ES Community Foundation announces Fall 2025 Community Grants

The Eastern Shore of Virginia Community Foundation (ESVCF) has announced its Fall 2025 Community Grant awards, providing critical support to
local nonprofits working to improve the quality of life across Accomack and Northampton counties.

his fall marks the first full cycle of the Foundation’s new Fall Small Grants Program, designed to provide seed funding for innovative new projects and capacity-building support for small nonprofits. The Fall program complements the Foundation’s long-standing Spring Capital and Program Grants, creating two annual opportunities for local organizations to apply for support.

“The Fall Grants Program allows us to respond more nimbly to emerging community needs and to strengthen smaller organizations that are doing vital work with limited resources,” said Monika Bridgforth, Executive Director of ESVCF. “Every one of these grants represents the generosity of people who care deeply about our Eastern Shore community.”

This year, ESVCF received 11 applications with total requests far exceeding available funds. The Foundation’s Board of Directors carefully reviewed each proposal using newly adopted evaluation criteria intended to make the process more transparent and objective. A total of $69,000 in Fall 2025 Community Grants was awarded to the following organizations:

Fall 2025 Community Grant Recipients

● Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia: Financial & Housing Counseling Program (Eastern Shore expansion) – $10,000
● Cape Charles Main Street / SailFest: Tall Ships for US 250th Anniversary – $5,000
● Cape Charles Rosenwald School Restoration Initiative/The Impact Center: Inaugural Year Program of Events – $6,000
● Eastern Shore Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ESCADV): Coordinated Community Response – $6,000
● Eastern Shore Literacy Council: Imagination Library Books and Shipping – $7,000
● Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore: Purchase Food for Eastern Shore Distribution – $10,000
● Go and Grow Eastern Shore: Family Engagement Program – $7,000
● YMCA of the Chesapeake: Health Programs for Older Adults (David Landsberger Family Y) – $10,000

● YMCA of South Hampton Roads: Open Doors Program Subsidies (Northampton County Y) – $8,000

In addition to the Fall Community Grants, the ESVCF Board awarded $20,000 to the following organizations from its new Field of Interest Fund.

Field of Interest Fund Awards
Two additional grants were made through the Foundation’s new Field of Interest Fund, which was established this year to address the exploitation of children and to support individuals impacted by child labor:
● Eastern Shore Community College Foundation – Assistance, Scholarships, and Pathways – $10,000
● Eastern Shore Rural Health System – Health Bridge Program – $10,000

Field of interest funds allow donors to support a specific area of interest, like the environment or education, while providing flexibility for the fund to meet changing community needs within that area.

Investing in Community, Now and for the Future

All ESVCF Community Grants are made possible by unrestricted endowment funds established by visionary donors and by the many annual gifts, large and small, from community members who care about the future of Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

Since its founding in 2004, the Eastern Shore of Virginia Community Foundation has worked to inspire philanthropy and enrich lives by connecting people who care with causes that matter, both today and for generations to come.

For more information about the Foundation’s grant programs or to make a contribution to support future community grants, visit www.esvcf.org.