Competitive Grants
The Community Foundation of the Northern Shenandoah Valley currently helps to administer the following competitive Grant Programs.
This year CFNSV is combining five competitive grants into one grant process named “2026 CFNSV Competitive Grants.” Just one application needs to be submitted to be considered for funding from all five of the participating funds. The funds included are the Cochran Family Youth Fund, the Paul and Martha Rees Fund, the Boxley-Fox Endowment Fund, the Community Future Fund, and Chain of Checks. To apply for the grants, click this link: https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=cfnsv to create or log into your account.
For the 2026 CFNSV Competitive Grants, we are accepting submissions from 04/6/2026 to 05/8/2025 at 5:00 PM.
BOXLEY-FOX ENDOWMENT FUND
Legacy Society members Robert and Genevieve Fox Boxley of Winchester generously established this fund to support cultural life in the region, promote preservation of history in the Valley, and encourage preservation of the environmental quality and natural beauty of the region. This fund supports a wide range of artistic endeavors from theater to architecture and sculpture to music, as well the acquisition of historic land and other real properties, furniture, papers and art for preservation and public display.
About the Donors
Bob and his wife Genevieve Fox Boxley were early supporters of CFNSV, establishing the Boxley-Fox Endowment Fund in 2005. The Boxley-Fox Fund awarded more than $15,000 in grants beginning in 2014 including a 2019 grant requested prior to Bob’s passing in December 2018.
Grant Size, Payment, Final Reporting
Boxley- Fox Endowment grants generally range from $1,000 to $3,000. Grants will be awarded at our Community Philanthropy Day Luncheon in October. A final report, including a summary of your grant expenses, must be provided to the Community Foundation by the report deadline in order to be eligible to receive future grants.
Charities Eligible to Apply
Nonprofit organizations with dedicated programs that benefit citizens in the City of Winchester as well as Frederick, Clarke and Warren Counties are eligible to apply. No grants to individuals will be made.
Grant-Making Priorities
The Community Foundation encourages proposals that support cultural life in the region, promote preservation of history in the Valley, and encourage preservation of the environmental quality and natural beauty of the region. This fund supports a wide range of artistic endeavors from theater to architecture and sculpture to music, as well the acquisition of historic land and other real properties, furniture, papers and art for preservation and public display.
Previous Recipients
In 2025, four organizations received a total of $8,000 from this fund.
| Organization Name | Project Name | Amount |
| Barns of Rose Hill | Emergin Artist Month | $2,000 |
| Shenandoah Arts Council | Arts Programming, Education and Exhibitions | $3,000 |
| Shenandoah University | The Retreat & the Era of Slavery: A Guided Tour | $1,400 |
| Winchester Little Theater | Handicapped Accessibility for Theater Patrons | $1,600 |
| 2025 Boxley-Fox Endowment Fund Total | $8,000 |
Chain of Checks
Chain of Checks was established in 1986 by Barry Lee when he asked the listeners of his morning radio show to send Christmas cards as decorations for the studio and to include $1 for CCAP. The idea has grown bigger with each passing year, and a variety of nonprofits have benefited. The total amount given out to date is over $2 million. Chain of Checks grants are now administered by the Community Foundation of the Northern Shenandoah Valley.
Charities Eligible to Apply
Nonprofit organizations serving the City of Winchester, Clarke, Frederick and/or Warren Counties are eligible to apply. No grants to individuals will be made.
Grant-Making Priorities
The Community Foundation encourages submissions from nonprofit organizations whose projects focus on the following areas: physical health, mental health, and the basic human needs of food and shelter.
Grant Size, Payment, Final Reporting
There is not an established grant value for Chain of Checks. We anticipate providing several grants in the $3,000 – $5,000 range.
Grant recipients will be announced at the Community Philanthrophy Day in October, although the checks will not be awarded until January when the Chain of Checks Campaign fundraising activities are completed.
