Our founders were innovative, creative hard-working folks. We celebrate their legacy when we welcome opportunities to work directly with organizations to think bigger and think differently. We love partnering with people and organizations with longer-term visions that will break through the status quo and lead to meaningful transformation across our community.
We believe innovation is what will lead to transformative change when it comes to social issues facing the Richmond area. With that goal in mind, and to encourage new thinking and collaboration among Richmond Region nonprofits, we place a special emphasis on fresh perspectives to ongoing challenges through the Community Innovation Grant (CIG).
Partnership
Aligning with peers and nonprofits around community issues, supporting impactful programs and services, promoting greater transparency, adaptability and enthusiasm in the funding landscape
Innovation
Making multifaceted organization-building investments that cultivate and support an innovative culture as well as innovative solutions to community issues
Fairness
Conducting and supporting activities that encourage education policy and expenditure shifts to support better futures for children throughout the Richmond region
At Robins Foundation we connect our past with our future by highlighting the innovative and progressive characteristics of our founders. We know that our nonprofit partners have the expertise to create solutions to the most pressing challenges our region faces today.
Awarded annually the Lora M. and E. Claiborne Robins Community Innovation Grant (CIG) funds one proposal that applauds the imaginative, cooperative spirit of Greater Richmond. The award is designed to support a project that addresses unmet community needs or issues.
Proposals should demonstrate an innovative approach to solving the need, strategic collaboration and the potential for wider, long-term impact on the impacted audience.
The 2020 Lora M. and E. Claiborne Robins Community Innovation Grant application is now closed.
Click here to view a recorded information session.
The sale of the Lora M. Robins Family Learning Center (LMRFLC) to Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority (VCUHSA) has been finalized. The childcare center at LMRFLC which has been operated by VCUHSA since 2010 will continue to operate under the new ownership. In support of our commitment to children and families in Richmond’s Northside,…
Robins Foundation is pleased to announce the top 10 nonprofit organizations for their 2019 Lora M. and E. Claiborne Robins, Sr. Community Innovation Grant (CIG). The CIG, named for Robins Foundation’s founders, seeds a $500,000 proposal that celebrates the imaginative, cooperative spirit of Greater Richmond.
We are excited to announce that Housing Families First has been awarded the $500,000 Lora M. and E. Claiborne Robins Community Innovation Grant (CIG) for their project Bringing Families Home. Housing Families First (HFF) is a primary provider of crisis housing services for Richmond-area families experiencing homelessness. In partnership with the Richmond Public Schools McKinney-Vento…
At Robins Foundation, we partner with innovative, big thinkers and organizations working to transform our community with new solutions to old problems. One such organization is Girls For A Change (GFAC) which works to promote black health, education, rights and community development in Central Virginia by empowering black girls and other girls of color to…
Please take some time to view the videos from our Top 5 finalists for this year’s Lora M. and E. Claiborne Robins Community Innovation Grant. Help Me Help You – “Reentry Navigation and Continuum of Care” Housing Families First – “Bringing Families Home!” Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia (HOME) – “Eviction Diversion Program” Latinos…