Announcements

April 28 2022

Robins Foundation’s Second Community Focus Grant Cycle of 2022 Opens on Monday, May 9, 2022

roydmckelvey Announcements, Featured ECE

Robins Foundation’s second Community Focus grant cycle of 2022 opens on Monday, May 9, 2022. 

Do you run a nonprofit (501c3) child care program? Did you know you are eligible for the Robins Foundation’s upcoming grant cycle? Watch the recording of the webinar we held on May, 10th to learn more about this opportunity.

This grant cycle will support organizations responding to urgent and/or structural issues that threaten widespread access to high-quality childcare and educational opportunities for children ages 0-5.  The grants are designed to support successful applicants achieving specific, articulated outcome(s), within 12-24 months of award, on:  

ECE provider and infrastructure support: childcare programs that offer high-quality early care and education and organizations that improve the effectiveness of such programs, including through workforce recruitment, development, and retention.
ECE policy and advocacy: organizations that leverage advocacy to support system-wide, structural improvements in the early childhood education sector.
Parenting support & engagement: organizations that work to support parenting – particularly those organizations with a track record of impact and trust within the community – and boost parents’ skills from pregnancy through school entry.

These outcomes can consist of one stage of longer-term systemic change. Grants will support capacity of all types of early care and education partners to serve families and children, particularly in ways that establish trusting relationships and increase services.  

GRANT AMOUNT: 
$20,000 - $100,000 for immediate actions and anticipated results through September 2023. 

ELIGIBILITY: 
Robins Foundation will consider applications from organizations that meet the following requirements: 

501 (c) (3) organization.
Project must solely serve children aged five or under, or families with children aged five and under, in the greater Richmond region (Chesterfield, Henrico, Petersburg, and Richmond City).
Organization is maintaining and/or creating new initiatives, partnerships, and efforts to support young children, their parents, and/or to change policies that create an effective early childhood system.  
Please note that Robins Foundation has, and will continue to, consider support to faith-based organizations which utilize a secular curriculum and inclusive admissions practices.

Strong preference will be given to proposals that meet one or more of the Foundation’s ECE priorities: 

Promote high quality learning environments and caregiver-child interactions in home and/or school/childcare settings.  
Focus on creating the conditions for a talented and sustainable early childhood workforce.  
Are engaged, or plan to engage in 501(c)(3)-allowable legislative advocacy, shifts in culture/public perception, and/or concrete changes in conditions at the local and state level. 
Are led and/or designed by representation of the directly impacted population, particularly those who are low and middle wealth, people of color, differently abled, and/or long-time residents.

INELIGIBLE PROJECTS FOR 2022:
Proposals are ineligible for funding if they exclusively focus on:  

Travel to conferences or other events 
Budget shortfalls or cash flow issues 
Capital investments

APPLICATION PROCESS:
Applications will be accepted beginning Monday, May 9, 2022. Decisions for support will be made in September 2022.  In order to apply, you must first fill out the Pre-Grant Questions form and have a pre-grant application call with a program officer; failure to follow these steps will result in your application being deemed ineligible. Email responses to Pre-Grant Questions to grants@robinsfdn.org by May 25, 2022, after which our Program and Grants Manager will email you a link to schedule your pre-grant call. A pre-grant application call will be scheduled no later than May 27. Once discussion is completed, organizations will have until Friday, June 10, 2022 to submit a full proposal. 

Grant applications will be available until the submission deadlines below.  And as always, please reach out to grants@robinsfdn.org with any questions.

Grant Cycle Opens: Mon. May 9
Virtual Information Session: May 10 at 10am (register here)
Pre-Grant Calls: May 2 – May 27
Pre-App Questions Due: May 25
Grant Cycle Closes: Fri. June 10
Notice of Grant Decision: Early September

Group of kindergarten kids friends arm around sitting together

February 7 2022

Leadership Transitions at Robins Foundation

ROBINS FOUNDATION Announcements, Featured CEO, Chris Chin, Kelly Chopus, Leadership Transitions, Robert Dortch

Chris Chin named Robins Foundation’s new CEO – will lead Early Childhood Focus

Juliet Shield-Taylor, Chair, Board of Directors announced that Dr. Christopher Chin will become the President and CEO of Robins Foundation, effective March 2, 2022. An experienced leader in philanthropy, child development, and nonprofit organizations, he will focus on launching the foundation’s new strategic framework centered on early childhood education.

