September 23, 2013
The Cameron Foundation announces updates to funding interests and changes to grant cycles
The Cameron Foundation has announced a consolidation of its areas of funding interest from seven to six categories and the establishment of priorities within each funding area. In addition, the Foundation has made changes to its competitive grant cycles, moving from three to two cycles per year.
“This year marks our tenth anniversary, and during that time we have continually striven to adapt our work in order to stay in step with the needs of our community,” said Todd Graham, president of The Cameron Foundation. “The creation of these funding priorities will help us to focus our grantmaking for even greater impact on the community we serve, as well as help applicants gain a clearer understanding of our funding interests.”
The new consolidated areas of funding interest are: Health Care, Human Services, Community & Economic Development, Education, Historic Preservation & Conservation and Arts & Culture. A common thread of the consolidated funding areas is the Foundation’s interest in providing grants for programs that can demonstrate measurable outcomes. The Foundation’s top funding interests continue to be health care and human services. Within the health care funding area, the new emphasis on collaborative work in behavioral health services, for example, provides potential for greater community impact.
New grant opportunities were announced in other funding areas such as historic preservation and community and economic development. A special interest in the preservation of historic churches was declared. “Historic churches not only contribute significantly to our community’s architectural heritage, but also provide vital space for community-serving programs,” said Graham.
The Foundation also declared a special interest in holistic approaches to the revitalization of distressed neighborhoods, including the development of quality affordable housing, green spaces, trails and other amenities essential to neighborhood renewal and healthy communities. Please click here for specifics of each of the funding interests.
The change in grant cycles does not result in any reduction in the Foundation’s grants budget. With the two-cycle schedule, grants are simply being distributed on a new timetable. Many foundations in Central Virginia operate on a two-cycle schedule, and this change helps the Foundation better align with other funding partners, and is intended to help create more opportunity for collaboration across funders.
“By moving to two overlapping grant cycles each year, we will have a clearer picture of all grant proposals before finalizing decisions, helping us make better informed decisions about all the proposals we receive each year,” said Graham.
Information Sessions Available
Nonprofits are invited to attend an information session to learn more about the Foundation’s grantmaking and grant submission procedures. These are free to attend but require an advance reservation by emailing dlester@camfound.org or by calling 804 732 8900. Information session dates and times are available on the Foundation’s website. Information on new grant cycles, including dates and deadlines, also is available on the website.
About the Cameron Foundation
The Cameron Foundation is a private foundation that supports the work of nonprofits and partner agencies to improve the quality of life of residents in the cities of Petersburg, Colonial Heights, and Hopewell; the counties of Dinwiddie, Prince George, and Sussex; and the portion of Chesterfield County lying south of Route 10. Founded in 2003, The Cameron Foundation was formed from the proceeds of the sale of Southside Regional Medical Center by the Hospital Authority of the City of Petersburg. Since it began grantmaking in 2004, the Foundation has awarded approximately $60 million to organizations serving the residents of the Tri-Cities and surrounding counties.