Make life better in Hampton Roads through civic leadership, philanthropy, and grantmaking.
Focus Areas
Cultural vitality / arts educationEconomic stability / housing and workforce readinessEducational success (K-12 and transitions to college/career)Environmental stewardshipHealth and wellness (including mental health)Vibrant places / nonprofit facilitiesScholarships/college financial aidAnimal welfareVeterans servicesSupport for people with developmental disabilities
Who They Fund
families and childrenstudents/scholars (scholarship recipients)
About Hampton Roads Community Foundation
A defining pattern at Hampton Roads Community Foundation is its large, repeated support for education, culture, and community infrastructure in Norfolk and the wider Hampton Roads region. In the recent grant list, major awards to the University of Virginia Law School Foundation, Norfolk Botanical Garden Inc, Old Dominion University Museum Foundation, and Access College Foundation show a portfolio that reaches from higher education and scholarships to museums, gardens, and other place-based institutions. The foundation also backs essential community needs through grants to Emergency Assistance Foundation Inc, United Way of South Hampton Roads, and Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters Inc. Its work is not limited to one issue area: the grant record includes education, environment, culture, disaster relief, human services, and facilities. That breadth aligns with its community-foundation structure and with active programs that support health and wellness, economic stability, cultural vitality, environmental stewardship, and capital projects. The scale is substantial as well, with annual grants of $76,443,514 and total assets above half a billion dollars, indicating a funder that operates across many parts of civic life while still concentrating most giving in Virginia.
What Hampton Roads Community Foundation Funds
Education is a major theme. The foundation gave $1,172,957 to Eastern Virginia Medical School Foundation for education and $644,183 and $606,443 to Old Dominion University Educational Foundation in separate years, showing sustained support for postsecondary institutions in Norfolk. Cultural and arts-related giving is also prominent: Virginia Opera received $854,732 for culture, and the Chrysler Museum of Art received $839,313 for culture. Environmental stewardship appears in grants such as $853,370 to Elizabeth River Project for environment, alongside support for Norfolk Botanical Garden Inc. Human services and disaster response are part of the mix too. The foundation gave $750,595 to United Way of South Hampton Roads for human services and $1,100,000 to Emergency Assistance Foundation Inc for disaster relief, indicating a portfolio that includes both local service delivery and emergency support.
How Hampton Roads Community Foundation Gives
Typical grants cluster in the middle range, with a 25th percentile of $11,200, a median of $27,784, and a 75th percentile of $81,132. The recent list also shows a small number of very large institutional awards alongside many smaller competitive and special-interest grants. Recipients recur across years: Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters Inc, Old Dominion University Educational Foundation, Emergency Assistance Foundation Inc, and Virginia Symphony Orchestra all appear more than once. The foundation is a mixed community foundation, not a private family foundation, and its active programs include both competitive grants and giving-circle-funded programs. Several programs accept unsolicited applications, while the Community Leadership Partners giving-circle grant does not.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$33.3M
Total Assets
$577.2M
Total Revenue
$22.9M
Total Expenses
$41.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $11K and $81K, with a median of $28K.
25th Percentile
$11K
Median
$28K
75th Percentile
$81K
Geographic Reach
Local30 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
RICHARD MATTHEWS
Accepts unsolicited proposals
Deep Analysis
Unlock Deep Analysis
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
direct service / program fundingemergency / disaster relief fundingscholarship supportmulti-issue / diversified portfolio
Topics
environmental conservation and stewardshipdisaster relief and emergency responsehuman/social services (basic needs & wraparound supports)animal welfare and shelter/rescuescholarship and educational supportcivic engagement and philanthropy strengtheningmental health services and supportsfamily and child welfare
Where Hampton Roads Community Foundation Makes Grants
Giving is heavily centered in Virginia, where 84% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Norfolk is the clearest hub in the recent grants list, with awards to Norfolk Botanical Garden Inc, Old Dominion University Museum Foundation, Virginia Opera, Chrysler Museum of Art, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and others. Charlottesville, Dallas, Easton, Princeton, Atlanta, San Antonio, and Notre Dame also appear among recipients. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 883 grants going to U.S. organizations.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hampton Roads Community Foundation
What kinds of organizations does Hampton Roads Community Foundation fund?
Its recent grant list includes universities, museums, health and human services organizations, disaster-relief intermediaries, and capital-project recipients. Examples include University of Virginia Law School Foundation, Norfolk Botanical Garden Inc, Emergency Assistance Foundation Inc, and Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters Inc.
How large are typical grants?
The grant-size distribution centers on a $27,784 median, with a 25th percentile of $11,200 and a 75th percentile of $81,132. The recent list also includes larger awards in the hundreds of thousands and above $1 million.
Does the foundation fund organizations outside Virginia?
Most grants go to Virginia recipients, but the recent record also includes organizations in Texas, Maryland, New Jersey, Indiana, and Georgia. The grant list is entirely U.S.-based, with 883 grants to U.S. organizations.
Can organizations apply for grants?
Several active programs accept unsolicited applications, including Community Grants – Health and Wellness, Community Grants – Cultural Vitality, Community Grants – Environmental Stewardship, Community Grants, Community Grants — Economic Stability, Planning Grants, Special Interest Grants, and The Nightingale Fund. The Community Leadership Partners giving-circle grant does not accept unsolicited applications.
Current and upcoming funding from Hampton Roads Community Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Open nowCloses Apr 1, 2027
Community Grants – Children and Youth
Kindergarten readinessLiteracy and academic successTutoring and after-school programs+2 more
Who can apply: Applicants must generally be 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity organizations serving residents of South Hampton Roads and must provide recent independently audited financial statements or a recently filed full Form 990 or 990EZ. Individuals, ongoing operating support, fundraising events, and other excluded activities are generally ineligible.
Deadline: April 1, 2027; decisions are shared in June.
Who can apply: Eligible applicants are generally 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving South Hampton Roads and must provide required financial statements.
Special Interest Grants – Abuse Survivors (Sue Cook Winfrey Fund)
Domestic violenceAbuse survivor servicesResidential services for children
Who can apply: 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charities serving residents of South Hampton Roads are generally eligible and must provide required financial statements.
Special Interest Grants – Mental Health Research (Brown Funds)
Mental health research
Who can apply: Eligible applicants are generally 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving South Hampton Roads and must provide required financial statements.
Who can apply: The Harry F. Wall fund helps high schools on the Virginia Peninsula; the Chappell fund supports arts and humanities activities on the Virginia Peninsula. Applicants must meet applicable nonprofit or school requirements.
Who can apply: Preference is given to nonprofit organizations in Hampton Roads. Hampton Roads public and independent schools may apply. Religious organizations must use pianos for public performances.
Deadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.