Community Endowment Fund
This permanent fund helps finance projects of greatest benefit to Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Grants are awarded annually in November.
2023 Valley Program for Aging Services ($11,273) – Meals on Wheels
2022 First Step ($4,976.50) – Safe Shelter for Survivors of Domestic Violence and their Children
2022 Blue Ridge CASA ($4,976.50) – Mental Health Services Advocacy for Abused and Neglected Children
2021 Plains Area DayCare ($6,383) – Infant and Toddler Playground/Outdoor Classroom
2021 Village to Village ($2,000) – Welcome Home Refugee Project
2020 First Step ($2,000) – Help and Hope for Victims of Domestic Violence
2020 Mercy House ($5,282) – SAFE – At Home
2019 Blue Ridge CASA ($6,801) – Advocacy for Mental Health Services for Abused, Neglected, and Court-Involved Children in HR
2018 Girls on the Run ($6,482.07) – Economic Diversity – Striving to Reach All Girls
2018 Blue Ridge Legal Services ($6,127) – Low-Income Older Adults Facing Critical Legal Needs
2017 Salvation Army ($5,644) – Homeless Shelter
2016 Northeast Neighborhood Association ($5,122) – Community Garden
2015 CASA for Children ($4,200) – services for Harrisonburg & Rockingham
2014 First Step ($3,200) – Security & Safety System
2013 Harrisonburg-Rockingham Free Clinic ($2,500) – Financial Sustainability
2012 Blue Ridge Area Food Bank ($2,000) – Fresh Foods to the Valley Initiative Project
2011 Way to Go ($1,665)
2010 JMU Nonprofit Institute ($1,400) – Nonprofit Institute scholarships
2008 People Helping People ($1,300)
2007 Harrisonburg First Church of the Nazarene ($750)
2007 Rockingham Memorial Hospital ($750)
Alvin V. Baird, Jr. Program Endowment Fund
This permanent fund benefits nonprofit organizations serving the unmet healthcare needs in the Harrisonburg and Rockingham County community, through a community grant application process.
2023 Blue Ridge Free Clinic ($34,592) – A Free Clinic Bridge to Health
2023 Cross Keys Equine Therapy ($10,000) – Parent/Grandparent Caregiver Trauma Group
2022 Strength in Peers ($20,000) – Community Resource and Recovery Center Expansion into the Old Free Clinic
2022 Blue Ridge Free Clinic ($15,080) – Accessible and Wholistic Healthcare
2022 Adagio House ($8,657) – Compassion Fund & Pilot Neurodiverse LGBTQ+ Support Group
2021 Adagio House ($8,775) – Mental/Behavioral Health Reduced Fee Sessions
2021 Family Life Resource Center ($10,000) – Scholarship Fund for Mental/Behavioral Health Clients with Financial Need
2021 JMU Suitcase Clinic ($13,800) – The Suitcase Clinic
2021 Kingsway Prison and Family Outreach ($10,000) – Kingsway Dental Care Project 2022 – basic dental services for inmates reentering society
Hildred Neff Memorial Fund
This permanent fund helps finance projects that benefit agencies providing for the needs of both domestic and wild animals. Recipients are selected through a community grant application process.
2023 Anicira ($5,727.25) – Operation Free Pet Healthcare
2023 Cat’s Cradle ($5,737.25) – Pet Retention for Low-Income & Other Vulnerable Populations
2023 Wildlife Center of Virginia ($11,474.50) – Treatment of Sick, Injured & Orphaned Wildlife from HR
2022 Wildlife Center of Virginia ($11,411.50) – Treatment of Sick, Injured & Orphaned Wildlife from HR
2022 Anicira Veterinary Center ($4,411.50) – Operation Free Pet Healthcare
2022 Cat’s Cradle ($7,000) – Pet Retention for Low Income & Vulnerable Population
2021 Anicira Veterinary Center ($7,000) – Operation Free Pet Healthcare
2021 Camp Still Meadows ($2,000) – Animal Care & Feed
2021 Cat’s Cradle ($7,000) – Pet Retention for Low Income & Vulnerable Population
2021 Wildlife Center of Virginia ($5,944) – Treatment of Sick, Injured & Orphaned Wildlife from HR
2020 Anicira Veterinary Center ($4,000) – Improving Access to Veterinary Care
2020 Camp Still Meadows ($2,500) – Animal Care
2020 Cat’s Cradle ($4,000) – Pet Retention for Low Income/Vulnerable Population
2020 Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA ($2,090) – Spay-Neuter Expenses for Felines
2020 Valley Rescue Allies ($4,000) – Pet Retention and Rehoming
2019 Anicira Veterinary Center ($3,525) – Alleviating Animal Suffering through Access to Veterinary Care
2019 Cat’s Cradle ($3,525) – Pet Retention for Low Income/Vulnerable Population
2019 Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA ($7,167) – Increase Adoption Readiness
2019 Valley Rescue Allies ($3,525) – Pet Retention and Rehoming
2019 Wildlife Center of Virginia ($1,000) – Treatment of Sick, Injured, and Orphaned Wildlife from HR
2018 Anicira Veterinary Center ($4,000) – Keeping Pets and Their Families Together project
2018 Cat’s Cradle of the Shenandoah Valley ($4,000) – Pet Retention for Low Income/Vulnerable Population project
2018 Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA ($3,045) – Spay/Neuter Project
2018 Valley Rescue Allies ($4,000) – Pet Retention and Rehoming project
2017 Wildlife Center of Virginia ($10,000) – Treatment of Sick, Injured & Orphaned Wildlife from HR project
2016 Anicira Veterinary Center ($2,824) – Targeted Community Cat Project
2016 Cat’s Cradle ($5,000) – Pet Retention for Low income & Vulnerable populations project
2016 Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA ($1,693) – Enhancement of Cat/kitten Adoptable Area project
2015 Anicira Veterinary Center ($3,535) – Vet Services for Pets in Need project
2015 Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA ($3,077) – Save More Felines project
2014 Cat’s Cradle – Pet Retention Project – Medical Asst. awards
Sean Warner Memorial Endowment Fund
This permanent fund provides program and project funds to organizations offering emotional support services to children of divorced parents, through a community grant application process.
