General Grant Guidelines

The Cameron Foundation strives to transform the Tri-Cities and surrounding counties into a healthy, vibrant and economically vital region by strategically leveraging resources for community impact. This service area includes 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. Further defining the Foundation’s service area in southern Chesterfield, the western boundary begins at Route 10 and Lewis Road then follows south along Bradley Bridge Road (SR 631); jogs at Woodpecker Road (SR 626); and proceeds along SR 669 (Sandy Ford, Church and Chesdin roads). The border ends at Lake Chesdin’s Brasfield Dam, where the John J. Radcliffe Appomattox River Park is located.

Grants from The Cameron Foundation

Before You Apply – Each grant has a step-by-step application process, as well as steps that must be taken after the grant is awarded. Prior to applying for a grant from The Cameron Foundation, please review our grant guidelines to make sure your organization and proposed work are eligible for funding. The full set of guidelines, including deadlines, frequently asked questions, and other details can be downloaded here.

General Grants information and application instructions – The next Letter of Intent deadline will be January 6, 2026. After reviewing the Foundation’s general guidelines, the Application Procedures section of the guidelines can orient you to the process, including instructions and links to access the online application and reporting system.

Our grantmaking focus is on nonprofit organizations holding 501(c)(3) designation by the IRS. Recognizing that area governmental agencies may provide a variety of services in tandem with nonprofit organizations, the Foundation views these agencies as vital partners to the nonprofit sector and is open to supporting a limited set of activities of public entities.

Duration
The Foundation will make grants on a single-year or multi-year basis.

For single-year awards, applicants may seek renewal of support for a previously funded project or purpose from year-to-year. In these cases, each grant will require an application and a formal review, and renewal funding will be contingent on satisfactory outcome reporting of previous grants.

The Foundation no longer has a step-down policy for organizations receiving several grants for the same purpose. However, beginning in 2025 as Year 1, grantees receiving five or more consecutive grants will be required to “sit out” for one year before becoming eligible to reapply for funding. This policy applies regardless of whether the funding is for a specific program, project, general operations or capital purpose.

When considering multi-year requests, the Foundation will determine eligibility on a case-by-case basis. Organizations receiving a multi-year grant do not need to reapply each year for this funding, but regular reporting is required, and release of subsequent funding will be contingent on satisfactory outcome reporting for the prior year’s activities. Grantees receiving multi-year funding for a cumulative total of six years will be required to “sit out” for one year before reapplying for grant funding. This policy applies regardless of whether the funding is for a specific program, project, general operations or capital purpose.

Regardless of the duration of a grant, no grant funds may be used for expenses incurred prior to the date of approval by The Cameron Foundation’s Board.

Special Considerations
The Cameron Foundation strives to assure that its limited resources are allocated to their highest valued uses. Therefore, in approaching the Foundation with requests, prospective applicants should be aware of these considerations:

  • The Foundation supports organizations and activities that employ creative responses to problems that address root causes rather than symptoms and which build upon community strengths.
  • The Foundation pays particular attention to efforts that expand access to opportunities for people from low-income and otherwise disadvantaged communities and that demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusiveness in the targeting and delivery of services.
  • The Foundation endeavors to foster communication, cooperation and coordination among service providers and, therefore, will seek to encourage and reward collaborations and partnerships among its grantees.
  • The Foundation seeks to build programs and services that are sustainable and that encourage strong and engaged board, staff and/or volunteer leadership.

Strategic Priorities
The Cameron Foundation has identified two inter-related strategic priorities of health care and community and economic development, including support of initiatives that:

  • Increase access to and utilization of quality, appropriate and culturally relevant health care; and,
  • Invest with partners in sustainable workforce development and increased preparation for access to living wage jobs.

These two priorities are areas of emphasis within the broader scope of the Foundation’s funding interests and not exclusive of Cameron’s other funding interests.

Eligible Organizations
The Foundation makes grants to both new and established organizations that are exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

To be eligible for Cameron funding:

  • At least 51% of those served by your organization or proposed work must reside within the Foundation’s service region. This can be verified using The Cameron Foundation’s Service Area Address Checker. This area includes 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. Further defining the Foundation’s service area in southern Chesterfield, the western boundary begins at Route 10 and Lewis Road then follows south along Bradley Bridge Road (SR 631); jogs at Woodpecker Road (SR 626); and proceeds along SR 669 (Sandy Ford, Church and Chesdin roads). The border ends at Lake Chesdin’s Brasfield Dam, where the John J. Radcliffe Appomattox River Park is located.
  • Your organization must be governed by an all-volunteer board of directors that consists of at least five unrelated persons. No paid staff member can participate as a voting member of the governing board. When this is the case, the organization is generally ineligible for funding from The Cameron Foundation.
  • Your organization’s board includes at least one member who lives and/or works in the Foundation’s service area, or your organization’s governing body includes a local advisory council. This can be verified using The Cameron Foundation’s Service Area Address Checker.

