CFNRV's 2023 End of Year Campaign

6. Brainstormed solutions to barriers in food access work

Thrive is a network of organizations addressing food security and food access issues. These organizations include farms, food banks and pantries, and community gardens. This fall, at our annual in-person meeting, we discussed how Thrive can address some of the barriers organizations are facing, including increased need from clients, lack of funding, and inconsistency or a decrease in either volunteers and donations (or both.) By harnessing the power of this network, we plan to work together to address some of these barriers in 2024. Learn more about Thrive's work.

7. Awarded $230,225 in responsive grants to 69 nonprofits

Our Responsive Grant Program provided up to $4,000 in operating support to agencies serving the NRV via a competitive process. By keeping these grant dollars flexible, nonprofits can use the funds where they are most needed at the time vs. creating a lot of restrictions for the nonprofit to adhere to. This year, of the 96 applications we received, we were able to fully fund 45 and partially fund 24, awarding $230,225 – the most ever for this program. Check out more photos from this event on Facebook.

8. Launched $1.15 million program to strengthen Blacksburg’s childcare workforce

Last year, the Town of Blacksburg awarded $1.15 million in ARPA funding to First Steps to pilot a four-year program to help stabilize the childcare workforce in Blacksburg. In 2023, we hired Margaret Hurst to manage the program, who worked with centers to identify their top priorities and needs. In October, we gave out our first round of funding to 10 centers, totaling $173,400. The funding will be used for teacher incentives including raising hourly wages, paying for professional development activities, and recruitment. Learn more about how this grant started.

9. Built connections with Healthy Roots NRV

First Steps and Thrive, described above, are just two examples of the many collaborations with which the CFNRV is involved. To strengthen connections and nurture more collaboration, we hosted the Healthy Roots NRV (HRNRV) kick-off and celebration this fall. HRNRV is an umbrella entity that brings networks like First Steps and Thrive together to share information, coordinate activities, and collaborate on shared priorities that affect health and well-being such as transportation and housing. More than 50 attendees learned about collaborative projects in our region and identified ways to work together as part of this effort. Learn more about Healthy Roots. Learn more about Healthy Roots

10. Worked with donors to create seven new funds

This year, we had the pleasure to work with donors to create seven new funds. These include: 

• Two scholarship funds (the Raymond M. and Edith H. Ingram Scholarship Fund and the Morrow-Stevens Foundation Endowment),
• Four agency funds that each benefit a specific nonprofit (respectively, Blacksburg Community Band, the CFNRV, the Lyric Theatre, and Spikenard Honeybee Farm and Sanctuary), and
• One field of interest fund focused on environmental conservation and sustainability (the Peer Segelke Memorial Fund.)

Of note, the Morrow-Stevens scholarship will fully fund one student’s 4-year college education – the first fund at the CFNRV that will do so. Read more about four of these funds in this story.