The Bernardine Franciscan Sisters Foundation’s Grantmaking Cycle
The determination of a focus for a given year’s grantmaking is first made by the Foundation’s Grantmaking Committee and then voted on by the full Board of Directors. (To review past grants awarded, click here.) If you would like to be added to the email distribution list to stay up to date on grant announcements, deadlines, etc., please email Sister David Ann Niski.
In addition to grant funding, the Foundation also makes available the following funds.
Ongoing Education Funds
The Foundation has allotted funds for nonprofit staff to take advantage of continuing education and professional development opportunities. A nonprofit can apply for a maximum of $1,500 per year. The funds can be used for:
- Registration Fees for a specific local, state, national training/workshop/conference/class.
- Travel to a specific local, state, national training/workshop/conference/class.
(Note: the Executive Director must approve staff attendance at a local, state, national training, workshop, conference, or class.) - Nonprofit Memberships in a local, state, national organization(s).
To request Ongoing Education funds, please complete the application found here.
So far this fiscal year, the Foundation has awarded $30,261 in continuing education funding to help local nonprofits provide training, learning opportunities, and professional growth for their staff.
Funds were used to pay registration fess and travel for conventions, workshops, webinars, etc. Below is just a sampling of how the continuing education funds were used this fiscal year:
- 2026 Pediatric Palliative Care Webinar Series
- LEAD Peninsula Class of 2026
- Grantsmanship Training Program
- NAFC 2026 Charitable Healthcare Symposium
- QuickBooks certification – Virtual
- Virginia Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference
- 2025 Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference
- Leader Life Conference 2026
- Solihten Annual Conference, “Resilient Leaders, Thriving Centers”
Set-Aside Funds
The Foundation has set aside funds to help nonprofits with emergency requests. Nonprofits in need are asked to send a letter to the Foundation, explaining the emergency and how much funding is being requested. The Executive Director will call if additional information is needed. The Board of Directors will vote to determine if the funds will be awarded.
Also as part of its Capacity Building efforts, the Foundation works with community partners to help nonprofits build their capacity through:
Catchafire
Connecting nonprofits to skills-based volunteers to help with a wide variety of projects.
Collaboration
The Foundation also offers workshops throughout the year, as well as Faith Forums and Legislative Breakfasts designed to connect nonprofits to community partners.
To learn more about these offerings, click here.