Community Foundation Announces Grants to Six Regional Nonprofits
Grants from the Duff McDuff Green, Jr. Fund support historic preservation, outdoor recreation, and youth education programs in the Fredericksburg area.
By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
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The Community Foundation of the Rappahannock Region this week announced that $62,600 in grants from the Duff McDuff Green Jr. fund have been awarded to six regional nonprofits.
The fund was established in 2010 through a trust from Green, a philanthropist whose passion was for preserving land and providing opportunities for outdoor activities for children, according to a press release from the Community Foundation.
Accordingly, the 2025 grants support organizations dedicated to preservation, outdoor recreation, and youth education.
Preservation Grant
The Central Virginia Battlefields Trust has been awarded $12,600 to create public access to and historical interpretation of the Nine Mile Run property on the Chancellorsville Battlefield.
“These funds will allow us to share our area’s rich history with local communities as well as visitors that come here to learn and enjoy our historic greenspaces,” said Tim Talbott, the Trust’s chief administrative officer, in the press release. “We are thankful for this generous gift and for The Community Foundation recognizing the value of learning about the past in order to enrich our present and future.”
Outdoor Recreation Grant
The Rappahannock Education Farm has received $15,000 to support the purchase of a tractor, which will help the farm to expand, increase production, and create more volunteer opportunities.
“This grant will provide our nonprofit Farm with funds to purchase a tractor that will improve our efficiency and enable us to increase the acreage we can farm and the amount of produce we can grow and donate,” said Rich Larochelle, who chairs the farm’s board. “The result will be the that more healthy local food will be available to those in our community who need it most.”
Youth Program Grants
Fredericksburg Area Museum
The museum has been awarded $500 to support Fredericksburg 250: Learning Through Local History, a program that provides free field trips for students of Fredericksburg City Public Schools. The field trips will link the area’s museums and historic sites to the state curriculum and to Fredericksburg City’s upcoming 250th anniversary.
Sam McElvey, FAM’s CEO, said the funding will “not only open the doors of Fredericksburg’s cultural institutions to our students, but it will also ensure that every child in our city has the chance to connect with our shared history in meaningful and lasting ways.”
“We are honored to partner with our fellow institutions and Fredericksburg City Public Schools to inspire the next generation through the stories of our community,” he said.
Girls on the Run Piedmont
A $10,000 grant from the Duff McDuff Green Jr. fund will expand access to this program to at least 75 additional girls in the Fredericksburg area. The funding will pay for running shoes, program materials, and training for 30 new volunteer coaches.
Girls on the Run’s program for 3rd through 5th graders offers physical activity with life coaching—managing emotions, fostering friendships, and expressing empathy—to create community and foster teamwork.
“This generous support helps us continue bringing Girls on the Run to more girls across our community, giving them a safe place to build confidence, friendships, and joy in movement,” said Kathy Butler, executive director of Girls on the Run Piedmont. “We are truly grateful for the Foundation’s belief in our mission and for the legacy of Mr. Green, whose heart for community continues to make a difference in the lives of so many.”
Operation Warm
A $10,000 grant to this organization will go towards providing 1,500 new coats and 500 pairs of shoes to Fredericksburg children by March 31, 2026.
“Operation Warm is honored to receive a grant,” said Matt Friedman, the organization’s development senior manager. “This generous support will provide new coats and shoes to children in Fredericksburg, helping them stay warm and engage in healthy outdoor play—a passion close to Mr. Green’s heart.”
Spreading Smiles
Spreading Smiles is a nonprofit established by the Bonilla family, longtime owners of Ristorante Renato in downtown Fredericksburg, to meet the needs of food insecure children in Frederickburg-area schools by providing weekend and holiday meals—as well as backpacks, clothes, and shoes for school, Easter baskets, and holiday gifts.
The $10,000 grant will help the organization continue to fulfill this mission.
“This grant from the Duff McDuff Green, Jr. Fund of The Community Foundation means the world to us,” said iElisa Bonilla. “Each week we’re packing and delivering hundreds of Buddy Bags so kids have meals when school is out, and this funding makes that possible. We are truly grateful for the Foundation’s support and for carrying on Mr. Green’s vision of lifting up our community.”
The 2025 grant recipients were chosen by the Community Foundation’s donor services committee and the Duff McDuff Green Jr. Fund advisors following a review of applications, site visits, and interviews.
Find out more about the Community Foundation here.
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