As a private not-for-profit and nonpartisan organization, the Mount Vernon Ladies Association’s (MVLA) mission is to preserve George Washington’s home to the highest standards and to educate visitors and people around the world so that his legacy continues to inspire future generations. Mount Vernon does not accept government funding and instead relies upon donations and ticket revenue to support its operations.

Youth For Tomorrow has been serving at-risk and vulnerable children and families in Virginia for nearly 40 years. Since 1986 Youth For Tomorrow has served 6,752 teenage boys and girls, putting in thousands of hours of committed to their care and support. Through their residential treatment programs, Youth For Tomorrow offers children and families a place of respite at their campus in Bristow, Virginia. Here, more than 150 residential, therapeutic and education staff provide professional services to the 100+ children in their care. Together, staff and residents work towards healing and exceling in residential treatment, case management, clinical, nursing and psychiatric services, as well as engaging in mentoring and educational opportunities.

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a private, not-for-profit, educational institution. As hundreds listened to the recitation of the Declaration of Independence while being serenaded by the Fifes & Drums, the Governor and First Lady highlighted the critical importance of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s stewardship of the largest U.S. history museum in the world.

Junior Appalachian Musicians is a non-profit and the parent organization for 50+ after school programs for children in grades 4 – 8. We provide communities with the tools and support they need to teach children to play and dance to traditional old time and bluegrass music. JAM introduces music through small group instruction on instruments common to the Appalachian region, such as fiddle, banjo and guitar. Each JAM program is individually operated and funded. By affiliating with the JAM organization, each program is eligible to receive support and resources for free, and is licensed to use “Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM)” to identify their traditional music education program.

The Virginia Horse Center Foundation is dedicated to providing a world-class facility that hosts regional, national, and international equestrian events. With a vision to create a unique and picturesque landmark, the Foundation celebrates the enduring bond between humans and horses through safe, fair, and spirited equestrian competition.

Mercy Chefs is a faith-based, nonprofit disaster and humanitarian relief organization committed to providing professionally prepared, restaurant-quality meals to those in need. Guided by the mission to "Just Go Feed People," Mercy Chefs responds rapidly to natural disasters and emergencies, serving up to 20,000 hot meals a day to victims, first responders, and volunteers. Beyond disaster relief, the organization addresses food insecurity through innovative initiatives, including Community Kitchens and grocery box distributions, providing millions of meals to underserved communities. Mercy Chefs also empowers individuals with job skills training, single-parent cooking classes, and budget-friendly recipe creation, ensuring lasting impact in the fight against hunger.

Southside Community Development and Housing Corporation is a metro area community development corporation focused on cultivating housing and financial self-sufficiency for primarily Black, Hispanic and Latino and women-led households. It is Central Virginia’s oldest, historically Black-led community development corporation. Their mission is to build viable, thriving and sustainable communities through affordable housing and wrap-around support services.

Southside Community Development and Housing Corporation has built homes in over a dozen neighborhoods and developments throughout the Richmond area, totaling over 750 units of affordable housing with 450 as single-family affordable homes. In 2022, the organization served nearly 800 clients through their housing counseling and educational services, including foreclosure prevention, rent relief and workforce development tools.

Cameron’s Coffee & Chocolates is a business enterprise of nonprofit Every1 Can Work and provides permanent employment opportunities for young adults living with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

At Cameron’s Coffee & Chocolates, employees with intellectual disabilities work alongside volunteers and culinary specialists to produce delicious chocolates as well as other food products and services. They develop essential workforce readiness skills that serve them beyond their time at the shop and into their broader lives and careers.

Cameron’s Coffee & Chocolates first opened in 2013 with three employees with intellectual disabilities. Today, it employs 23 workers with intellectual disabilities and is serving as a model to other U.S. states and nations on how to effectively empower individuals with disabilities. On October 1, 2023, Cameron’s Coffee & Chocolates will celebrate its 10th anniversary.

