Community Voice Fund

The Foundation is pleased to announce the Community Voice Fund as a vehicle to encourage partners to convene residents and stakeholders of the Jefferson service area and include their existing energy, knowledge, passion, and lived experience for immediate and long-term ideas and action plans that will increase health and well-being

The Foundation’s 10th anniversary provides an opportunity for a renewed focus on engaging community members on strategies for increasing overall health and well-being. Although the Foundation has consistently partnered with non-profit organizations to offer resources for unmet needs, this opportunity illuminates the importance and necessity for residents to have a voice in the creation of strategies and planning that impact their communities. During a recent Collaborative meeting, the Foundation learned through survey responses that while all the nonprofit partners are highly invested in serving our neighbors, only 39% of respondents live within the Jefferson service area. Further, Collaborative members acknowledged and expressed a need for casting a wider net when convening for the purpose of community service planning.

The passion, pride, drive, resilience, and ingenuity of residents within the Jefferson service area, often who are under-resourced and over-burdened, cannot be understated.  Faced with the systemic challenges of racism, poverty, housing, community violence, transportation, and the stigma of mental health, no person or entity is better poised to address community need than residents with lived experience. 

Interested parties are invited to apply to the Community Voice Fund at the Jefferson Regional Foundation for a grant request not to exceed $35,000 between March 3, 2023 and April 28, 2023. Applications must be submitted by a fiduciary with a qualified 501(c)(3) or a public entity. If a resident wants to apply and does not hold a 501(c)(3), they will need to work with an organization that can act as the fiscal agent and holds a 501(c)(3) status. Foundation staff are happy to assist with this connection if needed.

Potential applicants can submit questions related to the Community Voice Fund to Kelleigh.boland@jeffersonrf.org after March 3, 2023.

Questions and answers related to the Community Voice Fund will be posted regularly on this page.

The Community Voice Fund application can be found here and applications should be submitted via email to the Foundation’s Director of Grantmaking and Strategy, Kelleigh Boland, at Kelleigh.boland@jeffersonrf.org.