When Giving Starts with What You Love - Arlington Community Foundation

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Where what you love changes lives.

Starting with yours.

At Arlington Community Foundation, giving doesn’t come in one shape or size. It starts with who you are, what you care about, and where you want to make a difference. These short videos share the real stories of local fundholders who found personal, meaningful ways to give through the Foundation. Each journey is unique, and each one shows what’s possible when you give with heart, purpose, and community in mind.

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From Newcomer to Connector: Finding a Home for Local Giving

When Kiely and her family moved to Arlington, they were looking for ways to connect and give back. A simple search led them to the Foundation’s Nonprofit Holiday Wish Catalog, which made local needs feel tangible and accessible. From preparing bagged meals to supporting scholarships, Kiely discovered not just causes to support, but a sense of belonging. Through the Arlington Women Community Builders group and her donor-advised fund, she found a trusted partner in ACF to explore issues like food insecurity, housing, and racial equity, which Kiely says, “expanded our connections, giving, impact, and involvement in ways that I didn’t think were possible before ACF.”

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Their Sacrifice Shaped Him.
His Scholarship Honors Them.

As a first-generation American and Marine Corps veteran, Ashleigh Simpson has lived a life shaped by resilience, values, and service. Inspired by his immigrant parents’ sacrifices and their belief in education, he created a scholarship fund to support local students, especially those who are the first in their families to attend college. His fund may be modest, but its impact is real. It helps ease the burden of tuition, meals, books, and other costs that often stand in the way of higher education. For Ashleigh, giving is not about recognition. It is about service, humility, and honoring the people who made his own path possible.

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A Family’s Lasting Tribute to a Bright Light Named Lola

When Lindsay Adeyiga’s daughter Lola passed away unexpectedly, she and her family wanted a way for people to honor her memory over time. “We really wanted people to be able to donate in Lola’s honor and memory, not just right away when she passed away, but for a very long time,” she says. The fund has supported buddy benches at Lola’s school and scholarships for youth soccer. “And the beauty of the fund and of working with the Foundation is that I don’t feel like this stress to do this right now, which would be impossible, honestly, in grief,” Lindsay says. “We’ll never want to stop talking about her, so it’s good that we have that opportunity and we don’t have to rush.”

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Coaching, Creativity, and a Heart for After-School Equity

John Foti has lived in Arlington for over 20 years, raising two boys, coaching youth sports, and finding ways to give back. After attending an event at Barcroft Elementary, John learned that after-school enrichment programs cost hundreds per student per year. “Kind of taken aback by that,” he offered to help raise funds, and when asked to expand the effort to all seven Title I schools, he didn’t hesitate. The result was After School Enrichment Matters, a growing fund that supports programs in dance, theater, math, robotics, and more. “Whether it’s sports, whether it’s pursuing a passion in the arts or in theater or learning chess,” John says, “it’s something that will get these kids engaged early.” John was recognized with the 2023 Spirit of Community Award, where this video premiered.

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Every fund starts with a story.

What’s yours?

Every story on this page began with something personal: a memory, a value, a desire to make a difference. Yours will be different, because it’s yours. At Arlington Community Foundation, we’re here to listen, to guide, and to help you turn what matters most to you into something meaningful for yourself and for others. There’s no one way to give, and no single path to impact. But it always starts with a conversation. Get in touch with us to start that conversation. Start where you are. We’re here to help you figure out the rest.