Nonprofits/Philanthropy: SHERRIE ARMSTRONG

Armstrong says people look to their community foundations to understand areas of greatest and urgent need. One thing the pandemic highlighted, she says, was the ability of organizations like hers to lead during a crisis.

The Community Foundation for a greater Richmond connected with local partners and created a simplified grant process that enabled faster distribution with fewer restrictions to ensure funds reached those in need of services and support. “Through this process,” Armstrong says, “we built new and deeper relationships of trust with donors and organizations who continue to seek our guidance today.”

The foundation manages more than 1,400 charitable funds with assets around $1 billion. Recently, it adopted affordable housing as a high-impact area for grant investments. Last year, the organization awarded $1 million grants to the Better Housing Coalition and Maggie Walker Community Land Trust to add 600 affordable homes and rental units to the Richmond region market. 

Armstrong, who has a bachelor’s degree in public relations from West Virginia University, has led the nonprofit since 2015. She serves on the executive committee for ChamberRVA and is a board member for RVA757 Connects and the Grow Capital Jobs Foundation.