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Danville Regional Foundation

Annual Giving
$16.2M
Grant Range
$3K - $4.1M
Decision Time
4mo

Danville Regional Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $16.2M
  • Total Assets: $247M
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: 3-8 months (standard); 8-10 weeks for complex/large requests
  • Grant Range: $3,000 - $4,100,000
  • Geographic Focus: Danville and Pittsylvania County, VA; Caswell County, NC

Contact Details

Mailing Address: 512 Bridge Street, Suite 100, Danville, VA 24541

Phone: (434) 799-2176

Email: info@drfonline.org

Website: www.drfonline.org

Program Officers:

  • Education: Susanne Bell
  • Community Development: Joshua Hearne
  • Health: Reggie Singletary

Overview

Established in 2005 with $200 million from the sale of Danville Regional Medical Center to LifePoint Hospitals, Inc., the Danville Regional Foundation (DRF) has become a transformative force in the Dan River Region. With total assets of $247 million and annual giving of $16.2 million, DRF has committed more than $180 million through over 580 grants since inception. The foundation makes long-term investments to improve education, economic vitality, community wellness, and civic capacity throughout Danville and Pittsylvania County in Virginia, and Caswell County in North Carolina. Under President and CEO Clark Casteel's leadership, DRF takes a patient capital approach, recognizing that "community transformation takes time" and embracing the risk to "fail, learn, and try again." In 2024, DRF received the Main Street Champion Merit Award for its instrumental role in enabling Danville to achieve Accredited Main Street America designation.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Traditional Responsive Grants: $3,000 - $4,100,000

  • No set dollar limit on grant requests
  • Rolling basis review—proposals accepted anytime
  • Typical grants range: Median of $25,000
  • Preference for diverse funding sources
  • DRF policy: maximum 40% funding for capital projects
  • Indirect costs capped at 10% of direct costs

B.R. Ashby, M.D. Award for Outstanding Community Service: $60,000

  • Annual general operating grant
  • Honors nonprofits demonstrating outstanding community service in helping families and individuals overcome significant challenges
  • Recent recipients: Project Literacy (2024), Caswell County Outreach Ministry (2023)

Make It Happen / Make More Happen Together: Up to $25,000

  • Simplified application process for quick community projects
  • Must be completed within 90-day period
  • Decision within 2 weeks of submission
  • Open to individuals and organizations in service area
  • Projects range from fitness initiatives and educational programs to community festivals and park improvements

Capacity Development Grants: Amount varies

  • Strengthening organizational infrastructure

Specific Focus Area Grants:

  • Education Grants
  • Health Grants
  • Economic Development Grants
  • Workforce Grants

Priority Areas

DRF uses a "need, opportunity, and impact" lens across four strategic focus areas:

  1. Economic Transformation: Producing a rising standard of living through workforce development, entrepreneurship support, and downtown revitalization
  2. Educational Attainment: Ensuring educational success is the community norm from early childhood through adult literacy
  3. Health and Wellness: Supporting community health initiatives and access to care
  4. Civic Capacity and Community Engagement: Building stronger community infrastructure and partnerships

DRF prioritizes applications demonstrating the intersection of:

  • Need: The problem or issue being addressed
  • Opportunity: Partnerships and collaborations
  • Impact: Visible community-level change

What They Don't Fund

  • Faith-based institutions for religious purposes
  • Replacement of government funding
  • Debt repayment or standalone administrative costs (exception: Ashby Award)
  • Standalone events (though events may be part of a larger funded program)
  • Individual requests outside Make It Happen program

Governance and Leadership

Leadership Team

Clark Casteel, President & CEO

  • Leads DRF's patient capital approach to community transformation
  • On the region's potential: "Absolutely on the cusp of exponential growth"
  • On strategy: "Community transformation takes time and since we're not raising money or running for reelection one of the risks we can take is related to time. Time to fail, learn, and try again. Time to plant seeds of patient capital."

