Special Interest Grants
Special Interest Grants support nonprofits, schools, and houses of worship with funding for charitable services, research, education, and cultural activities to improve lives in Hampton Roads.
Funder: Hampton Roads Community Foundation
Due Dates: October 1, 2027 (Most Special Interest Grants) | Rolling (Nightingale Fund)
Funding Amounts: Fund-specific awards up to $75,000; Nightingale awards up to $500 for one year of supplies
Summary: Donor-established funds support charitable services, mental health research, education, animal welfare, and cultural activities in Hampton Roads.
Key Information: Generally for 501(c)(3) public charities serving South Hampton Roads, with fund-specific geographic and applicant exceptions.
Description
Hampton Roads Community Foundation’s Special Interest Grants support specific charitable concerns through donor-established endowments. Each fund follows its donors’ interests, supporting work that ranges from domestic violence services and animal welfare to disability services, veterans’ assistance, horticultural education, and mental health research. Most opportunities focus on nonprofits serving South Hampton Roads, while designated funds support high schools and arts and humanities activities on the Virginia Peninsula.
The portfolio also includes the E.K. Sloane Piano Fund, which supports piano purchases or repairs primarily for public performance, and the Nightingale Fund, which helps houses of worship provide handmade greeting cards to nursing-home residents and housebound individuals needing a caring connection.
