Population: Low-income

Guardian Hands

EIN: 92-1655080

Mission Statement

Guardian Hands empowers adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to achieve greater independence, community inclusion, and workforce readiness through person-centered support, community engagement, and real-world skill development. We are committed to helping individuals build confidence, develop meaningful relationships, and pursue opportunities that enhance their quality of life throughout Northern Virginia, including Arlington County, Fairfax County, and the City of Alexandria.

Program Summary

Community Engagement Services
Guardian Hands provides structured community-based activities that help adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities build social skills, increase independence, and actively participate in community life. Participants engage in recreational, educational, and volunteer activities while developing communication, decision-making, and self-advocacy skills.

Group Day Support
Our non-center-based Group Day Support program offers individualized and small-group instruction designed to promote independent living skills, community integration, and personal growth. Participants receive support in developing daily living skills, social interactions, safety awareness, and community navigation.

Impact Statement

Guardian Hands Inc. helps adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities overcome barriers to independence, employment, and community participation. Through community-based services and workforce readiness training, participants develop practical life skills, strengthen social connections, increase confidence, and build the tools needed to navigate their communities more independently. Our programs promote inclusion, self-determination, and meaningful opportunities for individuals to reach their personal goals while enhancing their overall quality of life.

What ways can the public get involved?

How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?

Donations directly support community engagement, workforce readiness training, transportation access, and independent living skill development, helping adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities achieve greater independence and inclusion in Arlington, Fairfax, and Alexandria.

Information provided June 2026

Solar United Neighbors (SUN)

EIN: 46-2462990

Mission Statement

Solar United Neighbors helps people go solar, join together, and fight for their energy rights.

Program Summary

Education & Support: SUN provides robust national engagement programs designed to educate people about renewable energy free of charge. We provide in-depth explainers about topics like solar 101, electric vehicles, and battery storage. We educated more than 15,000 people in 2024 about solar, renewable technologies, effective advocacy, and more. SUN also operates the nation-wide Solar Help Desk offering information, answers to solar questions, roof review, proposal comparisons, and consumer protection and remediation free of charge. The SUN Solar Help Desk provided support at no cost to more than 37,000 people last year.

Group Purchase Programs: According to the 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, “more than one-fourth of all American households reported experiencing any energy insecurity. About 20% of households reported reducing or forgoing food or medicine to pay energy costs, and 10% of households reported leaving their home at an unhealthy temperature.” SUN brings people together to save money on their solar installations, connect with like-minded individuals, and get guidance from vendor-neutral experts throughout the entire process.These bulk purchase programs result in savings to participants of a 20% average discount. These savings will be increasingly important in the wake of losing the 30% residential tax credit. Our bulk purchasing programs help us identify the most pressing barriers to going solar. We have also rallied our network around broader clean energy issues, helping enact 100% clean energy targets in Virginia and Minnesota, for example.

Low-Income Programs: At SUN, we believe solar is for everyone, regardless of income or location, and we recognize that the energy cost burden is much higher for those in lower-income situations. We have implemented more than 30 income-qualified programs in Virginia and across our 13-state reach. Through these, we have helped more than 400 low-income households go solar and reduced future energy bills by $12.4+ million for low-income homeowners.

Impact Statement

Since 2015, SUN has helped more than 12,500 households go solar, facilitated 104.4 new MW on the grid, reduced future energy bills by $553+ million for homeowners, and supported the creation of 2,442 local jobs nationwide. 

In Virginia, SUN has helped more than 1,340 households go solar, 480 in the Arlington area, reducing Virginian’s future energy bills by over $50+ million and supporting the creation of 240+ local jobs. 

SUN has a long history of serving the Arlington community. Our first Arlington Solar Co-op (group purchasing program) was in 2015 and we have supported the program every year since. Arlington is also where we piloted SUN’s first EV charging co-op that was the first to offer EV chargers with or without solar.

What ways can the public get involved?

SUN provides opportunities for all ages and abilities to volunteer in their own communities as well as on a national scale. Volunteer opportunities include serving on a local community advisory board or selection committee (all of our work is community-led and community-driven), organizing a community education event or community solar co-op, representing SUN at a community event, contacting legislators in support of solar policy, and much more. SUN currently has 253 activated volunteers in the Arlington area.