Ineligible Organizations and Purposes
The Foundation will not make grants to or for:

  • Organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, creed, gender, sexual orientation or disability
  • Private foundations
  • Supporting organizations
  • Endowments
  • For-profit organizations
  • Individuals
  • Expenses incurred prior to grant approval by the Foundation’s Board of Directors
  • Medical research or national health agency appeals
  • Academic or scientific research projects
  • Religious organizations seeking support for programs to which access is restricted by religious affiliation or programs that promote a particular creed
  • Organizations or groups whose primary purpose is to carry on propaganda or otherwise attempt to influence legislation or political campaigns
  • Other grant agencies or foundations for ultimate re-granting to organizations or programs selected by such agencies or foundations
  • Purchase of tickets to fundraising events
  • Solely for publishing, producing, or distributing audio, visual or printed material
  • Solely for attendance at conferences, seminars or meetings
  • Reserve funds or debt elimination
  • Organizations requesting funds through a fiscal sponsor

Divisions Within Organizations, Institutions or Government Entities
Grant requests from different divisions of an organization, institution and/or government entity will be treated as having been submitted by a single entity.

Local governmental entities are eligible for capital, program-specific and special project purposes, excluding overhead and other administrative or operational costs. In general, state and federal governmental entities are ineligible for funding from The Cameron Foundation.

Proposals for individual schools must be approved by and submitted through the central administration or local school district. Additionally, the central administration of a school district may apply for division-wide projects that affect multiple schools and other subunits.

Additional Information about Funding for Government Entities
The Foundation generally will not make grants to governmental entities for:

  • Activities that were historically funded by that entity through local funds in previous years and for which funding was cut at the discretion of the locality;
  • Activities that are customarily part of the functions of governmental entities in other jurisdictions of comparable size and scope;
  • Activities that are currently performed by a viable non-governmental entity;
  • Activities that are mandated as local obligations by state and/or federal authorities, except where state/federal authorities stipulate private matching funds for support of a particular effort; and,
  • Activities eligible for funding through issuance of municipal bonds by state and/or local authorities.

Selection Criteria
The Cameron Foundation has established grantmaking objectives that are intended to assure that its limited resources are allocated to their highest valued uses. In pursuit of these objectives, the Foundation supports organizations and activities that empower people through the employment of creative responses to problems that address root causes rather than symptoms and which build upon community strengths. The Foundation pays particular attention to efforts that expand access to opportunities for people from low-income and otherwise disadvantaged communities and that demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusiveness in the targeting and delivery of services. Furthermore, The Cameron Foundation seeks to foster communication, cooperation and coordination among service providers, build programs and services that are sustainable, and encourage strong and engaged board, staff and/or volunteer leadership.

The Foundation funds work across six different program areas.

Types of Support from The Cameron Foundation: Types of Grants 

Project or Program Grants – support the mission of the recipient organization and are intended to support a specific, connected set of activities that have explicit objectives. Whereas project grants have predetermined time frames and costs, program grants support ongoing activities of the organization. Applicants may include relevant administrative and overhead costs as long as those amounts are proportional with the prospective activities.

General Operating Grants – intended to fund the ongoing operations of an organization, including the regular personnel, administrative, fundraising and office expenses of existing agency programs. This type of funding is also known as “core support.” The Cameron Foundation will only provided general operating support for nonprofit organizations holding 501(c)(3) public charity status that are indigenous to and headquartered in the Foundation’s service area. The Foundation will not make grants to fund the operations of organizations based outside of The Cameron Foundation’s service region, or those whose primary services support clientele outside of that region. Government agencies are not eligible for general operating support.

For General Operating Grants, The Cameron Foundation limits the proportion of an organization’s annual budget that it will provide to the following amounts:

  • For an annual budget less than $100,000, the Foundation will not make operating support grants exceeding 50% of that budget.
  • For a budget between $100,000 and $500,000, operating support grants will not exceed 35% of that budget.
  • For a budget greater than $500,000 but less than $1 million, operating support grants will not exceed 20% of that budget.
  • For an organization whose annual budget is greater than $1 million, the Foundation generally will not make general operating support grants.

Exceptions to this provision will only be extended at the Foundation’s discretion and invitation.

Requests for general operating support predicated on the loss of a major source of funding will be subject to the following additional restrictions. The organization should demonstrate that:

  1. There is significant and ongoing demand for the programs and services provided by the organization
  2. The organization lacks the capacity to respond to the loss of funding and such loss would result in a cessation or reduction of the programs and/or services offered by the organization, and
  3. A strategy to preserve the programs and/or services in the future has been clearly identified

Capital Grants – intended to facilitate the purchase of land, construction of and repairs to physical facilities, and the acquisition of equipment by an organization. Capital grant requests for construction projects also may include the costs of related technical services, such as legal, architectural and engineering activities.

