Strategic Plan

The Board of Directors developed a new Strategic Plan in the fall of 2025. The new plan highlights The Foundation’s role as a leader in philanthropy in the Northern Piedmont region.

Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan

Mobilizing generosity into action to improve lives and strengthen communities across the Northern Piedmont— today and for a better tomorrow.

Mission

Empowered by engaged philanthropy, we are the catalyst for transforming lives and sustaining flourishing communities.

Vision

Core Values

Leadership- Trusted leaders in philanthropy guiding resources, ideas, and partnerships to create lasting impact.

Stewardship- Responsible management of assets to ensure sustainable, long-term community benefit.

Collaboration- Working with donors, nonprofits, and community partners to achieve more collectively.

Opportunity- Advancing fairness and inclusion in every aspect of our work.

Community- Strengthening the social, economic, and environmental well-being of our region.

Responsiveness- Acting with agility and discernment to meet evolving community needs.

Strategic Outcomes

Leadership

  • Convene at least one annual gathering in each county to bring together donors, nonprofits, and civic leaders.

  • Publish an annual IMPACT Report that highlights community needs, trends, and NPCF’s leadership role.

  • Increase visibility through active participation at regional events and at least 10 invited presentations annually at civic organizations.

  • Complete a refreshed rebranding effort to strengthen visibility and credibility across the region.

Stewardship

  • Increase total assets to $150 million within 10 years.

  • Maintain a record of 100% clean audits and achieve 95% donor satisfaction in annual surveys.

  • Ensure strong organizational health through robust resource security and staff support, including comprehensive benefits.

  • All awarded grants are used for their intended charitable purposes, with staff oversight ensuring accountability through regular monitoring, reporting, and follow-up.

Collaboration

  • Develop at least one signature community initiative by 2027 with key regional partners.

  • Grow Give Local Piedmont by 15% annually in dollars raised and active participation by area nonprofits.

  • Establish at least three new strategic partnerships each year with nonprofits or civic entities.

  • Engage nonprofits to align efforts with mission priorities and participate actively in regional planning and advisory groups (e.g. Rappahannock Roundtable, Mental Health Collaborative).

  • Expand outreach to financial advisors and estate planning attorneys to strengthen donor engagement and philanthropic giving.

Opportunity

  • Conduct targeted outreach to promote equitable access to philanthropic resources, and monitor and report demographic data annually to the Board.

  • Provide board training and donor education on equity, inclusion, and effective philanthropy.

  • Maintain diversity of Board, committees, and staff to reflect the communities we serve.

  • Partner with grantees to uphold nondiscrimination standards consistent with the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation’s values.

Community

  • Strive to ensure that at least 80% of all grant dollars, and 100% of unrestricted funds, are invested within the four-county service region.

  • Encourage civic engagement by staff and board members to model community leadership.

  • Market philanthropic impact to reinforce the importance of keeping charitable dollars local.

  • Host an annual Wills and Trusts seminar to promote legacy giving.

  • Achieve 10% annual growth in each social media metric— reach, engagement, and followers— to strengthen visibility and donor engagement.

Responsiveness

  • Grow the Now and Forever Fund to $1,000,000 in assets to ensure long-term flexible resources.

  • Grow the NPCF Emergency Response Fund to $500,000 to provide rapid response funding within 30 days of major community crises.

  • Conduct an annual community needs review to inform board strategy, discretionary grantmaking, and program alignment.