Values Statement
Lora M. and E. Claiborne Robins were compassionate, empathetic and accessible leaders who valued integrity, ethical practices and generosity. As thoughtful philanthropists and visionaries, they used their wealth to improve the quality of life for residents of the Richmond community.
We want the Richmond region to be a vibrant and dynamic community, attractive to families and businesses through a strong nonprofit sector and improved educational opportunities which can break the cycles of intergenerational poverty vexing our region.
Core Goals
For more than sixty years, Robins Foundation has led transformational change in Richmond with a focus on visionary partnerships, strong nonprofits, dynamic communities and thriving people.
Visionary Partnerships
We partner with innovative, big thinkers and organizations working to transform our community with new solutions to old problems. We invest in programs, capacity and ideas that keep us nimble, providing opportunities for the Foundation to participate in new concepts, and with new organizations and new approaches that we may otherwise miss.
Strong Nonprofits
A healthy nonprofit sector is critical to the strength and health of our region. We commit to seeking and studying formal and informal ways to help our nonprofit partners thrive. Strong, stable partners have been and will continue to be at the core of everything we do at Robins Foundation.
Thriving People
For children to thrive, parents and caregivers must receive the resources, supportive services and education they need to thrive as well. We will invest for whole family success to better address the poverty that plagues our most vulnerable neighborhoods. Strong communities need services and resources for people where they are, so that families can safely live, work and play in the neighborhoods they already cherish.
Dynamic Community
A vibrant, culturally diverse, active, sustainable and visually attractive community adds to the quality of life for all our citizens and draws residents and tourists alike to our city. Broader access to our region’s natural, cultural and historic assets represents strategic opportunities to leverage and connect our work across the region.
Community Engagement
We believe the legacy of the Robins family and of the Robins Foundation can be about more than a process, more than funding or a check, and more than focus areas. It can be about conversations, and engagement, partnership and leadership. These were hallmarks of the way Mr. and Mrs. Robins approached their community and are trademarks of the way Robins Foundation engages with community.