Chris has devoted his educational and professional career to helping young children and their families and is well poised to lead the organization into a new phase of early childhood-focused impact in the community. He is a licensed clinical psychologist with his PhD in Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, including advanced training at Yale University in child psychology. He has led several efforts focused on early childhood education and family literacy, including serving as Co-Director of the Literacy Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University and Director of the Virginia Literacy Foundation, where he developed and oversaw state-wide initiatives focused on early learning and development.

Chris has been with Robins Foundation for almost eight years, starting as Director, Community Partnerships, leading the foundation’s early childhood-focused grantmaking. He was responsible for developing peer funder collaborations and deep community engagement throughout the Richmond region. Most recently, he served as the foundation’s Vice President, Operations and Organizational Development.

Says Chin, “I am thrilled and honored to lead this organization as it begins the next exciting chapter in its longstanding service to the Richmond community. We have an incredible opportunity to strengthen our investments and partnerships in early childhood education so that Richmond can become a place where all young children can learn, grow, and thrive. This next step for me and the foundation reflects my long-standing passion and commitment to make a meaningful difference in the lives of as many children and families as possible. I look forward to working alongside our energized Board, our talented staff, and our inspirational partners to make a measurable impact on our community.”

Kelly Chopus, Robins Foundation’s current President & CEO, will be moving on from the organization in late March.

As CEO of Robins Foundation for almost 8.5 years, Kelly has been a change-maker in the community, leading the organization through strategic shifts and building a talented team of experts. Her leadership has been influential in enhancing the landscape of Richmond’s nonprofit community through open dialog, relationship-building, and collaboration with other funders to address the region’s most pressing needs.

Kelly will remain with the Foundation in an advisory capacity until the end of March. Kelly looks forward to continuing to serve both Richmond and the region’s philanthropic community in a new capacity.

Says Chopus, “I am humbled by the trust the board, staff, and community placed in me and I am more humbled by the experiences and privileges of meeting and knowing community leaders who serve their neighbors every day through the work their organizations do. I am truly amazed by the work of our board, our staff, and our partners. The foundation has a powerhouse staff who will carry on the upcoming important work as the foundation refines its focus, and I am thrilled about the future impact of the organization. Chris Chin is the right leader at the right time, and I have utmost confidence in him as he steps into the role of CEO.”

Robert Dortch, Robins Foundation’s current VP, Program and Community Innovation, will leave the organization in mid-February.

For almost 8 years, Robert focused on growing a highly-skilled, diverse program team and strengthening the foundation’s innovative grantmaking, community engagement, and collaboration.

Robert has played an enormous role, leading the foundation’s deployment of more than $30 million in grant funding to support education, capacity building, innovation and strategic partnerships; helped create $4.5 million of impact investment to support place-based community initiatives; and led the foundation in innovative grantmaking, launching a Community Innovation Grant (CIG) process that resulted in more than $6 million distributed.

We are enthusiastic about the significant impact Robert will continue to have for the region in his new role as Chair for the Board of Trustees of Philanthropy Southeast.

“I am grateful for my time working with the Robins Foundation’s incredible staff and inspiring partners,” says Dortch, “and I am excited for this opportunity to have a bigger impact outside the organization, pursue a personal passion, and continue to give back to our partners and philanthropy as a whole.”

Juliet Shield-Taylor, Chair of the Board of Directors added, “The Robins Foundation is grateful for the vision and leadership of Kelly and her team, and we are thrilled to welcome Chris as our next leader. While we are sad to see Robert leave us, we wish him well as he pursues his professional and personal interests.”

Continuing a legacy of impact and transformation for our community’s children

Over the past eight years, with the hard work of staff and skilled guidance of the board, Robins Foundation has been committed to strategic grantmaking, collaboration, and community support, aspiring to be a catalyst for positive change within the Richmond region.

