Virginia, MN – Twelve local organizations were awarded funding through the annual Virginia Community Foundation (VCF) grant round. Totaling $31,725 dollars invested into programs that will create positive change for the Virginia area.
Maija Biondich, Executive Director of the VCF stated, “These nonprofits are addressing critical needs and strengthening our community every day. As the local community foundation, we are honored to invest in their work and to elevate the areas where support can make the greatest difference.”
The grantees are as follows:
- $5,000 to Iron Range Recon — To support the 23rd Veteran Reconditioning Program, which helps military veterans address trauma and improve mental health. This funding supports the Fall 2025 cohort of veterans from Virginia, MN, and surrounding areas.
- $3,745 to Housing and Redevelopment Authority of Virginia, MN — To purchase locally sourced materials for a new mailbox canopy at Pine Mill Court, meeting a community need while fostering local partnerships and youth involvement.
- $3,500 to Volunteers in Education (VinE) — To provide free tutoring services to students at Laurentian, Parkview, and North Star Elementary Schools within the Rock Ridge Public School District in Virginia, MN.
- $3,500 to Mesabi Humane Society — To replace worn and unsafe guillotine-style dog doors that currently allow weather, pests, and safety hazards into the facility.
- $3,000 to Range of Voices Choral Society — To replace nearly 600 folios after most of the community choir’s repertoire was lost.
- $3,000 to North St. Louis County Habitat for Humanity — To help fund the construction of two affordable, accessible, and energy-efficient homes for Virginia households, with one additional home nearing completion as of July 2025 and two foundations planned for 2026 construction.
- $2,000 to United Way of Northeastern Minnesota — To support the Born Learning Trail, a series of ten interactive signs that offer fun, active learning activities for young children and families, encouraging quality engagement among parents, caregivers, and communities.
- $2,000 to Iron Range Partnership for Sustainability — To support a project featuring local musicians performing original music at the Virginia Market Square Farmers Market, utilizing the Silver Lake Stage venue built with support from the Virginia Community Foundation in 2023.
- $2,000 to Eveleth Heritage Society — To expand the ongoing 2017 digitization project of Iron Range vintage newspapers, preserving regional history for students, historians, and genealogists through online access.
- $2,000 to Curl Mesabi Foundation, Inc. — To facilitate attendance and participation in the U.S. Steel Pan Continental Curling Championships by providing tickets and transportation for youth and seniors in the Quad-Cities area.
- $1,000 to Cultures, Humanities, and Arts on the Iron Range (CHAIR) — To provide art supplies, materials, and equipment for marginalized and underrepresented communities in the Virginia area, furthering CHAIR’s mission of ensuring a “seat for everyone” on the Iron Range.
- $1,000 to Essentia Health Foundation — To support the expansion of the Iron Range Emergency Department to twelve treatment beds, including a private behavioral health suite that enhances patient safety and creates a more secure environment for staff.
The Virginia Community Foundation (VCF) attracts and administers charitable funds for the benefit of the local community. Since 1991, VCF has grown to $5.8 million in assets. The VCF is governed by a local board of directors and is a partner of CommunityGiving, which is a network of community foundations united under a single framework to create efficiencies that maximize the impact of our donors. Collectively, CommunityGiving administers over 1,300 funds totaling over $283 million in assets. Learn more at www.virginiafoundation.com
