Spring 2017 Newsletter by Communications

The Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region Newsletter Spring/Summer 2017 www.cfrrr.org

Our Vision for the Next 20 Years!

Foundation News

Jumpstarting Programs for Change

Teens with Friends of the Rappahannock sample for macro invertebrates to test water quality. Photo: Ben Raterman, FOR volunteer

The Community Foundation is celebrating its 20th anniversary by looking forward to the next 20 years! The visionaries who started The Community Foundation wanted to create charitable resources that would benefit our community now and forever.

thread through our backyards – then presents it in a way that’s easy to understand. The Community Foundation believes when citizens know more about their water resources, they will be empowered to be stronger stewards of our community’s natural resources, now and for the future.

In this spirit of celebration and future vision, the foundation is offering four $20,000 Visionary Grants this year - one in each of four categories: the environment, education, health / human services and the arts. The winner of each category will be the nonprofit with the most inspiring vision for what can be achieved in our community and a solid plan to get started toward that vision.

“These Visionary Grants really show the breadth and depth of local impact The Community Foundation can create,” said Director of Donor Services, Lisa Biever. “After 20 years in business, managing over $18 million in charitable assets and delivering millions of dollars in grant funding out into the region, The Community Foundation has the insight and the expertise to evaluate our communities’ needs very broadly and then pinpoint strategies that will make the most difference.”

In March, we announced our first Visionary Grant winner – Friends of the Rappahannock was awarded $20,000 to support their River Report Card project. This Report Card project gathers water quality and environmental impact data about our local waterways – from The Rappahannock River to the little creeks that

As this goes to press, the Education Visionary Grant winner will be announced, followed by a $20,000 grant award for a Health or Human Services visionary nonprofit in September and our final $20,000 visionary grant award for an impactful Arts organization in November.

“It is my hope that someone else will do this for The Community Foundation in the future. It is a great organization and I am proud to be associated with them.” Mary Jane O’Neill

Gift of Real Estate Transforms Foundation

Duff Green’s Legacy Lives On in Local Programs

Downsizing is a common occurrence these days, but the way Mary Jane O’Neill decided to downsize her company’s business office at 530 Princess Anne Street is uncommonly generous. When Mary Jane closed the Kayo gas station turned office building that she and her husband Robert renovated in 1997, she discovered a powerful way to continue the charity work she does through The Community Foundation.

Three recently awarded grants that illustrate this legacy are Downtown Greens’ Youth Farm Project, the Yoga Foundation of Fredericksburg’s community outreach yoga classes and a renovated walking trail at Belmont, Gari Melchers’ Home and Studio.

After consulting with her accounting advisor at PBMares, she donated the downtown Fredericksburg real estate to The Community Foundation. The foundation then sold the parcel through sealed-bid auction. Funds from the sale were divided and invested in two permanently endowed charitable funds: • The Community Fund makes grants to address urgent or essential issues important to the region. Sold! Lee Cherwek and Mary Jane O’Neill celebrate The Community Foundation’s sale of 530 Princess Anne Street to Owen Island Holdings, LLC.

• The Community Foundation Endowment Fund establishes the first-ever operating endowment to support the foundation’s mission to advance local philanthropy. Lee Cherwek of Owen Island Holdings, LLC was the buyer during February’s real estate auction. The final sale closed on May 1, 2017 for a total of $600,000. “That’s another nice outcome from all this,” said donor Mary Jane O’Neill. “We’ve known Lee since he was born, so it feels good to see him take over something we built. But most importantly, I know that The Community Foundation will find the best ways to stretch this gift to help the most people and make the greatest difference for the community.”

Farmer and Philanthropist Duff McDuff Green, Jr. cherished his agricultural lifestyle and our community’s rich local history. He also believed that supporting children in need was an effective way to make a difference for the future.

The Downtown Farm Project is connecting the dots between urban kids, fresh food and entrepreneurship. Each week, local third, fourth and fifth graders meet up to tend their garden and learn about agriculture and the environment. The young farmers staff a booth at the Fredericksburg Farmers Market each month. The project also engages guest chefs from restaurants like Mercantile to help them transform their produce into a monthly “family” dinner. Head Start teachers in Fredericksburg and Stafford rave about Yoga Foundation of Fredericksburg’s program for their three, four and five year olds. “Just 20 minutes of

yoga in the Head Start Library 2 or 3 times each week creates a noticeable difference in our students’ ability to focus and make appropriate behavior choices,” they explain. The children even practice their yoga techniques – like dragon breathing – on their own, such as when they are lining up for recess. These classes have been a way for less verbal students to participate more fully with their peers. In Stafford County, a hiking/biking trail now connects historic Ferry Farm to Gari Melchers Home and Studio at Belmont. The 19th century brick and stone steps that lead up the hill to Belmont from Ingleside Drive were uneven and crumbling after decades of neglect, and had been closed for public safety. A grant from the Duff McDuff Green, Jr. Fund helped restore the steps, preserving an important historic feature and allowing trail users to reach the museum and visitor center safely. Families enjoying Downtown Greens Community Greenspace’s recent Fork it Over Festival photo booth.