How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?

SUN uses donations to support our free, non-partisan, installer-neutral consumer protection solar education and support programs, including our Solar Help Desk, which provides answers to solar questions, roof review, proposal comparisons, and consumer protection and remediation all free of charge. This resource provided support at no cost to more than 37,000 people last year. A donation of $25 provides 26 individuals with free, one-on-one solar support and guidance. Donations can also allow us to provide low-cost solar to low-income communities when we are able to partner with municipalities or states for additional resources.

Information provided July 2026

Real Food for Kids

EIN: 46-3514249

Mission Statement

Real Food for Kids (RFFK) dismantles barriers to nutrition equity through programs that increase access to real, whole foods, build and support healthy choices through nutrition education, and advance policy change to sustain a population of healthy eaters. Our work inside and outside school walls addresses the systemic challenges to nutrition equity that disproportionately impact low-income, multi-ethnic communities. Our successes have resulted from collaborative community engagement, mission-aligned partners, and positive advocacy with a diverse range of stakeholders. 

Program Summary

Real Food for Kids addresses nutrition insecurity by connecting children and families in Arlington with fresh whole foods and building their capacity to make healthy food choices.

Impact Statement

In our FY26…

What ways can the public get involved?

  1. Donate / Collect Donations for Chefs Feeding Families fresh produce distribution to Arlington children and families. 
  2. Train as a SNAP Ambassador and volunteer at our community events. 
  3. Organize a SNAP outreach event at your school/library/community center with us. 
  4. Middle and High School Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) students can compete in the Culinary Challenge (with a teacher sponsor). 
  5. Attend the Annual Culinary Challenge.  
  6. Volunteer at the Annual Culinary Challenge. 
  7. Advocate for healthy school meals and increased healthy food access in Arlington. 
  8. Sign up for our newsletter. 
  9. Follow our social media pages @realfoodforkids. 

How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?

Donations will directly support our Chefs Feeding Families produce distribution. This program ensures low-income children and families have reliable access to locally grown, fresh produce to support their nutrition security. 

Information Provided June 2026

Empowering Enrichment

EIN: 81-1552430

Mission Statement

Our mission is to expand access to financial literacy and entrepreneurship education for underserved K-12 students to empower them to build brighter futures.

Program Summary

Empowering Enrichment offers high-impact after-school enrichment programs and summer camps that equip underserved K–12 students in Arlington Public Schools with practical life and career skills often unavailable in traditional classrooms. Our core programs focus on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, leadership and career exploration, helping students build confidence, critical thinking and real-world readiness.

Through engaging, age-appropriate activities, students learn key concepts such as budgeting, saving, investing and business creation, as well as transferrable soft skills like teamwork, public speaking and adaptability. Programs are customized for grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12.

Our goal is to close opportunity gaps by ensuring that students in low-income and underserved communities gain access to the same future-shaping enrichment experiences often available only in better-resourced schools. By making these programs free to partner schools and families, Empowering Enrichment helps level the playing field and prepares students to become financially capable, entrepreneurial and empowered future leaders.

Impact Statement

Empowering Enrichment creates measurable, lasting impact by expanding access to transformative enrichment opportunities for students who are too often excluded from them. Our programs equip underserved K–12 students with practical financial literacy, entrepreneurship knowledge, and critical soft skills—such as communication, leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and confidence—that strengthen both academic and life outcomes.

By exposing students to real-world concepts like budgeting, business creation and career pathways, Empowering Enrichment helps broaden aspirations, unlock potential, and build a stronger sense of future possibility. Students gain not only knowledge, but also the self-belief and decision-making skills needed to navigate school, work, and adulthood more successfully.

Our impact extends beyond individual students: schools and community partners are able to offer high-quality enrichment without added financial strain. In this way, Empowering Enrichment helps close opportunity gaps, while empowering communities to create positive long-term change.

What ways can the public get involved?

The public can support Empowering Enrichment in several meaningful ways. Individuals and organizations can make financial contributions to help fund free programming for underserved students, sponsor a specific school or community-based initiatives, or introduce Empowering Enrichment to potential donors, corporate partners and grantmakers. 

