Renewal Grants

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What is the Renewal Grant?

To sustain movements for change, our movement leaders, organizers, and activists not only need more equitable funding and other resourcing, but also greater resourcing that encourages wellness (especially rest), joy, collaboration, and repair. 

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 sabbaticals, collective healing work, “joyful resistance,” coalition building, and conflict resolution/mediation.  

Call for applications: February 12 – April 15, 2025 

Decision notification: By end of June 2025 

The Solidarity program’s overarching grantmaking goals are twofold:

1) Systems Change & Alternative Visions 

Movement groups go beyond providing services and individual relief, and instead seek to reimagine and alter unjust systems, and achieve long-term, community-level change. Movement building is “the effort of social change agents to engage power holders and the broader society in addressing a systemic problem or injustice while promoting an alternative vision or solution” (Julie Quiroz-Martinez).

2) Power Building & Sharing 

The most effective drivers of justice and equity are the social movements led by those most affected by racial inequities. The Solidarity program therefore intentionally supports systems-focused change and alternative visions led by Black and ALAANA (African, Latine, Asian, Arab, and Native American) members of our community. Such investments are key to creating conditions in which multiple systems are improved for all. 

Renewal Grant applicants must follow our general policies for Community Endowment Fund (CEF) grants, as well as meet the following minimum requirements: 

  • Tax-Exempt Local Charitable Status – Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, school, governmental or religious entity, or a group fiscally sponsored by a mission-aligned 501(c)(3) organization, whose work directly benefits residents of Charlottesville or the counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Nelson, and Orange. The Community Foundation is unable to accept Renewal Grant applications from fiscally sponsored businesses or for-profit entities at this time.

  • Nonconcurrent Grantee or Applicant Status – Unless serving as a fiscal sponsor, applicants may only submit one funding request to the Solidarity program per calendar year. Past Solidarity program and other Community Endowment Fund grantees must have also fulfilled all close-out requirements of their previous grant to be eligible to apply for a Renewal Grant.
  • Power Building & Sharing – The Solidarity program supports Black- and ALAANA-led initiatives that advance 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 group or initiative) 
    • Board majority 
    • Project team majority  
  • Movement Building – The Solidarity program recognizes that approaches to movement building vary and occur along a continuum. When reviewing proposals, preference is given to applicants whose strategies are primarily Proactive or Transformative. (See What is Movement Building? for further explanation.)

To be eligible, the applicant’s staff member must: 

  • Be in a paid full-time role for at least two years at your nonprofit or fiscally sponsored group. 
  • Have a demonstrated track record of racial equity movement building commitment and community engagement.  
  • Reside in the Community Foundation’s service region, with your work centered in the region. 
  • Work with an organization that has the capacity to maintain critical operations and programs while the staffer is on their one- to three-month (1-3) sabbatical. 
  • Work with a group that has 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or fiscal sponsorship from a 501(c)(3) organization. 
  • Share the Community Foundation’s commitment to working in solidarity with other Black/ALAANA nonprofit leaders to promote wellness and restore resources in our communities.  

The Solidarity program will only accept one Renewal Grant sabbatical application per organization per grant cycle year. The organization’s Board of Directors must be in support of the staff member taking the sabbatical.

Funding requests should cover additional interim/fill-in staffing needs for the organization and sabbatical-related costs for the staff member on leave, such as travel and retreats. Because salary and benefits are generally already in the annual budget, this is not considered an additional cost and should continue uninterrupted. (See Costs of a Sabbatical Program for further explanation.)

If awarded a sabbatical grant, the staff member must: 

  • Agree to provide feedback as part of our learning and impact process. 
  • Be able to begin the sabbatical within 12 months of the award. 
  • Commit to not working at their organization and minimizing communication with the organization during the sabbatical (unless there is an emergency at the organization).  
  • Commit to the spirit and purpose of the sabbatical and not take on other work or volunteer obligations.  

Phase 1: Pre-consultation

First-time and previously declined Solidarity applicants are required to meet with staff before beginning a proposal. All other applicants are strongly encouraged to meet with staff before beginning a proposal to discuss grant eligibility, alignment, and any initial questions. Meeting requests should be made as early as possible, ideally at least one month prior to submission deadlines. 

Request a Pre-Consultation meeting.

Phase 2: Application Submission

Renewal Grant applications are accepted February 12 – April 15, 2025. All proposals are submitted through our Grants Lifecycle Manager (GLM) online system. Applicants will receive an email acknowledgement upon submission. 

Applicants who have submitted a proposal to another funder that thoroughly addresses Renewal Grant questions and criteria are welcome to submit that application instead, along with supporting financial documents and any supplemental materials. Applicants are also welcome to submit proposals that are non-English language, hand-written, video, audio, or in other multimedia and creative formats, and are encouraged to consult staff at least one month prior to deadlines if interested in an alternative submission method. 

Applicants are asked to respond to the following questions: 

  • Experience: Describe your group’s history and track record and why you believe your movement building work is Responsive, Proactive, and/or Transformative. (See What is Movement Building? for further explanation.) 
  • Vision: What do you hope to do with this grant and why? What is your plan for reaching these goals (timeline, necessary resources, anticipated activities and outcomes, etc.)? Please include as many details as possible, including how this grant might enhance your movement building capabilities. 
  • Capacity: Who are the key team members, partners, consultants, contractors, etc. involved in this work? Describe their roles and any important skills, knowledge, experiences, and/or community relationships they bring. – OR – If requesting sabbatical support, how many years has your applying staff member been employed by your group/organization? Describe their role and how the organization intends to fulfill their duties during your sabbatical. 
  • Power Building & Sharing: Describe how your group’s leadership and decision-makers reflect the communities most impacted by racial inequity. How are you building power and leadership within these communities?
  • Care for Resources: Please upload: 1) an itemized list or budget with anticipated grant-covered expenses and revenue sources, along with your or your fiscal sponsor’s 2) current fiscal year operational budget, and 3) previous fiscal year operational budget, including all revenue and expenditures.

    Please reach out to grants@cacfonline.org if you have questions or need assistance compiling any of the requested financial documents. 

Phase 3: Evaluation

Submitted proposals will be reviewed by staff to determine eligibility, alignment, and completion. Eligible and complete proposals are then evaluated confidentially by our Community Advisory Committee in May, with final funding decisions made by our Board of Directors by the end of June. An in-person or virtual site visit follow-up meeting(s) and/or additional documentation may be requested before a final decision is made.

Our committee considers the following criteria when reviewing proposals: 

  • Experience: The applicant’s work clearly and thoughtfully matches the purpose and goals of the grant program: supporting racial equity movement building – particularly Proactive and Transformative work – led by those most impacted by injustice. 
  • Vision: The applicant’s proposal is clear and compelling. Their goals, plan, and expected outcomes are well-defined and reflect a deep understanding of the inequity/need being redressed. 
  • Capacity: The applicant is well positioned to achieve their proposed goals and outcomes at this time. They have the representation, leadership, knowledge, and/or relationships to be effective. 
  • Power Building & Sharing: The most impacted communities are informing/co-creating the applicant’s work. Decision-making power rests with individuals and groups who are part of and/or accountable to these communities. There is a clear, equitable process for those leading the work to access resources appropriately and make decisions about how resources are used. 
  • Care for Resources: The submitted financial documents make sense for the activities and outcomes outlined in the proposal. There is clear alignment between the resources (e.g., financial, material, people, time) and the activities and goals outlined in the proposal. There is an honest assessment of the true cost of the proposed work. 
Request a Pre-Consultation
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