Washington and Lee University Surpasses $1 Million in Community Grants Since its founding in 2008, the Community Grants Committee has awarded more than $1 million in grants to local non-profit organizations.

Washington and Lee University’s Community Grants Program has surpassed $1 million in grants made to local non-profit organizations since the committee’s founding in 2008.

W&L is committed to being an active part of the community and to promoting its well-being. This philanthropic milestone is a testament to W&L’s longstanding investment in Lexington and Rockbridge County.

“W&L’s Community Grants Program has been a meaningful source of support for RARA over the years,” said Lindsey Pérez, executive director of the Rockbridge Area Relief Association (RARA), which has received multiple grants from the program. “Their funding is especially valuable because it is flexible, allowing us to direct resources where they are needed most, whether that’s food for our Neighborhood Grocery, emergency housing assistance or other core services. That adaptability helps us respond to changing community needs and continue serving Rockbridge County residents with consistency and care.”

A Commitment to the Community

The Community Grants Program was created to provide a structure for evaluating the requests for financial donations and support that come to Washington and Lee from a wide range of non-profit organizations. Grants are awarded by W&L’s Community Grants Committee (CGC), which has a $60,000 annual budget and meets twice a year to evaluate proposals. The committee is composed of faculty and staff from across campus, as well as a current student appointed by the Executive Committee.

“The Community Grants program is just one of the ways that Washington and Lee provides meaningful support to the local area,” said Steve McAllister, W&L’s vice president for finance. “These grants, combined with our annual unrestricted grant to the City of Lexington, recent commitments to the Rockbridge Area Health Center and Yellow Brick Road expansion, event sponsorships and periodic support of public projects including the landscaping project at the intersection of Main and Jefferson Street and the Court House Square renovation, underscore the importance of the relationship between the university and the Lexington/Rockbridge community in a tangible way.”

Over the years, the CGC has awarded grants to organizations serving a range of community needs. The Rockbridge Area Relief Association (RARA), which assists local families in times of need, was one of the original organizations that requested funding in June 2008 and has since received more than 18 grants. Other recipients have included Blue Ridge Legal Services, Inc., Rockbridge Area Conservation Council, the Community Table, Hoofbeats Therapeutic Riding Center, Main Street Lexington, Rockbridge Christmas Baskets and Rockbridge Recovery. In its most recent cycle for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, which brought the program’s giving total to more than $1 million, the committee made 12 grants to organizations, including The Halestone Foundation, Parry McCluer High School Social Studies Department, the Rockbridge Historical Society and Rockbridge Connect & Nourish (CAN).

“For almost two decades, the Community Grants Committee has worked to offer financial assistance to a multitude of worthy organizations through this program, making an effort to support those that will have the greatest local impact,” said Katherine Brinkley, director of board operations, who has provided administrative support for the program since its inception. “It’s an honor to be part of an institution that has provided important resources to the local community.”

Making a Difference

Through the Community Grants Program, W&L strives to give financial support to a broad range of deserving community organizations. When the program first started, W&L’s annual budget allocated $50,000 to distribute through community grants. In that first decade, W&L would receive as many as 50 proposals in a year, and in the 2018-2019 fiscal year, the committee was allowed to expand the program’s reach by increasing the grant distributions to $60,000 annually.

The CGC considers approximately 20 to 40 proposals each year and takes great care in deciding how the $60,000 is allotted. There is no set limit on how many organizations can receive a grant, and the committee aims to distribute the funds in a way that will make as great an impact on the community as possible. While many groups receive regular funding, such as RARA and the Community Table, the committee also looks for opportunities to support new applicants, demonstrating W&L’s commitment to building and maintaining positive relationships with the Lexington/Rockbridge community.

“It has been a pleasure working with W&L, and we are grateful for all they do,” said Jim Crews, who has volunteered for the Community Table for over a decade and has served on the board of directors for two terms. “The grants program allows us to purchase food to serve those who are food-insecure, while W&L’s Campus Kitchen provides meals for our Wednesday lunches, and W&L students have also volunteered as servers and on our board over the years.”

W&L’s CGC is proud to serve as a resource for non-profit organizations in Lexington and Rockbridge County seeking financial assistance. Guidelines for proposals can be found online, and the committee members are available to answer questions organizations might have about creating and submitting their proposals. Proposals may be submitted at any time, but they are reviewed semiannually, in November and March. The submission deadline for the two rounds of evaluations for the 2026-2027 cycle will be in late fall and early spring. Visit https://go.wlu.edu/communitygrants for more information.