June 29, 2015

Cameron awards over $1.9 million in June cycle

The Cameron Foundation’s Board of Directors has approved $1,926,009 in new grant funding to nonprofit organizations serving the Tri-Cities area. The funding decisions were made at the group’s June meeting and resulted from a rigorous review process that took place during the first part of the year by Cameron Foundation staff.

Among the larger awards, the $275,000 grant for Virginia’s Gateway Region represents renewal funding for efforts to expand and enhance economic opportunities in the Tri-Cities area. Cumulatively, the Foundation’s support for Virginia’s Gateway Region exceeds $2.3 million. The Cameron Foundation’s Board Chair Larry C. Tucker commented on the significance of the organization to the community, explaining, “Virginia’s Gateway Region continues to play a critical role in enhancing business opportunities for the region. The organization reports that last year alone, 1,505 new jobs were established and the region saw $190 million in capital investment. Its core programs – which range from attracting and keeping business in the area, to development of small businesses, to global outreach – all contribute to a healthier economy in our part of Virginia.” The economic development organization’s other core programs address areas such as workforce vibrancy and commercial revitalization.

Tucker also noted the $100,000 award to Communities In Schools of Virginia. The grant provides renewal support for a site coordinator at Peabody Middle School that was first funded by The Cameron Foundation last year through a $50,000 grant. With additional funding this time, Communities In Schools will add a second coordinator, to be placed in another Petersburg school. With affiliates across the country, Communities In Schools is known for its best-practice model of integrated student services and has been found to be effective by an independent assessment to decrease dropout rates, increase graduation rates, and improve proficiency rates in math and reading. “We are pleased to support the addition of these resources into the Petersburg school system,” Tucker said.

The $347,000 grant to Central Virginia Health Services allows patients at the Appomattox Area Health and Wellness Center to have access to primary care that includes both dental and behavioral health services. The health center serves Petersburg and the surrounding localities and cares for patients that are typically below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. “We understand that behavioral health services are needed to help address complex issues that can adversely impact a patient’s ability to manage overall health,” explained Cleveland A. Wright, Grants Committee Chair. “Having both behavioral health and medical care located together in one facility can result in better management of patient care,” he added. As an example of how the integrated care is designed at the Appomattox Area Health and Wellness Center, all patients over the age of 12 are initially screened for depression and are referred for treatment as needed. To date, The Cameron Foundation’s grant support to Central Virginia Health Services totals nearly $4.8 million.

The full list of June awards includes:

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond – $60,000
Central Virginia Health Services – $347,000
Chesterfield CASA, Inc. – $20,000
Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Alliance for Social Ministry (CCHASM) – $25,000
ChildSavers of Richmond/Memorial Child Guidance Clinic – $40,000
Communities In Schools of Virginia – $100,000
Dinwiddie County Division of Planning & Community Development – $30,000
Downtown Churches United, Inc. – $56,000
Ellen Shaw de Paredes Breast Cancer Foundation – $21,839
Equal Justice America – $8,000
Family Lifeline – $50,000
GReat Aspirations Scholarship Programs, Inc. (GRASP) – $10,000
Hopewell Food Pantry – $35,000
Hopewell-Prince George Healthy Families – $39,485
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Virginia – $100,000
Meadowview Biological Research Station – $35,000
National Alliance on Mental Illness of Central Virginia (NAMI-CVA) – $19,395
Petersburg Area Regional Tourism Corporation (PART) – $25,000
Petersburg Health Department – $192,000
Petersburg Public Library – $70,000
project:HOMES – $25,000
Smart Beginnings Hopewell-Prince George-Crater – $50,000
Southside Health Education Foundation – $51,000
St. Joseph’s Villa – $67,000
Sussex County Department of Social Services – $40,000
Sussex County Public Schools – $50,000
Tabb Street Presbyterian Church – $19,290
Virginia’s Gateway Region – $275,000
YMCA of Greater Richmond – $65,000

President J. Todd Graham discussed the ways that the Foundation is making strategic investments to address a variety of community needs. “As we give more attention to measuring the outcomes of our work, we are considering quality of life indicators across several categories: healthy residents, a vital economy, educational excellence, vibrant communities, cultural richness, and dynamic nonprofits,” Graham said. “We believe that targeting our resources to achieve these six outcomes will improve the quality of life in this region. We consider these outcomes when making decisions to fund economic development organizations like Virginia’s Gateway Region, health service providers such as the Appomattox Area Health and Wellness Center, and wraparound service providers for children in schools through Communities In Schools. These and the many other organizations we fund are contributing to a larger community impact in the Tri-Cities area.”

ABOUT THE CAMERON FOUNDATION

The Cameron Foundation is a private foundation that supports the work of nonprofits and partner agencies to transform the Tri-Cities and surrounding counties into a healthy, vibrant, and economically vital region by strategically leveraging resources for community impact. 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. Its service area encompasses the region historically served by the hospital and 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. Since it began grantmaking in 2004, the Foundation has awarded $71 million to organizations serving the residents of the Tri-Cities and surrounding counties.