BLACKSBURG, Va. (WFXR) – The Community Foundation of the New River Valley (CFNRV) is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
The non-profit foundation started in 1994 and works with families, individuals, and businesses to meet their charitable interests in the community. They award grants and scholarships to students who want to attend college for a degree.
The foundation started when volunteers came together to make an impact on the New River Valley. In 1997, the foundation awarded $3,000 in grants and gave out the first scholarship in 2002 of $500.
Since then, the foundation has continued to expand its vision in the NRV.
As of today, the CFNRV manages $18 million in almost 230 funds and has awarded grants and scholarships of more than $8.8 million.
The CDNRV works with hundreds of partners in the New River Valley to address childhood education and food access, which are the most pressing issues in the region.
“We are so proud of what we have accomplished in 30 years at the Community Foundation. Each grantee, student, and partner that we support and work with plays a role in making the New River Valley the vibrant place that it is,” said Pat Hyer, the CFNRV’s board president. “We strive to continually understand our community’s needs and priorities so that we can continue to reach even more people in our region.”
The CFNRV also hosts the region’s annual GiveLocalNRV Giving Day, which gives back to the community for more than 100 nonprofits. This event has raised more than $4.3 million for local nonprofits since 2014.
“We are incredibly grateful to CFNRV because the consistent financial support over many years has allowed us to stay focused on providing quality services to families and children in the New River Valley,” said Andi Golusky, the executive director of NRV CARES, a longtime CFNRV grantee and Giving Day participant. “The strong leadership of the CFNRV has helped to promote our small agency to many areas of the community we would not otherwise have the ability to reach.”
The Higher Impact Fund was created by the CFNRV’s Board of Directors to support the priorities of the CFNRV to grow over the next 30 years. The Secular Society, a private NRV philanthropy, will also give $100,000 to the Higher Impact Fund.
For more information or to donate, visit cfnrv.org/30th.