Northern Virginia Health Foundation Celebrates Milestone with $2.6 Million in Multi-Year Grants to Community Partners Advancing Health Equity

For the first time, the Northern Virginia Health Foundation (NVHF) is awarding multi-year grants to seven of its grantee partners dedicated to improving the health and health care of residents in the region. Over the course of three years, beginning in June 2025, NVHF will commit $2.6 million in total—its largest investment to date, with each organization receiving $380,000. 

This shift, shaped by partner input, arrives at a critical time amid rising health disparities and ahead of NVHF’s 20th anniversary this September. The Foundation has previously offered single-year grant opportunities. The newly announced multi-year, general operating support (GOS) grants give the seven selected grantee partners increased capacity to conduct more strategic planning and forecasting, respond to real-time needs, and build infrastructure and resilience. This shift to multi-year grantmaking reflects the Foundation’s dedication to learning alongside its partners and evolving its practices to meet the realities they face. 

“At NVHF, we leverage partner input to inform our grantmaking process and hold ourselves accountable to community needs,” says Courtney Rice, NVHF president and CEO. “In conversations with our grantee partners, we’ve heard a clear message: Multi-year grants provide stability in uncertain times, allowing them to hire and retain quality staff, provide more consistent programming to those they serve, and amplify their impact over time. We hope this commitment encourages other funders to join us in partnering deeply, listening closely, and providing resources for greater impact.”

The seven health safety net grantees will receive the funds to continue their work delivering primary, oral, behavioral health and/or pharmacy services to communities in Northern Virginia— building organizational resilience and community trust. This round of grants will support a wide array of goals, including increasing access to oral health care services for low-income and uninsured residents; piloting a prenatal service line to address maternal health needs; expanding care for those experiencing domestic and sexual violence; and improving health literacy among communities with high rates of chronic disease. By offering flexible funding, NVHF aims to strengthen the infrastructure that makes long-term, community-rooted care possible. It also enables organizations to be more nimble and responsive by adapting programs as community needs evolve.

“As we commemorate two decades of service in the region, we’re proud to support these longstanding grantee partners,” says NVHF Board Chair Sonia Quiñónez. “We are truly grateful for the health care these partners provide to our neighbors throughout this region, and we hope that these grants will give them even more flexibility to meet emerging health priorities in the Northern Virginia community in bold and innovative ways."

The grantee partners receiving multi-year grants are the Arlington Free Clinic, Greater Prince William Health Center, HealthWorks of Northern Virginia, Neighborhood Health, Northern Virginia Dental Clinic, Northern Virginia Family Service, and NOVA ScriptsCentral. 

In addition to the $2.6 million in funding, NVHF is supporting four other organizations with one-year GOS grants of $25,000 each. This reflects the Foundation’s interest in broadening the health safety net in Northern Virginia by increasing access, deepening community partnerships, and remaining responsive to community needs. These four partners are Mother of Mercy Clinic, Culmore Clinic, Loudoun Free Clinic, and George Mason University.