Grant Opportunities

We offer a wide range of funding opportunities through our discretionary grant programs and donor-directed funds. We encourage organizations to learn more about the specific guidelines for each grantmaking program before applying.

Click here to see a chart of all Grant Opportunities for 2023-24

Ballyshannon Fund

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

To learn more about eligibility and how to apply, please visit their website

Deadline: February 15

For questions about this funding opportunity, please email fundinfo@ballyshannon.com.

Back to top

Bama Works Fund

Grants made by Dave Matthews Band to support community initiatives.

Eligibility: Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) organization, governmental or religious entity, or fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) organization. The foundation will consider applications from organizations working to benefit the City of Charlottesville and the Counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Nelson, and Orange. Public schools may submit one application each cycle. Please refer to the Bama Works Fund Policies for more information regarding applications from public and private schools. A list of the June 2023 recipients of Bama Works Fund grants can be found here.

Organizations are eligible to apply once every 12 months. There are two grant rounds each year. The first application window is open January 2 through February 29 (with decisions coming in early summer). A second grant application window will be open from July 1 through August 29 (with decisions coming in December). Please reach out to us at grants@cacfonline.org if you have questions about your organization’s eligibility.

How to Apply: Click here to access our Grantee Portal. Contact our Grants Administrator for any technical support related to the Grantee Portal. Click here to see a preview of the application.

Application Window: Applications open Monday July 1st and close at 4:59PM on Thursday August 29th. Applicants will be notified of grant award decisions by December 10th, 2024.

Award Size: Up to $10,000

Decision: June 2024 and December 2024

Reporting: n/a

For questions about this funding opportunity, please contact grants@cacfonline.org.

Back to top

Blue Ridge Mountains Rotary

There will not be a Blue Ridge Mountains Rotary Race in 2024. Stay tuned for additional information about future opportunities from Blue Ridge Mountains Rotary.

For questions about this funding opportunities, please contact grants@cacfonline.org.

Back to top

Eco-Living Fund

Grants aimed at steering people’s daily life habits toward zero-footprint or net-positive impact on the natural world.

Eligibility: Applicants must be tax-exempt 501(c) (3) organizations or government agencies, or fiscally sponsored. Grants are limited to projects in the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation service area, which includes Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Nelson, and Orange.

Guidelines: Among the pool of applicants, those receiving funding will have the greatest bang-for-the-buck: the greatest number of people permanently changing their daily life habits, and/or the greatest number of buildings getting their consumption of resources reduced, per grant dollar. Preference will be given to those projects that have quantifiable results, that is, results that can be numerically verified and measured.

How to Apply: Please review the Guidelines information prior to applying. Applications can be sent to Daniel Fairley, Donor Relations Manager. Note: Applicants will be required to complete this budget form and send it along with the application.

Deadline(s):

  • Optional Letters of Intent are due to Daniel Fairley by 5:00PM on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 for fundholder feedback.
  • Applications are due to Daniel Fairley by 11:59PM on July 1, 2024.

Award Size: Up to $5,000

Decision: Decisions on final awards will be made by July 31, 2024. 

Reporting: All grant recipients will be asked to document their efforts, including a 1-page summary sheet to serve as models for other communities and organizations to consider following. A report on the project’s spending, accomplishments and impact will be required upon completion.

For questions about this funding opportunity, please contact grants@cacfonline.org.

Back to top

Louisa County Community Fund

Grants to improve quality of life in Louisa County.

Eligibility: Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) organization, governmental or religious entity, or fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) organization. The Fund will consider applications from organizations working to benefit Louisa County. Organizations may submit one application per grant cycle.

How to Apply: Click here to access our Grantee Portal. Contact our Grants Administrator for any technical support related to the Grantee Portal.

Deadline:  Thursday February 29, 2024 at 11:59PM EST

Award Size: Up to $10,000

Decision: late June 2024

Reporting: Recipients of Louisa County Community Fund grants will be asked to report on the previous year’s grant impact and use in the next year’s grant round application.

For questions about this funding opportunity, please contact grants@cacfonline.org.

Back to top

The PB&J Fund

The mission of The PB&J Fund is to support programs within the community that empower children and/or families through culinary and nutritional education and help improve access to affordable, healthful food for under-resourced community members. The Fund envisions moving our local and global community towards food sovereignty. 

The PB&J Fund values: 

  • Respect: appreciating the differences and assets of all people, communities, and cultures; 
  • Learning: fostering an enjoyment of eating healthfully; 
  • Caring: Ensuring a seat at our table where bellies are filled with nutritious and delicious food; 
  • Collaboration: Improving our community’s resources through partnership. 

Please refer to the application guidelines for additional information. 

Eligibility: The PB&J Fund will focus on proposals affecting populations living within the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) organization, governmental or religious entity, or fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) organization. Organizations may only submit one application, unless the organization is a public school. All eligible organizations are welcome to apply regardless of if they have previously received funding from the Community Foundation.  

How to Apply: Click here to access our Grantee Portal. Contact our Grants Administrator for any technical support related to the Grantee Portal. Click here to see a preview of the application.

Application Window: *Deadline extended* Applications will open on September 3, 2024 and close at 4:59PM on Monday October 7th, 2024. Applicants will be notified of grant award decisions by December 10th, 2024.

Award Size: PB&J Fund awards will be one-time, unrestricted awards of up to $25,000 to be used over the period of one year or multi- year, unrestricted awards up to two years ($50,000 total) within the funding commitment set forth by the grantors. Our goal through this grant program is to support the mission of The PB&J Fund grant program. 