Jon Sells, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer

Lori Merricks, Director of Marketing & Communications

Board of Directors

The Board includes members from diverse professional backgrounds:

  • Charles H. Majors: Past chairman of Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Virginia Bankers Association, DRF, and GO Virginia Region 3 Council
  • Paul Erwin: Veterinarian and co-owner of Chatham Animal Clinic; Pittsylvania County resident
  • Maggy L. Gregory: Attorney and partner with Fisk & Gregory, PLC; focuses on estate and trust planning
  • Jim Bebeau: Licensed Professional Counselor and Executive Director of Danville-Pittsylvania Community Service

Advisory Members

Four Advisory Members provide input to the Board, including:

  • Rachel Covington: Consultant and Facilitator for Epstein Clark Consulting; facilitates Leadership Southside

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Pre-Application Meeting (Recommended)

  • Organizations are encouraged to meet with DRF staff before submitting proposals
  • Contact Program Officers by area of focus or call (434) 799-2176
  • Staff discussions are "welcome and encouraged"

Application Submission

  • Proposals accepted anytime on a rolling basis
  • Review begins when proposals arrive at DRF office
  • Use guidelines, grant examples, and submission checklist on DRF website

Required Components:

  • Executive summary
  • Organization background, structure, and credibility
  • Detailed needs assessment connected to DRF priorities
  • Work plan with specific activities and timeline
  • Impact measurement and evaluation strategies
  • Budget projections for project duration plus one additional year
  • Funding sources and sustainability plan
  • Board and staff listing

Eligibility:

  • 501(c)(3) nonprofits serving the geographic area
  • Government agencies
  • Individuals (for Make It Happen program only)

Decision Timeline

Standard Grants:

  • Entire process (inquiry to receipt of funds): 3-8 months depending on time of year
  • Complex/large funding requests: Allow 8-10 weeks for full review
  • No set deadlines—applications reviewed as received

Make It Happen Grants:

  • Decision within 2 weeks of submission
  • 90-day project completion period

Reapplication Policy

There is no limit on reapplication frequency. However, DRF encourages organizations to "submit requests only for top-priority projects and programs" to maintain discretion. Organizations should plan thoughtfully rather than submit multiple applications.

Application Success Factors

DRF's Specific Evaluation Framework

The Need-Opportunity-Impact Lens: Every grant decision is evaluated through this three-part framework:

  1. Need: Does the application clearly articulate the problem or issue being addressed?
  2. Opportunity: Are there partnerships and collaborations that strengthen the approach?
  3. Impact: Will the project create visible community-level change?

What DRF Values

From Their Own Guidance:

  • Collaboration: DRF prefers projects with "funding from diverse sources when possible"
  • Sustainability: Applications must include plans for continuation after grant funding ends
  • Mission Alignment: Requests must "reflect its mission, values, and areas of focus"
  • Geographic Impact: Programs must "operate or benefit primarily those who live in" the service area

Strategic Approaches

Patient Capital Philosophy: CEO Clark Casteel emphasizes that DRF can "take risks related to time. Time to fail, learn, and try again." This suggests DRF is open to innovative, potentially risky approaches if they align with long-term community transformation.

Trust-Based Approach: According to grantee expectations documentation, once grants are announced, DRF "trust[s] that you will manage the work as needed" and expects grantees to "do great work" without excessive oversight. This indicates they value organizational capacity and independence.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

  • Submitting incomplete or late applications
  • Requesting funding without diverse funding sources for large projects
  • Failing to demonstrate clear community impact
  • Not showing connection to DRF's four strategic focus areas
  • Announcing grants publicly before agreement is signed

Post-Award Requirements

  • Sign and return grant agreement within two weeks
  • Designate an "accountable person" to ensure requirements are met
  • Submit routine progress reports (focused on improvement, not just proof of work)
  • Communicate any project changes or delays to Program Officer
  • Get approval from Lori Merricks for any public communications mentioning DRF (2-day response time)
  • Use current DRF logo (updated 2015) per Style Guide

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Meet with staff first: DRF actively encourages pre-application meetings with Program Officers—use this opportunity to align your proposal with their priorities and get feedback before formal submission
  • Frame through Need-Opportunity-Impact: Every section of your application should demonstrate how your project addresses a clear need, leverages partnerships (opportunity), and creates visible community change (impact)
  • Show collaborative funding: DRF prefers not to be the sole funder, especially for capital projects (40% maximum). Demonstrate diverse funding sources and sustainability plans
  • Emphasize long-term transformation: CEO Casteel's emphasis on "patient capital" and 40-year community transformation timelines suggests DRF values systemic change over quick fixes
  • Be specific about geography: Clearly demonstrate how your program benefits residents of Danville, Pittsylvania County (VA), or Caswell County (NC)
  • Don't fear innovation: DRF's willingness to "fail, learn, and try again" indicates openness to creative approaches that might carry risk but offer high impact
  • Build organizational capacity: DRF's trust-based grantmaking and capacity development grants suggest they value strong organizational infrastructure—highlight your organization's ability to deliver independently

References

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