We are grateful to our leaders and staff members for the impact they have had on the foundation’s direction and success. Under the leadership of Chris Chin and the Foundation’s Board of Directors, we look forward to new opportunities to ensure our young children thrive and to contribute to the long-term dynamism and vibrancy of Richmond.

November 23 2021

Why Robins Foundation is Committed to Supporting Early Childhood Education

Eliot Haspel Announcements ECE, Elliot Haspel, Policy

A question I am often asked is, “why is child care so expensive, if child care teachers are paid so little?” The child care crisis in the Richmond region very much mirrors that of the nation – spots for kids are scarce and often incredibly expensive. At the same time, compensation is so low that these facilities cannot find enough staff members, forcing programs and facilities to run below capacity. Given how key early childhood education is for both working parents and child development, it is important to understand the structural pressures causing this failing system, and where we go from here.

As I explained in a recent Washington Post piece:

“One fundamental that predates the pandemic and its ripple effects is the cost of doing business in a highly constrained industry. In most states, for instance, one teacher is permitted under the law to care for a maximum of six to eight toddlers. Personnel eats up 70 percent or more of program budgets. So even though parents are paying through the nose, the true cost of care — the cost where programs are operating comfortably and compensating their staff well — is so high that programs would take a loss on each kid. As it stands, programs already have to cut wages to the bone just to keep the lights on. To keep pace with other industries, their only option (other than public funding or closure) is massively raising prices — hence, [child care may become] a luxury good. The U.S. Treasury Department has called the child-care business model “unworkable.”

In Virginia, the median wage of a child care worker is $10.96 an hour. That rate is far below a living wage for Virginia, and drives significant turnover among child care workers. Teacher to child ratios – which ensure safety and quality — are 1:4 for infants (i.e., 1 teacher for every 4 infants), 1:5 for kids between sixteen months and two years, 1:8 for two-year-olds, and 1:10 for three- and four-year-olds. When you consider the diminishing number of child care workers compared to the number of children who need care, you begin to see the problem. This is why most of metro Richmond is considered to be a “child care desert.”

The staffing shortages are making an already difficult-to-locate resource close to impossible. This summer, I helped Smart Beginnings-Greater Richmond and a coalition of other early childhood partners put out a survey to local child care providers. As reported in the Virginia Mercury in June, the survey “found that — of the 26 child care programs they’ve reached so far — 85 percent reported staffing shortages. In total, there were 114 open teaching positions across all of the facilities.” This represents only a sliver of the programs in the region, and by all reports, shortages have only grown worse since then.

Help may be on the way in the form of the federal government’s Build Back Better package, which contains considerable levels of permanent funding for child care and pre-K. However, even if that legislation passes, there will be a tremendous amount of work to do in order to implement the new system well. Staff will need to be recruited, facilities upgraded, and an administrative infrastructure put into place that allows parents to easily access choices which meet their needs and preferences. None of these elements will be swift or simple. And if the legislation does not pass, there will be all the more need for local and state governments to step up.

Robins Foundation stands ready to support these efforts. Our priorities include directly supporting high-quality child care programs and the nonprofits that work to generate that local infrastructure, supporting the advocacy and policy work to ensure that the laws impacting the Richmond region are strong and fair, and supporting parents of young children in accessing the services that are available to them to be the best possible ‘first teacher’ for their children.

This is a moment of both uncertainty and possibility for Richmond’s young children and their families. We must meet the moment with conviction and clear-eyed vision for both the short- and long-term. If we succeed, we can positively change the trajectory of our region’s future and the lives of its children.

July 9 2021

Recovery in Richmond: Rebuilding the foundation that makes education possible

Robins Foundation Announcements Grantmaking

Over the past year and a half, many of us were forced to assume multiple roles. We have been parents and employees, teachers, principals and cafeteria workers, rolled into one. This collision of work, school and home life has been a massive challenge. Families have experienced enormous stress due to seclusion, isolation, disruption and illness. And yet, we can feel the hope of summer. Mask mandates have been relaxed or lifted in some states. We’ve created memes to help us laugh during a traumatic year. Breaks from school are here and it seems relief is close at hand.

