Author: Joumana Altallal

The Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (Community Foundation) is delighted to welcome Heather Enos as our new Chief Operations and Finance Officer. Heather will steward the financial and operational infrastructure of the foundation, ensuring financial excellence and sustainability.

“We are so fortunate to have been able to recruit such a high-caliber human and experienced executive to our team at the Community Foundation. Heather’s sensibilities, skills and style are a perfect fit for the foundation, and her presence will elevate our standing and impact across the region.” Leslie Lynn Smith, president and CEO of the Community Foundation, said. “I’ve no doubt her leadership and functional expertise will be immediately felt across the enterprise and by those with whom we’re in treasured relationships to facilitate philanthropy in our communities, namely, our partners, peers and fundholders.  We’re so excited to have her on our team.”

Heather most recently served as the Chief Financial Officer at the University of Virginia Darden School Foundation and has extensive experience in developing and executing innovative financial strategies, managing multimillion-dollar budgets, and ensuring regulatory compliance.

“It is such an honor to have the opportunity to contribute to the amazing work performed by the passionate and dedicated staff of the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation,” Heather said. “There is palpable enthusiasm around the innovative initiatives that are being implemented on behalf of all of our stakeholders that will create deep and lasting impact to enrich the lives of all of us who live in and love this community.”

Heather holds a BA from the University of Kansas and an MBA with a focus on Strategic Management and International Business from the University of Kansas School of Business. She previously served as Associate Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis at Save the Children in Fairfield, Connecticut, where she managed the organization’s $900M budget.

Heather has lived in many states and countries during her lifetime and is thrilled to call the Charlottesville area home since 2020.  She and her husband Ross live in Troy with their two dogs, Gracie and Marnie, and are passionate about adventure travel.  They have been to 47 countries on 6 continents, enabling Heather to pursue another passion: wildlife photography.

The Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (Community Foundation) is pleased to welcome Chas Manning as our new Director of Innovation and Administration. Chas will work closely with the operations team to implement processes that translate vision into action.

“Chas’ steady and committed approach to systems evaluation, human-centered design, innovation and continuous improvement will allow the foundation to build on its legacy and impact with efficiency, excellence and scale” Leslie Lynn Smith, president and CEO of the Community Foundation, said. “I am delighted that he and his family have chosen Charlottesville as their home where they have deep connections and an ethos that will have them investing deep and wide as active members of our community.”

Chas most recently served as the Director of Integrations at Painters USA and is the co-founder of Block Party Group, a solutions consulting group. He has over 10 years of experience building the systems, controls, and teams that power sustainable growth.

“I am honored to step into this role at a moment when the Community Foundation is deepening its commitment to both internal excellence and external impact,” Chas said. “I am excited to partner with this talented team to strengthen the systems that allow us to show up fully, consistently, and creatively for our community.”

Chas holds a BS in Manufacturing Engineering from Boston University where he was recognized as a Technology Innovation Scholar. His formal engineering training, combined with more than a decade of leadership experience, has shaped a practical, systems-oriented approach to innovative operations that emphasizes accountability, scalability, and continuous improvement across complex organizations.

Outside of work, Chas enjoys fostering a sense of wonder with his husband, Will, and their three basset hounds as they explore a new community through regional theater, local adventures, and shared meals.

The Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band at the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation is proud to announce its Fall 2025 grant funding decisions, totaling $739,000 and supporting 141 nonprofits throughout the region. The Bama Works Fund supports a wide range of community-led initiatives that aim to make a positive difference in the city of Charlottesville, or the counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Nelson, and Orange.

In this round, grants were awarded to organizations working on areas such as affordable housing, food access, and youth development across our region.

“These grants represent partnership and a shared vision for a stronger region,” said Leslie Lynn Smith, CEO & President of the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation.

Click here for a list of Fall 2025 grant recipients.

