Dear Friends,

The GLCF is fast approaching its 50^th anniversary of serving the community.  The foundation was formed as the Greater Lynchburg Community Trust in 1972 by four local banks and has grown beyond what I imagine could have been anticipated at that time, and I’m confident the founders would be pleased with where we are today.

SHARE Greater Lynchburg was born out of a COVID-19 Coordinating Committee organized in April 2020 by Ron Feinman to help our local community find solutions for weathering the economic and health impacts of COVID-19.  SHARE Greater Lynchburg is the result of a group of dedicated leaders bringing this solution to the Greater Lynchburg region and working together to raise funds from corporations and foundations to make it a reality. It puts local residents directly in touch with their favorite local nonprofits, as well as introducing them to nonprofits they didn't know existed. Their website serves as a database of over 100 different nonprofit organizations throughout Central Virginia.

Dear Friends,

The warmer weather today has my hopes rising for a new and different spring coming soon.  At the same time, I mourn for the families of those lost to the pandemic and to the vacuum left by the passing of so many valuable lives.

2021 is here and we are so thankful that you are here to celebrate with us. 2020 brought on many challenges, and while it may have caused quite a bit of devastation, it also showed us a glimmer of hope. We were happy to see so many of you join in and help your neighbors this past year. From the COVID Relief Fund to the Change for Change Parking Meters, you all showed our community how much you care and how much we can do when we come together.

This year has presented so many challenges for our community. But with every challenge, it has been beautiful to see everyone come together and help each other during such a difficult time. We have been amazed by the support for our COVID-19 Relief fund with the Central Virginia United Way and the support for our Change for Change Parking Meters. Your efforts to give and support your neighbors speaks volumes to who we are as a community and what we can do when we work together!

Dear Friends,

During these strange times, many of us have had to adapt to the necessities of staying healthy, being responsible to others for their well-being, and finding ways to continue our missions.  The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation has found itself in a unique position to work on some creative ways to enhance the quality of life of our citizens.

The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation has the privilege of helping support the activities of many local nonprofits. This month's Non-Profit Highlight is dedicated to Park View Community Mission.

Guidelines

The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation and United Way of Central Virginia COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund was established to support human service nonprofit organizations that are successfully responding through community-based programs to the needs of individuals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences. The first round of grants were awarded in May to 20 nonprofit organizations for amounts up to $2,000 to primarily address emergency needs such as food, shelter, health, safety, and childcare.

We are now in the process of releasing a second round of funding. With the uncertainty of how long this pandemic will last and how the community will continue to be affected, we are looking to fund projects that provide the greatest impact during the Fall and Winter of 2020. We will be funding fewer projects but the target will be $5,000. Depending on the application, a project may be funded at a higher level.