In the fall of 2011 the Virginia Counselors Association Foundation (VCAF) resumed the awarding of small grants for proposals which furthered counseling initiatives in the Commonwealth. Grants will be awarded twice annually subject to merit and appropriateness of the submissions. Grant activities must be in alignment with the purpose and vision of the Virginia Counselors Association Foundation. Grants are awarded twice annually.

Purpose

The VCA Foundation is a non-profit, charitable, philanthropic, endowment fund. The primary purposes of this fund are to:

• Promote and foster professional education and development in the field of counseling in Virginia.
• Acknowledge and support individuals engaged in professional pursuits in the counseling field in Virginia.

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Vision

The vision of the VCA Foundation is to provide financial resources to promote and enhance the counseling profession in Virginia.

Mission

The mission of the VCA Foundation is to create fundraising, philanthropic and other opportunities, which will generate financial resources that will support the purpose of the Foundation.

Eligibility Requirements

Proposals will be accepted from members of the Virginia Counselors Association.

Guidelines

• The VCAF Grant Application must be completed and submitted with signatures as required. Submission of the grant indicates the applicants agreement to submit a final summary of results and an itemized list of final expenses as stated in the grant application. All applications must be consistent with counseling ethical guidelines and reflect the purpose of VCAF.
• VCAF is interested in funding professional counseling activities that support the purpose and vision of VCAF.
• As a rule, VCAF does not fund the following: Academic requirements including those for internship, practicum, dissertation, or thesis; salaries; experimental or unproven modalities; professional fees; or political activities.

Time Line
Applications will be accepted twice a year and must be received by February 1^st or October 1^st (new deadline effective 2017).

Amount of Grants
The maximum amount of each grant will not exceed $1000.00. The final amount awarded for each application will be determined by the Foundation, based on available funds, the number of applications, and the perceived value of the proposal.

Selection Criteria

• Grant activities must be in alignment with the purpose and vision of the Virginia Counselors Association Foundation. Applications must also meet all guidelines as stated in the application.
• Grants are for one fiscal year and are non-renewable. Grants that are not selected may be resubmitted for the next application period.
• Each fiscal year the VCAF Board approves the amount of funds for grants based on the availability of funds raised during the year.
• Applications will be selected by the VCAF Grant Committee for recommendation to the full VCAF Board for final approval.
• All decisions are final and may not be appealed.
• The Virginia Counselors Association Foundation does not discriminate against qualified individuals or programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, or sexual orientation.

Application Format and Requirements

VCAF Grants Applications with all required signatures must be submitted electronically in MS Word format by the due date. Applications may be submitted electronically without signatures, but the VCA member submitting the proposal must keep a copy of the grant application with original signatures. VCAF reserves the right to require that a copy with signatures be mailed to VCAF upon request.

Forms may be emailed to grants@vcafoundation.org as attachments.