Contact:
Kathryn Yarzebinski, President & CEO
(434) 845-6500                                                                    
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(Lynchburg, VA – December 11, 2024) - The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation (“GLCF” or “Foundation”) announced today the recipients of its Fall 2024 competitive grants.

The GLCF Distribution Committee carefully reviewed each application received, resulting in $552,643 awarded in competitive grants, plus $194,737 in recommendations from our donor advised funds.

Competitive grants ranged from $500 to $39,000. The GLCF provides grants for a wide range of needs, including food/hunger, housing, education, individuals with disabilities, animal welfare, historic preservation, our environment, and the arts. Nonprofit organizations serving the city of Lynchburg and the counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, and Campbell are eligible to apply.

"This is the largest amount we’ve ever awarded in a single grant cycle,” said John Walker, chair of the GLCF Distribution Committee. “The Distribution Committee worked diligently to ensure that our grant dollars were awarded fairly and impactfully across our community.”

The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation was founded in 1972 and works to solve our community’s greatest challenges by providing grants and scholarships, and by helping individuals, families, and organizations create their charitable legacy.

In order to receive a grant, nonprofit organizations must submit an application describing a current project in need of funding, as well as a project budget and current financial statements. A Distribution Committee composed of members of the GLCF Board of Directors determines which projects receive funding after carefully reviewing the applications.

“This is the most we’ve given out in grants in a single grant cycle,” said Kathryn C. Yarzebinski, President & CEO of the Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation. “It’s thrilling to see the growing impact our endowed funds are having on our community. We now have 328 endowed funds created and supported by donors, and these funds generate millions in annual charitable support for our community.”

Examples of some of this year’s funded projects include food distribution to needy households, transportation, summer camps for youth, health and wellness for veterans, and arts programs and performances. 

Since 1972, the GLCF has granted over $35 million to a wide variety of local nonprofit organizations including human services, animal welfare, arts, education, and historical preservation organizations.

The GLCF offers two grant cycles annually: fall and spring. The next grant deadline is March 15, 2025. In 2024, the GLCF awarded over $2.3 million to 251 charitable organizations.

Fall 2024 grant recipients from the competitive cycle and donor advised funds include the following organizations:

• Academy Center of the Arts
• Alpha Action Educational & Charitable Foundation
• Altavista Area YMCA
• Altavista Area/Campbell Fuller Center for Housing, Inc.
• Amazement Square
• American Red Cross of Blue Ridge Virginia
• Amherst County Habitat for Humanity
• Amherst County Public School Education Foundation, Inc.
• Amherst Glebe Arts Response, Inc.
• Appomattox Literacy Intervention Project
• ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation
• Awareness Garden
• Bedford Area Family YMCA
• Bedford Cares
• Bedford Community Christmas Station
• Bedford Humane Society, Inc
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Virginia
• Blue Ledge Meals on Wheels
• Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lynchburg
• Brook Hill Retirement Center for Horses (Brook Hill Farm)
• Camp Holiday Trails
• Camp Kum-Ba-Yah
• Campbell County Educational Foundation
• Campbell County Historical Society, Inc.
• Cantate
• CASA of Central Virginia
• Claire Parker Foundation
• Coalition for HIV Awareness & Prevention Central VA, Inc.
• Concord Volunteer Fire Department
• craveABLEs
• Diamond Hill Health and Wellness Community Service
• Downtown Lynchburg Association
• Elizabeth's Early Learning Center
• Feeding Southwest Virginia
• Five18 Family Services
• Food for Kids
• Forte Chamber Music, Inc.
• Free Clinic of Central Virginia
• Friends of Endstation Theatre Company
• Friends of the Lynchburg Public Library
• Girls on the Run Central Virginia and Blue Ridge
• Gleaning For the World, Inc.
• Great Aspirations Scholarship Program, Inc. (GRASP)
• Historic Sandusky Foundation
• Holy Cross Catholic Church
• Hospital Hospitality House of Richmond (The Doorways)
• HumanKind
• Interfaith Outreach Association
• IRON Lives
• Isaiah 117 House
• James River Association
• James River Day School
• Jefferson Choral Society
• Johnson Health Center
• Jones Memorial Library
• Jubilee Family Development Center
• Junior League of Lynchburg
• Kids and Pros, Inc.
• Kuumba Dance Ensemble
• Lake Christian Ministries
• Lynchburg Art Club
• Lynchburg Beacon of Hope
• Lynchburg Daily Bread
• Lynchburg Grows
• Lynchburg Humane Society
• Lynchburg Museum Foundation
• Lynchburg Pops
• Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra
• MDM Networking
• Meals on Wheels
• Miller Home of Lynchburg
• Miriam's House
• Monacan Indian Nation
• Monacan Nation Cultural Foundation Inc. - Food Bank
• Neighbors Helping Neighbors
• New Vistas School
• No Walls Ministry
• Old City Cemetery
• Park View Community Mission
• Pierce Street Gateway
• Presbyterian Cemetery
• Randolph College
• Red Truck Ministries
• Renaissance Theatre Company
• Riverviews Artspace
• Rush Homes
• Second Stage Amherst
• Southern Environmental Law
• Sweet Briar College
• The Arc of Central Virginia
• The Avenel Foundation
• The Corporation for Jefferson's Poplar Forest
• The James Chamber Players
• The John Oakes Foundation
• The Link Project, Incorporated
• The Salvation Army of Lynchburg
• The Sedalia Center Inc.
• The Society of St. Andrew, Inc
• United Methodist Family Services
• United Way of Central Virginia, Inc.
• Vector Space
• VIA Centers for Neurodevelopment
• Virginia Hunters Who Care, Inc.
• Virginia Tech Foundation - Bedford 4-H
• Wharton Memorial Foundation
• Wolfbane Productions
• Woman's Club of Lynchburg
• Yoga for Recovery - Sattva Yoga and Wellness Center
• YWCA Central Virginia

