Robins Foundation provides grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations implementing programs that align with our focus areas of Early Childhood Care and Education and Dynamic Community.

If you are seeking a grant related to our Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE) focus area:

Eligible projects and organizations:

• Primarily support children and their families during prenatal stages through age 5
• Serve community members in Richmond City, Chesterfield, Henrico, and/or Petersburg
• Qualify as 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations

What we don’t fund

While we deeply value the many ways organizations strengthen our community, some proposals fall outside Robins Foundation’s current funding priorities. We do not fund projects that focus solely on:

• Travel to conferences, meetings, or other events
• Addressing budget shortfalls or cash flow needs
• Capital investments or major building projects
• Religious-based activities

  • Robins Foundation values the many ways faith-based organizations contribute to the vitality and well-being of communities. Robins Foundation may award grants to organizations with religious affiliations provided that Foundation funds are used solely to support programs or initiatives that are secular in curriculum, activities, and admissions practices.

    Foundation funds may not be used for religious worship, instruction, proselytization, or activities that require participation in religious practice. Funded programs must be open to participants regardless of religious belief and must not discriminate on the basis of religion.

• Providing basic needs such as food, housing, or clothing
  • A note about the ineligibility of proposals that focus on basic needs: Robins Foundation recognizes that housing insecurity, limited access to nutritious food, and a lack of other basic necessities pose serious challenges to a child’s healthy development and school readiness. However, due to finite resources, our board has made the strategic decision to focus on early childhood care & education, rather than basic needs.

Organizations are eligible for SPARK grants every other grant cycle and are eligible for SEED grants once every calendar year. If you have questions regarding your organization’s eligibility please email a member of the Robins team at grants@robinsfdn.org.

I think our programs are aligned with Robins Foundation’s ECCE focus area. What are the next steps?

If you think you may be eligible, please visit our ECCE page to learn more.

If you are seeking a grant related to our Dynamic Community focus area:

Our Dynamic Community grants are for partners and organizations working to make Richmond a positive and dynamic place to live, and are awarded based on selection by our board. You can learn more about the Dynamic Community focus areas here, or click here to see who we’ve funded in recent years.

If your nonprofit has received Robins Foundation Dynamic Community support within the last 12 months, we request that you wait until our next grant cycle to apply.

I think our project is aligned with Robins Foundation’s Dynamic Community focus area. What are the next steps?

If you have or know of a project or initiative that falls into this focus area, please complete our questionnaire. We periodically review all submissions and will reach out to organizations we feel are aligned with our board’s strategic focus.