October 11, 2010
Cameron Foundation completes six years of giving to the community with awards of nearly $1 million in its October grant cycle
In its October meeting, The Cameron Foundation’s board approved $967,869 in new grants for 16 nonprofit organizations serving 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. This is the Foundation’s third and final competitive cycle for 2010 and brings its total giving to $3,864,420 this year. For its other grant programs, Technical Assistance and Basic Human Needs Emergency Grants, the Foundation will continue to review requests on a rolling basis. Since its first cycle in October 2004, the Foundation has awarded more than $50 million to benefit residents of its service area.
Board Chair Ann C. Taylor noted the importance of staying adaptable to the community’s needs, underscoring the priority that the Foundation places on capacity-building. “We are investing in local nonprofits to be able to deliver more, and better, services,” she explained. “And, as we move forward, we will continue to seek ways to refine our work, to reinvent, and to create new initiatives in that deep, unwavering pledge that we make to this community to contribute to the quality of life.”
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 in April 2003. Its board includes several other representatives from across Southside Virginia, including Larry C. Tucker, vice chair; Betty W. Thweatt, secretary; James L. Thacker, Jr., treasurer; Cleveland A. Wright, immediate past chair and current grants committee chair; Dr. Gurpal S. Bhuller; Pamela Martin Comstock; Donald L. Haraway; and Kevin A. Hill. Additionally, the grants committee engages two community members, Linda L. Coleman and Dr. Marion H. Wilkins.
Grants Committee Chair Wright reflected on this year’s grantmaking by saying, “As larger economic forces have shaped our work in the past, they continue to have an impact on our work this year.” Reinforcing Taylor’s point, he added, “Most of all, we see how important it is to stay attentive to the needs of our grantees so that we’re working together to best address the priorities for our community as a whole.”
The October grantees include:
Appomattox Regional Library System – $250,000
Crater Community Hospice – $24,000
CultureWorks – $25,000
Dinwiddie County Department of Comprehensive Services – $93,400
Dinwiddie County Department of Social Services – $14,214
Equal Justice America, Inc. – $8,000
Gateway Homes, Inc. – $35,000
Hopewell City Public Schools – $50,000
The James House Intervention/Prevention Services, Inc. – $45,000
Legal Aid Justice Center – $108,000
Saint Paul’s College – $20,600
The Salvation Army, Petersburg Corps – $42,500
Serenity – $62,655
Southside Virginia Emergency Crew – $120,000
Swift Creek Mill Theatre – $19,500
Sycamore Rouge – $50,000
The award to Appomattox Regional Library System, the largest funding commitment this cycle, supports continued operating expenses for Southside Community Partners. Handy L. Lindsey, Jr., president, explains, “This group offers essential resources that specifically serve nonprofit organizations, including the Nonprofit Resource Center, ConnectSouthside, and the Learning & Leadership program to promote professional development. These efforts strategically align with what we do here at The Cameron Foundation. We are pleased to continue working alongside this and our other partners so that the local nonprofit sector remains viable.”