2017 Scholarship Awards When Fredlyne Lafleur moved from Haiti to America, she was separated from her closest family members. She became determined to learn English and succeed in school when a classmate mocked her Haitian accent. By her senior year, Fredlyne was at the top of her class, but lacked resources to pay for college. She is one of this year’s Mary B. and Perry A. Thompson Scholarship award winners.

Scholarship winner Fredlyne Lafleur and foundation Executive Director, Teri McNally.

Establish Your Own Scholarship Fund The Community Foundation offers many ways to give. Scholarship funds make an impact by supporting higher education for area students. Like other charitable funds at the foundation, a scholarship can be a beautiful way to honor or memorialize a loved one, although some donors choose to give anonymously. When you create a fund, you may choose to stay involved in an advisory role or you may rely on The Community Foundation’s expertise to select appropriate recipients. In all cases, our staff handles the necessary paperwork and ensures that scholarship awards are distributed in an equitable manner. Call us to chat about establishing a fund that works best for your particular giving situation!

Thank you to our Scholarship Awards Reception sponsors!

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Steven Snyder Memorial Scholarship Funds for Colonial Forge and North Stafford. Captain Jim and Mrs. Colleen Snyder are pictured with this year’s winners Natalie Burlew and Tabitha Ngo.

Recipient

High School

Scholarship Fund

Anna Balgoyen Spotsylvania High School The Ian D. and Jalen G. Brown Legacy Scholarship Fund, The Chris Ross Memorial Scholarship Fund Brandon Bolick Chancellor High School The Seay Family Scholarship Fund, The Sofia Silva Scholarship Fund, The Mary B. and Perry A. Thompson Scholarship Fund Daniel Brooks Spotsylvania High School The Chris Ross Memorial Scholarship Fund Natalie Burlew Colonial Forge High School The Steven Snyder Memorial Scholarship for Colonial Forge Dorothy Castelly Brooke Point High School The Rosie Lee Dawson Scholarship Fund Elizabeth Cobey James Monroe High School The Betty Merrill Scholarship for Excellence in Latin Guadalupe Diaz North Stafford High School The Mary Carter Frackelton Scholarship Fund Nathaniel DiEugenio Stafford Senior High School The Baron P. “Deuce” Braswell II Memorial Scholarship Fund Chelsea Durrett Caroline High School The Irene Miller Memorial Nursing Scholarship Fund Kayla Follin Stafford Senior High School The Mary B. and Perry A. Thompson Scholarship Fund McKenzie Girvan James Monroe High School The Paul E. Neri Memorial Scholarship Fund, The Kenneth T. Whitescarver III Memorial Scholarship Fund Allyson Gray Spotsylvania High School The Rev. Douglas T. Pinkard Memorial Scholarship Fund, The Seay Family Scholarship Fund Tenley Hares Courtland High School The Seay Family Scholarship Fund Samantha Helsley Courtland High School The Brian Conner Memorial Scholarship Fund Logan Howard King George High School The King George High School Sports Hall of Fame Scholarship Fund Madison Hughes Massaponax High School The Betty Booker Lontz Scholarship Fund Conor Jessee Stafford Senior High School The Brandon Thomas Lawn Memorial Scholarship Fund Logan Kraisser King George High School The Baron P. “Deuce” Braswell II Memorial Scholarship Fund, The Richard C. Hayden Family Scholarship Fund Fredlyne Lafleur James Monroe High School The Mary B. and Perry A. Thompson Scholarship Fund Kevin Ledford North Stafford High School The Linda and Billy Beale Scholarship Fund Brianna Lumpkin Spotsylvania High School The Mary B. and Perry A. Thompson Scholarship Fund Malika Malik Brooke Point High School The George D. Taylor Scholarship Fund Anna Maupin Colonial Forge High School The Baron P. “Deuce” Braswell II Memorial Scholarship Fund Anne-Tillery Melson Fredericksburg Academy The Mary E. Berger Scholarship Fund Paula Morgan King George High School The Mary E. Berger Scholarship Fund, The Jeremy Daniel Hawley Skilled Trades and Technical Education Fund, The Horace A. Revercomb, Jr. Memorial Scholarship for the Continuing Study of Music Tabitha Ngo North Stafford High School The ShackLax Memorial Scholarship Fund, The Steven Snyder Memorial Scholarship for North Stafford, The George D. Taylor Scholarship Fund, The Mary B. and Perry A. Thompson Scholarship Fund Neesha Patterson Riverbend High School The Seay Family Scholarship Fund Anna Pelto King George High School The Clay and Elsie Williams Rural Conservation Scholarship Fund Lindsay Pett Chancellor High School The Christine and Will Dickinson Memorial Scholarship, The Betty Booker Lontz Scholarship Fund Timothy Quann Courtland High School The Craig “Cujo, Jr.” Bennett Scholarship Fund, The Molly Gill Scholarship Fund Lauren Richardson North Stafford High School The Baron P. “Deuce” Braswell II Memorial Scholarship Fund Franklin Rinko King George High School The John C. Neal Scholarship Fund Samuel Ryland King George High School The Horace A. Revercomb, Jr. Memorial Scholarship for the Continuing Study of Music Rachel Sinclair Spotsylvania High School The Ian D. and Jalen G. Brown Legacy Scholarship Fund Matthew Small James Monroe High School The Crittenden R. Sullivan, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund Tyshawn Smithers James Monroe High School The Lee Wingate Pappandreou Drama Award Mary Stuart Stafford Senior High School The Peter D. Johnson Memorial Scholarship Fund Diana Villanueva Stafford Senior High School The Mary Carter Frackelton Scholarship Fund, The Kay Orr Memorial Scholarship Fund, The George D. Taylor Scholarship Fund Sydney Warner James Monroe High School The George A. and Lucy Mae Scott Scholarship Fund, The George D. Taylor Scholarship Fund Allison Webb Fredericksburg Christian School The Jeremy Daniel Hawley Skilled Trades and Technical Education Fund Mack Wright Caroline High School The Walton Mahon Scholarship Fund