But imagine that in addition to the above challenges, you did not have the money or the technology for an internet connection at home this past year. Imagine you had difficulties accessing a computer with which your child could attend school, or that you did not have the money to feed them lunch every day. Imagine helping your child, or someone else’s child, succeed at virtual school under all these circumstances, while more family members and friends than you could count on your two hands became sick or died of COVID-19.

We learned directly from our School System Administrator partners and from families participating in the Richmond Resilience Initiative that many members of our own community navigated these challenges from March 2020 until now. These scenarios highlight why many of our students and educators will be returning to school in September dealing with some level of trauma.

A recent study conducted by our policy partner, The Commonwealth Institute (TCI) found that “[m]any students, particularly those whose parents could not afford private supports, have fallen behind in the virtual learning environment.” Another study cited by TCI “suggests that an additional investment of roughly $10,000 per student in school divisions with high concentrations of students living in poverty, Black and Latinx students, and English Learners is required to make up for lost learning time during the pandemic.”

The lost learning time cited by TCI must be addressed; however, a broader and more far-reaching concern is the social and emotional well-being of our students and educators. Recent studies confirm the depth of the damage caused to mental health across the country because of the pandemic. In fact, damage to mental health is being viewed, and prepared for, as the “next pandemic”.

Hearing directly from community partners, school division leaders and striving families offers a window into the collective trauma experienced over the past year and a half, particularly for communities of color and those living in poverty.

One common theme we hear is the resilience of families in the face of broken support systems. A partner at the YMCA described the humbling experience of working with parents in our community who were forced to choose between keeping their employment and keeping their children in school. Families showed creativity and determination, going to great lengths to keep their children logged-in and learning during the pandemic. For example, in the absence of access to home internet or programs that would help bridge such gaps, a common occurrence in communities of color, several parents of school-aged children came together to rent a motel room where their children could connect to wifi and log on for classes each day.

Another common theme of these collected stories is the pressure put on teachers to manage the mental and emotional wellbeing of their students, even as they are dealing with personal hardship and trauma. One of our school administrator partners lost 18 friends and family members to the pandemic, a level of loss many of our Black, Hispanic or low-income students experienced as well. Both educators and students will be carrying the impact of these losses, and their grief, with them as they reenter school.

Closing the education gap exacerbated by the pandemic is now a real and pressing challenge facing our community; however, addressing education on its own will not be enough. With almost 40% of Richmond’s children living in poverty and the pandemic exposing critical gaps in access to behavioral healthcare across racial groups and socioeconomic bands, the far reaching impacts the pandemic has had on social-emotional health and wellbeing are likely to persist long after the pandemic is over. We now know that our ability to address mental and behavioral health and help students heal will set the stage for their educational recovery.

We invite our partners and peer funders to join us in reflecting on ways we can address the educational losses created by the pandemic, while reevaluating educational priorities to address the disruption, trauma and stress experienced by our educators, our students and their families over the past 18 months.

As Robins Foundation’s VP of Program and Community Innovation, Robert Dortch, states, “We have to think differently, fund differently, lead differently, act differently, advocate differently, use our power and influence differently if we’re going to change the outcomes for children and families who are suffering.” Whether it is creating more opportunities for social and emotional learning and trauma-informed curriculum, partnering with our local government to create mobile health services, or other solutions, the Robins Foundation will be thinking differently about how to impact and influence educational recovery in our post-pandemic world.

January 20 2021

Welcome Roger Scheffel

Roger Scheffel Announcements, Stories, Videos

Roger Scheffel, member of Robins’ board of directors, shares how he was introduced to the Robins family and what education means to him.

December 11 2021

Partner Spotlight: Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia

Robins Foundation Announcements, Featured Storytelling

Robins Foundation partners with organizations like Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia (HOME) because positive educational outcomes for children depend on a number of criteria, including housing stability. Children in families with stable housing attend school more consistently, tend to perform better academically and experience less stress.

Families across Richmond deserve a home in a safe neighborhood, access to good jobs, access to good schools, and the ability to build financial stability. HOME’s mission is to ensure equal access to housing for all people. Since 1971 their work has opened doors for thousands.