Community members can also volunteer by helping connect Empowering Enrichment with schools, youth-serving organizations, and local leaders who can benefit from our programs. In addition, members of the public can volunteer as facilitators/instructors to be trained, mentors, or advocates who help expand access to our financial literacy and entrepreneurship programs in their communities.

How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?

Charitable donations directly support the delivery of free educational programs promoting financial literacy and entrepreneurship for underserved students. Funds are used to subsidize program access for low-income schools and families, develop and adapt curriculum materials, train facilitators, provide instructional resources, and support program coordination and outreach.

Empowering Enrichment operates with a lean leadership structure designed to maximize program impact. The Executive Director and Board of Directors serve on a volunteer basis, minimizing administrative overhead to virtually zero (besides IT and banking/accounting/financial reporting expenses) so that the greatest possible share of donated funds goes directly toward student programs and services. Every dollar is stewarded carefully to create meaningful, lasting opportunities for the children and communities we serve.  

Information provided April 2026

Jews United for Justice

EIN: 52-2346578

Mission Statement

Jews United for Justice advances economic, racial, and social justice in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia by educating and mobilizing our local Jewish communities to action.

We move our region closer to equity and justice by advancing issue-based campaigns that make real, immediate, and concrete improvements in people’s lives and build the power of working-class and poor communities of color. Through these campaigns we develop leaders, build our Jewish grassroots community, shift the consciousness of our community, and build the collective power needed to undo systemic racism and inequality.

Program Summary

For more than a quarter century, Jews United for Justice (JUFJ) has worked in coalition to win policy changes – like increasing the minimum wage, expanding access to affordable housing, and providing paid family leave to everyone – that make concrete improvements in the lives of millions of people. JUFJ simultaneously builds a vibrant Jewish community and Jewish home for local activists, who gather together for Jewish holiday celebrations and to take powerful action on local issues together. Through this work, JUFJ builds partnerships with non-Jewish organizations and communities across the region that increases understanding of the Jewish community and establishes the foundation for shared efforts to dismantle antisemitism, racism, and xenophobia.  

JUFJ launched our work in Arlington and more broadly in Northern Virginia in 2025. We are currently:

Impact Statement

JUFJ’s work targets two distinct communities. Through our policy advocacy campaigns, JUFJ’s work benefits millions of people in our region who are living in poverty or who are otherwise vulnerable. We work collaboratively with faith, community, and advocacy groups of people who are most directly and negatively impacted by the problems we seek to address, and we follow their leadership. Due to the advocacy of JUFJ and our partners, we have worked successfully for Paid Family Leave in Maryland and DC, Paid Sick Days in Maryland and DC, progressive tax laws, and many more policies that have a positive impact on people in our region.
Our work also directly impacts the lives of our base of mostly- Jewish volunteers, who plan and lead our programming, public education, and issue campaigns. This uniquely intergenerational constituency builds strong relationships, Jewish identity, and community, and often describes JUFJ as their Jewish home. They build leadership and advocacy skills and are part of a community working for justice.

What ways can the public get involved?

JUFJ is building a powerful group of volunteers that will fight for a more just state, and we are recruiting Virginians to volunteer with us. We invite you to join us at rallies, meetings with elected officials, and at our cultural and educational events. Our current advocacy is focused on supporting three state constitutional amendments to enshrine Voting Rights, Marriage Equality, and Reproductive Justice in the Constitution, and to advance Immigrant justice. We hope you will join us!

How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?

JUFJ is a careful steward of the money we raise, ensuring every dollar is spent wisely to help us advance our goals of a more just region. 

More than 90% of our budget goes to our core staff costs.  That staff provides the foundation to enable coordinated collective action with hundreds of multi-racial, multi-faith partners across the region, and to support our volunteer leaders to advance the work. We are actively seeking support to sustain and expand our staff team in Northern Virginia.

