$11.6 million in funding for health, children, families, workforce development, education and economic development announced by Marvin W. Gilliam, Jr.

The Marvin W. Gilliam, Jr. -led Wellspring Foundation of Southwest Virginia is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s HOPE and IMPACT grants, totaling $11.6 million distributed to 28 local organizations. This is a significant increase over the Wellspring Foundation’s inaugural grant cycle last year, which totaled $7 million to 13 organizations.

Both HOPE and IMPACT grants help fund programs and services offered by eligible nonprofits and governmental entities serving Washington, Grayson, Russell and Smyth counties in Virginia while supporting, promoting and/or furthering the Wellspring Foundation’s vision and mission.

Qualified organizations include those focused on health, children and families, workforce development, education and economic development. Nonprofits apply for either grant depending on funding level needs to support new or current programming as well as establishing or investigating new services.

Marvin Gilliam, Chair of the Wellspring Foundation Board of Directors, congratulated the 2024 recipients saying he was thrilled with the increased response to this year’s grant cycle. “The Southwest Virginia region has so many deserving organizations working incredibly hard to improve the communities they serve,” Gilliam said. “We are proud to be in a position to support these organizations that are dedicated to taking on the challenges facing the overall wellbeing of our region’s residents.”

The HOPE (Helping Others Pursue Excellence) Grant is designed for organizations requesting one-time funding of up to $25,000 for a project. This year over thirty applications were received in this category, with eleven projects receiving approval. Funding provided to the 2024 HOPE Grant recipients totaled over $200,000.

The IMPACT (Investing in Meaningful Projects Advancing Community Transformation) Grant is designed for organizations requesting either a single-year or multi-year disbursement of funds for projects totaling more than $25,000. The Wellspring Foundation received forty IMPACT applications this year with seventeen projects receiving funding approval.

Funds provided to organizations in the IMPACT Grant’s 2024 cycle totaled almost $11.4 million.

Sean McMurray, Executive Director of the Wellspring Foundation of Southwest Virginia, said he was excited to see the increase in funding through the HOPE and IMPACT grants this year compared to last year. “We continue to be amazed by the growing interest in our grant cycle each year. We wish we could fund every worthy endeavor, but the requests far outweigh the funds we have available to distribute.” He continued, “We are honored to be able to support so many meaningful projects that will have lasting benefits on our region.”

The Wellspring Foundation’s Board of Directors and dedicated staff conducted extensive evaluations and discussions throughout the application review process to make the difficult decision of choosing which projects to fund. They are confident that the programs funded this year have great potential for long-term impact and support to the community.

A full list of the HOPE & IMPACT grant recipients can be found on the Wellspring Foundation’s website, www.wellspringva.org. Those interested in applying for a Wellspring Foundation grant for 2025 will have two opportunities to do so and should begin by reviewing the specific guidelines for each which are also listed on the website.

• The HOPE Grant application cycle will open again December 2, 2024 and close December 31, 2024 at 4:30 p.m. Applications are considered until program funds budgeted for the year have been fully distributed.· The IMPACT Grant application cycle will open early 2025.

Established in the fall of 2021, the Wellspring Foundation of Southwest Virginia exists to enhance the health and wellbeing for the Virginia residents of Washington, Grayson, Russell and Smyth counties by cultivating goal-oriented partnerships.

Marvin W. Gilliam, Jr. leads MAM Development, LLC and chairs the Marcia and Marvin Gilliam, Jr. Foundation. He was previously a part owner and vice president of Cumberland Resources Corp. in Abingdon, Virginia, ultimately overseeing the company’s acquisition by Massey Energy.

He has served on the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia (UVA) and is currently on the College Board of UVA Wise. He is actively involved in various standing committees and search committees for both educational institutions.

Marvin holds positions on the Board of Trustees of Barter Theatre and the Virginia Athletics Foundation and formerly served as a Trustee on the board of Johnston Memorial Hospital. As a profound philanthropist, he has sponsored scholarships and construction projects at UVA Wise and is a supporter of their academic and athletics departments. Additionally, Marvin has made significant contributions to Barter Theatre, the William King Museum of Art, and numerous other local charities.