Virginia Space Flight Academy (VASFA) is an educational nonprofit partnered with NASA’s Wallops Island Flight Facility encouraging space flight exploration through a combination of year-round classroom programming and summer space camps.

Established in 1998, VASFA’s camps and programs aim to spark interest and expand opportunities for students interested in learning about space flight and exploration. They have strengthened their program offerings through partnerships with national players in the space industry, holding a Space Act agreement with NASA that allows campers behind-the-scenes access at NASA’s flight facilities on Wallops Island.

Having served over 6,000 students since their founding, VASFA is celebrating their 25^th year in operation in 2023. Their camp operations and educational offerings continue to grow and draw students from all over the Commonwealth and across the country, with over 50% historically reporting that they are residents of Virginia.

The Boulder Crest Foundation (BCF) is a nonprofit retreat facility that serves veterans, first responders, and their families. 

Opening its doors to guests in 2013, the Boulder Crest Foundation recently received a 2023 Spirit of Virginia Award at its 10th anniversary celebration. The foundation provides evidence-backed practices to encourage Post-traumatic Growth programming and restoration while conducting invaluable research. To date, the foundation has served over 3,500 Virginians and an estimated 100,000 persons across America at no cost to participants.

With 37 beautiful acres in Northern Virginia complete with a labyrinth, garden, horse therapy, sport facilities, communal areas and more, as well as a second facility in Southwestern Arizona, Boulder Crest provides a place for individuals to find peace, draw strength, and interact with others with similar experiences.  The foundation is setting the standard for productive and effective ways to help military, veterans, first responders and their families all across the nation.

The Wildlife Foundation of Virginia (WFV) is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to conserving land, providing public access and outdoor recreational opportunities, and strengthening the commitment of the Commonwealth to the future of sportsmanship.

Founded in 1997, The Wildlife Foundation of Virginia aims to inspire a passion for outdoor recreation through the preservation of lands used for hunting, fishing, and exploring nature. The organization has been integral in acquiring nearly 14,000 acres of land, much of which is now owned by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources to manage for public access and wildlife habitats. With the nearly 4,000 acres that the WFV owns itself, they offer hunting, fishing, and shooting sport experiences for youth, veterans, wounded warriors, and others for whom these unique, guided adventures would otherwise be unavailable, as well as the general public.

With several youth hunts and hunting workshops designed for younger generations, The Wildlife Foundation of Virginia aims to spark a love of nature in the leaders of tomorrow while teaching them to be respectful of the world around them. To cater nature to the WFV Wounded Warriors, veterans, and mobility-impaired individuals, the nonprofit has also designed wheelchair-accessible blinds and offer a four-wheel utility vehicle for transport around the properties. In 2014 the foundation also launched a grant program that provides funding to schools, agencies, and nonprofits that aim to connect youth to nature. This grant program has benefited over 69,000 youth.

God’s pit crew is a non-profit, faith-based disaster response team of over 1,100 volunteers who wish to serve others in their time of need.

Motivated by the devastating Oklahoma City tornados of 1999, Danville residents Randy and Terri Johnson began a mission to serve countless communities throughout Virginia, across the nation and abroad that have been affected by disaster.

Today, God’s Pit Crew has expanded to a national, volunteer-backed operation combatting humanitarian crises caused by wildfires, hurricanes and other disasters. In 2022, the organization distributed over 3.4 million pounds of food, water and essential products to individuals and families across the United States, as well as over 30,000 survival kits colloquially known as “Blessing Buckets.”

The National Center for Healthy Veterans is a comprehensive, scalable solution and a unique strategic initiative of national impact. The organization’s mission is to “Return Healthy Veterans to America.”

The National Center for Healthy Veterans addresses five areas of veterans, or patriots, health: physical, mental, spiritual, emotional and relational. The organization focuses on longer-term participation in dignified work and learning opportunities, which creates a firm foundation that enables true life change and future success.