Previous Recipients
In 2025, eight organizations received a total of $40,000 in grants from this fund.
| Organization Name | Project Name | Amount |
| Concern Hotline, Inc. | Concern Hotline’s Telephony, Training and general operating budget | $8,000 |
| Love to NIC LLC | Free Monthly Meals – One Per Month | $8,000 |
| Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging | Home-Delivered Meals and Checking | $8,000 |
| Sinclair Health Clinic | Medical Equipment Upgrades | $8,000 |
| Blue Ridge Housing Network | Rental Assistance | $2,000 |
| Families Reaching Out Group | Froggy’s Closet | $2,000 |
| Highland Food Pantry | Special Delivery | $2,000 |
| NW Works | BUILDING CAPACITY FOR ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES | $2,000 |
| 2025 Chain of Checks Campaign Fund total | $40,000 |
Cochran Family Youth Fund
The purpose of the grant is to improve the quality of life for children and the communities in which they live by providing financial assistance for educational, athletic, academic, social, civic and community-based activities that involve or support children.
About the Donors
This fund was established by the generosity of Douglas E. Cochran in honor of:
- His father, John C. Cochran, Sr., co-owner of the B and C Bakery Company,
- His mother, Clarise Cochran,
- His brother John C. Cochran, Jr., Navy Fighter pilot in World War II, and
- His brother, Donald M. Cochran, retired controller of Farmer’s and Merchant’s Bank.
The elder Cochrans and their three sons, John Jr., Donald, and Doug lived across the street from Handley High School in the mid-1900s and were active in a number of youth groups as well as church and civic organizations in our community
Grant Size, Payment, Final Reporting
Grants generally range from $1,000 to $3,000. Grants will be awarded and applicants will be notified in late September or October. A final report, including a summary of your grant expenses, must be provided to the Community Foundation by the report deadline in order to be eligible to receive future grants.
Charities Eligible to Apply
Nonprofit organizations with dedicated programs that benefit citizens in the City of Winchester as well as Frederick, Clarke and Warren Counties are eligible to apply. No grants to individuals will be made.
Grant-Making Priorities
Priority will be given to well-established nonprofit groups or organizations with a history of success in youth welfare. Funding for specific projects or programs is encouraged.
Previous Recipients
In 2025, eight organizations received a total of $15,000 in grants from this fund.
| Organization Name | Project Name | Amount |
| AbbaCare Inc. | Childbirth and Parenting Education Program | $2,000 |
| Arte Libre VA | ALVA Healing Arts Workshops | $1,000 |
| ChildSafe Center – CAC | “To Go” Kits and Technology for Therapy Services | $2,500 |
| Congregational Community Action Project of Winchester (CCAP) | Diapers and wipes for Children | $3,000 |
| Girls on the Run of the Shenandoah Valley | 2025-2026 Kids Clubs of the Northern Shenandoah Scholarship | $2,000 |
| Reaching Out Now | Mindful Futures | $1,500 |
| Samuels Public Library | Children’s Winter Reading Club | $1,000 |
| Special Love | BRASS Camp Weekend 2026 (BRothers And SiSters) | $2,000 |
| 2025 Cochran Family Youth Fund Total | $15,000 |
COMMUNITY FUTURE FUND
The Community Future Fund (originally named the Safety Net Fund) was established in 2010 by Byron Brill to support nonprofit organizations in the Northern Shenandoah Valley during difficult financial times. In 2022 the Fund gave its first grants to area nonprofits. Grants are administered by the Community Foundation of the Northern Shenandoah Valley.
Charities Eligible to Apply
Nonprofit organizations serving the City of Winchester, Clarke, Frederick and/or Warren Counties are eligible to apply. No grants to individuals will be made.
Grant-Making Priorities
Priority will be given to nonprofit groups or organizations to maintain or offer a project designed to improve the quality of life for the community in which they live.
Grant Size, Payment, Final Reporting
Grants generally range from $1,000 to $3,000. Grants will be awarded at our Community Philanthropy Day Luncheon in early October. A final report, including a summary of your grant expenses, must be provided to the Community Foundation by the report deadline to be eligible to receive future grants.
