The Community Foundation for the CSRA today officially launched its 2027 Community Grants Campaign, announcing an ambitious goal to grant $1 million to expand support for local nonprofits and strengthen the future of philanthropy across the six-county CSRA.

The campaign, themed "One Million Threads. One Shared Mission.", celebrates the idea that every act of generosity, whether from an individual donor, business, family, volunteer, or community partner, helps weave a stronger, more resilient community.

"For nearly 30 years, our community has shown what is possible when generosity brings people together," said Shell K. Berry, President and CEO of the Community Foundation for the CSRA. "Every gift is a thread. Every nonprofit is a thread. Every volunteer and every donor adds strength to the fabric of our community. Together, those threads create opportunities that none of us could accomplish alone."

Since 1996, the Community Grants Program has been one of the ways the Community Foundation for the CSRA brings people and resources together to meet the changing needs of our region. Rather than investing in a single issue or organization, the Community Grants Program allows us to leverage the resources entrusted to the Foundation and direct them where they can make the greatest difference.

That responsibility is shared with the community. Foundation staff, community volunteer review panels, site visits and Board leadership are all part of a thoughtful grantmaking process designed to identify the organizations and programs positioned to make the greatest impact each year.

But the need is growing faster than the resources we have available to meet it. Because of the carefully stewarded Community Foundation Endowment, in 2026, the Foundation awarded $735,800 through the Community Grants Program to 59 nonprofit organizations working across our region. Those organizations are helping children succeed, strengthening families, improving health and wellness, enriching our communities through arts and culture, and ensuring our neighbors have access to basic needs. Yet nonprofits requested more than $2.1 million during that same grant cycle.

That gap represents more than dollars we could not award. It represents worthy organizations doing important work, programs with the potential to reach more people, and needs that are still waiting to be met. We know the Community Foundation cannot close that gap alone—and we are not asking to. We are asking our community to walk beside us, build upon what we have created together, add their own thread to this work, and help us say “yes” to more of the nonprofits making a difference across the CSRA.

To learn more about the Community Grants Campaign or make a gift, visit www.cfcsra.org.