The mission of the Suffolk Foundation is to benefit the people of Suffolk and Western Tidewater by facilitating and developing philanthropy, and by awarding grants and scholarships to meet community needs.
Suffolk Foundation’s scholarship work is a defining part of its grantmaking: it administers multiple scholarship programs for students pursuing college or trade school, with annual scholarship distribution of more than $100,000 and awards ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. Beyond education, the foundation supports local nonprofits serving Suffolk and Western Tidewater through community impact, women’s and children’s grants, and responsive funds tied to human needs, arts, health, and environmental stewardship. In the recent grants list, that local approach shows up in awards to Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts Foundation and Suffolk Education Foundation, two organizations embedded in the community it serves. The foundation also backs direct-service organizations such as Western Tidewater Free Clinic and Salvation Army, alongside grants for youth and family support through organizations including Forkids and Roc Solid Foundation. The mission statement emphasizes philanthropy, grants, and scholarships to meet community needs in Suffolk and Western Tidewater, and the active programs reflect that through both competitive grantmaking and administered scholarship funds. Its giving pattern suggests a community foundation that combines donor-advised administration with named programs and local responsive support. The latest 990 year on file is 2025, and its annual grants given total $2,151,420.
Education is one of Suffolk Foundation’s clearest funding areas. Through its scholarship programs, it supports graduating high school seniors and continuing students, including those headed to college or trade school. Awards use a common application for most scholarships, and the program covers a range of donor-specific criteria and fields of study. Community health and basic needs also appear in the recent grants list. The foundation gave $48,700 to Western Tidewater Free Clinic and $48,000 to Salvation Army, showing support for health access and emergency assistance. Arts and culture are another visible priority. Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts Foundation received $64,705 in 2025, and Rawls Museum Arts Inc received $21,017 in 2025. Environmental stewardship appears as well, with a $26,500 grant to Nansemond River Preservation Alliance for local conservation work.
$1.1M
$22.2M
$6M
$2.1M
Most grants fall between $8K and $24K, with a median of $11K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$11K
75th Percentile
$24K
O KERMIT HOBBS JR
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Typical awards cluster around a modest community-grant size: the 25th percentile is $8,000, the median is $10,500, and the 75th percentile is $23,700. The grant list also shows a mix of one-time and recurring support, with several organizations appearing in multiple years, including Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts Foundation, Roc Solid Foundation, Townebank Foundation, and Nansemond River Preservation Alliance. Suffolk Foundation operates as a regular funder and also administers scholarship programs, including a common application for many awards. Scholarship grants are accepted through that shared process.
Giving is highly local. Ninety-three percent of grants go to recipients in Virginia, and the recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based. Suffolk appears repeatedly in the grant list, along with Franklin, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Courtland, and surrounding Western Tidewater localities. Named grants also reach nearby communities such as Raleigh, North Carolina, and Nashville, Tennessee, but the center of gravity remains Suffolk and adjacent Virginia cities and counties.
The foundation supports education and scholarships, community health, human services, arts and culture, environmental and animal welfare, youth programs, senior programs, and women and children’s initiatives. Its active programs also include Community Impact Grants, the Women’s Impact Fund, scholarships, and managed grants through the Community Action Coalition of Virginia fund.
It administers multiple scholarship programs for students pursuing college or trade school. Most scholarships use a common application, and the awards range from $1,000 to $10,000. The scholarship program includes both graduating high school seniors and continuing students.
Typical grant sizes cluster around $8,000 at the 25th percentile, $10,500 at the median, and $23,700 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also includes a separate $25,000 Bradshaw Benevolence Grant and larger program-related awards tied to named funds.
Its giving is concentrated in Virginia: 93% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and Virginia is also the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities include Suffolk, Franklin, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Courtland.
Yes. The Community Action Coalition of Virginia-managed Community Impact process accepts unsolicited applications, and the Scholarships, Women’s Impact Fund Grants, Community Impact Grants, and Bradshaw Benevolence Grant are also marked as accepting unsolicited applications.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Suffolk Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Nonprofits providing direct assistance for basic needs; full eligibility details were not included in the scraped content.
