The Amazon Rappahannock Region Community Fund

The Amazon Rappahannock Region Community Fund is a competitive grant opportunity administered through The Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region. The Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that manages and distributes charitable giving in the region and has served as an advocate for regional vitality and well-being for more than 25 years. The Amazon Rappahannock Region Community Fund will provide a total of $350,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations serving Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline, Culpeper, and Louisa Counties in Virginia. The fund is intended to support projects that respond to community needs within one or more of six identified focus areas. Eligible proposals may address STEM Education, Sustainability and Environment, Community Development, Digital Skills, Cultural Heritage Preservation, or Health and Wellbeing. Supported STEM activities can include hands-on learning, teacher training, technology access, classroom programs, after-school programs, and career exploration. Sustainability and environment projects may address conservation, renewable energy, environmental education, sustainable practices, natural resource protection, eco-friendly innovation, and community education. Community development activities can include affordable housing, workforce development, infrastructure, economic growth, community engagement, education, and community improvement. Digital skills projects may provide technology, coding, digital literacy, workforce technology skills, workshops, education programs, or online learning platforms. Cultural heritage projects may preserve landmarks, historical sites, traditions, artifacts, archives, and cultural education. Health and wellbeing projects may address disease prevention, access to care, mental health services, health education, and community wellness. Applicants must follow The Community Foundation's overall grant guidelines in addition to the fund-specific geographic and program requirements. Eligible applicants are registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. An organization or project that does not independently meet the 501(c)(3) requirement may be considered when applying through a registered 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor and providing a letter of support from the qualified fiscal sponsor. Applicants must be current with state and federal reporting requirements and may not have past-due reports for previous Community Foundation grants. For this fund, organizations must serve Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline, Culpeper, or Louisa County. The Foundation emphasizes opportunity for underserved residents and neighborhoods, innovation and creativity, collaboration, inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility, financial and programmatic capacity, measurable impact, and leadership. The Community Foundation does not fund individuals, discriminatory requests, regranting, fundraising campaigns or events, advancement of capital or endowment campaigns, political doctrine, political campaigns or lobbying, religious activities or projects exclusively serving religious or sectarian purposes, debt payments or legal settlements, retroactive funding or reimbursement for completed projects, programs, or equipment, or national and statewide organizations unable to demonstrate a strong local presence. Religious organizations may be considered when they provide non-religious community services. Approved recipients must spend grant funds as specified in the application, return unused grant funds, publicly acknowledge support from The Community Foundation through the applicable fund, and complete required narrative and financial reporting. Community Foundation grants are generally for periods of ten months to one year. Applications are submitted through The Community Foundation's online grants system. Additional information may be requested after an application is reviewed. The Foundation conducts comprehensive due diligence, and its competitive grantmaking process includes application, grant evaluation, funding decision notification, grant agreement, award payment, a check-in call, and a final report. The Donor Services Committee conducts grant reviews, while final funding decisions involve the Donor Services Committee, Board of Governors, and staff. Grant recipients may receive a virtual site visit or check-in call during the funding period and should be prepared to discuss progress toward the goals and outcomes identified in their applications. Final reports are submitted through the online grants platform within 30 days after the end of the grant term and address program impact, results against proposed outcomes, and lessons learned. The application for the Amazon Rappahannock Region Community Fund opened August 17, 2026, and closes September 21, 2026, at 5:00 pm, after which the Foundation will review eligibility and alignment. During the week of November 2, 2026, the Foundation committee is scheduled to finalize recommendations and Amazon will review the list. Awardees are expected to be notified during the week of November 23, 2026, with funding agreements and payments processed at that time. A celebration event in collaboration with Amazon is planned for January 2027, with details to be determined. Award payments are made electronically by ACH, and funded nonprofits must provide banking information to the Foundation's Finance Officer. No recurring annual or other repeating application schedule is stated in the provided materials. Organizations seeking support in designing a proposal that makes effective use of available grant funds are encouraged to contact Casey Hu, Director of Donor Services, at casey.hu@cfrrr.org or 540-373-9292 x123. The Foundation's general contact information is info@cfrrr.org and 540-373-9292. Applicants should ensure that their proposed work clearly fits at least one of the fund's stated focus areas, serves the specified five-county geography, complies with the Foundation's eligibility and funding restrictions, and demonstrates the qualities emphasized in the grant guidelines.

Align the proposal with one or more stated focus areas and clearly serve Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline, Culpeper, or Louisa County. Demonstrate opportunity for underserved residents and neighborhoods, innovation and creativity, collaboration, inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility, financial and programmatic capacity, measurable impact, and leadership. Avoid requests involving prohibited uses, and ensure all prior Community Foundation grant reports and required state and federal reporting are current.