DONORS AND GRANTORS

FACT is a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of children with autism. When you support our mission as a donor, you’ll feel a warm, fuzzy feeling in your heart. Truth be told, we can't help but get a little misty-eyed ourselves when we think about what we are trying to accomplish. Passion will do that to you.

We have a million touching stories of how our programs impact lives. However, FACT is a business at its core, which means that we must invest in our infrastructure to continue growing while meeting the needs of families.

Does investing in capacity building or development planning give anyone a warm and fuzzy feeling? Probably not. However, the Camp Foundation and the Ruth Camp Campbell Charitable Trust recognize that strong administrators and thoughtful strategic planning yield sustainable programs that will serve the community for years to come.

The Camp Foundation, under the umbrella of the Elms Foundations and the leadership of the Honorable Westbrook Parker, has granted FACT $12,000 for the tools we need to facilitate growth. We are truly grateful for their foresight, generosity, and confidence.

For as long as FACT has been serving children with autism, Michelle “Micki” and Mike Hoesly have been cheering us on and supporting our mission. Through her work as a financial professional, Micki recommended FACT for numerous grants from the Million Dollar Round Table Foundation. This year, the Hoesly Gibeault Family Foundation, which is a donor-advised fund of the Renaissance Charitable Foundation, gifted FACT $5,000 to underwrite our social and recreational programs. We are so grateful for the ongoing support and generosity of the Hoesly family.

If you've been a member of the FACT family for any amount of time, you should know that the Sandler Family Foundation is responsible for so much of our success. They have enabled us to expand Camp Gonnawannagoagin' from serving 20 children to serving 270! They are our most loyal and generous benefactors, donating more than half a million dollars over the last decade.

Sam and Reba Sandler left a legacy of remarkable values to their sons, Art and Steve. They, in turn, continued spreading the importance of helping others, defending those who cannot defend themselves, and standing up against discrimination. Art and Steve accomplished so much by supporting local and national charities that share their values.

Today, their children, employees, and colleagues are truly invested in making the world more knowledgeable, tolerant, and accepting. We are proud to be worthy of the Sandler Family Foundation’s generosity and truly grateful for the impact they have had on our community.

Anyone who lives in Virginia Beach knows the Kellam name. The Kellams is a well-known political family accented by judges, philanthropists, and our long-time Commissioner of the Revenue—Judge Floyd E. Kellam.

Floyd E. Kellam was a judicial court judge until his passing in 1958. The original Kellam High School on Holland Road was named in his honor and remains his namesake in its modern new iteration on West Neck Road. Another of Floyd E. Kellam’s legacies is a family foundation that awards college scholarships to Kellam seniors.

The foundation is also a donor-advised fund that allows his family to take an active role in awarding grants. We are truly grateful that Anne G. Kellam recommended our programs for a $5,000 grant. Her support and generosity allow FACT to continue offering quality social and recreational programs for individuals with autism in our community.

September isn't just the end of summer—it's a mark of a beginning. While families across Hampton Roads are getting ready for their kids to return to school, FACT is preparing to launch their new season of social and recreational programs.

Each year, we make the decision to make our programs bigger, better, and more prevalent. While this enables FACT to serve more individuals with autism in our community, it also comes at a hefty price. Luckily, we have a new granter on board willing to help foot the bill—he Chesapeake Bay Wine Classic Foundation (CBWCF)!

The CBWCF is a nonprofit, charitable organization dedicated to supporting the needs of our youth. They realize that children will be the strength and prosperity of our region in the near future. We wrote to them in the spring asking for their support to expand our Social Programs for teens and young adults (Teen Time, Social Club, and Out n’ About).

Each of the programs we offer is community-centered, allowing individuals to hone skills within a supportive environment. The CBWCF is a forward-thinking organization that understands the profound impact of positive social interactions and community integration. They immediately determined that FACT’s mission was in harmony with their beliefs, and they granted us $6,500 to prove it!

The Foundation has distributed millions to organizations that support the youth of South Hampton Roads, enabling thousands to pursue higher education, meaningful careers, and fulfilling lives.