Deadline: Letter of inquiry due November 19, 2026; interview January 22, 2027; award February 2, 2027.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NANSEMOND SUFFOLK ACADEMY | SUFFOLK, VA | $81,100 | 2026 | — |
| SALVATION ARMY | NORFOLK, VA | $79,525 | 2026 | — |
| WESTERN TIDEWATER FREE CLINIC | SUFFOLK, VA | $64,500 | 2026 | — |
| FORKIDS | CHESAPEAKE, VA | $57,215 | 2026 | — |
| SUFFOLK CENTER FOR CULTURAL ARTS | SUFFOLK, VA | $56,000 | 2026 | — |
| NORFOLK COLLEGIATE | NORFOLK, VA | $50,000 | 2026 | — |
| SUFFOLK CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP CENTER | SUFFOLK, VA | $42,025 | 2026 | — |
| ROC SOLID FOUNDATION | CHESAPEAKE, VA | $41,050 | 2026 | — |
| TOWNEBANK FOUNDATION | SUFFOLK, VA | $34,000 | 2026 | — |
| COALITION AGAINST POVERTY IN | SUFFOLK, VA | $31,500 | 2026 | — |
| MACEDONIA BAPTIST CHURCH | SUFFOLK, VA | $30,000 | 2026 | — |
| CHILD EVANGELISM FELLOWSHIP OF SC | GREENVILLE, SC | $28,750 | 2026 | — |
| BERNIE'S BOOK BANK | LAKE BLUFF, IL | $28,750 | 2026 | — |
| YMCA OF SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS | SUFFOLK, VA | $28,133 | 2026 | — |
| NANSEMOND RIVER PRESERVATION | SUFFOLK, VA | $25,700 | 2026 | — |
| ROTARY CLUB OF SALISBURY FOUNDATION | SALISBURY, MD | $25,000 | 2026 | — |
| HAMPDEN-SYDNEY COLLEGE | HAMPDENSYDNEY, VA | $25,000 | 2026 | — |
| RAWLS MUSEUM ARTS INC | COURTLAND, VA | $22,897 | 2026 | — |
| ACCESS COLLEGE FOUNDATION | NORFOLK, VA | $20,000 | 2026 | — |
| ARLINGTON YOUTH SPORTS | ARLINGTON, NE | $20,000 | 2026 | — |
| EBENEZER UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | SUFFOLK, VA | $20,000 | 2026 | — |
| BIRDSONG HEALTH LITERACY CENTER OF | NORFOLK, VA | $17,000 | 2026 | — |
| SUFFOLK ART LEAGUE | SUFFOLK, VA | $15,375 | 2026 | — |
| VIRGINIA LEGAL AID SOCIETY | LYNCHBURG, VA | $15,000 | 2026 | — |
| GREEN ACRES PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | PORTSMOUTH, VA | $15,000 | 2026 | — |
| FOODBANK OF SOUTHEASTERN | NORFOLK, VA | $13,800 | 2026 | — |
| ODU ATHLETICS FOUNDATION | NORFOLK, VA | $13,000 | 2026 | — |
| MEALS ON WHEELS OF SUFFOLK AND | SUFFOLK, VA | $12,000 | 2026 | — |
| ST LUKE'S HISTORIC CHURCH & | SMITHFIELD, VA | $11,500 | 2026 | — |
| SUFFOLK HUMANE SOCIETY | SUFFOLK, VA | $11,100 | 2026 | — |
| UNITED WAY OF SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS | SUFFOLK, VA | $10,500 | 2026 | — |
| CHESAPEAKE BAY WINE CLASSIC | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA | $10,000 | 2026 | — |
| DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH RESCUE | WINDSOR, VA | $10,000 | 2026 | — |
| ST MICHAELS CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE | ST MICHAELS, MD | $10,000 | 2026 | — |
| HURRAH PLAYERS | NORFOLK, VA | $10,000 | 2026 | — |
| PENINSULA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | HAMPTON, VA | $10,000 | 2026 | — |
| SENTARA FOUNDATION | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA | $10,000 | 2026 | — |
| SUFFOLK RIVER HERITAGE | SUFFOLK, VA | $10,000 | 2026 | — |
| ISLE OF WIGHT CHRISTIAN OUTREACH | SMITHFIELD, VA | $9,100 | 2026 | — |
| ST PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH | SUFFOLK, VA | $9,000 | 2026 | — |
| DELTA RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL | WASHINGTON, DC | $8,000 | 2026 | — |
| CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF THE KING'S | NORFOLK, VA | $8,000 | 2026 | — |
| EVELYN'S WILDLIFE REFUGE | SUFFOLK, VA | $7,500 | 2026 | — |
| GIRLS ON THE RUN HAMPTON ROADS | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA | $7,150 | 2026 | — |
| EDMARC | PORTSMOUTH, VA | $7,000 | 2026 | — |
| SUFFOLK CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | SUFFOLK, VA | $6,750 | 2026 | — |
| FRIENDS OF THE ANIMALS - GREATER | CHESAPEAKE, VA | $6,500 | 2026 | — |
| SUFFOLK SHERIFF'S OFFICE CHARITIES | SUFFOLK, VA | $6,500 | 2026 | — |
| COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF | PORTSMOUTH, VA | $6,400 | 2026 | — |
| GENIEVE SHELTER | SUFFOLK, VA | $6,000 | 2026 | — |
NANSEMOND SUFFOLK ACADEMY
$81,100SALVATION ARMY
$79,525SUFFOLK CENTER FOR CULTURAL ARTS
$56,000SUFFOLK CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP CENTER
$42,025TOWNEBANK FOUNDATION
$34,000COALITION AGAINST POVERTY IN
$31,500MACEDONIA BAPTIST CHURCH
$30,000CHILD EVANGELISM FELLOWSHIP OF SC
$28,750NANSEMOND RIVER PRESERVATION
$25,700ROTARY CLUB OF SALISBURY FOUNDATION
$25,000HAMPDEN-SYDNEY COLLEGE
$25,000RAWLS MUSEUM ARTS INC
$22,897ARLINGTON YOUTH SPORTS
$20,000EBENEZER UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$20,000BIRDSONG HEALTH LITERACY CENTER OF
$17,000SUFFOLK ART LEAGUE
$15,375GREEN ACRES PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
$15,000FOODBANK OF SOUTHEASTERN
$13,800ODU ATHLETICS FOUNDATION
$13,000MEALS ON WHEELS OF SUFFOLK AND
$12,000ST LUKE'S HISTORIC CHURCH &
$11,500SUFFOLK HUMANE SOCIETY
$11,100CHESAPEAKE BAY WINE CLASSIC
$10,000DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH RESCUE
$10,000ST MICHAELS CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE
$10,000PENINSULA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$10,000SUFFOLK RIVER HERITAGE
$10,000ISLE OF WIGHT CHRISTIAN OUTREACH
$9,100ST PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
$9,000EVELYN'S WILDLIFE REFUGE
$7,500SUFFOLK CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
$6,750FRIENDS OF THE ANIMALS - GREATER
$6,500SUFFOLK SHERIFF'S OFFICE CHARITIES
$6,500GENIEVE SHELTER
$6,000