Our Mission

To connect people who care
with causes large and small
to benefit the communities we serve.

About Us

a history of community service

The Southeast Virginia Community Foundation (SEVACF) is a nonprofit 501-C3 organization that connects people who care with causes large and small to benefit the communities we serve. Created in 2010 by the merger of the Portsmouth Community Foundation (1965) and Chesapeake’s Heron Foundation (2008), SEVACF has been serving the community for over 50 years.

SEVACF helps donors meet local charitable needs in Chesapeake, Portsmouth, and the greater southeast Virginia region by targeting grants and scholarships toward our community’s most pressing needs and promising opportunities.

SEVACF manages a collection of charitable funds, grant-making funds, nonprofit endowments, and scholarship funds, created by different donors at different times for varying purposes. Donors may create funds during their lifetime or by bequest, for general charitable purposes or for a particular cause or organization that they specify. SEVACF provides tailored services to help individuals, families, businesses, and other groups pursue their charitable goals easily, effectively, and with maximum tax benefit.

What We’ve Accomplished

reflecting on over a DECADE of community growth

$6.3 Million

TOTAL GRANTS AWARDED

$17 Million

TOTAL NET ASSETS

120

TOTAL FUNDS

How We Help

bringing community INVOLVEMENT full circle

GRANTS

Through our two competitive grant cycles each year, SEVACF supports southeast Virginia’s most exciting and most urgent charitable projects. We serve as a catalyst, leading collaborative solutions to key community issues as they arise.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Through our scholarship program, SEVACF has helped many local students pursue their dream of a college education. We’ve been able to award both need-based and merit-based scholarships to the future leaders of our country.

ENDOWMENTS

SEVACF also manages designated endowments on behalf on nonprofits through The Match program, providing these groups with sustainable, easy funds for whatever their needs may be while promoting financial stability.

SEVACF’s perpetual endowments are a resource for today and tomorrow. With SEVACF, people who love southeast Virginia can give back to the community they love to help meet today’s pressing needs, while building a source of support for future generations.