CFDRR seeking a new Executive Director

Our Mission

The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region improves and enriches the lives of the region’s
residents by encouraging and facilitating donations; managing, investing and distributing these
donations in accordance with donors’ wishes while meeting community needs; and ensuring these
donations create a lasting legacy of growth and opportunity throughout the region.

About The Foundation

The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region was founded in 1996; we now manage
approximately 180 charitable and scholarship funds with assets of over $50 million. Last fiscal year, The Foundation awarded grants totaling more than $1.4 million to area organizations and 133 scholarships totaling more than $279,000.

Executive Director Position Announcement

The Board of Directors is seeking an Executive Director who believes in the mission of The Foundation and is equipped to provide leadership as we work to achieve our mission. The Executive Director will guide The Foundation’s overall direction, business strategies, and the coordination and implementation of The Foundation’s fundraising activities.

Principle responsibilities will include:

  • Manage daily operations and guide Foundation staff members.
  • Expand the financial base for The Foundation, pursuing philanthropic funding sources and other creative sources of revenue for the organization, including community fundraising projects, as approved or recommended by the Board.
  • Position The Foundation as a leader in gathering financial resources through relationships with community, business, and public-sector leaders in the region to support the mission of The Foundation.
  • Serve as The Foundation’s liaison to donors, prospective donors and the community.
  • Maintain The Foundation’s investment accounts and implement investment strategy as directed by the Board.
  • Maintain, update and implement The Foundation’s strategic plan.

The Executive Director must have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution,
at least five years of experience in a business environment, and a high level of efficiency with
technology including proficiency in MS Office. Experience with a foundation, the not-for-profit
sector, legal practices, financial processes, and accounting principles is desired.

Our next Executive Director must possess:

  • The capacity to raise funds and secure investments from individuals, businesses, private foundations and other potential contributors.
  • Skill in effective written and oral communication and the capacity to engage in genuine conversations with a diverse group of individuals.
  • The ability to work with accountants, investment firms, and investment advisors.
  • Strong administrative, management and organizational skills.
  • The ability to provide engaging public presentations regarding The Foundation and our mission.
  • A passion for and dedication to the communities served by The Foundation.

Compensation will be commensurate with experience.  Benefits include comprehensive medical,
dental, life insurance, retirement contributions, and holiday, sick and annual leave.


Finalists for the position will be required to provide references, a credit report, and information for a
background check.


Once hired, the Executive Director will be required to reside full-time within our region of service,
which includes the City of Danville, the counties of Pittsylvania and Halifax in Virginia and Caswell in
North Carolina.


Applicants must submit a resume and a cover letter detailing their interest in the position and
outlining their applicable experience. All materials must be received at The Foundation by
March 8th, 2024. Applications and resumes will be treated as confidential.

Information can be submitted by mail to:


The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region
Attention: Search Committee
541 Loyal Street
Danville, VA 24541


Or by email to: CFDRRexecsearchcommittee@gmail.com

The Community Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer

We would like to thank the generous sponsors of our upcoming Donor Appreciation Luncheon!

Gold Sponsor:

Silver Sponsors:

Bronze Sponsors:

Coronavirus Relief Fund Challenge Grant Met!

Through generous gifts from individuals, civic organizations, businesses, and foundations, The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region fully matched the $100,000 Danville Regional Foundation challenge grant for coronavirus relief this week!
That means we have raised $200,000 for coronavirus relief in our region. We are extremely grateful for the community’s charitable response to this cause!


Raising funds for COVID-19 disaster relief continues to be a high priority of The Community Foundation. Please donate to the Coronavirus Relief Fund as regional needs are substantial, and your monetary support is critical.
To date, CFDRR has awarded six grants totaling $132,800 to organizations to support their COVID-19 relief efforts!

The sixth Coronavirus Relief Fund grant was presented this week to the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber Foundation to support COVID-19 relief work of the Dan River Region Entrepreneur Ecosystem! Ecosystem partners include the DPC Chamber, The Launch Place, River District Association, Longwood Small Business Development Center, and Danville Community College.

This $50,000 grant will help fill gaps in funding through mini grants for small businesses and entrepreneurs in Danville, Pittsylvania and Caswell Counties that have struggled to access other sources of funding during the COVID-19 crisis.

Grant award presentation to Dr. Alexis Ehrhardt, President and CEO of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce (left) by Mrs. Katherine Milam, Executive Director of The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region.
Grant Check Poster

Coronavirus Relief Fund Update!

