The Directors of the Piedmont Community Foundation (PCF) are pleased to announce several new grants.

The 100 Women Strong have given their first grant as donor advisors of the PCF. A $25,000 award went to the Loudoun Community Health Clinic, in Leesburg, VA. The PCF Directors are delighted the 100 Women Strong have chosen to support strengthening capacity for healthcare in Loudoun County for the under-insured and those without insurance. With their debut grant the 100 Women Strong are demonstrating the significant impact that collective philanthropy can have on charitable need. The PCF encourages more women to join this important effort for humanitarian need.

In addition to working with donor advisors, the PCF administers the PCF Community Grants program which determines recipients via grant applications. There are two new grant awards which have been distributed during the Spring 2009 cycle. A third award is forthcoming once directors have fully vetted grants for the Peter M. Howard Memorial Fund.

The American Children of Score, in Warrenton, VA, is the debut recipient of the Frederick L. Spencer, Jr., Memorial Fund. SCORE (String, Choral, Orff and Recorder Ensemble) received $600 to assist in providing early childhood music to children in the Head Start program in Fauquier County and surrounding communities. Spencer family members were pleased to learn that SCORE would be the first recipient of a grant from Fred's endowment which is being built by many friends in the community who remember his joy of life for the arts, music and drama. Betsy Porter, General Manager of SCORE said, "We are thrilled! This will touch a lot of little lives." We are pretty sure Fred is watching from above with a gentle smile.

The Middleburg Humane Foundation (MHF) was selected to receive $500 from the PCF Community Endowment Fund. The purpose of the grant is to assist in providing Spay /Neuter and emergency veterinary care for families which cannot afford the cost of services. PCF Directors were pleased to support the compassionate work of MHF which strengthens and helps families keep their promises of care and service to their pets when money is scarce; when families are strengthened then so is the community.

In addition, the Directors of the PCF, have received grant reports from two of the grant recipients last Spring which show excellent use of the funds.

In the past year, The Waterford Foundation has used their $800 grant given in 2008, from the Peter M Howard Memorial Fund (restricted for historic preservation) to install entrance and interpretive signage on the 144 acre Phillips Farm in the Waterford National Historic Landmark. Executive Director of the Waterford Foundation, Nance Doane, reported that the grant gift was leveraged by talented volunteers willing to donate their expertise to the project; signage posts were designed, constructed and finished by Mr. Rob Hale in the Waterford village, who went so far as to hand carve the numbers on the 18 posts so the font would be appropriate to the historic period when the farm was established in the early 1800's. A young man in the village, Mr. James Pfohl, volunteered to install the posts for the project which visitors enjoy when greeted by the simple oval welcoming sign at the entrance to the farm. Ms. Mimi Westervelt, chaired the project for the Waterford Foundation and worked tirelessly to ensure its success.

The Community Music School of the Piedmont (CMSP) submitted their grant report for the $1,000 award given in 2008 from the Community Fund with supplemental support from the General Fund of the PCF. The grant strengthened CMSP's capacity to positively impact children and families through the Early Childhood Music program at the Piedmont Childcare Center for needs based music scholarships. 50% of the children were eligible to receive full or partial tuition assistance during the academic school year. Children received weekly music instruction and were given the opportunity to play simple percussion instruments and tone chimes. Martha Cotter, Executive Director of the music school, said, "the grant was critical component in this scholarship program and we are most grateful".