2022 Family Life Resource Center ($1,020) – Scholarship Fund for Children of Divorced Families
2020 Family Life Resource Center ($463) – Scholarship Fund for Children of Divorced Families
2019 Family Life Resource Center ($449) – Scholarship Program for Children of Divorced Families
2018 Family Life Resource Center ($450) – Scholarship Fund
2015 Center for Marriage and Family Counseling ($400) – Counseling for children of divorced families
2014 Cross Keys Equine Therapy ($400) – Programs for children of divorced families
2013 Cross Keys Equine Therapy ($400) – Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy for children of divorced families
2012 Center for Marriage and Family Counseling ($500) – Emotional Support for Children of Divorced parents
Janet Sohn Endowed Fund
This permanent fund provides funds to one organization annually that participates in the ‘Giving Back’ grant application process, and was supported by Janet during her lifetime. Eligible organizations are Big Brothers Big Sisters – Harrisonburg, East Gate Ministries, Habitat for Humanity – Bridgewater, Sentara RMH Foundation, and Salvation Army – Harrisonburg.
2023 The Salvation Army ($12,955) – The Salvation Army Emergency Shelter
2022 Central Valley Habitat for Humanity ($12,995) – Rub a Dub Dub – Sinks, Commodes, and Tubs
2021 Central Valley Habitat for Humanity ($12,660) – Living in Place – Critical Home Repair
2020 Salvation Army ($12,174) – The Salvation Army Family Services & Emergency Shelter
2019 Central Valley Habitat for Humanity ($12,097) – Cook’n in the Kitchen project & other needs
Valley Arts & Culture Fund
This permanent fund provides program, project and seed funds to small and medium sized nonprofit organizations promoting performing and visual arts and interpreting the culture and traditions of and in the Shenandoah Valley, through the ‘Giving Back’ grant application process.
2023 Oasis Fine Art & Craft ($1500) – Beyond Restaurant Mural
2023 Rockingham Ballet Theatre ($875) – Costume Storage Improvement
2022 OASIS Fine Art & Craft ($1,908) – Second Home Project
2021 Northeast Neighborhood Association ($1,373) – Growing Public Programming & Online Access to the Historic Dallard-Newman House
2020 Virginia Quilt Museum ($860) – Technology Update for the World of COVID
2019 Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Festival ($674) – Honoring African American Burial Grounds
2019 Shenandoah Valley Bach Fesitval ($678) – The Creation – Bringing Musical Excellence to Harrisonburg
2018 Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society ($659) – Harrisonburg History Exhibition in Downtown project
2017 Explore More Discovery Museum ($637) – Community Maker Space (a workshop studio)
2016 Virginia Quilt Museum ($624) – Exhibit Construction
2015 Northeast Neighborhood Association ($600) – Newtown Cemetary preservation
2014 Explore More Discovery Museum ($500) – Family Scholarship Fund
2013 Heritage Museum ($500) – Collections Storage Renovation
2012 Virginia Quilt Museum ($500) – Threads of Life Project
2011 Valley Brethren Mennonite Heritage Center ($476) – Burkholder-Myers House Preservation
2010 Arts Council of the Valley ($250) – KidFlix at Court Square Theater
2010 Rockingham Educational Foundation, Inc. ($250) – Gallery Opening for student art work
2009 Explore More Discovery Museum ($443.74) – Standing Loom and Tapestry Table
2008 Virginia Quilt Museum ($500) – Quilts & Quaker Heritage Exhibit
2007 Blue Ridge Theater Festival
2006 Citizens for Downtown
2005 HR Convention of Visitors Bureau
2004 First Night Harrisonburg
2003 JMU School of Art & Art History
Mary Spitzer Etter Endowed Fund
This permanent fund helps finance projects that benefit the Arts in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Recipients are selected through the ‘Giving Back’ grant application process.
2023 Arts Council of the Valley ($4,799) – Development of New Arts Council of the Valley Website
2022 Arts Council of the Valley ($4,799) – Court Square Theater 2023 Summer Youth Camps
2021 Arts Council of the Valley ($2,359) – Court Square Theater Exterior Lighting Repair/Replacement
2021 Oasis Fine Art & Craft ($2,000) – Second Home Art Projects
2020 Arts Council of the Valley ($2,256.50) – COVID-19 Artist Fund Grants
2020 Oasis Fine Art & Craft ($2,256.50) – Art on Wheels
2019 Arts Council of the Valley ($4,519)
Earlynn J. Miller Fund for the Arts
The purpose of this fund is to provide funding for the benefit of community arts in the Shenandoah Valley of VA. Recipients are selected through a community grant application process.
2023 Arts Council of the Valley ($20,980) – ACT ONE
2023 Harrisonburg Dance Cooperative ($17,814) – Sprung Subfloor
2023 OASIS Fine Art & Craft ($4,885) – Wild and Wonderful – Animals “Captured” in Paint!
2023 Virginia Quilt Museum ($16,905) – Creating a multi-purpose space for hands-on learning and programs
2022 Arts Council of the Valley ($15,000) – Opening Doors – The Art of Inclusion
2022 Harrisonburg Dance Cooperative ($40,000) – Dance Performance and Gathering Space