Twice each year, the Bama Works Fund awards gifts through a competitive grant cycle. The next application period will open January 2, 2026. For more information, please visit our grant opportunities page or email us at grants@cacfonline.org.

The Charlottesville Area Community Foundation is launching an open call for committee members. We welcome those bringing lived experience or new perspectives to serve on committees that shape our grant-making, donor engagement, governance, and strategic initiatives. Our volunteer committees are at the heart of everything we do, and support our responsive stewardship of resources in our region.

We currently have opportunities across a range of committees, each with its own focus and time commitment.

Standing Committees:

• Audit & Compliance Committee helps maintain our organizational integrity through financial oversight and policy review. Members meet 3-4 times yearly with occasional work between meetings.

• Board Development Committee shapes our leadership pipeline by recruiting and supporting board and committee members. This role requires 5-6 meetings annually plus 2-5 hours monthly of additional work.

• Community Advisory Committee partners with our program staff to guide community-advised grantmaking and capacity building. Members attend 4-6 meetings per year, participate in one full-day retreat, and contribute 2-4 hours monthly outside meetings.

• Finance Committee ensures our fiscal health by monitoring financial performance and developing budgets with an equity lens. The commitment includes 5-6 meetings yearly plus occasional monthly review work.

• Investment Committee steers our investment strategy to achieve strong, risk-adjusted returns for the funds in our care. Members meet quarterly with monthly review responsibilities.

• Local Impact Investing Committee leverages our assets for local impact by evaluating investment opportunities that advance equity and prosperity in our region. This committee meets 4-6 times annually with monthly support work.

Grant Review Committees:

• Bama Works Fund Grants Review Committee reviews proposals from the Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band supporting regional programs. Members contribute 15-25 hours per grant cycle across two annual cycles.

• Louisa County Community Fund Grants Review Committee makes annual grants improving quality of life in Louisa County. This role requires approximately 10-15 hours annually.

• PB&J Fund Grants Review Committee supports programs addressing food security and culinary education. Members contribute no more than 10 hours annually.

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Read the Committee Description Primer for more information about each committee.

Questions? Contact info@cacfonline.org or (434) 296‑1024.

The deadline for applications is August 29, 2025.

Since 2008, the Louisa County Community Fund has awarded over $1,000,000 to organizations that
improve the quality of life in Louisa County. LCCF is a committee-advised fund of the Community Foundation, continuing the philanthropy started by Albert and Ruby Bazzanella.

The committee is comprised of Louisa County residents who understand the needs of the community, the nonprofit sector in the county, and the grantmaking process. They approach this work with backgrounds in healthcare, essential service delivery, faith communities, government social services, the arts, education, mentorship, and minority small business ownership. Louisa-led and Louisa-serving organizations are the priority of the review committee since they are most proximate to the needs of Louisa County.

For the 2025 round, the total amount to be awarded is $89,750, and supports a wide variety of organizations having a relevant impact in Louisa County. The receiving organizations are:

Adult Community Education
All Blessings Flow
Child Health Partnership
Foothills Child Advocacy Center
Foundation for Lake Anna Emergency Services
Friends of the Rappahannock
Giving Words Inc
Hospice of the Piedmont
Jefferson-Madison Regional Library
Louisa County Department of Human Services
Louisa County Historical Society
Louisa County Resource Council
Louisa Downtown Development Corporation (dba Louisa Arts Center)
Louisa Forward Foundation
My Three Chambered Heart
ReadyKids
Sexual Assault Resource Agency
Shelter for Help in Emergency
The Arc of the Piedmont
The Journey Home Inc
Virginia Hunters Who Care, Inc.

