Community Foundation Launches Build Back - Dream Forward Post-COVID-19 Initiative And Awards First Grants Totaling $100,000

Press release from The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia:

October 29, 2020

The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia has launched Build Back – Dream Forward – a post-COVID-19 Growth Initiative. Its purpose is to achieve social and economic equity, promote racial justice and equity, and catalyze more inclusive systems of economic growth in Northern Virginia, particularly in local communities of color who have been disproportionately impacted by the virus and its fallouts. Build Back – Dream Forward is the next phase of the COVID-19 Response Fund at Community Foundation for Northern Virginia that launched March 13, 2020. It’s an event and community investment initiative that will drive community conversations about the disproportionate economic and health impacts of the coronavirus on local communities of color, the dismantling of structural racism, the promotion of racial justice and equity, and the case for economic inclusion. Earlier this month, we invested $100,000, the first round of grants through this initiative. These grants will support local anchor institutions to host their own community conversations within their spheres of influence. They will also support aspiring, hardworking entrepreneurs and small business owners from local Latinx, Hispanic, African American, Korean, Ethiopian, El Salvadorian, Vietnamese, and other communities in Northern Virginia that seek to maintain and strengthen their businesses through COVID-19 and beyond obtain the supports and investments they need to thrive, including access to business coaching, mentoring, pitch events, capital, and banking relationships.“It is our hope that through data-driven research, events, and strategic philanthropy, that we can all work to change the structures that exist and perpetuate inequities based on race throughout our region,” said Eileen Ellsworth, President and CEO, Community Foundation for Northern Virginia. “Any time we have tragedy in this country, it negatively affects everyone, butit affects those that are poor, and those of color more, we know that. And COVID-19 is an example of that.”List of Build Back – Dream Forward Community Conversations grantees:VOICE – Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement/ $10,000Serving Northern VirginiaFunding will support faith based institutions with spheres of influence who are already hosting community conversations around the disproportionate impact of the virus on communities of color, structural racism, racial justice and equity, local law enforcement and its relationships with the communities they serve.VIC (Ventures in Communities)/Rising Hope/ $10,000Serving Fairfax County, VAThis grant will support faith-based institutions, community service groups, local nonprofit organizations, Fairfax County and state agency representatives with spheres of influence who are already hosting community conversations around the disproportionate impact of the virus on communities of color, structural racism, racial justice and equity, local law enforcement and its relationships with the communities they serve.Leadership Arlington/ $10,000Serving Arlington, VAFunding will support conversations around the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on communities of color, structural racism, racial justice and equity, local law enforcement and its relationships with the communities they serve.Leadership Fairfax/ $10,000Serving Fairfax, VAGrant will support discussions around the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on communities of color, structural racism, racial justice and equity, local law enforcement and its relationships with the communities they serve.Leadership Prince William/ $10,000Serving Prince William County, VAFunding will support conversations around the disproportionate impact of the virus on communities of color, structural racism, racial justice and equity, local law enforcement and its relationships with the communities they serve.Volunteer Alexandria/ $7,000Serving Alexandria, VAThis grant will support conversations around the disproportionate impact of the virus on communities of color, structural racism, racial justice and equity, local law enforcement and its relationships with the communities they serve.Volunteer Fairfax/ $10,000Serving Fairfax County, VAFunding will support conversations around the disproportionate impact of the virus on communities of color, structural racism, racial justice and equity, local law enforcement and its relationships with the communities they serve.Volunteer Prince William/ $8,200Serving Prince William County, VAFunding will support conversations around the disproportionate impact of the virus on communities of color, structural racism, racial justice and equity, local law enforcement and its relationships with the communities they serve.George Mason University, Mason Innovation Lab/ $25,000Serving Fairfax, VAFunding will support the launch of a community-based cohort of 20 minority-owned small businesses for coaching and mentoring.To learn more about Build Back – Dream Forward please visit:cfnova.org/community-leadership/build-back-dream-forward

This press release was produced by The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia. The views expressed are the author's own.