To accomplish this, they focus their efforts in three key areas:

Fair housing enforcement
Housing counseling and education
Housing research and policy

Help support HOME so they can continue doing this important work.

Donate to support initiatives such as stopping evictions and preventing foreclosures
Become a tester to help identify unlawful housing discrimination based on race, national origin, disability, or familial status

Learn more about HOME at homeofva.org.

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May 20 2020

Metropolitan Business League Small Business Recovery Fund

Robins Foundation Announcements Grantmaking

We are excited to partner with The Metropolitan Business League, Wells Fargo, Community Foundation for a greater Richmond and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Virginia to launch The Metropolitan Business League Small Business Recovery Fund.

This grant opportunity has been created to assist small, women- and minority-owned businesses financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The MBL Small Business Recovery Fund grant application is now available. Apply today!

Application Closing Date: Friday, May 29, 2020 at 5:00 PM EST.

Visit https://lnkd.in/dmwaBsp, for more information on The Metropolitan Business League Small Business Recovery Fund Grant.

African American parents and cute small kids wearing protective masks at home. Stop the virus and epidemic diseases.

May 13 2020

May 13, 2020 Update

Robins Foundation Announcements COVID-19, The Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund

This grant opportunity has been created to assist small, women- and minority-owned businesses financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The MBL Small Business Recovery Fund grant application is now available. Apply today!

Application Closing Date: Friday, May 29, 2020 at 5:00 PM EST.

Visit https://lnkd.in/dmwaBsp, for more information on The Metropolitan Business League Small Business Recovery Fund Grant.

May 1 2020

May 1, 2020 Update

Robins Foundation Announcements COVID-19, The Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund

Today we share some inspiring updates and information from our friends at Community Foundation for a greater Richmond.

Thank you for your generosity!

Over the past several weeks, we have seen tremendous support from individuals and organizations across our region stepping up to help our neighbors in need. To all those who have contributed to the Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund, or directly to area nonprofits, and to the many organizations coordinating or providing much-needed services, we thank you and we celebrate you!

Here are the latest updates from the COVID-19 Response Fund, including recent grants, creative community participation, and stories from the field, including an update from the River Counties Community Foundation.

Grants from the Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund now exceed $2M

An advisory committee from the philanthropic, business and public sectors is reviewing and distributing grants from the Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund on a rolling basis. With a new round of grants awarded this week, total grantmaking from the fund now exceeds $2 million to 51 organizations and localities in the Central Virginia region.

The fund has continued to focus on early response efforts to mitigate the health impacts of the pandemic —including food access, health care and shelter. The latest grants are helping to expand food distribution to more rural jurisdictions and address increased need for mental health services and housing support.

View all grants.

The Power of Collective Giving

Total Giving to COVID-19 Response Funds

As of this week, the Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund has raised $4.65 million from hundreds of individuals, foundations and businesses in the region.
Our three regional affiliates – Gloucester, Mathews and River Counties Community Foundations – are coordinating similar response funds and efforts. Those funds have raised a combined $443,000 so far to support organizations in the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck.

Community Foundation Fund Participation

Community Foundation donors are committed to the well-being of our region, providing generous support to nonprofits throughout the year. In response to the pandemic, they are giving in multiple ways — whether through contributions to COVID Response Funds, grants to fulfill specific COVID-19 related requests, or grants to nonprofits of their own choosing. Thank you for your partnership.
If you would like to make a gift to the Response Fund by check, with other assets or through your donor-advised fund, please contact Community Foundation for assistance.

Creative Community Giving

United Way has been a valuable partner in boosting the Central Virginia Response Fund with a $100,000 matching pool for gifts made through their website — and they’ve reached the match! We hope to keep the momentum going. Donate online.
NBC12 created a “Virginia Strong” campaign by sharing inspiring stories from organizations receiving support from the Fund and by selling t-shirts. Proceeds from t-shirt purchases go to the fund, and over 800 have been sold so far. More about “Virginia Strong”.
Virginia Green gave $5,000 to the fund and launched a “Share the Love” social media campaign, which asks their customers, friends and community members to make a heart in their yard and take a photo of it. The lawn care company will donate an extra $10 to the fund for every picture tagged and shared. Participate in the campaign.
The Richmond Flying Squirrels held two “Opening Day” campaigns, raising more than $40,000 for COVID-19 relief organizations, including the Response Fund. Read More.
Several Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School students are providing virtual book clubs, trivia, math and yoga classes for children through “ProjectEngageRVA.” All net proceeds will go to the Response Fund. Visit their website.