For questions regarding the Louisa County Community Fund you can contact Daniel Fairley, Donor Relations Manager at CACF, and program manager for LCCF: dfairley@cacfonline.org

The Community Endowment Fund of the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (CACF) is proud to announce $300,000 in grant funding to 16 local organizations. These grants are awarded through the Solidarity program, a Community Endowment Fund initiative overseen by the Foundation’s Community Advisory Committee. The Solidarity program, which completed its pilot year in fall 2024, is among the first philanthropic programs in Virginia dedicated to supporting movement building. To achieve lasting, community-level change, “movement building” groups are those who go beyond providing direct services and instead seek to alter or completely reimagine broken systems.

In February 2025, the Solidarity program launched two new grant offerings in response to pilot year feedback and learnings: Renewal Grants for Healing & Strengthening and Reimagine Grants for Freedom Dreaming & Evolving.

Renewal Grants of up to $25,000 provide movement groups with wellness and reparative support, whether it be spiritual, physiological, or interpersonal. Requests can be for collective healing work, “joyful resistance,” coalition building, conflict resolution/mediation, and even sabbatical support. Reimagine Grants of up to $50,000 seek to encourage nonconformity, creativity, and experimentation by supporting idea research and development, planning, visioning, pausing, resetting, restructuring or, when necessary, closing. Reimagine Grant applicants may also apply for funding to support short-term/one-time professional services support, such as nonprofit legal or accounting assistance, and support for staff/volunteer training that enhances their movement building capacity.

The Governing Board, Community Advisory Committee, and staff of the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation wish to recognize and thank the Solidarity program’s 16 inaugural Renewal and Reimagine grantees.

Renewal Grant Recipients

• Legacy Productions
• Lending Hands
• New Hill Development Corporation
• Rose Hill Baptist Church
• Soul of Cville
• St. John Family Life & Fitness Center
• Wartime Fitness Warriors

Reimagine Grant Recipients

• Black Women Stitch
• Central Virginia Clinicians of Color Network
• Central Virginia Farmworkers Initiative
• Community Voices
• Congregate Charlottesville
• Cultivate Charlottesville
• The Haven
• The RESTORE Project
• Sin Barreras

Beginning July 1 through July 31, 2025, the Solidarity program is accepting Letters of Intent (LOIs) for its third and final grant offering of the year: Reshaping Futures Grants for Transformation. Reshaping Futures awards of up to $500,000 total over 1-5 years (e.g., $100,000 per year for 5 years) will support transformative approaches to movement building in Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Nelson, and Orange counties, and/or the City of Charlottesville. Final funding decisions for the Solidarity program’s inaugural Reshaping Futures Grants are expected in December 2025.

Since 1967, community members have partnered, pooled resources, and invested collectively with the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation in order to make a deeper and longer-lasting, positive impact. Today, the Community Foundation helps manage nearly 400 charitable funds — gifts, grants, scholarships, and organizational endowments and reserve funds — on behalf of our community and donor partners. Together this past year, we reinvested a total of $30 million back into our home.

Read our latest annual impact report online to learn more, subscribe to receive news and updates about grants and additional resources, or contact us to reinvest through the Community Endowment Fund and other giving opportunities.

The Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band at the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation is proud to announce its Spring 2025 grant funding decisions, totaling $714,000 and supporting 125 nonprofits throughout the region. The Bama Works Fund supports a wide range of community-led initiatives that aim to make a positive difference in the city of Charlottesville, or the counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Nelson, and Orange.

This year, grants were awarded to organizations working on areas such as food access, arts and culture, and animal welfare across our region.

“These grants are about supporting organizations continue the valuable work they are doing in our region,” said Leslie Lynn Smith, CEO & President of the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation. “Our grantees represent the breadth and range of initiatives that make our communities stronger.”

Click here for a list of Spring 2025 grant recipients.

Twice each year, the Bama Works Fund awards gifts through a competitive grant cycle. The next application period is now open, with an application deadline of August 29, 2025. For more information, please visit our grant opportunities page or email us at info@cacfonline.org.

The Governing Board of the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (the foundation) is pleased to announce Leslie Lynn Smith’s appointment as its new President and CEO, effective June 2, 2025.

