How the Foundation Works

We're dedicated to helping build strong and successful families and, ultimately, a better community for all of us. Through our grants, we are seeking to support programs which:

• Help children, youth and families reach their full potential.
• Ensure parents have access to the resources needed to help with their child's early development.
• Partner with human services professionals to provide exceptional care and guidance for today's youth.
• Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs.
• Strengthen neighborhood spirit and community partnerships.
• Involve citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic groups, businesses, neighborhood organizations and local officials in public safety programming.
• Provide public safety capital, including support for lighting projects that demonstrate a link to community design and crime prevention and traffic calming plans which have a direct impact on public safety.
• Promote safety in and around schools.
• Strengthen the organizational capacity of community-based organizations dedicated to neighborhood revitalization efforts.

Conserving, improving and protecting our natural resources are responsibilities we all share. We are dedicated to incorporating and encouraging a variety of practices to enhance Arlington's natural surroundings and improving circumstances for our animal population.

We understand when a community and its residents address beautification, transformation occurs - not only in the physical surroundings - but also in the hearts and minds of everyone involved. Incorporating visual beauty into public spaces is also a proven effective method of raising property values, reducing crime, enhancing the local economy, and improving public health, through our grants, we are seeking to support programs which:

• Promote restoration projects that benefit an entire neighborhood and enhance public spaces.
• Foster neighborhood involvement.
• Build community gardens, park and green spaces.
• Enhance the appearance of neighborhoods through improvements to medians, sidewalks, parkways, wall and entryways visible to the public, park and library property, school campuses.
• Articulate environmental values through ecologically responsible management and environmental education programs.
• Enhance and improve the quality of the environment through reduced pollution and waste.
• Conserve and restore natural areas, habitats and green spaces.
• Promote responsible pet ownership through outreach and education.
• Protect wildlife and endangered species.
• Provide environmental education to children and adults.
• Provide for graffiti prevention and removal, tree planting.
• Promote litter and illegal dump cleanups.
• Create new programming and services benefiting animals.
• Prevent litter, reduce waste and beautify Arlington.

The lifestyle of a city reflects the values of its citizens. We believe the quality of life in Arlington is enhanced through superior recreation, parks and leisure programs. Our local arts community helps make Arlington a more livable and enjoyable place to call home. The city's libraries are a source of inspiration and information for residents of all ages and by promoting preservation we help build a better community for today and tomorrow.

To help enhance the lifestyle of Arlington, we are seeking to support programs which:

• Provide facilities, services and programs that meet the emotional, social and physical needs of our citizens.
• Promote individual and community wellness.
• Facilitate the development, maintenance, expansion and improvement of recreation, parks and leisure programs and services.
• Improve the delivery of recreation programs and services, including upgrading and maintaining facilities (may include libraries).
• Ensure that the arts flourish in Arlington.
• Strengthen the artistic capacity of local arts organizations, particularly projects which increase earned revenue.
• Improve access to the arts through community outreach and education.
• Help sustain library services, including purchase of books and reference materials.
• Promote programs which encourage the pure pleasure of reading.
• Foster preservation, including funding surveys, comprehensive plans, National Register nominations, historical markers, educational materials, architectural and structure reports and engineering studies.
• Support capital projects that safeguard the history of our community.