For more information on how to apply for a grant, to start your own charitable fund, or to make a gift to one of the 328 existing funds at the Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation, please visitwww.lynchburgfoundation.org.

# # #

The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation’s vision is to make lasting and impactful change possible by funding the work of nonprofit organizations that are focused on improving the lives of those in Lynchburg and the counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford and Campbell counties.

Contact:
Kathryn Yarzebinski, President & CEO
(434) 845-6500                                                                    
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(Lynchburg, VA – December 9, 2024) - The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation is the beneficiary of a generous gift from the estate of Lucy Woodall Harris, a Lynchburg resident who passed away in 2023. 

Through the Lucy Woodall Harris Irrevocable Trust, Mrs. Harris’s estate has given $1,125,000 to the Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation in support of the Lucy Woodall Harris Fund, which Mrs. Harris established and supported prior to her death.

The Lucy Woodall Harris Fund at the GLCF was established in 2012 to support education, libraries, museums, and the preservation of history in Lynchburg and the counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford and Campbell.  

Mrs. Harris was a graduate of E.C. Glass High School and attended Central Virginia Community College and Baptist Bible College.

Mrs. Harris' career was long and varied. She worked as a substitute teacher, owned a local stenographic service, was a partner with her husband in an investment and rental property business, and taught parliamentary procedure classes and leadership development.

Mrs. Harris was a dedicated volunteer for The Virginia Federation of Woman’s Clubs, the Patrick Henry Boys & Girls Plantation, the Friends of Lynchburg Public Library, the Lynchburg Museum System, Point of Honor, The GFWC Lynchburg Suburban Woman’s Club, and Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

“Lucy was a fascinating person,” said GLCF President & CEO Kathryn Yarzebinski. “She was full of curiosity, loved to learn and teach, and took a lot of pride in our local history. She believed in getting involved, and making things happen. She took action to make our community better and to help others. It’s a true honor to carry on her legacy in perpetuity.”

The Lucy Woodall Harris Fund provides funding for grants to local libraries, museums, and other organizations working on historical preservation projects. Since 2012, the fund has awarded over $7,500 to help support restoration of the “Water Bearer” statue in downtown Lynchburg, preserving and honoring African American graves at Radcliff Cemetery, repairs to the Anne Spencer House, and archaeology work at the Sandusky Smokehouse.

Gifts to the Lucy Woodall Harris Fund from the Lucy Woodall Harris Irrevocable Trust will dramatically increase the amount available for grants to these kinds of local projects in future years.