Information Provided February 2026

Velocity Bicycle Co-op

EIN: 26-3453393

Mission Statement

The mission of Vélocity Bicycle Cooperative is to build a more equitable, sustainable, and healthy community through cycling. We promote equity by enabling greater access to bicycle ownership and maintenance for people of all income levels and cultures. We advance sustainability by recycling bicycles and making cycling more widely available as an alternative to motor vehicle travel. We support the physical and mental health of local residents through the exercise and independence provided by bicycles and through the positive socio-emotional effects of volunteering cooperatively.

Program Summary

Vélocity believes everyone, no matter their income level, should be able to own and maintain a bicycle for healthy exercise and environmentally sustainable travel. At Vélocity’s shops in Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia, customers can purchase refurbished used bicycles, bike parts, and bike repairs at prices below those offered by for-profit bike shops. Vélocity’s professional mechanics guide customers in repairing their own bicycles at DIY nights each week. Vélocity also maintains a warehouse where anyone who is interested can learn to repair bicycles, either in low-cost maintenance classes or for free through the process of repairing donated bicycles with the help of experienced volunteers. Vélocity donates refurbished bicycles to under-resourced adults and children of low-income families, along with locks and helmets. Since Vélocity is a cooperative, volunteers who contribute 10 hours or more a month to Vélocity are entitled to work on their own bikes using Vélocity’s space and resources. They also receive discounts purchasing bicycles, parts, and supplies from Vélocity’s shops. Vélocity helps keep our environment clean by receiving and reusing unwanted bicycles, while recycling unusable components.

Impact Statement

In fiscal year 2025, Vélocity sold 725 used bicycles and over 7,000 new and used bicycle parts at affordable prices. Our mechanics provided nearly 2,200 low-cost repairs to customers’ bicycles and guided customers in repairing their own bicycles at DIY nights more than 200 times. More than 120 local residents spent a total of over 2,100 hours gaining hands-on experience fixing bicycles by volunteering with Vélocity. Volunteers and shop mechanics working together provided free refurbished bicycles, along with new helmets, bicycle locks, and (for adults) bicycle lights to approximately 100 disadvantaged individuals in our area. By providing a free means of transportation, Vélocity empowered underprivileged individuals to improve their lives. By creating a place to belong and contribute, Vélocity offered benefits to all members of our local community.

What ways can the public get involved?

All members of the public are invited to volunteer with Vélocity, refurbishing donated bicycles at our volunteer nights, helping customers repair their own bicycles at our DIY nights, and supporting our mechanics with customer service at our shops during business hours. Visit our Meetup page to sign up – no experience necessary! Vélocity also accepts donations of used bicycles, parts, and gear during business hours at our shops, which are posted on our website. We accept financial donations through Donorbox to help pay for the space we use, new tools for our volunteers, and consumable parts and supplies such as oil, grease, cables, chains, and inner tubes.

How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?

A photo of the velocity storefront in alexandria. It is a red brick building on the corner of a street. Dozens of bikes are lined up outside.

Information provided May 2026

Arlington Friends of Urban Agriculture (FOUA)

EIN: 84-2182585

Mission Statement

Build a resilient, community-driven urban agriculture sector that provides a fair, healthy, sustainable food system for all Arlingtonians.

Program Summary

Plot Against Hunger: The Plot Against Hunger program is the only program in Arlington County whose sole mission is to grow fresh produce for Arlington residents in need. Through this program, we support over 100 Arlington gardens and gardeners who donate fresh produce weekly to local food pantries and pantries. Our gleaning program mobilizes volunteers to collect excess farm produce to prevent food waste and fight hunger. In addition to the network of gardens and gleaning, this program includes public education and engagement. Examples include seed and seedling giveaways, Central Library Garden Talks, and a Spring Garden Kick-Off event.

Urban Garden Partnerships: FOUA creates partnerships across public, private, civic, and non-profit communities to transform and enhance urban spaces to produce food. Two notable projects arethe HUG (Highland Urban Garden) project in the Aurora Highlands neighborhood involving several civic organizations, and the Terborgh Urban Garden located in the Donaldson Run neighborhood in collaboration with Northern Virginia Conservation Trust.

Public Policy: FOUA supports public policies that support urban agriculture entrepreneurs, support farmers’ markets, encourage developers to include urban agricultural elements, and institutionalize support of public school programs and curriculum.  

