Every spring, the Community Foundation of the Dan River Region opens up four grants cycles that run from January 1-March 1. In addition to these four grants, The Foundation awards funding from Donor Advised, Designated and Field of Interest funds. This year, The Foundation awarded $205,869 in grants during the first quarter.

Keokee Grant Recipients ($2,239)

Recipients of this year’s round of Keokee Fund Grants were:

• Danville Public Schools Activ8 STEM Academy, which will use the grant to purchase materials that work with its set of round robots called Sphero to fund onsite educational enrichment programs via the StarLab; and
• The Danville Science Center, which will use the grant to support its portable planetarium.

Arts & Cultural Fund Grant Recipients ($6,163)

This year’s recipients of our annual Arts & Cultural Fund were:

• Smokestack Theatre Company, which will use its grant to support production costs of the annual Ghosts and Gravestones Historical Tours in the River District; and
• The Haus of Fashion, which will use its grant so support Danville Fashion Week.

Autism Education Fund Grant Recipients ($5,824)

• The Danville Science Center received a grant to provide sensory friendly programming; and
• The Smokestack Theatre Company, which will use the grant to provide sensory friendly movie showings.

Marshall Family Fund Grant Recipients ($95,983)

• Averett University received a grant to provide scholarships to local students with financial need.
• The Boy Scouts of America/Dan River District-Blue Ridge Mountains Council received a grant to promote and support scouting in the Dan River Region.
• Grace Design Community Church received a grant to repave their parking lot.
• The Free Clinic of Danville Fund received a grant to make annual grants from the fund to nonprofit organizations to provide medical services, including, but not limited to, behavioral health, hearing, speech, dental, screening and medical education targeting uninsured and underinsured adults (ages 19-64) residing in Danville and Pittsylvania County.

Donor Advised Funds ($4,528)

• Torrey and Shelley Blackwell Fund
• Alexander Heath Light & Mary Nelson Light Mission Fund
• Herman and Helen Melton Historical Fund
• Miller-Woodbury Fund

Designated Funds ($65,301)

• Robert R. Blackwell and Lick Fort Primitive Baptist Church of Rockingham, NC
• Tony and Steve Smith Blanch Baptist Church Cemetery Fund
• Davis Family Fund
• Debra Dodson Fund
• Captain James A. Reith Veterans Endowed Fund
• Gantsoudes Family Fund
• Main Street United Methodist Church Fund
• Mt. Hermon Baptist Church Youth Mission Fund
• Virginia Elizabeth “Besty” Robertson Fund
• B.C. & Annie Lee Owen Fund
• Cruising to a Better Future Fund
• Eileen and Joseph Stendig Family Fund
• Benjamin Sugg Fund
• Urban Bible Fund
• G. Brooks Powell, Jr., Police Community Engagement Fund
• Caswell County Veterans Memorial Fund
• Yanceyville United Methodist Church Cemetery Fund

Field of Interest Funds ($25,831)

• Captain William E. Price Veterans Endowed Fund
• Community Impact Fund
• Dominion Eye Center Fund
• Wayles R. Harrison Memorial Fund
• Claudia Vernon Smith Fund
• Veterinary Emergency Treatment Fund
• Bob and Barbara Newnam Fund