# # #

The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation’s vision is to make lasting and impactful change possible by funding the work of nonprofit organizations that are focused on improving the lives of those in Lynchburg and the counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford and Campbell counties.

Contact:
Kathryn Yarzebinski, President & CEO
(434) 845-6500                                                                    
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

(Lynchburg, VA – June 12, 2024) - The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation (“GLCF” or “Foundation”) announced today the recipients of its Spring 2024 competitive grants.

This spring the GLCF received 79 applications for grant funding. The GLCF Distribution Committee carefully reviewed each application, resulting in over $519,000 awarded in competitive grants, plus over $55,000 in recommendations from our donor advised funds.

Competitive grants ranged from $700 to $30,000. The GLCF provides grants for a wide range of needs, including food/hunger, housing, education, individuals with disabilities, animal welfare, historic preservation, our environment, and the arts. Nonprofit organizations serving the city of Lynchburg and the counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, and Campbell are eligible to apply.

"We received many strong applications for grant support this year from local nonprofits,” said John Walker, GLCF’s Distribution Committee chair. “It was exciting to read about all of the good work these organizations are doing in our community. We are glad to be able to distribute grants that will support everything from the arts to food insecurity, and will help make our area a better place to live."

The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation was founded in 1972 and works to solve our community’s greatest challenges by providing grants and scholarships, and by helping individuals, families, and organizations create their charitable legacy.

In order to receive a grant, nonprofit organizations must submit an application describing a current project in need of funding, as well as a project budget and current financial statements. A Distribution Committee composed of members of the GLCF Board of Directors determines which projects receive funding after carefully reviewing the applications.

“These grant applications show the incredible work our nonprofits are doing in our community,”  said Kathryn C. Yarzebinski, President & CEO of the Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation. “GLCF donors make these grants possible. We now have 325 endowed funds created and supported by donors, and these funds generate millions in annual charitable support for our community.”

Examples of some of this year’s funded projects include: providing healthy meals to homebound individuals, educational summer programming for kids in Campbell County, purchasing tools and equipment to assist in maintaining the Appalachian Trail in Bedford County, supporting elderly patients in hospice care, and the historic preservation of the Dr. Robert Walter “Whirlwind” Johnson home in Lynchburg. 

Since 1972, the GLCF has granted over $33 million to a wide variety of local nonprofit organizations including human services, animal welfare, arts, education, and historical preservation organizations.

The GLCF offers two grant cycles annually: fall and spring. The next grant deadline is September 15, 2024. In 2023, the GLCF awarded $over $2.2 million to 211 charitable organizations.

Spring 2024 grant recipients from the competitive cycle and donor advised funds  include the following organizations:

• Academy Center of the Arts
• Agape Center Corporation - Lynchburg Center
• Avoca Museum and Historical Society
• Awareness Garden
• Bedford Community Orchestra
• Bedford Humane Society
• Bedford Urban Garden, Inc.
• Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Inc.
• Blue Ridge Montessori School
• Blue Ridge Mountains Council, Boy Scouts of America
• Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center
• Bower Center for the Arts
• Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lynchburg
• Building Bridges Productions, Inc.
• Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center
• Cantate Children's and Youth Choir
• Centra Foundation
• Central Virginia Academy for Nonprofit Excellence
• Central Virginia Alliance for Community Living, Inc.
• Central Virginia Community College Educational Foundation, Inc.
• Charlottesville Ballet
• Children's Assistive Technology Service
• Children's Trust
• Cross Road Community Wellness Ministry
• Cycling Without Age Lynchburg
• DAWN
• Eleven Pictures LTD DBA Virginia Children's Book Festival
• enCircle (Lutheran Family Services of Virginia)
• FARRR Foundation Inc
• Free Clinic of Central Virginia
• FREE Foundation for Rehabilitation Equipment & Endowment
• Freedom 4/24
• Friends of Bedford Hospice House
• Future Focus Foundation
• Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline
• HumanKind
• Interfaith Outreach
• James River Association
• James River Day School
• Johnson Health Center
• Jubilee Family Development Center
• Kids' Haven: A Center for Grieving Children
• Literacy Volunteers of Campbell County Public Library
• Live Move Be Center
• Lynchburg City Schools Education Foundation
• Lynchburg Covenant Fellowship
• Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra
• Madison Heights Youth Baseball Association
• Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Virginia
• Miriam's House
• National D-Day Memorial Foundation
• Natural Bridge Appalachian Trail Club
• New Vistas School
• One Community One Voice Lynchburg
• Opera on the James
• Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation
• Pierce Street Gateway
• Pink Witnesses, Inc.
• Purple Heart Homes, Inc.
• Radcliff Cemetery, Inc.
• Rivermont Area Emergency Food Pantry
• Rush Homes
• Second Stage | Amherst
• Seven Hills Chamber Music
• SML Good Neighbors, Inc.
• St. John's Day School
• St. Paul's Episcopal Church
• Stoneridge Foundation dba The National Center for Healthy Veterans at Valor Farm
• Sweet Briar College
• Take My Hand Ministries, Inc.
• The Arc of Central Virginia
• The Bedford Area Educational Foundation
• The Bridge Ministry, Inc.
• The Main Act Theatre Troupe
• Topper Touchdown Club
• United Way of Central Virginia
• University of Lynchburg
• University of Virginia, Virginia College Advising Corps
• Virginia Amateur Sports Inc.
• Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities
• Virginia Legal Aid Society, Inc.
• Whirlwind Johnson Foundation (WJF)
• Young Men's Christian Association of Central Virginia