Previous Recipients
In 2025, Thirteen organizations received a total of $25,000 in grants from this fund.
| Organization Name | Project Name | Amount |
| Blue Ridge Housing Network | Rental Assistance | $2,500 |
| Blue Ridge Legal Services, Inc. | Free civil legal assistance to low-income residents of the Northern Shenandoah Valley | $1,000 |
| Blue Ridge Wildlife Center | Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Professional Training Program | $1,000 |
| Cars Changing Lives | Driving Change: Empowering Lives Through Reliable Transportation | $2,500 |
| Families Reaching Out Group | Froggy’s Closet | $2,500 |
| Museum of the Shenandoah Valley | Sensory Kit Program at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley | $1,500 |
| Our Health, Inc. | Our Health Kendall Community Campus Wayfinding Digital Directory | $2,500 |
| Phoenix Project | Housing Help for Survivors | $2,500 |
| Samuels Public Library | Children’s Winter Reading Club | $1,000 |
| SPCA of Winchester, Frederick, and Clarke | Pets for Life 2.0 | $1,000 |
| The Laurel Center Intervention for Domestic and Sexual Violence | Outreach Program Support | $2,500 |
| The McShin Foundation | Judicial Housing Recovery Program | $2,000 |
| Winchester Area Temporary Transitional Shelter (WATTS) | WATTS Cot Replacement Program | $2,500 |
| 2025 Community Future Fund total | $25,000 |
PAUL AND MARTHA REES FUND
The Paul and Martha Rees Fund is an unrestricted fund which allows the board of directors of the Community Foundation of the Northern Shenandoah Valley to respond to the most compelling needs and opportunities in our community. The board will consider grants to charitable organizations providing the following or similar services in the City of Winchester as well as Frederick, Clarke and Warren Counties. Grants from this fund are designed to improve the quality of life for the community in which they live; and generally fall within the following categories: education, fine arts, social services, community development, recreation, natural resources, and health and wellness.
About the Donors
The Paul and Martha Reese Fund was established in 2014 by BB&T in the memory of Paul and Martha Rees to offer grants to charitable and nonprofit organizations for the benefit of the people of the Northern Shenandoah Valley.
Grant Size, Payment, Final Reporting
Grants generally range from $1,000 to $3,000. Grants will be awarded and applicants will be notified in late September or October. A final report, including a summary of your grant expenses, must be provided to the Community Foundation by the report deadline in order to be eligible to receive future grants.
Charities Eligible to Apply
Nonprofit organizations with dedicated programs that benefit citizens in the City of Winchester as well as Frederick, Clarke and Warren Counties are eligible to apply. No grants to individuals will be made.
Grant-Making Priorities
The Community Foundation encourages proposals that:
• Represent an unduplicated opportunity and meet a significant community need
• Propose a specific program rather than general operating support for the organization (Grant monies are not allowed to be used for administration work/fees)
• Encourage a more efficient use of community resources
• Promote coordination, cooperation and sharing among organizations
• Propose to generate matching funds, thus leveraging additional support
Previous Recipients
In 2025, eleven organizations received a total of $25,000 in grants from this fund.
| Organization Name | Project Name | Amount |
| Access Independence | Tim Knight Fund | $2,000 |
| American Red Cross of the Greater Shenandoah Valley | Blood Saves Lives: Communities Coming Together | $3,000 |
| BRAWS | Supplying Menstrual Supplies and Undergarments to Residents of Winchester City and Frederick County | $2,500 |
| Foundation for Rehabilitation Equipment & Endowment | F.R.E.E. Foundation of Northern Shenandoah Valley | $3,000 |
| Front Royal-Warren County C-CAP | Meals on Wheels | $2,000 |
| Highland Food Pantry, Inc | HEALTHY HABITS/HEALTHY FAMILIES INITIATIVE | $3,000 |
| NW Works | BUILDING CAPACITY FOR ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES | $3,000 |
| St. Luke Community Clinic | St. Luke Dental Clinic | $2,000 |
| The Godfrey Miller Home, Incorporated | Godfrey Miller Center Wellness Program | $1,500 |
| Wheels for Wellness | Wheels for Wellness | $1,500 |
| You’re Not Alone Ministry | You’re Not Alone Ministry | $1,500 |
| 2025 Paul and Martha Rees Fund Total | $25,000 |