Richard Lykes Rappahannock Community Fund
Eligibility:
Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in good standing serving residents of Rappahannock County.
Timeline:
Application Window: October 7, 2026-October 30, 2026
Decision Notification: Week of December 21, 2026
Grant Range:
Historically, grant amounts have ranged from $2,500-$20,000. However, we encourage all applications and invite you to speak with NPCF staff about your proposal.
Grant Information:
The Richard Lykes Rappahannock Community Fund Grants provide funding to strengthen the fabric of the Rappahannock County community and are open to organizations that serve its residents.
The Richard Lykes Rappahannock Community Fund Grants are highly competitive, and evaluators will prioritize projects or initiatives that address foundational community needs and reflect The Foundation’s values of leadership, stewardship, collaboration, opportunity, community, and responsiveness. Proposals should include a clear plan with defined outcomes that demonstrate significant and measurable positive impact.
Additional consideration will be given to proposals that emphasize collaboration and partnerships, particularly those that aim to address the underlying root causes of community need or redundancy in support systems.
Successful funding requests will generally do one or more of the following:
sustain successful existing programs;
expand existing programs in number/areas served;
make quality improvements to existing programs;
start new programs; or
make purchases for needed equipment, supplies, or training
Priority consideration will be given to organizations demonstrating strong management and a proven track record of accomplishments. All grants are subject to our general grants guidelines and policies.
Please ensure all contact information is current. Obsolete information can delay fund disbursement.
NPCF strongly recommends speaking with staff prior to submitting a grant application.
Richard Lykes Biography
Richard Lykes was a freelance photojournalist whose work most often appeared in the Rappahannock News (Washington, Virginia). He was active in a number of county civic organizations including the Ki Theatre, the Rappahannock Association for the Arts and the Community (RAAC), the Rappahannock Historical Society, and the Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection (RLEP). Lykes lived at Vista Hermosa Farm on Fogg Mountain near Flint Hill which he and his partner, Buddy Darden, purchased in 1992. He was an avid photographer since the mid-1950s but turned professional upon coming to Rappahannock County.
Before retiring in 2000 as an economist and research director for the Manufacturers Alliance, Lykes wrote extensively on international trade and authored several studies, including A Handbook on Financing U.S. Exports and Are You Ready for Disaster? A Corporate Guide for Preparedness and Response. He lived permanently in Rappahannock County since 2000. Born in Laredo, Texas, Lykes attended college at George Washington University (B.A. and M.A. in International Affairs/Economics). Growing up bilingual in Spanish and English, Lykes also studied abroad at Mexico City College (Mexico) and did graduate work in international law at the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina) as a Rotary Foundation Fellow. Lykes has an identical twin brother, Roy, of Silver Spring, Maryland and brother, Dr. Frederick Lykes of Victoria, Texas. Richard Lykes died February 25, 2009.
In his obituary, Jim Gannon said of Richard Lykes, “He was a soft-spoken man of refined taste, delicate constitution and sensitive talent, both a gentleman and a gentle man. Though he was a native of Texas, he was the polar opposite of the stereotypical Texan–nothing about him suggested toughness, loudness or swagger.”
Richard Lykes was a giving man — of his time, talent and, ultimately, from his estate after his death. By all accounts he loved Rappahannock County and was beloved by many who came to know him. The Richard Lykes Rappahannock Community Fund invites proposals for projects that strengthen the fabric of Rappahannock County by addressing community challenges or creating new opportunities.