The Williamsburg Health Foundation (WHF) is a private foundation. WHF was established in 1996 when the Williamsburg Community Hospital and Sentara developed an affiliation agreement and later merged. This agreement included a provision for a new, locally organized, and managed Foundation to benefit community health. Proceeds from the former Williamsburg Community Hospital and an additional contribution from Sentara established the opportunity for the Foundation to grow its endowment to exist in perpetuity as a community health resource. By law, private foundations spend at least 5% of their endowment each year primarily in the form of grantmaking that aligns with their bylaws and strategic focus within their service area.  

The Williamsburg Health Foundation’s (WHF’s) strategic plan covers the period of 2026-2030 and provides the framework through which WHF awards grants to eligible organizations providing important services to Greater Williamsburg residents. 

In awarding grants, the Foundation has three broad focus areas (access to care, economic advancement, and healthy living), which were identified from the input of Foundation stakeholders, local data, and are supported by the 10-year objectives within the Healthy People 2030 framework. 

Through its strategic planning process, WHF reviewed local health data, held multiple listening sessions with local nonprofits, surveyed perceptions of grant applicants, reviewed local community health needs assessments, and participated in local groups discussing pressing community issues.

WHF is interested in learning about current efforts or the proposed approaches of organizations serving Greater Williamsburg. The application enables organizations to describe the strategic alignment and how the anticipated results of the project/program contribute to making progress within one or more of WHF’s three focus areas. 

All WHF funded projects/programs active on 1/1/2026 align with WHF’s strategic framework.   

The Foundation considers capacity building requests from organizations working to make progress within one or more of the Foundation’s three focus areas: access to care, economic advancement, and healthy living. Requests for capacity building efforts are considered in WHF’s competitive grants process. Organizations requesting grant support for capacity building would describe how the anticipated outcome of the capacity building effort is anticipated to contribute to making progress within one or more of WHF’s three focus areas. 

The Foundation considers advocacy-related requests from organizations working to make progress within one or more of the Foundation’s three focus areas: access to care, economic advancement, and healthy living. Requests for advocacy-related efforts are considered in WHF’s competitive grants process. Organizations requesting grant support for advocacy-related efforts would describe how the anticipated outcome of the advocacy-related effort is anticipated to contribute to making progress within one of the Foundation’s three focus areas. By law, WHF as a private foundation cannot directly attempt to influence specific legislation through lobbying or supporting candidates.

No. However, WHF is focused on enhancing health in Greater Williamsburg (City of Williamsburg, James City County, and York County). Any proposal submitted to the Foundation must be clear about the specific impact of the proposed project / program on the Foundation’s service area, which is only a small proportion of all communities across Virginia. The application allows applicants to share the number of people who are expected to be served from the Foundation’s service area through the proposed project/program. 

No, the application allows applicants to indicate the percentage of people served from Greater Williamsburg — it does not have to be 100%. 

WHF’s service area is Greater Williamsburg (City of Williamsburg, James City County, and York County). While the issues addressed by a proposed project/program may be broad, proposed work must be tied to the Foundation’s funding priorities and address the direct impact on WHF’s service area.

501c(3) organizations that file IRS form 990 or 990-EZ are eligible to apply for WHF funding. If your organization files a 990-N postcard, you will need to apply for WHF funding under a fiscal agent.

With a fiscal agent agreement, an organization not eligible for WHF funding can have a formal arrangement in which an eligible nonprofit organization, a 501(c)(3) public charity, or a government agency can sponsor a project/program that may lack exempt status.  

Assuming your organization meets all eligibility requirements, you are eligible to apply. Since the application requests information on the percentage of people at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level expected to be served by your proposed project/program, please indicate on your application if your organization does not collect such data. 

Churches are eligible to apply for WHF funding if they are 501c3 organizations that file either form 990 or 990-EZ with the IRS. WHF would need a copy of any organization’s 990 or 990-EZ form. 

On occasion, the Foundation awards grant funding to projects/programs proposed by local or state government agencies or to efforts proposed by WHF itself that involve such organizations. To meet the Foundation’s mission of enhancing health  in Greater Williamsburg, WHF finds the involvement of government agencies sometimes necessary (e.g., efforts originally initiated by the Foundation involving the School Health Initiative Program [SHIP] with Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools, and the Child Health Initiative with James City County Department of Social Services and the City of Williamsburg’s Human Services).  