Community Engagement: FOUA raises awareness of urban agriculture through educational, outreach, and social events such as October Urban Agriculture Month events and our annual Golden Radish Award. Our seed and seedling giveaways, Central Library Garden Talks, and a Spring Garden Kick Off provide all kinds of interaction and information sharing. FOUA has engaged hundreds of new and experienced gardeners to volunteer in private and community gardens, gleaning at farms, and packaging and distributing of produce to local food pantries. We receive multiple inquiries each week from school groups, private employer groups, and individuals looking to serve their neighbors in a fun, active, and meaningful way.

Impact Statement

FOUA believes that a resilient, community-driven urban agriculture sector drives improvements in public health, fights hunger and food insecurity, boosts economic health, and addresses environmental challenges, including stormwater management and heat stress. Through our programs, volunteers.

In 2024, our growers and garden teams harvested and donated more than 64,000 pounds of fresh produce (valued at $122,252) to Arlington food banks and pantries! We’re still harvesting and gleaning for 2025.

What ways can the public get involved?

The public can volunteer in our community gardens, grow produce at home for donation, glean at local farms, support our farmers markets, and urban farmers.

How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?

Your donation helps us provide the vital inputs gardens need to grow each season: seeds and seedlings, soil amendments, tools, and volunteers.

Information provided April 2026

NEW Solutions

EIN: 52-2003078

Mission Statement

Expand opportunities for experienced workers (age 55+) to support government agencies in achieving their missions through our proven exceptional services.

Program Summary

NEW Solutions is a nonprofit organization based in Arlington, VA, dedicated to connecting experienced professionals age 55 and older with meaningful work that serves the public good. Through partnerships with federal agencies and community organizations, NEW Solutions helps older workers continue contributing their skills, while agencies benefit from seasoned talent and institutional knowledge.

Key programs include the Senior Environmental Employment (SEE) Program with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which engages professionals in environmental protection and public health projects; the ACES and Experienced Service  Programs within USDA and the Department of the Interior, where enrollees support conservation, land management, and sustainability initiatives; and the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), which provides paid training and community service placements for low-income older adults seeking to reenter the workforce.

Together, these programs empower experienced workers in Arlington and across the nation to stay active, apply their expertise, and enhance their financial security. They also help federal and local agencies maintain mission continuity, advance environmental and workforce goals, and promote intergenerational collaboration—demonstrating how experience remains an essential resource for a thriving, inclusive workforce.

Impact Statement

NEW Solutions empowers experienced professionals age 55+ to continue making meaningful contributions to the public good while strengthening the capacity of federal and community partners. Each year, NEW Solutions engages hundreds of skilled workers in roles that support environmental protection, conservation, public health, and community development. These individuals bring decades of expertise, mentorship, and leadership that enhance program effectiveness, accelerate project outcomes, and ensure continuity of institutional knowledge across agencies.

For the population served, the results are transformative: older Americans gain renewed purpose, income stability, and professional engagement; federal and local partners benefit from a dedicated, cost-effective, and mission-aligned workforce. Beyond employment, NEW Solutions fosters inclusion, combats age bias, and demonstrates the continued value of experience in solving today’s most pressing challenges.

What ways can the public get involved?

The public can support NEW Solutions in several meaningful ways:

  1. Partner with Us – Federal, state, and community organizations can collaborate with NEW Solutions to access a highly skilled, experienced workforce. Partnering helps advance vital public missions in environmental protection, conservation, and workforce development.
  2. Spread the Word – Individuals can help raise awareness by sharing NEW Solutions’ mission and success stories within their networks, encouraging others to value and employ experienced talent.
  3. Donate or Sponsor – Contributions directly support program expansion, training initiatives, and outreach efforts that connect more older workers with meaningful opportunities.
  4. Join Our Programs – Experienced professionals aged 55+ can apply to participate in NEW Solutions programs, putting their skills to work for the public good while continuing personal and professional growth.
  5. Advocate for Experienced Workers – Community members can champion age-inclusive employment policies and practices that recognize the ongoing value of experienced workers.