College University of Mary Washington University of Virginia

George Mason University University of Oklahoma University of Virginia Emory University Northern Virginia Community College Brown University Germanna Community College Liberty University University of Delaware University of Mary Washington University of Mary Washington College of William and Mary Yale University Liberty University UVA’s College at Wise Virginia Tech Valencia Community College Roanoke College University of Virginia University of Virginia Catholic University of America Elon University Regent University

Virginia Tech

Boston University New York University University of Richmond George Mason University Randolph-Macon College Washington and Lee University James Madison University University of Virginia United States Military Academy Virginia Commonwealth University University of Virginia University of Virginia

West Chester University of Pennsylvania Liberty University Germanna Community College

Local Business Leaders “Give Back” in a New Way

The Daniel Wildman Charitable Fund & The Kevin Dillard Charitable Fund of The Community Foundation

When local attorney George Snead suggested giving through The Community Foundation, the idea was appealing to LifeCare Medical Transports President and CEO Kevin Dillard and Vice President Dan Wildman.

facility and patients who needed urgent emergency care all relied on one locally available ambulance. Today, LifeCare has 135 ambulances and is one of Virginia’s largest providers of health care transportation services.

“I’d like to do something while I’m alive to see it,“ Kevin told the foundation. “Like giving someone flowers -- you like to do it in person so you can see the enjoyment.” Creating endowment funds at The Community Foundation is a powerful way the two business leaders can help our community – now and forever. Donor Advised funds at the foundation provide a simple, impactful and personal approach to giving. The LifeCare founders can stay actively involved by suggesting meaningful uses for gifts from their charitable funds.

For anyone who wants to give back to our region, The Community Foundation provides a range of efficient and effective charitable giving opportunities.

Kevin grew up in Stafford and Dan grew up in Spotsylvania. Their experience running volunteer rescue squads led them to co-found LifeCare in 1994. Back then, patients who needed transport to a nursing

With their roots in volunteer rescue services, the two entrepreneurs are committed to preserving and growing our region as a great place to live and work. As LifeCare’s reach has grown, they’ve been able to do more and more. In just one of many examples, they dedicated a new purple ambulance when long-time colleague Linda Brown was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The vehicle raises awareness of the illness and shares their commitment to excellent care and compassionate service.

