Grants - $5,000 or $10,000 Benefiting Organizations:

Smithfield VA Events donates proceeds back to the community a variety of ways.  One way is that we select Benefiting Organizations for $5000 or $10,000 grants from each festival. Annually we award about $70,000 - $80,000. Grant applications are taken from May thru August each year, with announcements made usually in mid-November for festivals held the next calendar year. Non-profit organizations that support citizens or programs in Smithfield or Isle of Wight Virginia are eligible to apply. 

You may not receive a grant two years in a row, so if you received a $5,000 or $10,000 grant from one of our 2025 festivals, year,  you are not eligible to apply for 2026 grants. 
2026 Round of Grants is accepting applications from May 1, 2025 - Aug 31, 2025.  To find grant instructions and grant application, scroll down past the FAQ's on this page to the GOLD Section. 

FAQ's for GRANTS: 
Who is Eligible to apply: 
  • Organizations must service or have a significant benefit to Smithfield VA and/or Isle of Wight County.  Organizations can be located outside the local area but must demonstrate substantial benefit to residents of Smithfield/Isle of Wight County.  
 
  • The organization must benefit the targeted community as a whole. Awards are not made for a single scholarship fund, travel sport teams, or a single specific person.
  • ​Your organization can't get a grant in back-to-back years, so if you got one last year, you are not eligible to apply the next year. 
See more details on eligibility in the Grant Info & Instructions.
GENERAL INFO about grants: 
​The purpose of selecting benefiting organizations by Smithfield VA Events (SVAE) is to help local organizations improve, expand and/or initiate programs and/or services that benefit the Smithfield VA & Isle of Wight County communities.  
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The Board determined the $5,000 or $10,000 grant amounts with several thoughts in mind.  They wanted it to have a significant impact on the organization. They felt like these amounts would be a nice boost to an organization. It is enough to make a difference, but also allows SVAE to be able to make multiple grants annually.

When you apply, you will need to let us know if you are applying for a $5,000 or a $10,000 grant.

The SVAE Board will determine the number of annual recipients and from which festival the donation will be made. Although the intended amount is to be $5,000 or $10,000, the final amount to each organization is dependent on the financial success of the event.
timeline for grants: 
May - Aug: Submissions accepted via email only in the requested format only. DEADLINE: Aug 31st each year. 
 
September: Board initially reviews applications and if any supplemental info is needed organization is contacted. 
 
October: Board reviews applications and completes scoresheets. 
 
November: Board makes final selections and organizations are notified.  

Grants recipients are recognized at the festival they are receiving funds from and also at the End-Of-Season Reception held in May each year. 
SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS: 
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT BY EMAIL ONLY:  August 31st
1) Before completing the application, review all Grant Documents by clicking on the boxes for full instructions, info & application form. . 

​2) Complete your application, save it in the required format, and email it in per the instructions to [email protected] by the Aug 31st deadline. ​

3) Optional, but if you want to submit a short video explaining what you want grant funds for or to tell us additional info please email it by the deadline. 
SCORING CRITERIA:
​SVAE Board members will evaluate all applications using a scoring sheet based on the application criteria. The purpose of this is to make the selection as objective as possible, while allowing room for judgments by the Board. Once applications are scored and tallied, Board members will vote to determine the selections for the upcoming year’s events. 
 
It is recommended that groups applying review the Scoring Criteria prior to filling out their application. Scoring Criteria can be found in the Instructions & Info document. 
WHAT IS A POST-Grant Report?
Within (30) days of expending your grant funds, you will need to complete the Post Grant Report and return it via email.  If within (6) months of receiving your grant, you have not expended all the funds, you will need to complete Question #1 and update us on your status. When you finish your project, you will need to resubmit a fully completed Post Grant Report. ​​
QUESTIONS or NEED HELP WITH DOCUMENTS?
Have questions or need help with getting the forms? Preferred method is for you to send an email to [email protected] or call Bailey at 571-521-9789. ​
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Grant Application Documents: 
It is recommended that you review all of the grant documents prior to filling out the application.
If you have questions or need assistance with downloading grant documents,  email us at:  [email protected]. 
GRANT DOCUMENTS: 
Below are links to download and save 2026 Grant Documents.
Deadline to apply is August 31, 2025. 
Grants that don't follow the guidelines for naming files, submission process or that convert to PDF's will NOT be accepted. Please read and see examples in the grant instructions for detailed info. 
Within (30) day of expending grant funds, or within (6) months of receiving funds, you will need to complete and submit a Post Grant Report Form.