CFDRR made the following grants in the food insecurity and rent/utility assistance sectors totaling $82,800 in our first round of distribution last week, and will release grants for the small business and childcare sectors next.
1) City of Danville-Department of Social Services ($15,000)Purpose: to assist individuals/families in the City of Danville affected by COVID-19 through the Neighbors Helping Neighbors program
2) God’s Storehouse ($9,800)Purpose: to purchase gloves, masks, hand sanitizer, disinfecting spray/wipes for volunteers, to purchase and install plexiglass shields for all desks, and to purchase meat and bread for food distribution program
3) Pittsylvania County Community Action ($20,000)Purpose: to help with rent and utility assistance for citizens living in Pittsylvania County
4) Caswell County Senior Services ($26,000) Purpose: to help cover at least one month’s cost of meals for senior citizens in Caswell County
5) Caswell County-Department of Social Services ($12,000)Purpose: to support the Crisis Intervention Program’s COVID-19 relief efforts, which assist residents of Caswell County who cannot afford to pay their utility bill

CFDRR Receives Community Challenge Grant for the Coronavirus Relief Fund!

The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region has received a $100,000 challenge grant from the Danville Regional Foundation (DRF) benefitting the Coronavirus Relief Fund. Read More

For every donation made by community members and organizations to the fund by May 31, DRF will match that amount dollar for dollar up to $100,000!

April 2020 E-Newsletter

CFDRR Responds to COVID-19

“While our region manages this crisis, the Foundation’s responsibility is to assist in finding local solutions. The Coronavirus Relief Fund is established so the public can give with the assurance their donations will be granted to organizations providing immediate care to our communities’most vulnerable populations. This Fund is designed to supplement, not replace, resources already in place. The Community Foundation has designed this Fund to be flexible and responsive given the immediacy of this pandemic.”

Katherine Milam, Executive Director of The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region

February 2020 E-Newsletter

The Community Foundation Announces $751,000 in New Grants for 2020

The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region announced January 16th a total of $751,325 in new grants to 48 non-profit community agencies at a reception at Ballou Recreation Center. The Community Foundation was incorporated in 1996 and has already returned more than $24 million in community grants and scholarships.

This year’s grants include $250,000 in funding made available by a grant from the Danville Regional Foundation.

Many of the grants were awarded from The Community Impact Fund, which is made up of the following unrestricted funds: James Russell Anderson and Zora Carter Anderson Endowment Fund, Buck- Wayland Fund, Faith Home Endowment Fund, Clarence L. Giles Fund, Harry Melton Hood Fund, Elizabeth (Betty) W. Jefferson Fund, D. Webster, Jr., and Elizabeth S. Marshall Fund, Doug Massey Fund, James A. and Anne V. Robertson Fund, Barbara H. Sater and Herbert W. Sater Memorial Fund, and John C. Swanson, Jr. Fund.

            The following 48 grants were awarded from the named fund(s) for the purpose described.

American Red Cross of Blue Ridge Virginia ($10,500) to purchase 15 cutting-edge blood scales (Community Impact Fund)

Big Brothers Big Sisters ($5,000) to recruit and train new volunteers (Community Impact Fund)

Boys and Girls Clubs of the Danville Area ($7,500) to support the implementation of the Career Readiness & Exploration Initiative (Faye Carter Fund)

Caswell Cancer Resource Fund ($21,250) to extend supportive services to residents of Caswell County who have been diagnosed with cancer (Community Impact Fund)

Caswell County Parish ($25,000) to assist families who are in danger of having their electrical service terminated due to inability to pay the bill (Community Impact Fund)

Caswell County Partnership for Children ($3,275) to provide children in the Raising-A-Reader program with twelve books to build their home libraries (Gamewood Technology Fund)

Community Improvement Council, Head Start ($4,500) for social-emotional curriculum and therapeutic day treatment materials (Faye Carter Fund)

Dan River Nonprofit Network ($8,000) to offer ALIGN9, a new and innovative program designed to align skilled service providers with nine Dan River Region nonprofits in need of their talents (Community Impact Fund)

Danville Area Humane Society ($1,500) to enhance the security system (Community Impact Fund)

Danville-Pittsylvania Community Services ($13,000) to help law enforcement professionals overcome the personal and professional internal assaults they experience during their careers in law enforcement (Community Impact Fund)

Danville Science Center ($8,000) to upgrade technology within the Digital Dome (Community Impact Fund; Daniel Fund)

Danville Social Services ($50,000) to support the Neighbors Helping Neighbors Program (Community Impact Fund)

Danville Speech and Hearing Center ($27,000) to provide speech language pathology services to adults and children who are underinsured and unable to afford services (Community Impact Fund; Daniel Fund)