The Women and Girls Fund made its 8th annual round of grants this spring delivering $15,000 to four organizations that empower local girls and women. Community Rallies to get “Girl Smarts” at Local School

Dan Wildman, VP and Kevin Dillard, President of LifeCare

LifeCare’s Alzheimer’s Awareness Ambulance

Our First Year as a Virginia EISTC Scholarship Foundation is a Success! Thanks to the support of generous donors, The Community Foundation was able to facilitate $80,245 in scholarships so students from lowincome families can attend an independent school for the 2016/2017 school year. As a qualified scholarship foundation through the VA Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits program, the foundation was able to facilitate awards to all of the eligible students identified at three participating schools in the greater Fredericksburg area.

We believe we can help many more children as more schools become motivated to participate -- as long as generous people like you continue to take action. If we may be of assistance in processing further qualifying gifts and tax credits, please let us know!

School Name

No. of Students Awarded

Total Award Amount

Fredericksburg Academy

$14,413

Fredericksburg Christian School 8

$40,256

Holy Cross Academy

$25,576

2017 Women and Girls Fund Report

Staff at the foundation learned of an effort to bring the Girls Smarts program to Lafayette Upper Elementary School. $800 was needed to provide scholarships for girls to attend. Since Girl Smarts has a great track record for empowering middle school girls, foundation staff shared the need with Women and Girls Fund members and other donors who often give through the foundation. The response was quick and very positive! One member made a gift and invited her spouse and daughter to join her. Another donor supported the effort with a grant from his Donor Advised Fund. These responsive donors fully funded the request and additional scholarships will be made!

The Women and Girls Fund 2017 Grants Amount Grantee

Description

$2,500 Friends of the Rappahannock

Girl Scout Equality Project Increases opportunities for girls and girl scout leaders to access on-water and hiking activities, and environmental education activities focused on watershed health.

$5,000 Germanna Community College Education Foundation $2,700 Mary Washington Healthcare Hospice Support Care

Video to Promote Awareness Allows GCC to create a public service video to promote awareness of relationship violence and stalking.

$4,800 Open Hand of Fredericksburg

GRAD Summer Internships for Girls Provides mentoring and employment opportunities for low-income, under- resourced young women.

Women Coping with Loss Answers community requests for a women only grief support group tailored to the unique experience of women.

Women and Girls Fund members at the recent Live Ballot grantee selection event. Tricia McDaniel, Cinde Hoffman, Kathy Wallace, Lana King, Leigh Anne Van Doren, Adele Young, Tricia Garner, and Mary Elizabeth McManus.

Total 16 $80,245 Individuals or businesses wishing to save money while helping low-income families access independent schools can visit our website at http://www.cfrrr.org/tax-credits-fordonors-to-private-education or call Ali Thomas, Scholarship Manager at 540.373.9292.

Thank you to our inaugural donors for creating this exciting new opportunity for our community!

The Dori Gaythwaite Eglevsky Endowment Fund Dori Eglevsky believes that most of us have an innate drive to help others and to help our own community. In the greater Fredericksburg region, she sees people of all ages who give of themselves in amazing ways. After serving on The Community Foundation board for five years, Dori has realized the advantages that The Community Foundation offers for people who want to help issues and organizations financially. “I saw how The Community Foundation could actually make my contributions go further by creating an endowment fund that would be lasting!”

Specifically, The Community Fund of The Community Foundation offered a process that was permanent. Dori directed her endowment to make lead gifts to The Community Fund each year. She hopes to inspire others to explore this kind of giving. The foundation serves as a trusted fiduciary partner. The foundation helps strategically to identify the greatest community needs, while combining Dori’s support with other donors for the greatest reach. “Although I can still support causes that speak to me, individually or through the foundation, The Community Fund is very special in terms of supporting community in a local and familiar way.”

Join Our Vision Along with Dori: The Community Fund of The Community Foundation Anyone with a passion for our community can become part of The Community Foundation and give through The Community Fund.

Community Fund ensures that the foundation can act on the most promising opportunities for impact -- efficiently and effectively.

As proud citizens of the Rappahannock River region, we love our community and we want Caroline, King George, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania and Stafford to grow and thrive.

The Community Fund is our signature fund for local grant making. It was established in 2003 and has been an essential resource for area nonprofits since then. Directed by the foundation’s Board of Governors, this fund is flexible and responsive. The

We understand that our local communities face real challenges, and the solutions are not always simple. We’re here to help. The Community Foundation offers a powerful way to come together and make a significant difference through The Community Fund.

Giving to and through The Community Fund is a powerful way to take action for the greater good.