What does it take to make progress on a seemingly intractable social problem? We’ve spent significant time over the years thinking about the best way to sustainably carry out our mission of connecting the community and enabling individuals and families to achieve their potential. For us, it boils down to one thing: poverty. Poverty is the nucleus of many of the other challenges our community members face.

How can local organizations and stakeholders make demonstrable change to a poverty rate that, despite economic prosperity, has stayed at 25% for over a decade? That means one in four of our neighbors is struggling to meet basic needs. They can’t afford a reliable vehicle to get to work or continuing education to secure a higher-wage occupation. They cannot afford high-quality early childhood care and education for their children, and as a result, these kids fall (and stay) behind. Once children begin to miss these benchmarks in early childhood, they rarely, if ever, catch up, thus perpetuating the cycle of generational poverty that disproportionately plagues minority communities.

It takes vision. It takes cooperation. It takes the combined efforts and strengths of our local non profits and for profit partners.

This, is Envision.

Envision is an initiative of the social impact sector with a bold goal: to help lift 1800 local families out of poverty in 5 years. Envision has a specific focus on Black families, who face myriad systemic and structural challenges to progress in our town and across the country.

In a community that is among the hardest in the country to advance financially, what are we doing today, tomorrow, and over the course of the coming years to ensure that we are giving individuals and families the best and most equitable opportunities to live financially stable lives.

Through our programming, grant making, local partnerships, and your support, we can help build a more equitable community where everyone can thrive.

It’s no secret that we can’t do this work without your help. We need your time, wisdom, and treasure to continue our systemic and programmatic work here in town. All of your contributions go directly to helping lift families out of poverty through programs like Driving Lives Forward, the Family Investment Program, and Early Learner Scholarships. 

Unfiltered stories from Charlottesville residents to give a more honest view on equity in our community. What’s working? What isn’t? What are the variety of lived experience of those who call Charlottesville home and what needs to be done to make them more equitable?