Danville Symphony Orchestra ($3,500) to defray a portion of the expenses to present four free orchestral concerts for the Dan River Region (Community Impact Fund; Daniel Fund)

Fairview United Methodist Church ($16,000) to support their Backpack Program (Community Impact Fund; Daniel Fund)

The First Tee of Danville ($12,000) to help provide full programming scholarships to participants during the spring and fall seasons (Community Impact Fund)

Friends of the Danville Public Library ($8,000) to support programming and outreach (Community Impact Fund)

HAVEN of the Dan River Region ($7,000) to contract with a local website developer to create a website for HAVEN (Community Impact Fund)

House of Hope ($25,000) for crucial roof renovations to ensure the safety and comfort of the guests and long-term tenant (Community Impact Fund; Daniel Fund)

Just Kids Child Development Center ($8,000) to purchase developmentally appropriate toys and materials for the two centers (Community Impact Fund; Faye Carter Fund)

Make-A-Wish Greater Virginia ($20,000) to grant at least four life-changing wishes in Danville and Pittsylvania County (Community Impact Fund; Gamewood Technology Fund)

MedAssist of Mecklenburg ($3,500) to purchase lifesaving prescription medications to residents in Caswell County (Community Impact Fund)

Northern Pittsylvania County Food Center ($15,000) to purchase food for the distribution program (Community Impact Fund; W. Earl & Elise M.G. Allen Fund)

Pittsylvania County Department of Public Safety ($10,000) to purchase CR2 AEDs to be placed in high traffic government buildings in Pittsylvania County (Community Impact Fund)

PPL Foundation ($25,000) to renovate Pittsylvania County Public Library’s 3,910 square foot branch library in Gretna (Community Impact Fund)

Providence Fire Rescue ($12,000) to purchase a new fire hose (Community Impact Fund)

Ringgold Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department ($25,000) to purchase five MSA Gil MSA Air Paks with facepieces (Community Impact Fund)

Southside Soccer Club ($18,000) to improve field drainage on the east and west sides of the former Blairs Middle School football field (Community Impact Fund)

Southern Area Agency on Aging ($30,000) to assist in circumstances whereby, unless some intervention is provided to resolve or stabilize a problem(s) or issue(s), an older individual’s safety, security and/or general well-being is at risk (Stratford House Fund)

SPCA of Pittsylvania County ($4,500) to support the spay program and to provide Trap-Neuter-Return services for Pittsylvania County residents who are caring for feral cat colonies (Community Impact Fund; Animal Welfare Fund; Irving H. & Louise Hambrick Scarce Animal Welfare Fund)

St. Lukes United Methodist Church ($15,000) to purchase food items to be packed in bags and given to the children for the weekend feeding program (Community Impact Fund)

Virginia Dental Association Foundation ($2,750) to support the DDS program in Danville and Pittsylvania (Community Impact Fund)

Westside Cardinals Youth Football League ($10,000) to purchase football equipment (Community Impact Fund)

Yanceyville Volunteer Fire and Rescue ($24,000) to purchase eight sets of personal protective equipment for firefighters (Community Impact Fund)

Each of the following grants was awarded as a result of The Community Foundation’s grantmaking partnership with Danville Regional Foundation.

Casville Volunteer Fire Department ($26,000) to purchase four Self Contained Breathing Apparatus units (Community Impact Fund; Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Climax Volunteer Fire Department ($26,000) to purchase four Self Contained Breathing Apparatus units (Community Impact Fund; Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Dan River Basin Association ($10,000) to provide Citizen Water Quality Monitoring Trainings in Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Danville Area Choral Arts Society ($3,000) to support the choral concert, Handel’s Messiah (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Danville Church Based Tutorial Program ($30,000) to build capacity within the academic program using math and reading consultants (Faye Carter Fund; Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Danville Concert Association ($1,750) to support the fourth performance of the season, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Danville Life Saving Crew ($30,000) to replace the Medivac helicopter-landing pad built at the Danville Life Saving Crew (Community Impact Fund; Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Danville Neighborhood Development Corporation ($25,000) to help elderly, veteran, disabled, and low-income homeowners in Danville make needed improvements to their homes’ exteriors (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Danville Pittsylvania Cancer Association ($45,000) to assist clients with cancer-related prescriptions (Community Impact Fund; Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Danville-Pittsylvania County Habitat for Humanity ($25,000) to build a decent, safe and affordable home for Crystal DeShazor and her three children (Ahmed Childrens Fund; Daniel Fund; Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