Together, these actions strengthen NEW Solutions’ impact—helping ensure that experience, skill, and purpose remain powerful forces for progress across the nation.

How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?

At NEW Solutions, charitable dollars are used to create real, measurable impact for older Americans and the federal programs they serve. Donations directly fund the placement, training, and support of experienced professionals age 55+, helping them continue meaningful work that benefits the public good.

Your contribution supports the creation of jobs, wages, and benefits for thousands of individuals nationwide—empowering experienced workers to stay active, achieve financial stability, and share their expertise with the next generation. These professionals serve in vital roles that advance the missions of more than 15 federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the US Department of Agriculture.

Charitable funds also help NEW Solutions expand program access, enhance participant development, and build innovative tools that strengthen accountability and performance outcomes. Every dollar helps extend the value of experience—supporting a skilled, dedicated workforce that protects the environment, supports communities, and demonstrates that talent and purpose have no age limit.

Information provided October 2025

Wild Virginia, Inc.

EIN: 54-1841861

Mission Statement

PROTECTING AND CONNECTING VIRGINIA’S WILD PLACES

Program Summary

Wild Virginia holds the state’s government and regulators accountable for improving habitat connectivity and protecting water quality to counter climate change, prevent species extinction, and defend the health of our communities and ecosystems. Through advocating for environmental protections, convening stakeholder groups to amplify impact, and empowering diverse communities to become active in the decision-making process, we connect people with a safer, more inclusive outdoors.

What We Do

Impact Statement

Within Arlington County, Wild Virginia is working to affect decisions by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to prevent the discharge of harmful levels of PFAS “forever chemicals” from Arlington County’s wastewater treatment plant. This will help ensure the state enforces safe water standards in Arlington’s backyard.

Additionally, Wild Virginia is working with Virginia localities to identify and implement safe wildlife crossing and corridor projects across the state. Wildlife crossing projects reduce animal-vehicle collisions and help maintain habitat connectivity in urban environments like Arlington’s.

What ways can the public get involved?

How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?

Donations to Wild Virginia of any size go directly support our programs. While general support is always needed, specific program needs include:

IMPROVING HABITAT CONNECTIVITY

1. Wildlife-Vehicle Conflict Maps | Phase 1: $10,000 | Phase 2: $50,000

The Virginia Wildlife Corridor Action Plan has identified key corridors where wildlife-vehicle collisions occur, but its reliance on police report data underestimates the issue and focuses on large animals like deer and bears. Wildlife rehabilitation centers in Virginia collect robust data on diverse wildlife brought in due to vehicle collisions, including where animals were struck or found.

Phase one of this project will create the first-ever map of wildlife rehabilitation center data used as a creative and unprecedented way to identify wildlife-vehicle collision hotspots. This will build upon the data currently used by the Commonwealth and create a more accurate picture of where wildlife crossings may be most needed.

The second phase of this project will create a pipeline for rehabilitation center data to be automatically uploaded to a live map. This will provide a low-maintenance and living source of information for use by state agencies, nonprofits, localities, advocates, and more.  This innovative tool will not only guide effective wildlife crossing planning in Virginia but will also serve as a model for identifying collision hotspots nationwide, advancing wildlife conservation and infrastructure improvements across the U.S.

2. New Website for the Virginia Safe Wildlife Corridors Collaborative | $10,000

Wild Virginia co-founded and leads the Virginia Safe Wildlife Corridors Collaborative (VSWCC), a coalition of 40 partner organizations dedicated to advancing wildlife corridor and crossing projects statewide. Our leadership supports coordination on initiatives aligned with Virginia’s Wildlife Corridor Action Plan to build a more connected landscape.

To amplify its impact, VSWCC is redesigning its outdated website to improve functionality and accessibility. The new site will feature clear information on wildlife-vehicle conflict, the collaborative’s mission, and how to join. Enhanced public engagement tools, including links to Wild Virginia’s advocacy efforts and the Virginia Habitat Connectivity Hub, will empower more community involvement and foster greater support for connectivity projects.