Volunteer Opportunities

HandsOn Greater Richmond is working with community partners to expand their DIY and virtual volunteering opportunities, while still connecting people to critical in-person opportunities. See how you can volunteer.
Want to sew masks for Richmond’s essential workers? HandsOn has partnered with Studio Two Three to get homemade masks where they are critically needed. Learn more & sign up.

Partner Stories

Helping those who need it most in the River Counties

In March, River Counties Community Foundation launched the River Counties COVID-19 Response Fund in partnership with the Jessie Ball DuPont Fund to support nonprofit partners addressing critical needs in the community, as well as organizations that will be crucial to the ongoing support and long-term recovery. Read More.

Thousands of volunteers support RPS meals program

Many students at Richmond Public Schools (RPS) depend on the meals they receive at school, so when school buildings closed in March as a precaution against COVID-19, RPS knew they needed a system to ensure kids still had access to the food they need. So far, over 2,000 volunteers have stepped up to help. Read more.

Q&A with Dr. Vivian Bruzzese, CrossOver Healthcare Ministry

Dr. Vivian Bruzzese is an infectious disease specialist who serves as the Director of HIV Programs with CrossOver Healthcare Ministry – a nonprofit organization that operates two charitable healthcare clinics in the Richmond region. We heard from Dr. Bruzzese to learn a little more about her position and how CrossOver is responding to the needs of their clients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the Q&A.

Celebrating the Sector

The Artists for Hope initiative returns, offering another chance for participants to purchase beautiful art pieces and support local nonprofits at the same time. More
The City of Richmond and Henrico County launch programs to feed first responders and aid local restaurants in the process. More
Local K-12 students are documenting their reflections on how the coronavirus is affecting their lives for The Valentine’s new project, “Richmond Stories from Richmond Kids.” More
With support from Verizon and Sam’s Club, Virginia LISC has launched the Small Business Relief Grant program to provide the emergency assistance that many small businesses need at this time. More
Communities in Schools of Richmond is finding new ways to connect with their students and ensure they have the academic and emotional support they need. More
With funding from a Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund grant, Feed More has hired seven local chefs to help prepare meals for residents in need. More

April 24 2020

April 24, 2020 Update

Robins Foundation Announcements COVID-19, The Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund

An update on the Family Crisis Fund

Thanks to the generosity of our partners and the greater Richmond community the Family Crisis Fund is now positioned to deliver $500 individual payments to 2,360 families in our region. And the $1,180,000 fund continues to grow.

The Family Crisis Fund was launched on April 3^rd and within days, disbursement of direct payments began, allowing for immediate and direct relief for families with children.

The is also open for individual donations. If you wish to donate, please follow these instructions to do so using your credit or debit card:

Visit https://givetogethernow.org/give-together-now/
Select your donation amount.
Under “Location Preference,” (1) select “Other” and (2) write in “Richmond, VA.”
Enter your billing and contact information and press “Submit Donation.”

We continue to work with multiple partners and localities (Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield and Petersburg) to identify families in need, disburse funds, and make sure recipients don’t have to navigate barriers associated with technology and financial literacy in order to receive much-needed support.

Family Crisis Fund partners include Henrico Education Foundation, Chesterfield Education Foundation, Family Lifeline, City of Richmond, Enrichmond Foundation, Community Foundation for a greater Richmond, Richmond Memorial Health Foundation, Flying Squirrels Charities, and individual donor, Clelin Ferrell.

No commitment is too small when addressing a situation of this magnitude. At Robins Foundation, we are thankful for the strategic, adaptable, and collaborative efforts between philanthropy, the nonprofit sector, our local government partners and individuals to engage in innovative philanthropy that inspires solutions to our community’s greatest challenges.