Additionally, the Foundation will consider applications by 501(c)(3) organizations for capital projects for buildings and other property owned by governmental entities, subject to the following specific conditions:

  • The 501(c)(3) organization must be in existence for at least two years prior to the date of the application.
  • With the application, the 501(c)(3) organization must furnish a copy of the signed lease, contract, memorandum of understanding or other formal agreement between the organization and the governmental entity that provides for the use of the building or other property by the 501(c)(3) organization.

Types of Support from The Cameron Foundation: Grant Programs
The Cameron Foundation provides funding through its General and Strategic Partnership grant programs. Each one has an application process, as well as steps that must be taken after the grant is awarded. It is important to review these guidelines to understand these differences.

Grantees involved in the Foundation’s Strategic Partnerships proactive work remain eligible to apply for responsive grants through the General Grants program.

General Grants
The Foundation administers two General Grant cycles each year, resulting in awards in June and October. Only one General Grant will be approved per organization per year, and only one proposal can be submitted per organization per grant cycle.

Strategic Partnership Grants
Through the Strategic Partnership Grants program, Cameron is able to engage in proactive work that it believes will help to maximize the impact of its investments and address critical community needs.

Strategic Partnership Grants may result from:

  • Direct Collaboration – Cameron may engage one or more organizations to jointly develop an innovative project or address a specific community need. These efforts should be guided by community health assessment data, social drivers of health (e.g., health, education, economic development), and Cameron’s strategic priorities.
  • Targeted Requests for Proposals (RFPs) – Cameron may develop and distribute RFPs to a select group of organizations to solicit proposals that address a defined community need.
  • Expert Convenings – Cameron may bring together local organizations with expertise in specific fields to brainstorm and develop innovative solutions to community challenges.
  • Collaborative Funding Initiatives – Cameron may support projects that strengthen impact by partnering with other funders to explore and jointly support initiatives of mutual interest.
  • Anchor Organization Partnerships – Cameron may fund prioritized partnerships with established institutions that have a long-term presence in the community and have the capacity to sustain innovation and impact. Anchor organizations—such as universities, hospitals, government agencies, cultural institutions, large nonprofits, and schools—play a crucial role in economic, social and cultural development. These organizations leverage their resources, influence and networks to drive meaningful community change and address systemic challenges.

When deciding whether to approve a Strategic Partnership Grant, several key considerations are made:

  • Alignment with Cameron’s Strategic Priorities, as reflected in the Foundation’s 2025-2027 Strategic Plan.
  • Data-Driven Decision Making – Community assessment data, social drivers of health, and Cameron’s strategic priorities should inform the evaluation process for all proactive grants.
  • Organizational Capacity – A thorough assessment should be conducted to ensure the applicant organization has the capacity to sustain the initiative over multiple years.
  • Evaluation & Metrics – A clear evaluation plan with defined metrics is essential. The Foundation is open to providing additional financial support for evaluation efforts.
  • Long-Term Investment – These grants require sustained investment of time and capital, with sustainability integrated into the planning process.
  • Scalability & Replication – The potential to expand or replicate the initiative in other localities within the Foundation’s service area should be considered.
  • Funding Structure – Strategic Partnership Grants are eligible for sustained funding for 3–5 years. After this period, the organization may be required to sit out for one year before entering the responsive grantmaking cycle.

Factors to include in the design of a Strategic Partnership Grant include:

  • Budget and fiscal sustainability
  • Focus areas – The initiative must address community health data needs, social drivers of health core areas – including health, education and workforce – and/or Cameron’s other stated strategic priorities.
  • Consistent reporting – All proactive grants awarded will provide outcomes and other required updates to The Cameron Foundation’s Board annually on the anniversary of the grant award.

Elements of a Good Proposal

  1. All required information is included.
  2. The organization has demonstrated its capacity and/or experience to implement the proposed project.
  3. The project is consistent with the mission of the applicant.
  4. The organization has at least one board member who lives and/or works in the Foundation’s service area or the organization’s governing body includes a local advisory council.
  5. The problem or need to be addressed is clearly defined and documented, the constituency to be served is identified, and the manner in which the proposed project will address the need is clearly defined.
  6. The proposed project is consistent with the mission of the Foundation.
  7. The anticipated short-term and long-term results of the project are clear and realistic.
  8. A realistic timetable for implementation is provided.
  9. A complete, detailed budget for the project is provided, and any other sources of funding for the project have been identified.
  10. If the project is to extend beyond the grant period, a plan for sustaining the project has been developed.

This general guidance also is taken into consideration by the Board of Directors of the Foundation. It may be modified by the Board of Directors in any manner and at any time at the sole and absolute discretion of the Board of Directors.