100WomenStrong Awards $475K in Nonprofit Grants

On Tuesday, 100WomenStrong announced the award of $475,000 to 42 nonprofits headquartered or providing services in Loudoun County, bringing its total contributions to $3.6million since 2009. 

The group reverted to its normal grant-giving cycle of once per year after pivoting in 2020 to COVID-19 emergency grants. COVID emergency grants were designed to meet the immediate essential and emergency needs of Loudoun County residents. During the pandemic, the organization gave more than $760,000 in 10 monthly rounds of funding and, in addition, created the “Pay it Forward” direct assistance loan program, which continues to offer help to area residents to cover basic expenses. 

Many of the nonprofit organizations’ 2022 grants are in support of affordable-housing initiatives.

“The founding members of 100WomenStrong understood the crucial role that safe and stable housing has in our ability to live healthy and productive lives, so it is built into our core mission,” said Kirsten Langhorne, chairwoman of the organization’s affordable housing committee. “It has been proven that even short-term housing challenges can create poor health outcomes and stress and that those who face chronic homelessness have higher rates of physical and mental health issues than the general public.

“Before the pandemic, we had the opportunity to fund several shelter-oriented programs, but the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed many more of our neighbors out of stable housing,” Langhorne said. “It is incumbent upon our community to do all we can to stabilize housing because we also know that unstable housing can affect the health of a neighborhood and community. With our focus this year on mental health and housing, we hope to alleviate some of the pressing issues that many in Loudoun County face right now. We also are so thankful we can support the wonderful organizations working hard to help our neighbors stay in their homes or find other safe housing solutions.”

The 2022 100WomenStrong grants were awarded to:

• A Farm Less Ordinary - $10,000
• A Place to Be - $15,000
• Bringing Resources to Aid Women’s Shelters (BRAWS) - $15,000
• Capital Caring Health - $7,500
• Center for Adoption Support and Education - $10,000
• Crossroads Jobs - $10,000
• Dulles South Soup Kitchen - $20,000
• Every Citizen Has Opportunities (ECHO) - $15,000
• FAMIL - $10,000
• Friends of Loudoun Mental Health - $10,500
• Good Shepherd Alliance - $5,000
• Healthworks - $25,000
• Heeling House - $4,000
• INMED Partnerships for Children - $12,000
• Insight Memory Care - $10,000
• JK Community Farm - $6,500
• Just Neighbors - $10,000
• Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter (LAWS) - $20,000
• Leonard W. Kidd American Legion Post 2001 - $10,000
• Loudoun Cares - $10,000
• Loudoun Coalition on Women and Girls - $1,000
• Loudoun Hunger Relief - $15,000
• Loudoun Literacy Council - $13,000
• Loudoun Serenity House - $20,000
• Love, KK - $2,500
• Mobile Hope - $13,000
• Northern Virginia Family Service - $10,000
• Pathway Homes - $10,000
• Ryan Bartel Foundation - $10,000
• SCAN of Northern Virginia - $13,000
• Seven Loaves Services, Inc. – $15,000
• Shelter House Inc. - $15,000
• The Arc of Loudoun - $16,000
• The Chris Atwood Foundation - $6,500
• The New AG School - $6,000
• The Fenwick Foundation - $10,000
• The Step Sisters - $4,000
• Veterans Moving Forward - $5,000
• Volunteers of America, Chesapeake & Carolinas - $12,000
• Windy Hill Foundation - $7,500
• Women Giving Back - $15,000
• Youth For Tomorrow - $20,000

Formed in 2008, 100WomenStrong is a group of concerned philanthropists seeking to strategically invest in organizations and programs that enrich the lives of Loudoun County residents through strategic grants to nonprofits working in the areas of shelter, health, hunger and education.  Learn more at OneHundredWomenStrong.org.