June 19, 2025
Cameron Foundation approves $1+ million in June 2025 cycle
The Cameron Foundation has approved $1,018,648 in new awards for its June responsive grant cycle. Funding was directed towards 25 different nonprofit organizations, with amounts ranging from $10,000 to $100,000.
The largest grant this cycle, $100,000, was made to Communities In Schools of the Tri-Cities, Inc. (previously known as Communities In Schools of Petersburg) for continued general operating support. The organization provides integrated student support services across all nine schools in Petersburg City Public Schools. Board Chair Vandy V. Jones, III, noted, “This group’s work is a great example of meeting the community where the needs are.” He further explained, “The Cameron funding will help sustain site-based services and ensure continued support for students facing academic and personal challenges.” Communities In Schools of the Tri-Cities, Inc.’s programming aligns closely with the Foundation’s strategic priorities in K-12 education and child health by addressing academic barriers, chronic absenteeism, and student well-being.
Another significant award in the June cycle was a $90,000 grant to Central Virginia Legal Aid Society Inc. to expand medical-legal services across the Tri-Cities area through its Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) program. Cameron’s Grants Committee Chair, Jeff Geisz, said, “Central Virginia Legal Aid Society’s MLP focuses on a different – and critical – dimension to our own investments in both health and social determinants of health.”
The MLP is designed to improve health outcomes for low-income patients by embedding lawyers into health care settings to assist providers, case managers, and social workers to address social determinants of health through legal intervention. The program contends with legal challenges to issues such as housing instability, denial of public benefits, and consumer legal matters that can significantly hinder individuals’ ability to access and maintain health care. Geisz added, “Providing funding for this initiative is an important step towards ensuring that vulnerable populations in the Tri-Cities area receive comprehensive support to improve their health and quality of life.”
Also this cycle, the Foundation’s renewal funding of $45,000 to Greater Richmond Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) provides continued support for two critical services. SCAN works with local multi-disciplinary teams in Prince George and Petersburg to conduct forensic interviews for children following allegations of abuse or neglect at its Child Advocacy Center (CAC) in Richmond. The CAC offers a safe, child-focused environment where trained professionals use evidence-based techniques designed to minimize re-traumatization.
The grant to SCAN also supports the Court Appointed Special Advocates program in Petersburg, which SCAN began operating last year. Cameron President Nadine Marsh-Carter, JD, underscored, “SCAN’s work in both programs reflects a broader commitment to trauma-informed systems change. Both the CAC and CASA programs align with Cameron’s funding priorities by reducing systemic barriers and supporting children navigating complex, and often traumatic, circumstances.”
The June cycle is the first of two for the year. The second cycle will result in October awards.