Smith brings a deep commitment to community development and has an impressive track record of advancing inclusive economic growth, leadership development, and strategic partnerships in multiple communities across the country. Before joining the foundation, Smith served as the National Executive Director for GET Cities, where she worked to foster economic justice and inclusion, empowering individuals, families, and communities through innovative approaches to economic development.

A native of Detroit, Smith’s journey in community leadership began in a city known for its resilience. She has dedicated her career to building more equitable economies by supporting local entrepreneurs and creating pathways for underrepresented voices in the innovation economy. Before leading GET Cities, Smith served as the founding President and CEO of Epicenter, the nonprofit hub for the greater Memphis community, where she helped broaden the region’s entrepreneurial landscape through robust partnerships and targeted business support.

Smith also served as the President and CEO of TechTown Detroit, the city’s leading business incubator and accelerator, where she launched groundbreaking urban economic development programs, created tech-based companies, and fostered collaborative regional entrepreneurship. Earlier in her career, she served as the Director of Business Acceleration for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, overseeing the state’s $300 million startup investment portfolio and leading efforts to connect innovators with critical resources and support.

Smith’s thought leadership has been recognized on stages worldwide and she has been featured in major publications like Forbes, Fortune, and StyleBlueprint. In 2019, she was named one of the Memphis Business Journal’s “Super Women of Business.” Her active board service includes the Center for American Entrepreneurship, and she has previously served on the National Women’s Business Council of the SBA, as well as with numerous technology startups and nonprofit organizations in Detroit, Memphis, and Chicago.

As she steps into her new role at the foundation, Smith is excited to bring her deep experience in community building and impact investing to Charlottesville and the surrounding counties, helping to guide the foundation in its mission to improve the quality of life for those negatively impacted by inequitable systems across the region, so that everyone can belong, participate, contribute, and thrive.

“I am joyful beyond measure and profoundly humbled to be chosen for this critical role at this moment,” said Smith. “This opportunity feels like a dream come true – a chance to put down roots, connect deeply with a community, and work alongside extraordinary partners, a dedicated board, and a talented team to create meaningful change. I am eager to dig back into place-based, purpose-driven work. I look forward to learning, growing, and creating impact in new and innovative ways with the entire Charlottesville community.”

Please join us in welcoming Leslie Lynn Smith as the new President & CEO of the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation.

The Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (Community Foundation) is delighted to welcome Lakecia Hembry as our new Operations Coordinator. Lakecia will work closely with the operations team to support office administration, coordinate database management, and promote efficiency across all foundation activities.

“Lakecia is a lifelong resident of Louisa County and an active leader and member in her community. Her experience in, and dedication to our region make her a perfect fit for this position,” Brennan Gould, president and CEO of the Community Foundation, said. “Throughout her career, Lakecia has been dedicated to providing high quality customer service to a variety of stakeholders. We’re thrilled to have her on our team.”

Lakecia most recently served as the Human Resources Administrator at Klӧckner Pentaplast where she collaborated with organizations such as Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital to implement programs focused on employee well-being, including healthy eating, stress reduction, and exercise. She also played an instrumental role in advancing DE&I efforts as a founding member of VOICED, an Employee Resource Group, and as Head of Wellbeing for kp’s Women’s Network.

“I am thrilled to join CACF as the Operations Coordinator and contribute to an organization dedicated to fostering equity and community growth,” Lakecia said. “I look forward to using my skills and experiences to support CACF’s mission and help create a lasting, positive impact in our community.”

Lakecia holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. She brings a wealth of professional experience in customer service, office management, and administrative and human resource support across her time at Waste Management, Home Instead Senior Care, and Klӧckner Pentaplast.

Lakecia loves traveling, spending time with family, and cooking. An active member of her church, she serves as the church clerk and takes on roles managing social media, sound media, and the church’s website. She currently lives in Louisa with her partner and their two children.