VIRGINIA, Minn. — The Virginia Community Foundation (VCF) invites the community to attend the inaugural Celebration of Philanthropy Social on Thursday, May 14, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Elks Lodge in Virginia. The event will celebrate the power of local generosity and the lasting impact philanthropy continues to have across the greater Virginia area.
As part of the evening’s celebration, the Virginia Community Foundation will honor Barbara Baldrica with the Light of the Community Award in recognition of her dedication, leadership, and lasting contributions to the greater Virginia community.
“The Celebration of Philanthropy Social is an opportunity to recognize the generosity and commitment of the people who continue to make our community stronger,” said Maija Biondich, Executive Director of the Virginia Community Foundation. “We are proud of the Foundation’s history and excited about the future we are building together.”
Community members interested in attending can learn more at www.virginiafoundation.com or call (218) 749-8239.
The story of the Virginia Community Foundation began more than 35 years ago with a simple walk around Bailey’s Lake.
On an early spring day in 1989, unseasonably warm weather brought residents outdoors. During a walk near the partially built trail around Bailey’s Lake, Marieta Johnson and several friends were shocked by the amount of litter and the poor condition of the lake area. Motivated to take action, Johnson applied for and received a $500 grant from the Norwest Bank Foundation to organize the first Bailey’s Lake clean-up event. That grassroots effort planted the seeds that would eventually grow into the Virginia Community Foundation.
At the time, community leaders recognized that resources from the mines, IRRR, and state aid were no longer enough to address every local need. Establishing a community foundation created a way for residents and businesses to invest directly in the future of the Virginia area through philanthropy and permanent charitable funds.
In 1991, local business and community leaders formally established the Virginia Community Foundation with a $100,000 commitment from the City of Virginia and a $20,000 grant, along with technical assistance and administrative support from the Northland Foundation. Since then, the Foundation has continued to grow as a permanent community resource dedicated to improving quality of life throughout the region.
Today, the Foundation supports projects and programs that strengthen parks and recreation, arts and culture, education, community organizations, and civic life across the greater Virginia area. The Foundation’s mission remains rooted in the same community-minded spirit that inspired its beginning: engaging people, connecting resources, and building community.
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