It's Time To Make More Happen Together

June 30, 2022

Danville Regional Foundation (DRF) has revamped their Make More Happen program to make it easier for groups and organizations to get things done in the Dan River Region.

Make More Happen Together builds on the success of earlier programs by simplifying the grant application process for quicker approvals and shortening the project period to 90 days.

“Whether the grant request is for $1,000 or $25,000, we want to see what our neighbors can do to transform this place we call home,” said Clark Casteel, president & CEO of Danville Regional Foundation. “Do you want to throw a festival to celebrate your community and showcase why you love it? Do you want to build a place where your neighbors can gather and get to know one another? We want to hear about it, and we want to help you make it happen.”

The application process is open to anyone or any organization within the DRF service area of Danville, Pittsylvania County or Caswell County, NC. A 501c3 is required to receive the grant but a fiscal agent can contribute in-kind capacity to support the project.

Projects that are funded will be:

• Community-driven and led.
• Collaborative.
• Problem-solving.
• Making a positive change.
• Including neighbors from many backgrounds.

“While we accept Make More Happen grant requests all year round, we wanted to try something different this year,” said Willie Jones, senior program officer at Danville Regional Foundation. “We’ve set an application period this summer from July 1 – August 31 with final grant decisions being made by Friday, September 16. This way, we’ll see many projects happening simultaneously in the fall hopefully creating excitement and building relationships across the area.”

Grants will be made up to $25,000 but there is no minimum amount. DRF welcomes grant requests of all sizes. Upon approval, projects must be completed within 90 days of approval.

For those interested in applying, the full guidelines and application checklist can be found at www.drfonline.org.

Ready to start? Here are the next steps:

• Find a passionate leader to spearhead the idea.
• Find three or more partners to work with (local nonprofits, public institutions, civic groups, neighborhoods, or groups of multiple residents).
• Write-up a quick, three-page proposal that answers the questions in the checklist and explains your idea.
• Send it to DRF via email, mail, or hand-delivery.
• Notifications will be made within two weeks of submission.