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On Wednesday, January 8, the Community Foundation of the Dan River Region (CFDRR) awarded $946,433 in grants during a reception held at Ballou Park Recreation Center. Sixty-four nonprofit agencies in the region were the recipients of The Foundation’s 2024-25 Competitive Grant Cycle.

“One of the highlights of the year at The Community Foundation is our annual grant reception,” said Steve Bass, President of the Board of Directors. “This event is exciting for two key reasons: first, it brings our donors’ visions to life through the incredible work of the nonprofit organizations receiving support. Second, it allows us to witness firsthand the meaningful impact of the funds we steward, transforming lives and strengthening our community.”

The Foundation awards grants in the following areas: emergency preparedness, animal services, arts & culture, community development, health and wellness, education and youth, community development, human services, and scholarships. The 2024-25 Competitive Grant Cycle funding is derived from the following funds:

• Community Impact Fund (unrestricted funds): Anderson Endowment Fund, Buck-Wayland Fund, Clarence Giles Fund, D. Webster, Jr., and Elizabeth S. Marshall Fund, Opportunity Fund, Elizabeth (Betty) W. Jefferson Fund, Faith Home Endowment Fund, Harry Melton Hood Fund, James A. and Ann V. Robertson Fund, Sater Fund, Swanson Fund and the Unrestricted Community Fund;

• Field of Interest Funds: Free Clinic of Danville Fund, Stratford House Fund, Daniel Fund, Lady Bug Fund, Mary Neil Literacy Fund, Faye Carter Fund, W. Earl and Elise M.G. Allen Fund, Animal Welfare Fund, Mary Cahill Historic Preservation Fund, Ahmed Children’s Fund, and the Laurie S. Moran Rotary Service Fund;

• Donor Advised Funds: Gamewood Technology Fund, Irving H. and Louise Hambrick Scarce Animal Welfare Fund, P. Niles and Carol Daly, Jr. Fund, Philip and Frances Daly Fund, Helen and Webb Maddux Fund, and Audrey F. Millner and H. Victor Millner, Jr. Fund; and

• Pass Through Funds from the Danville Regional Foundation Fund.

“Our distribution committee takes their job very seriously because they know how great the need of each organization is,” said CFDRR’S Executive Director Dan Hayes. “We are thrilled to be able to fund these 64 projects. We look forward to seeing the positive impact each organization makes as the projects are completed.”

The organizations awarded grants from the various funds listed above are below, set a part by category. A complete listing of organizations, grant amounts and purposes may be found at https://www.cfdrr.org/grants/2025-competitive-grant-reception-program/.

Animal Services

Animal Protection Society of the Northern Piedmont, Inc.

Fine Whines and Lickers

SPCA of Pittsylvania County

Arts & Culture

Caswell Council for the Arts

Danville Area Choral Arts Society

Danville Concert Association

Danville Historical Society

Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History

Danville Symphony Orchestra

Smokestack Theatre Company

Community Development

Caswell County Parks and Recreation

Danville Neighborhood Development Corporation

Danville-Pittsylvania County Habitat for Humanity

Milton Preservation and Beautification Society, Inc.

The Garden Club of Danville

Third Chance Housing

Westmoreland Neighborhood Organization

Health & Wellness

American Red Cross of Blue Ridge Virginia

Cascade School Community Center

Compassion Health Care

Danville Pittsylvania Cancer Association, Inc.

Danville Speech and Hearing

Make-A-Wish Greater Virginia

The Doorways

Victory Junction

Education & Youth

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Danville Area

Blue Ridge Mountains Council (Boy Scouts of America)

Boys and Girls Clubs of Danville Area

Caswell County Partnership for Children

Community Improvement Council, Inc. Head Start

Dan River Basin Association

Danville Church and Community Tutorial Program

Danville Science Center, Inc.

Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline

Good Hope Equestrian & Regenerative Farm, Inc.

Kentuck Elementary School PTO

Piedmont Community College Foundation

PPL Foundation

Reach Out and Read, Inc.

Second Chance Outreach Ministries, Inc.

Southside Area Tennis Association

United Way of Danville-Pittsylvania County

Human Services

Changing Lives Outreach Center CDC

City of Danville Parks and Recreation

City of Danville Social Services

Danville Pittsylvania Community Services

Fairview Church

God’s Storehouse

Grace A Lot, Inc.

Northern Pittsylvania County Food Center

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina

Southern Area Agency on Aging

St. Luke’s United Methodist Church

The Caswell County Parish, Inc.

The Haven of the Dan River Region

The Salvation Army of Danville-Pittsylvania

Virginia Hunters Who Care, Inc.

Virginia Legal Aid Society

Emergency Services

Blairs Fire and Rescue

Casville Volunteer Fire Department

Climax Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.

Danville Life Saving and First Aid Crew, Inc.

Gretna Fire & Rescue

Providence Fire and Rescue, Inc.

The Community Foundation will begin accepting applications for the next Competitive Grant Cycle on June 1, 2025, for projects that will be funded and completed in 2026. Organizations are encouraged to begin contemplating projects for which they wish to apply for funding now.

The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region (CFDRR) held its annual Donor Appreciation Luncheon Thursday, November 14 at The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research. During the event, donors learned about some of the highlights from the last fiscal year and were recognized for their contributions to The Foundation. Donors are the backbone of The Foundation and because of their generosity The Foundation is making positive impacts in our community.

As part of the event, Traci Petty, Grant and Scholarship Manager, led a round table discussion with Kenny Lewis, with the Danville Church & Community Tutorial Program and Russell Carter with the Ruby B. Archie Public Library. The trio discussed a recent collaboration between the two organizations that has brought the library into neighborhoods across the city, giving children access to books.

“As The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region we are often granting money to nonprofit organizations to help them achieve a goal or plan an event, said Executive Director Dan Hayes. “This time, we were able to put two local organizations together and they came up with a plan that positively impacts some of our smallest citizens, our children.”

This literacy initiative was identified by donors during a previous luncheon where they were asked to name priority issues in our community. The number one concern was education. Stemming from donors input, The Foundation convened a conversation between the library and the tutorial program.

It was during one of Carter and Lewis’ initial meetings that the idea for these libraries came about. Carter provided the funding for the shelving units for the tutoring locations while Lewis made the decision about where it was best to set the initial libraries up. Additional library sites will be added at a later date. Thanks to this collaboration, children in low-income neighborhoods are able to sign up for a library card and check out books when they are attending the tutoring program.

“We believe that giving children access to books at an early age will help increase the literacy rate in the community as they grow up,” said Petty. “We’re excited about this partnership between a city department and a local nonprofit and we can’t wait to see the positive impact this has on our community.”

A few highlights of The Community Foundation’s impact this during the 2023-24 fiscal year include:

• $1.4 million awarded in grants to enhance the great work of local nonprofits;
• scholarships totaling $377,608 awarded to students in our service areas;
• $1,656,505 received in donations from 450 donors; and
• 10 new endowed funds created.