With a few exceptions, WHF does not limit the total number of grants an organization has each calendar year. Exceptions include the following: 1) An organization may have one general operating support grant per calendar year, and 2) Organizations receiving grant support for a project/program proposal are limited to one grant award for that particular project/proposal each year. 

In making decisions about grant awards, the Foundation considers many factors, including an organization’s prior/existing WHF application(s) and grant(s), award amount(s), fiscal management of these grant(s), current reporting status, and plans for sustainability, if applicable. 

Organizations currently receiving grant support may apply for funding for the same project/program in the same grant cycle in which they were previously considered. 

Organizations may apply for an unsolicited grant to be considered in the competitive grants process during any of the three calendar cycles throughout the year. 

Awards are determined during a competitive grants process, and the Foundation’s Board of Trustees makes award decisions multiple times per year. Award decisions are based on the grants budget and the total number of applications received, both of which vary by year. By the nature of the grants process, the number of grant applications received is not known in advance, nor is the grant cycle for when organizations decide to apply. Organizations are encouraged to apply during the grant cycle that makes the best sense to them, both in terms of timing of their proposed projects/programs and when they need to have funding in place, if awarded. 

No, there are no restrictions as long as the organization satisfies all eligibility requirements and follows WHF’s guidelines for requesting funding. 

An organization may submit multiple proposals during the calendar year for consideration. In evaluating proposals, WHF considers the following in making grant awards: Organization’s prior/existing WHF application(s) and grant(s), award amounts(s), fiscal management of these grant(s), current reporting status, and plans for sustainability, if applicable.

Yes, in both cases an organization may apply for WHF funding under the 2026-2030 strategic plan. In applying, organizations must identify the focus area(s) and funding strategy/ies being addressed by the proposed project/program. In evaluating proposals and making grant awards, WHF considers the following: organization’s prior/existing WHF application(s) and grant(s), award amount(s), fiscal management of these grant(s), current reporting status, and plans for sustainability, if applicable.

The Foundation considers proposed projects/programs applications for up to a one–year grant period. 

While WHF provides constructive feedback for declined applications following the close of grant cycles, WHF does not provide feedback on applications prior to grant cycle deadlines. The Foundation always responds to questions related to the strategic plan and grants process.

Although organizations are not required to have additional funding sources for proposed projects/programs under consideration, applicants are required to list all additional funding sources (anticipated and committed) in support of the proposed effort as part of the application. This information  helps the Foundation assess the expected success and sustainability of the proposed project/program. 

Applicants who propose projects/programs involving other organizational partners should include letters of support, when appropriate. In evaluating proposals, the Foundation needs to clearly understand the awareness of and support for the proposal by all partners involved.

If your organization proposes a training program, the number of individuals expected to be served should be the number of individuals your organization expects to directly train. If those individuals who are trained under the proposed program are then expected to serve Greater Williamsburg residents, please note this as well as the number of Greater Williamsburg residents receiving services under the question: “Are there other demographic characteristics of the people expected to be served by WHF funds that would like to share?” 

WHF prioritizes proposals that impact the health of economically disadvantaged individuals, including those who are uninsured and underinsured. In evaluating grant applications, the Foundation considers the proposed project/program’s ability to provide services to the population at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. If your organization does not collect income data, please share that information on your application. If you are able to estimate the proportion of people expected to be served who are at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, please provide that number and clearly state how the estimate is determined.

For unsolicited grant applications, organizations are required to upload or provide a link to: 

• Audit Report and Management Letter: The audit report should be current in the last 18 months prior to the grant application submission. If the audit report is not current, your organization may request a waiver by uploading a copy of your request letter in place of the audit report. If your organization receives an audit report after grant application but before award decisions are made, please contact the Foundation at grants@williamsburghealthfoundation.org and attach the new audit report.

• IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ: Organizations should upload the most current IRS form available at the time of grant application. 

• Budget Form Packet: Applicants submitting an unsolicited grant application must download a copy of the budget form packet from the Foundation’s webpage and upload a completed copy to their grant application.  

Organizations are welcome to attach other documents to their application they would like to share with the Foundation. Organizations applying for grant funding involving other partners are encouraged to provide letters of support so that the Foundation can clearly understand the awareness of and support for the proposal by all partners involved.