3. Locality Support Initiative | Year 1 Total $100,000 | Year 2 Total $125,000

Localities have turned to Wild Virginia for help in how to locate, construct, and fund wildlife crossing projects in their districts. To meet this need, in year one we will provide leadership, coordination, facilitation, and process support to two case study localities; the Afton Gap Crossing Project in central Virginia and the Loudoun Connectivity Initiative in northern Virginia. Documenting the process and lessons learned in year one, we will create resources for other localities (including Arlington) to help streamline their projects, and expand our support through the addition of an Assistant Director who can tailor help be an accessible resource. 

As part of a broader strategy, Wild Virginia will initiate outreach with planning associations, such as the Virginia Association of Counties, and other local government stakeholders across the Commonwealth, to include Arlington. This will build a more informed base and foster future connectivity projects across Virginia. Our goal is to empower localities such as Arlington with the knowledge, relationships, and resources needed to pursue their own connectivity initiatives, while encouraging VDOT to expand wildlife passage efforts and paving the way for comprehensive state-level connectivity legislation.

4. First Habitat Connectivity Symposium | $17,000

Wild Virginia will host the first Habitat Connectivity Symposium in the fall of 2025. The inaugural year of this event will bring together VSWCC partners to learn and discuss high priority topics. It will include presentations and workshops on wildlife crossings and corridor work as well as networking and resource sharing to build collaborations and galvanize progress across Virginia. In successive years we will build upon this event, maturing it each year to include new audiences and expand its reach and impact towards becoming Virginia’s premiere habitat connectivity gathering. 

PROTECTING WATER QUALITY

1. Water Quality Monitoring Initiative | $150,000

Wild Virginia launched a new campaign in 2023 to prevent damage to human and environmental health from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS, often called “forever chemicals,” are present in many products and have been detected in the environment, in wildlife, and in humans. PFAS accumulates in bodies, posing serious health threats that persist for many years. By advocating for full enforcement of current state and federal water pollution control regulations, we seek to improve state policies to increase monitoring of PFAS, prevent the discharge of PFAS into the environment, and push the cost of mitigation back upstream to the polluters.

Most of Virginia’s surface waters and pollutant discharges have not been tested for PFAS. Data showing the presence of such contaminants is a powerful tool to galvanize action by state regulators. To fill this gap in information, Wild Virginia will sample waters from across the Commonwealth, with a focus on those in historically disadvantaged and vulnerable communities. In addition to being of use to Wild Virginia, details from these samplings will be shared via a report with the public, nonprofits, and others, for their use in combating PFAS pollution. 

2. Science Reporting | $60,000

Our water quality program uses science and the law, backed by an educated and mobilized public, to influence decision makers and ensure that protections promised by the Clean Water Act are fully and faithfully enforced. We currently have supporting personnel with expertise in law and policy. To match this skill set we seek to add personnel with expertise in the scientific and technical fields, fully rounding out our water quality program. This addition will expand our ability to expose new details about the presence of PFAS in Virginia waterways (to include Arlington County and the Potomac River), increase the impact of our reporting, and help us prevent additional PFAS pollution. 

CLEAN WATER ADVOCATES PROGRAMS 

1. Pop-up Version of Clean Water Advocates for Frontline Communities | $40,000

The Clean Water Advocates is a nine-week skills-based program that equips participants with fundamental knowledge of federal and state water protection laws, regulatory processes, and basic research and advocacy skills used to influence environmental decisions and outcomes. However, the program will not always be practical for individuals and environmental justice communities facing immediate water contamination threats. Time is of the essence when a community has newly mobilized and now must come up to speed on not only the environmental issues but also the government decision-making processes at hand. 

This pop-up will fund the development of a condensed version of the Clean Water Advocates Program for such circumstances. We will partner with the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, Appalachian Voices, and 7 Directions of Service, who have reviewed and praised the existing curriculum, to develop, implement, and distribute this tool to the frontline communities that need it.

2. Sponsor a Clean Water Advocate Student | $2,800 per student | $70,000 whole cohort

The Clean Water Advocates Program is open and accessible to individuals of all backgrounds, with an emphasis on recruiting from historically disadvantaged and vulnerable communities, and/or organizations supporting those communities. In order to continue to provide this program for free to students, we seek sponsorship of each year’s cohort. 

Information Provided March 2026