God’s Storehouse ($15,000) to purchase food for the weekend feeding program at the following schools: Woodberry Hills, Gibson, GLH Johnson, Schoolfield, Woodrow Wilson and Headstart (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Grace-A-Lot ($1,800) for new undergarments for men, women, boys and girls  (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Pelham Volunteer Fire Department ($17,000) to replace up to eight sets of outdated turnout gear worn by personnel while responding to fires and motor vehicle accidents (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Prospect Hill Volunteer Fire Department ($17,000) for a Rescue 42 Truck Kit, Rescue 42 Strut Jack and a SP 777E2 Spreader (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

*Donor advised and designated fund grants are made throughout the year. For a listing of those grants, please refer to the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Annual Report, which is available on The Community Foundations website, www.cfdrr.org.

The Community Foundation’s next grant cycle will begin in June for projects to be funded in 2021.

The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region is a public charity established in September 1996 by a steering committee of civic leaders to improve and enrich area lives through the generosity of donors.

The Community Foundation office can be reached at 541 Loyal Street, Danville, VA, 24541, (434) 793-0884 and www.cfdrr.org.

The Community Foundation Has a Job Opening For a Donor Services Manager

About Community Foundation of the Dan River Region:  Created in 1996 by a group of caring, forward thinking local civic leaders, The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region has grown to a robust organization supporting many nonprofit partners in the region. During its 23 years of operation, the Foundation has awarded more than $24 million in grants and scholarships due to the generosity of its donors.  The Foundation enhances quality of life in our community through grants for basic human services, education and youth development, health and wellness, community development, animal welfare, arts and culture, and environmental initiatives.  Our scholarships have assisted more than 1,100 students with their post-secondary education expenses.  The Foundation’s focus continues to be on making a measurable impact on key community issues.

Mission:  To improve and enrich the lives of people in our community by encouraging the generosity of donors; by receiving, managing and distributing important resources; and by meeting a variety of charitable purposes in our community.

Position Summary/Overview:  The Donor Services Manager supports the development initiatives of The Community Foundation.  He/she assists with development and donor services communication including donor cultivation, solicitation, acknowledgement and stewardship.  This person has a significant role in office management, ensuring accurate record keeping and reporting for the Foundation.  The position supports special projects and event preparation.   

Specific Job Expectations, Skills and Requirements

Development & Donor Services Responsibilities

•          Coordinate electronic and hard copy fund holder communication, including donor reports, fund statements and special recognitions.

•          Assist with planning and execution of Foundation special projects and events.

•          Plan and execute mailings to donors, prospective donors and professional advisors.

•          Develop and complete paperwork necessary to capture vital information about newly established funds and new and current donors.

•          Update and maintain donor database files.

•          Maintain current policies and procedures manual.

•          Provide quick responses with a target of one-to-two working business day turn-around (or less) on all prospective donor inquiries.

•          Implement special projects as identified by the Executive Director.

Office Management Responsibilities

•          Process all donation entries including checks, stock contributions, online gifts and fund transfers. Create daily financial packet and deliver deposit to financial institutions.

•          Process all accounts and grants payments and maintain respective files.

•          Monitor equipment, coordinate maintenance, and oversee opening and closing office.

•          Coordinate Board and other Foundation Committee meetings logistics and documentation.

•          Coordinate repairs and service calls as necessary.

•          Maintain an inventory of and procurement of office supplies.

•          Process hand-signed outgoing letters and checks.

•          Assist donors, Board members, grantees, Professional Advisors, and the general public in a courteous, helpful, and respectful manner.

Desired Qualifications

•          College degree preferred. 

•          Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Excel.

•          Experience with Blackbaud – FIMS.

•          Strong organizational skills, detail oriented and a self-starter.

•          Strong oral and written communication skills.

•          Ability to work successfully as part of a team as well as assume independent responsibilities. 

•          Experience with donor service or management experience.

•          Nonprofit foundation experience preferred.

General Foundation Support

•          Participate in community activities to enhance The Community Foundation operations, as well as those of the field.

•          Work with Foundation donors and prospects to develop their giving programs and provide regular reports on programs the donors have supported.

•          Work as a member of the multidisciplinary team to ensure the effective and efficient operations of the Foundation.

•          Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director.


Application Process

  • A cover letter describing why this role is aligned to your background, skills, and interest
  • Current resume
  • Materials are to be submitted via email to kathy@cfdrr.org by end of day, Wednesday, February 19, 2020
  • References will be requested from final candidates

Compensation

Commensurate with experience.  Benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, life insurance, retirement contributions, holiday, sick and vacation leave.

The Community Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

2018-2019 Annual Report