All projects/programs – both unsolicited and invited – ultimately awarded grant funding are aligned with WHF’s mission, focus areas, and funding strategies as outlined by WHF’s 2026-2030 strategic plan. In certain cases, WHF invites organizations to apply for funding. Invited organizations are those with long funding histories with WHF and whose impact in improving the health of Greater Williamsburg residents has been demonstrated over many years. Organizations invited to apply will receive an invitation from the Foundation via email.

All proposals requesting WHF funding are unsolicited proposals with grant application deadlines shown on the Grants Calendar under the column “Unsolicited Proposals Due” unless an organization receives an “Invitation to Submit” email from WHF officially inviting application. Organizations receiving an invitation via email will have application deadlines shown on the Grants Calendar under the column “Invited Proposals Due” for those projects/programs in which they are invited to apply.  

If an organization is invited to apply for WHF funding, invitations are sent by an “Invitation to Submit” email approximately one month prior to the application deadline shown on the Grants Calendar under the column “Invited Proposals Due.” 

For invited applications, organizations are required to upload or provide a link to: 

• Audit Report and Management Letter (all invited applications): The audit report should be current in the last 18 months prior to the grant application submission. If the audit report is not current, your organization may request a waiver by uploading a copy of your request letter in place of the audit report. If your organization receives an audit report after grant application but before award decisions are made, please contact the Foundation at grants@williamsburghealthfoundation.org and attach the new audit report.

• IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ (all invited applications): Organizations should upload the most current IRS form available at the time of grant application. 

• Annual Report (invited General Operating Support applications): Organizations invited to apply for General Operating Support should either attach or provide a link to their most recent annual report. Applicant organizations that do not prepare annual reports must upload a page to their General Operating Support application stating their organization does not prepare an annual report. 

• Organization Strategic Plan (invited General Operating Support): Organizations invited to apply for General Operating Support should upload a copy of their organization’s current strategic plan. 

• Budget Form Packet (invited project/program applications) or Current Operations Budget (invited General Operating Support applications): Applicants invited for project/program support must download a copy of the budget form packet from the Foundation’s webpage and upload a completed copy to their grant application. Applicants invited for General Operating Support should upload a copy of their organization’s current operations budget. 

Organizations are welcome to attach other documents to their application they would like to share with the Foundation. Organizations applying for grant funding involving other partners are encouraged to provide letters of support so that the Foundation can clearly understand the awareness of and support for the proposal by all partners involved.

Yes, your organization may apply for capital grant support during the last grant cycle of the calendar year (see Grants Calendar). In evaluating repeat proposals during the competitive grants process, WHF considers the organization’s prior/existing WHF application(s) and grant(s), award amount(s), fiscal management of these grant(s), current reporting status, and plans for sustainability, if applicable.

Yes, organizations may apply for both types of support in the last funding cycle of the calendar year. However, applicants must complete two different applications – one for the project/program support and the other for capital grant request. Please contact WHF’s Program Officer, Kelly Metcalf-Meese (grants@williamsburghealthfoundation.org) if you have any questions about this process and to determine which application is appropriate.

Yes, capital grant requests may include one or more capital-related projects, and organizations may apply for multiple capital projects in one application. However, the projects and their costs must be clearly separated. If an organization applies for multiple capital projects, please indicate the order of priority your organization attaches to the projects.

Under the Foundation’s rules prohibiting retrospective funding, WHF does not consider a request related to debt payment on a mortgage for a building purchased prior to applying to the Foundation for capital grant assistance. WHF’s focus is on pre-mortgage capital support. Please see section under “Budgets” below to read more about office expenses as part of project / program support.

No, the availability of capital grant support varies by year. Even if capital projects are strategically aligned with the Foundation’s mission and funding priorities, the Foundation’s ability to fund such requests is limited by the grants budget and total project / program requests funded for the year.

The availability of capital grant support is unknown until after capital grant applications are due at the end of the year. Organizations interested in capital grant support must apply during the last funding cycle of the calendar year in which consideration is desired.

For capital grant applications, organizations are required to upload or provide a link to: 

• Audit Report and Management Letter: The audit report should be current in the last 18 months prior to the grant application submission. If the audit report is not current, your organization may request a waiver by uploading a copy of your request letter in place of the audit report. If your organization receives an audit report after grant application but before award decisions are made, please contact the Foundation at grants@williamsburghealthfoundation.org and attach the new audit report.

• IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ: Organizations should upload the most current IRS form available at the time of grant application.

• Annual Report: Applicants should either attach or provide a link to their most recent annual report. Applicant organizations that do not prepare annual reports must upload a page to their application stating their organization does not prepare an annual report. 

• Current Operations Budget: Applicants should upload a copy of their organization’s current operations budget. 

• Project Budget: Applicants should upload a project budget to help the Foundation understand the capital project. 

• Report of Funds Raised: Applicants should upload a list of funds raised to date. 

• Schematic or Conceptual Drawings (optional): If applicants have schematic or conceptual drawings available, the Foundation requests these be uploaded to the grant application. 

Organizations are welcome to attach other documents to their application they would like to share with the Foundation. 

Depending on the project/program, the Foundation would consider future mortgage payments as part of the project/program budget. All grant applicants are required to complete a budget form packet, which includes a grant expense category line dedicated to “Office Space” should an applicant want the Foundation to consider such expenses. Applicants must detail any specifics related to office expenses.  

Since grant requests and associated costs are considered part of a competitive grants process, the Foundation considers the following criteria in reviewing office expenses (and all other expenses): 

• How the expense relates to a proposed project/program 

• Strategic alignment with the Foundation’s vision, mission, overarching goal, focus area(s), and related funding strategy/ies 

• Extent to which the proposed expense is anticipated to enhance health in Greater Williamsburg 

• Extent to which the proposed expense is anticipated to impact the health of uninsured, underinsured, or economically disadvantaged individuals

Yes.

WHF requests information on additional funding sources to help assess the expected success and sustainability of the proposed project/program or capital project.

WHF encourages collaboration, when possible, in operating proposed projects/programs. The Foundation is pleased to provide email introductions to organizations who are interested in working together and with whom they would like such an introduction. Greater Williamsburg has many ongoing collaboratives where local nonprofits can meet staff from other organizations and learn more about how others are addressing pressing community issues. 

Submission of either an unsolicited and/or invited grant application does not guarantee funding. The application pool is very competitive, and the Foundation routinely receives more strong proposals than can be funded in a grant cycle. Even if each proposal meets the evaluation criteria outlined on the Foundation’s website, WHF typically is unable to fund every grant submission.

The following criteria is used in assessing all applications and making grant awards: 

• Anticipated impact of the project toward enhancing health in Greater Williamsburg. 

• Alignment with the Foundation’s 2026-2030 Strategic Plan. 

• Evidence supporting need for the proposed effort in Greater Williamsburg. 

• Extent to which the proposed effort is designed to make progress toward one or more of the Foundation’s focus areas. 

• Project’s ability to provide services to the population at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. 

• Extent to which funds requested are for the purpose of replacing federal, state, or local government funds, which are generally not favored except for temporary or emergency funding. 

• Organization’s prior/existing WHF application(s), grant(s), award amount(s), fiscal management of these grant(s), current reporting status, and plans for sustainability, if applicable. 

Members of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees make all funding decisions.

Depending on the award amount and the grant period as outlined in the grant agreement, successful grantees are required to complete either: 1) a progress and final report or 2) a final report only. The grant agreement specifies the number of grant reports. Throughout the grant period, grantees may receive questions from the Foundation, and Foundation staff and/or Board may be interested in conducting a site visit at a mutually agreeable day/time.

Approximately one month prior to the report deadline (as outlined in the grant agreement or as modified by WHF email), the appropriate report to be completed will be available in your organization’s grantee portal which was used to apply for the grant. WHF will send an email notifying you of the availability of the required report in your grantee portal. 

Yes, please notify the Foundation if there is a change in your organization’s leadership at any point during the grant cycle.

Yes, please notify the Foundation if your organization anticipates issues at any point in the grant period related to the grant award rather than waiting until the official grant reports are due.

Prior to each grant cycle, applicants have an opportunity to attend an information session. To see upcoming information sessions and register, please use the appropriate link under the “Optional Information Session” on the Foundation’s website. If you have additional questions, please contact WHF’s Program Officer, Kelly Metcalf-Meese at grants@williamsburghealthfoundation.org or by calling 757/345-0912.