Application Support: We strive for inclusivity and accessibility. If you are having difficulty imagining how your organizations’ work fits into this goal, our team is available to guide you through the process.  

For questions about this funding opportunity, please contact grants@cacfonline.org.

Back to top

Prana Fund

Grants to support projects that integrate environmental education and the visual arts through hands-on educational opportunities for children living in Charlottesville and/or Albemarle County.

Eligibility: Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, school, or fiscally sponsored organization serving the Charlottesville/Albemarle area. Nonprofit organizations eligible for this award will be those working in Charlottesville and Albemarle. They will primarily engage children who have traditionally experienced limited access to the arts and outdoors and integrate the visual or performing arts and the environment. Please refer to the grant guidelines for more information.

How to Apply: Click here to access our Grantee Portal. Contact our Grants Administrator for any technical support related to the Grantee Portal.

Application Window: Applications will open on September 3, 2024 and close at 4:59PM on Monday September 30th, 2024. Applicants will be notified of grant award decisions by December 31st, 2024.

Award Size: Up to $15,000

Reporting: Grant recipients are expected to participate in a midterm report via phone or site visit, and submit a final written report upon grant completion.

For questions about this funding opportunity, please contact grants@cacfonline.org.

Back to top

Solidarity Grant

The Solidarity grant program provides unrestricted grant support for racial equity movement building in our region. Grant award size and funding timeframes are flexible and based on funding availability and proposal needs. Due to unprecedented demand, the 2024 Solidarity cycle has closed. We are no longer accepting Solidarity applications this year. New, updated grant programming for 2025 will be announced in the coming months.

Eligibility: To be considered eligible, applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, school, governmental or religious entity, or a group who are fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) organization whose work directly benefits residents of Charlottesville or the counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Nelson or Orange. If an applicant does not have a fiscal sponsor, the Foundation will work to help match them with one. Please refer to the Discretionary Grant Policies for additional information about fiscally sponsored organizations. Funding will be given to Black- and/or ALAANA-led (African, Latine, Asian, Arab, and Native American) organizations, groups, or projects that focus on advancing racial equity through movement-building. We consider Black- and ALAANA-led as any of the following: 

  • Executive Director(s) or equivalent 
  • Staff majority
  • Volunteer majority (if a volunteer-led organization) 
  • Board majority 
  • Project team majority 

Guidelines and Policies: Please read the 2024 Solidarity Grant Guidelines and Discretionary Grant Policies before beginning your application.

How to Apply: The Solidarity Grant is now closed for applications.

Some applicants may be required to go through our Design process. You can read more about that process here.

Deadline: The Solidarity Grant is now closed for applications.

Award Size: Grant award size and funding timeframes are flexible and based on funding availability and proposal needs. Applicants requesting large, multi-year grants are encouraged to talk with foundation staff prior to submission to understand our current resource availability and to collaborate on a proposal development strategy.

Decision: Funding decisions are made on a quarterly basis as long as funds are available.

For questions about this funding opportunity, please contact grants@cacfonline.org.

Sudden and Urgent Needs Grant

The goal of the Sudden and Urgent Needs (SUN) grant program is to provide flexible and immediate support to groups responding to a time-sensitive and time-limited emergency event or an emerging need in our region. We define a “sudden and urgent” event as one that is: temporary, critical, and requires an immediate, time-limited response.

Eligibility: Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, school, governmental or religious entity, or a group who are fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) organization whose work directly benefits residents of Charlottesville or the counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Nelson or Orange. Organizations may submit one successful application per year, unless the organization is serving as a fiscal agent for another organization. Please refer to the Discretionary Grant Policies for additional information about fiscally sponsored organizations.

Guidelines and Policies: Please read the 2024 SUN Grant Guidelines and Discretionary Grant Policies before beginning your application.

How to Apply: Click here to access our Grantee Portal. Contact our Grants Administrator for any technical support related to the Grantee Portal. Click here to see a preview of the application questions.

Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis as long as funds are available. 

Award Size: Up to $10,000

Decision: We recognize the urgency of these requests, and do our best to respond to each application as quickly as possible.

For questions about this funding opportunity, please contact grants@cacfonline.org.

Twice is Nice Fund

The Twice is Nice Fund at the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation seeks innovative proposals from local nonprofit agencies who provide services to local seniors in need.

Eligibility: Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, school, or fiscally-sponsored organization working to benefit the the community in the City of Charlottesville and the Counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson. Organizations may submit one application per grant cycle, unless the organization is serving as a fiscal agent for another organization.

GuidelinesClick here to access the 2024 Guidelines.

How to ApplyClick here to access our Grantee Portal. Contact our Grants Administrator for any technical support related to the Grantee Portal.

Application Window: Applications will open on July 1, 2024 and close at 4:59PM on Thursday August 29th. Decisions are anticipated by the end of November. A preview of the application questions is available here: 2024 Application Preview

Award Size: Requests that align with TIN’s stated emphasis (see guidelines) and do not exceed $15,000 are encouraged. There is no minimum request and partial funding is a possibility.

Reporting: All grant partners will be asked to complete a written report at the conclusion of the grant cycle or the completion of the funded project, whichever comes first. This will be submitted directly to the Twice is Nice Committee upon request from Committee members.

For questions about this funding opportunity, please contact grants@cacfonline.org.

Back to top