Companies make major donations to Virginia nonprofits

AT&T and TowneBank recently made major donations to Virginia-based nonprofits.

AT&T contributed $5 million to Arlington-based Communities in Schools (CIS), a nationwide dropout prevention program. Communities In Schools plans to use the money to  expand and improve a network that helps 1.25 million students achieve in school. In addition, AT&T employees will support CIS as volunteer mentors.

The $5 million contribution is one of the largest made through AT&T Aspire, the company’s $350 million program designed to help more students graduate from high school ready for college and careers. Since 2008, AT&T and the AT&T Foundation have provided $14.2 million to CIS and its local affiliates.

Meanwhile,  a  $250,000 donation  from TowneBank, based in Portsmouth, will support the development of exhibition galleries, outdoor living-history areas and education programs at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.  Construction is under way on the new museum, which will replace the Yorktown Victory Center.

The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown project, planned for completion by late 2016, will include an 80,000-square-foot building that will have galleries, classrooms and visitor facilities on a 22-acre site.  A pavilion at the museum will be named for TowneBank in recognition of its contribution.

A portion of TowneBank’s donation is designated to the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Inc. Annual Fund, which supports the acquisition of artifacts and a variety of educational programs at Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center.