July 1, 2005
Cameron Foundation awards over $1.1 million to 16 local organizations serving communities in the Tri-Cities & Southside region
The board of trustees of The Cameron Foundation is pleased to announce that it has awarded grants to 16 organizations totaling $1,144,572.00. This is the Foundation’s third round of grantmaking since its inception and the second round of awards in the 2005 calendar year. The final set of grants for 2005 will be announced in October from the pool of applicants who submitted proposals in June.
Cleve Wright, president of the board of trustees, said, “In this grant cycle, the total amount requested was well over twice the amount of available funds. The board was most pleased with the efforts of Handy and his staff in evaluating these organizations. Several board members went on site visits with the staff, and this was of great assistance in helping us understand the importance of these organizations to their clients and communities. We continue to be impressed by the quality of work being accomplished in our service area.”
The Cameron Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization established in April 2003 from the proceeds of the sale of Southside Regional Medical Center. The Foundation primarily makes grants for project-specific, capital and technical assistance purposes to eligible nonprofit organizations. Municipal agencies are also eligible for certain types of funding. The Foundation’s mission is to provide resources to improve both the health and quality of life for people living in the communities historically served by the hospital, including the cities of Petersburg, Colonial Heights and Hopewell, as well as the counties of Dinwiddie, Prince George, Sussex and the portion of Chesterfield County lying south of U.S. Route 10. It makes grants in February, June and October of each year.
Larry Tucker, chairman of the Foundation’s grants committee, noted, “This set of grantees really represented the diversity of the region. I have to say that each of our grant cycles have provided us with a unique picture of the great work that is happening here in the Tri-Cities.”
Based upon the board’s decision, the following 16 organizations were awarded grant funds:
Central Virginia Health Services, $35,000.00
Crater Community Hospice, $20,000.00
Hopewell Emergency Crew, $89,000.00
Colonial Heights Office on Youth, $42,000.00
Dinwiddie Department of Social Services, $26,894.00
YMCA of Greater Richmond, Petersburg Branch, $225,000.00
Interfaith Housing Corporation, Hopewell Expansion, $100,000.00
Learn to Earn, Inc., $236,000.00
Petersburg Urban Ministries, $150,000.00
Telemon Corporation, $19,450.00
Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Virginia, $43,700.00
Friends of Burrowsville School, $17,000.00
Prince George Historical Society, $50,000.00
Violet Bank Museum – City of Colonial Heights, $43,759.00
Appomattox Regional Library System, $11,769.00
The Wakefield Foundation, $35,000.00
The Cameron Foundation engages in grantmaking in seven program areas, including health care, human services, civic affairs, community and economic development, education, conservation & historic preservation, and cultural enrichment. The Foundation does not allocate a fixed percentage of its grants toward any particular field or community, and is responsive to a wide array of programs and services offered by agencies and organizations in the region.
The Foundation’s board is particularly concerned with the sustainability of projects and programs, as well as, building the capacity of local nonprofits to carry out their missions. According to Handy Lindsey, the Foundation’s executive director, “all indications are that word about the resources that we have available is steadily spreading throughout the region. We’ve paid particular attention to raising awareness of our activities in our service area’s more rural communities, such as Sussex and Dinwiddie, and we feel that this has paid off. Our website – http://www.thecameronfoundation.org – gives a great deal of detail about our requirements and grantmaking process, and we encourage all prospective applicants to get in touch with one of our program officers – Conaway Haskins or Anne Palmer – if they have any questions.”
The Foundations is governed by a board of trustees consisting of nine community leaders who serve without monetary compensation. Current board members include: Cleveland A. Wright, President; Ann C. Taylor, Vice President; Dr. Jerry W. Isbell, Secretary; Kevin A. Hill, Treasurer; and Dr. Gurpal S. Bhuller, John H. Clements, James L. Thacker, Betty W. Thweatt, and Larry C. Tucker. You can find more information about the Foundation on its website, http://www.thecameronfoundation.org, or via telephone at 804-732-8900.