Community Grants for Educational Success

Community Grants for Educational Success

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Hampton Roads Community Foundation
Last Updated: February 20, 2026

Summary

The Community Grants for Educational Success aim to enhance educational achievement for underperforming children and youth in South Hampton Roads. By supporting innovative programs, the grant focuses on preparing students for kindergarten, preventing dropouts, and facilitating transitions to higher education. The initiative emphasizes the importance of education in fostering economic development and personal prosperity, aiming for measurable outcomes like improved graduation rates and increased enrollment in post-secondary education.

Overview

Why it matters: We believe that preparing our children and youth for the future is paramount to our mission. Educational success of a region’s people is a core element of a thriving and resilient region. An educated citizenry is fundamental to strong economic development and personal prosperity. Reaching developmental academic and socio-emotional milestones is critical to a child’s early success. Lack of kindergarten readiness crosses all socio-economic levels; however, children living in poverty often have multiple barriers that inhibit their educational success. Students who graduate from high school on time and successfully transition to college and complete a degree or career-based certification have a great likelihood of living healthier and more financially stable lives. Community Grants for Educational Success strive to improve educational achievement of under-performing children and youth from our region. They encourage growth through opportunities for all students to excel in their educational pursuits and meet the region's current and future workforce demands. We support innovative programs that improve academic achievement of our region’s public school students in the following areas: Projects that prepare children, academically and/or socio-emotionally, to succeed in kindergarten.Programs that prevent middle and high school students from dropping out of school.After-school time projects that have been proven successful at increasing the likelihood of students earning advanced or standard diplomas within four years of entering high school.Programs that help students successfully transition from high school into collegiate education or career-based certificate programs after graduation. Desired Outcomes: Grant proposals should address one or more of the following outcomes: Young children meet age-appropriate developmental milestonesChildren succeed in kindergarten and are promoted to first gradeThe number of quality-rated center-based or home-based pre-school facilities increasesPublic school students succeed academically and are promoted to the next grade on timeThe drop-out rate for public school students decreasesPublic school students graduate from high school on-timePublic high school graduates enroll in collegiate education or career-based certificates after graduation

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. The Hampton Roads Community Foundation welcomes grant applications from 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving residents of South Hampton Roads, including those in:ChesapeakeEastern Shore of Virginia (Accomack and Northampton counties)Grants to Eastern Shore nonprofits are awarded in partnership with our affiliated Eastern Shore of Virginia Community Foundation.FranklinIsle of Wight CountyNorfolkPortsmouthSuffolkVirginia Beach

Ineligibility

Grants are generally NOT available for:Organizations without tax-exemption under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue CodeIndividualsFundraising events (such as tickets, raffles, auctions or tournaments), annual fundraising appeals or agency celebrationsOngoing operating supportCapital projects and facilities and equipment upgrades that can be considered routine maintenance or replacementsHouses of worship unless applying for the Nightingale Fund for Faith Community Nursing or the E.K. Sloane Fund for pianosReligious activities (organizations and activities that require religious participation by those receiving services)Political or fraternal organizationsEndowment buildingExisting obligations, debts or liabilities or costs that an agency has already incurredScholarly researchScholarships, camper fees, fellowships or travelPassenger vans for transporting youthNational or international organizations or purposesHospitals and similar health-care facilities unless applying for a Special Interest GrantProjects or services normally considered the responsibility of governmentPrivate primary or secondary schools, daycare facilities or academies other than those whose primary purpose is for students with special needsCapital campaign requests exceeding 5% of a campaign valued at $1 million or more