Planning Grants

Planning Grants from the Hampton Roads Community Foundation are available for coalitions of nonprofit organizations and other appropriate agencies.

These grants provide funding to explore and plan for the launch of a collaborative project to solve an identified community issue. Grant funding of up to $25,000 is available for one year for activities over and above the organizations’ daily operational activities. Activities may include staff oversight, staff planning time, site visits to review models and best practices, and facilitators.

Participation in a planning grant does not guarantee implementation funding. Grant applications will be evaluated on both the strength of the request and the potential of the proposed project to solve a need in the community/region when fully implemented.

Planning Grant Letters of Intent can be submitted at any time and are for targeted areas identified by the community foundation. The two 2024 Planning Grant Areas of focus will be:

  • Collaborative organizational restructuring and mergers
  • Issues related to serving those with mental/behavioral health issues

To apply for funding please follow these steps:

  • Coalitions interested in applying for a Planning Grant must identify a fiscal agent that will be the applying organization.
  • A Letter of Intent must be submitted through the community foundation’s online grant application system. The Letter of Intent should include the coalition participants, the community issue to be resolved, and a brief explanation of why this issue is of paramount importance.
  • If the Letter of Intent is approved, the coalition’s fiscal agent will be asked to complete the Planning Grant application in the Foundation’s online grant application system.