For more information on how to apply for a grant, to start your own charitable fund, or to make a gift to one of the 325 existing funds at the Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation, please visitwww.lynchburgfoundation.org.

# # #

The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation’s vision is to make lasting and impactful change possible by funding the work of nonprofit organizations that are focused on improving the lives of those in Lynchburg and the counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford and Campbell counties.

Contact:
Kathryn Yarzebinski, President & CEO
Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(434) 845-6500

(Lynchburg, VA – June 12, 2024) - The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation (“GLCF” or “Foundation”) announced the 2024 winner of its fifth annual $100,000 Century Fund Grant. The $100,000 Century Fund grant winner is Roads to Recovery. Funds awarded will be utilized for furnishings and equipment for a new detox program to open its doors and deliver withdrawal management and recovery services.

Read more …

Contact:
Kathryn Yarzebinski, President & CEO
Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(434) 845-6500

Local Organization Accredited with Rigorous Philanthropic Standards

Lynchburg, Virginia (May 7, 2024) – The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation recently received accreditation with the nation’s highest standard for philanthropic excellence. Community Foundations National Standards® establish legal, ethical, effective practices for community foundations everywhere.

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MEDIA ADVISORY

Paddling convoy to celebrate preservation of James River Island

(Lynchburg, VA – April 30, 2024) - Calling all paddlers and conservationists! The Central Virginia Land Conservancy (CVALC) is organizing a convoy of canoeists and kayakers on May 23, 2024 at 9:00 am to celebrate the preservation of Bald Eagle Island in Amherst County. A Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance ribbon-cutting will be held on the island to mark the transfer of the land from the Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation (GLCF) to CVALC who will preserve it in its natural and undisturbed state.

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(Lynchburg, VA – April 22, 2023) - The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation (GLCF or Foundation) hosted an event “Celebrating Lynchburg City Schools Strings – Past, Present, and Future" event on April 20 at the Academy Center of the Arts Historic Theatre.

Kathryn Yarzebinksi, President & CEO of The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation, announced the total amount raised to date for the Ginger Paris LCS Strings Fund. “Our original goal was to raise $100,000 by April 20,” said Yarzebinski. “We are thrilled with the response from the community and are pleased to announce that over $126,000 has been donated to date. Gifts of all sizes are pouring in from people whose lives are enriched by the LCS Strings program. These donors are supporting an endowed fund that will benefit the LCS Strings program in perpetuity.”

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December 21, 2023 - The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation announced today the recipients of its Fall 2023 competitive grants.

This fall the GLCF received a record 95 applications for grant funding. The GLCF Distribution Committee carefully reviewed each application, resulting in over $492,000 awarded in competitive grants, plus over $190,000 in recommendations from our donor advised funds. 

Read more …