state, federal, local and nonprofit housing and community and economic development initiatives. DHCD programs strive to maintain the vibrancy of communities throughout the Commonwealth and include providing universal broadband access, investing in economic development initiatives, promulgating the statewide building and fire regulations, preserving the affordability and efficiency of Virginia’s homes and buildings, addressing homelessness, reducing eviction rates across the state and fostering innovative solutions to create affordable housing. DHCD invests over $350 million annually in addition to $2 billion in federal recovery programs as a partner to Virginia communities to create safe, affordable and prosperous communities to live, work and do business in Virginia.

Industrial Revitalization Fund 

The Industrial Revitalization Fund (IRF) leverages local and private resources to achieve market-driven redevelopment of vacant and deteriorated industrial and commercial properties. The program is targeted toward vacant structures whose poor condition creates physical and economic blight to the surrounding area in which the structure is located. Eligible properties include those formerly used for manufacturing, warehousing, mining, transportation and power production, as well as large-scale white elephant structures, such as department stores, theaters, hotels and shopping centers. Structures whose proposed end use will be solely residential are not eligible. 

The intent of the IRF program is to provide gap financing for projects once all other sources of funding have been exhausted. IRF awards require at least a 1 to 1 match of IRF dollars.

Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development

The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) partners with state, federal, local and nonprofit housing and community and economic development initiatives. DHCD programs strive to maintain the vibrancy of communities throughout the Commonwealth and include providing universal broadband access, investing in economic development initiatives, promulgating the statewide building and fire regulations, preserving the affordability and efficiency of Virginia’s homes and buildings, addressing homelessness, reducing eviction rates across the state and fostering innovative solutions to create affordable housing. DHCD invests over $350 million annually in addition to $2 billion in federal recovery programs as a partner to Virginia communities to create safe, affordable and prosperous communities to live, work and do business in Virginia.

Virginia Enterprise Zone – Job Creation Grant

The Virginia Enterprise Zone (VEZ) program is a partnership between state and local government that encourages job creation and private investment. VEZ accomplishes this by designating Enterprise Zones throughout the state and providing two grant-based incentives, the Job Creation Grant (JCG) and the Real Property Investment Grant (RPIG), to qualified investors and job creators within those zones, while the local government provides local incentives.

Highlights

• Up to $500 annually per grant eligible position filled by an employee earning at least 150% (125% in HUAs and SWAM-certified businesses) of the minimum wage, who was offered health benefits. ["Minimum wage" means the federal minimum wage or the Virginia minimum wage, whichever is higher. The Department shall determine whichever is higher for the current calendar year as of December 1 of the prior calendar year, and its determination shall be continuously in effect throughout the calendar year, regardless of changes to the federal minimum wage or the Virginia minimum wage during that year.]
• Up to $800 annually per grant eligible position filled by an employee earning 175% of the Virginia minimum wage who was offered health benefits.
• For High Unemployment Areas and SWAM-certified Businesses, annual cash grant of $500 per job for jobs paying at least 125% of the minimum wage; $800 per job for jobs paying 175% of the minimum wage.
• Qualifying companies may claim the grants on up to a maximum of 350 jobs per year.
• Requires a four-job threshold to establish a five-year grant period.
• Only full-time jobs with health benefits are eligible.

Virginia Tree Stewards

Tree Stewards are trained community volunteers committed to promoting healthy urban and rural forests in Virginia. Tree Stewards provide training classes, educational programs, and projects in their communities intended to increase public awareness of the value of trees while teaching about trees and tree care. With classroom training and hands-on practice, Tree Stewards are equipped to identify trees, counsel on tree selection, demonstrate proper tree planting and follow-up care, and guide removal of invasive plants that threaten trees.

Each person taking the Tree Steward training makes a commitment to return a specific number of volunteer hours contributing to local Tree Steward projects. Each community determines the number of hours, sets the standards for volunteer work, and decides the Tree Steward projects its volunteers will undertake. Tree Steward volunteers are a positive force for change in their communities. All Tree Steward projects are tailored to meet the needs of their communities.

Mini Grants

Trees Virginia Mini-Grants are intended to assist the work of Tree Stewards in their communities. These funds may be used to support the training of Tree Stewards, purchase tools and equipment, acquire trees to plant, or develop educational materials or events. The purpose of the Mini-Grants is to provide equitable appropriation to Tree Steward Groups rather than awarding funds to groups on a first-come, first-served basis.

Discretionary Incentives

Port of Virginia Economic and Infrastructure Development Grant (EID Grant)

The Port of Virginia Economic and Infrastructure Development Grant (EID Grant) is designed to incentivize companies to locate new maritime-related employment centers or expand existing centers to encourage growth of facilitate cargo growth at The Port of Virginia. EID Grants are administered by the Virginia Port Authority.

For additional program information, refer to Growth Incentive Grants.

EID Grants are made at the discretion of the Executive Director of the Virginia Port Authority with the expectation that grants awarded will be used to assist a qualified company to locate a new operation or expand an existing operation within the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Subject to appropriation, an EID Grant is available beginning January 1, 2025. The grant fund is subject to a distinct and shared appropriation cap with ITF grant program of $2 million.

About

Originally conceived by Dr Bruce Mesara in 1990 as a means to carry on his philanthropic efforts beyond his lifetime, the Mesara Family Foundation was re-envisioned by his two children Amy and Douglas in 2014, and received their 501(c)(3) status from the IRS in 2015. Amy and Douglas sought out the assistance of their cousins to build upon the charitable principals on their parents, aunts and uncles.

The foundation is headquartered in Kalamazoo Michigan.

Mission

The mission of the Mesara Family Foundation is to honor the philanthropic principles of the Mesara and Pauch families by supporting carefully selected organizations that share similar values. Our focus is to provide support toward education, conservation and other causes of special family interest where our funding will make a genuine difference.

Reforestation of Timberlands Program

Trees are good for you and good for Virginia. In addition to their monetary value, trees provide useful wood, jobs and homes for wildlife. Trees hold the soil, yield fresh air, and are simply beautiful. If you have land (cutover land or worn out fields) that just aren’t producing for you, an investment in pine trees can yield many benefits.

The Reforestation of Timberlands (RT) Program, managed by the Virginia Department of Forestry, provides cost-share assistance to landowners for pine reforestation, and is funded by the forest industry in Virginia (Virginia Forest Products Tax) with matching funds from the Commonwealth of Virginia’s General Fund.

The program has been helping Virginia landowners grow pines for more than 50 years. It can cost between $100 to $250 per acre to put in a crop of pines. The RT program reimburses landowners for a portion of the costs associated with getting pines started right. Your DOF forester can help you identify and apply for the forest management practices that are best suited for your property.