At the National Center for Healthy Veterans, patriots are immersed in a healing and wellness culture, grow personally through best-practice and faith-based programs and build relationships through community. Residents participate in a 12-month program of community, dignified work, best-practice trauma recovery, spiritual development, life skills programs, economic opportunity and professional advancement. Patriots each receive a mentor and work through a Personal Development Plan (PDP) in accordance with their own needs and goals. Other PDP course electives include equine therapy, financial literacy, effective communication and art therapy.

The National Center for Healthy Veterans is located at Valor Farm, a natural healing environment providing veterans with a restorative community setting. Valor Farm sits on 339 acres of verdant woodland, agricultural acreage, pastures and equine property, bordered by the Big Otter River and within Virginia’s Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountain ranges. Valor Farm gives veterans a place to not just live, but also thrive and contribute.

Jill’s House is a Christian Nonprofit organization that provides families raising kids with intellectual disabilities, ages 6–17, with short-term overnight respite care in the DC metro area and around the country. Kids enjoy fun activities tailored to their interests and abilities for 24–48-hour stays, while their parents get a chance to rest and recharge. Jill’s House offers care for the whole family through regularly scheduled sibling nights, parent support groups and family retreats.

Rest is vital for families raising kids with intellectual disabilities, due to the high amount of stress they face every day. Respite care is proven to reduce this stress by 60% within the first night and helps create a healthier environment of balance for the family as a whole.

To date, Jill’s House has served over 1,000 families at its location in Vienna, Virginia and an additional 300+ through their Weekend Adventures camps in four locations across the country: Blue Ridge, VA near Middleburg; Windy City, IL near Chicago; Rocky Top, TN near Nashville; and Puget Sound, WA near Seattle. The organization has provided over one million hours of respite to families of kids with intellectual disabilities.

Activities that Jill’s House offers include pet therapy, arts and crafts, a gym and bounce house, a wheelchair accessible pool, music therapy, sensory rooms, indoor and outdoor play areas, educational show and tells and community meals.

Founded in 2008, Hope’s Legacy works to rescue equines from a variety of situations including, but not limited to, abuse, abandonment, neglect and slaughter. An all-breed rescue, Hope’s Legacy takes in equines regardless of age or disability.

Hope’s Legacy takes in rescues from across Virginia. Founder and Executive Director Maya Proulx announced at the Spirit of Virginia Award event that in July 2022, the organization would take in its 500^th equine rescue since its founding.

Hope’s Legacy earned accreditation from the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) in November 2020. Hope’s Legacy is one of 81 North American organizations accredited by the TAA and one of four TAA-accredited organizations in Virginia. In addition, Hope’s Legacy is in the process for accreditation with the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.

Rescues are housed at the organization’s home base, Castle Rock Farm, and foster farms. Hope’s Legacy first moved horses onto the Castle Rock Farm property in December 2017.

An Achievable Dream was founded in 1992 as a summer and after-school tennis and tutoring program, but soon grew to a full K-12 program and now operates six schools in partnership with Newport News Public Schools, Virginia Beach City Public Schools and Henrico County Public Schools, serving over 2,000 students.

The organization emphasizes a core approach focusing on children’s social-emotional learning, essential life skills, extended academic time to focus on learning and support for the student’s entire family through a variety of initiatives, including home visits, parent education, a clothes closet, anonymous services and more.

High school graduates from An Achievable Dream’s flagship school in Newport News hold a 100% graduation rate, with 90-95% of students going on to attend college or trade school.

The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company provides twenty-four-hour fire and emergency medical response to the citizens and visitors of Chincoteague Island. The company also provides fire and emergency medical response to Assateague Island and assists the United States Coast Guard with search and rescue cases. The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company owns and manages the world-famous Chincoteague wild ponies and puts on the annual Chincoteague Island Pony Swim.

William King Museum of Art’s mission is to provide arts education, exhibit fine art and preserve the Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee region’s cultural heritage. The museum’s Art Lab learning hub includes a Digital Lab, where anyone in Southwest Virginia can access, learn and use digital tools for art, design and life. It is the only nationally accredited art museum west of Roanoke, which underpins its commitment to the community. Fifteen of the museum’s 17 staff are women.