GRANTS

The Suffolk Foundation’s Community Impact Grants Program supports qualifying nonprofit, charitable organizations that work to benefit the communities of Suffolk and Western Tidewater in Virginia. This includes the City of Suffolk, the City of Franklin, Southampton County, Isle of Wight County, and all municipalities therein. We fund a broad range of local projects, including (but not limited to) health, education, arts and culture, historical programs, human needs and services, environmental and animal welfare, and youth and senior programs. As a community-based foundation, we focus on local organizations making a tangible difference for people in our community. 

ELIGIBILITY

Nonprofit, public charities that are tax-exempt under 501(c)(3) are eligible to apply for a grant. The proposed project or program must be located in, and serve residents of, Suffolk and/or Western Tidewater (Suffolk, Franklin, Southampton County, Isle of Wight County, and all municipalities therein).

Grants may be awarded in a wide range of categories, including:

  • Human Needs
  • Artistic, Historical, and Cultural Programs
  • Education
  • Environmental and/or Animal Welfare
  • Health

We aim to build capacity in Suffolk and Western Tidewater; thus, we give priority to organizations with a strong, local presence in our service area, and leadership from Suffolk and Western Tidewater. We may sometimes also partner with larger organizations, in which case we prefer to fund direct project costs (as opposed to administrative or operating costs) for programs located in and serving our community.

 

Community Impact Grants are not generally available for:

  1. Non-tax-exempt organizations
  2. Individuals
  3. Debt reduction
  4. Research
  5. Event sponsorships
  6. Religious purposes (we do, however, support faith-based organizations for projects that contain no religious programming and serve the broader community–i.e., open to anyone, regardless of religion)
  7. Annual fund drives
  8. National or international purposes
  9. Government agencies
  10. Projects, programs, and facilities located outside of our service area
  11. Organizations that would re-grant Suffolk Foundation funding to other organizations
  12. Grants that would result in a direct, private benefit for a for-profit business, board member of the grantee, or another non-charitable entity, other than the intended charitable beneficiary

Responsibilities of the Grantee

  • Upon notification of the grant award, grant recipients are required to sign and return a grant agreement in order to receive payment.
  • Grantees are strongly encouraged to make public announcements about the project and the grant, and to acknowledge the Suffolk Foundation as grantmaker in all communications concerning the project. We ask grantees to send us copies of such communications for our records.
  • We ask grantees to provide one or more photographs to us to illustrate the impact of the grant, to be used in our Annual Report and other publications.

Timeline

Our grant application is open in the fall of each year, with awards announced in mid to late December for funding for the following calendar year. Final grant reports are due by January 15* on the year following funding.

Grant Application Opens: September 1
Grant Application Deadline: October 15
Grant Decisions Announced: Mid to Late December
Grant Agreements Mailed: Mid to Late December
Grant Payments Made: Immediately upon the Foundation’s receipt of signed grant agreement
Grant Award Period: January 1 – December 31
Final Grant Report Due: January 15* 

*The January final report is only required if the grantee does not apply for another grant the following fall, as our application form now includes questions for past grantees about grant results. A January report may also be required if the project is not concluded by the October 15 application deadline, or if grant funds are not expended by October 15. Grantees should contact the Suffolk Foundation staff with any questions about reporting requirements.

 

How to Apply

Our online application opens on September 1 of each year. The deadline to apply is October 15. But don’t wait until September or October to give us a call.

If your organization did not receive a Community Impact Grant last year, or if you are planning a significant increase or change from your Community Impact Grant application from last year, we particularly want to hear from you. This will allow us to learn more about your organization and determine your eligibility for a grant. Call or email our staff at 757-923-9090 or LMorrow@suffolkfoundation.org. 

Before you begin an application, we may ask your organization to send us your most recent financial statements (i.e., your balance sheet, your revenue and expense statement, and your budget), as well as your list of board members.

In addition to the potential community impact of a grant, here are some of the things we look for in an organization when we’re evaluating new grant partnerships:

  • A volunteer board of directors that reflects broad community support (i.e., six or more directors who are not related to each other and not related to paid staff)
  • For regional organizations, a strong presence in Suffolk and/or Western Tidewater, including board representation from our community
  • Current financial statements that demonstrate the organization’s ability to steward grant monies
  • Organizations that have a track record of successful programs, or strong leadership with depth of pertinent experience
  • Organizations that follow best practices in governance and fiscal management
  • Letters of reference from community partners, particularly if the grant would bring programs to a school or library system

 

Other Grant Opportunities

Community Action Coalition of Virginia Fund: The Suffolk Foundation is now managing grants for the Community Action Coalition of Virginia (CACOV). Even if your organization does not meet the above eligibility criteria for a Community Impact Grant, your organization may still be eligible for a grant from CACOV, especially if your organization is a past CACOV grantee. Nonprofits can apply for a CACOV grant by completing the Community Impact Grant Application Form. If your organization received grants from both CACOV and the Suffolk Foundation in the past, you can complete this one application form once and be considered by both groups. If you have any questions, call our staff at 757-923-9090.

Coach Ron Killmon PRLPT Fund: The Suffolk Foundation has a new grants program through the Coach Ron Killmon PRLPT Fund, supporting nonprofit organizations and projects that serve disadvantaged children and youth, and that emphasize values such as character, work ethic, and discipline. Grants from the Killmon Fund are available to organizations serving Suffolk, Western Tidewater, Norfolk, and Virginia’s Eastern Shore (Accomack and Northampton Counties). There is not a separate application, process, or timeline for Killmon Grants; simply apply using our Community Impact Grant Application Form, following the timeline above. The Killmon Fund has $1,666 to award in 2025. Organizations and projects that meet the criteria for the Suffolk Foundation’s other grants may also be eligible for matching funds.

Women’s Impact Fund: The Women’s Impact Fund of the Suffolk Foundation awards annual grants to positively impact at-risk women and children in Suffolk and Western Tidewater. The Women’s Impact Fund has a separate grant application, timeline, process, and criteria. In 2025, the Women’s Impact Fund application will open on June 1, with an application deadline of August 1 at 5:00 pm. Click here for more information about Women’s Impact Fund Grants.

Emergency Needs: If your nonprofit has an urgent need that cannot wait for our regular grants timeline (i.e., funding in December), please contact us.

To discuss your proposal or learn more about our grants program, contact us:
757-923-9090 or office@suffolkfoundation.org.

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