The Women United in Philanthropy (WUP) Grants Committee has selected finalists for the 2023 Grant Awards. Join us on May 16th to learn how a 2023 Women United in Philanthropy grant award would allow each of our non-profit finalists to magnify their impact on local women and children. Congratulations to all the nonprofit finalists.
Five finalists vying for the two $20,000 grants:
100 Black Men of Central Virginia – Fire & Ice Literacy Programming and High School Scholarships
100 Black Men of Central Virginia (100BMOCV) advocates for the elimination of the achievement gap of African American males in grades K – 12. They are being considered for a $20,000 grant to fund two initiatives. First, 100BMOCV would use the grant to continue and expand their Fire & Ice Literacy Program by providing individualized instruction to help rising 5th Grade students through graduating Seniors improve their reading comprehension and writing skills throughout the year. The literacy program will also focus on the development of a book club where the students can engage with literature and develop a love for reading. Through this programming, they aim to increase literacy skills, promote academic success, and prepare students for college and career readiness. Second, they would use the grant to fund 10 additional $1,000 college scholarships to students who complete their program and achieve a 3.0 or higher GPA. The intended beneficiaries of this grant are Black boys and young men from the City of Charlottesville and the surrounding counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, and Orange.
Charlottesville Community Bikes – Kids Bike Program
Charlottesville Community Bikes (CCB) is a nonprofit bike shop that promotes environmentally-sound transportation, recycles bicycles, and makes biking accessible to all in Charlottesville. They believe bicycles can be a means to social change, addressing issues of equity, access, and inclusion. CCB works to create innovative, community-rooted solutions to address community mobility needs. CCB is being considered for a $20,000 grant to support the expansion of their Free Kids’ Bike Program and their Referral Bike Program (for teens and adults in need) to include 200 additional bicycles distributed directly to families in need in Charlottesville: 100 kids’ bikes and 100 adult-sized bikes for teens. This equates to a 28% increase in their program capacity.
Child Health Partnership – Latina Moms Counseling Program
Child Health Partnership provides at-home support to families to promote the health and well-being of children and parents in our community. Through home visits, Registered Nurses provide health and developmental assessments, prenatal education and care, and referrals to health care providers. Family Support Specialists provide parenting training, assist with development screenings and applications for health insurance, and connect families to resources for food, housing, transportation, and other services. Child Health is being considered for a $20,000 grant to support a bilingual mental health counselor to work with Spanish-speaking moms with babies and children under age seven who need support for anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns. The Latina Moms Counseling Program will expand the support Child Health provides in order to address a critical need: additional support for Latina moms. This new program will serve Latina moms primarily in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, with consideration for families in Fluvanna and Louisa Counties if capacity allows.
Reclaimed Hope Initiative – Camp Hope
Reclaimed Hope Initiative (RHI) exists to strengthen and empower families navigating foster care, adoption, and children with disabilities. RHI is being considered for a $20,000 grant to help cover the direct costs of Camp Hope, their safe, inclusive summer camp experience for children ages 4-12, who are in foster care, adopted, and/or have disabilities. They serve children who are otherwise unable to participate in local camp offerings due to intensive behavioral needs, mental health diagnoses, intellectual disabilities, and trauma. Through Camp Hope, RHI provides the necessary care and structure for children with complex care needs to engage in enriching experiences and connect with peers. $15,000 of the grant would help cover the cost of the facility rental, therapy providers, sensory/adaptive tools, and safety supplies. $5,000 would be used for scholarships. These funds would allow an increase in camp space and camper resources, in addition to scholarships, which will allow an increase in the total number of children who attend camp, as well as increase equitable access to families with limited financial resources. RHI serves families in the city of Charlottesville, as well as Albemarle, Augusta, Fluvanna, Louisa, and Nelson Counties.
Sexual Assault Resource Agency – Survivors’ Menƚal Health Supporƚ & Therapy
The mission of the Sexual Assault Resource Agency (SARA) is to eliminate sexual violence and its impact by providing education, advocacy, and support to men, women, and children. SARA is being considered for a $20,000 grant to provide specialized trauma therapy for survivors of sexual assault and their families. The funds would be used to hire a counseling intern, who would provide group and short-term therapy, increasing therapy clients by 80%. Funds would also be spent on related program marketing and materials, and support from current clinical staff. With these funds, they would be able to expand their program to more survivors through the introduction of therapy groups, an expanded counseling internship program, shorter-term safety and stabilization counseling, and long-term intensive trauma therapy. SARA’s service area includes the city of Charlottesville, as well as Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson Counties.
Two finalists vying for the $5,000 grant:
Girls on the Run Central Virginia and Blue Ridge – Financial Assistance
Girls on the Run (GOTR) inspires girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum that creatively integrates running. GOTR plays a critical role in building girls’ social-emotional competencies. The skills learned through their curriculum – such as how to manage emotions, establish boundaries, develop confidence, and resolve conflict – are skills that girls can use now and, in the future, to cope with life challenges. GOTR is being considered for a $5,000 grant to provide financial assistance to reduce and/or remove fees for their participants in underserved communities in the city of Charlottesville, as well as Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson Counties. By removing financial barriers, GOTR is able to reach a broad cross-section of these school communities to build a diverse and inclusive team of girls in grades 3-8, who then learn not only from the research-based curriculum but also from each other’s life experiences and perspectives. GOTR strives to remove financial barriers so that any girl wishing to participate may do so while still providing the same high-quality experience for all.
Wildrock – Teacher Work Day Camps
Wildrock promotes nature play for health and happiness. They are being considered for a $5,000 grant to support day camps, with a focus on nature play, for children from families in need during Teacher Work Days when Charlottesville and Albemarle public schools are closed. Wildrock currently offers these programs for a fee at their Nature Discovery Center in Crozet. This program will be a modification of those camps as they will be free and offered in convenient local greenspaces in Charlottesville to reduce childcare costs, minimize transportation barriers, and emphasize the importance of accessing local nature.