The County contributes to numerous community non-profits that provide a wide variety of community services, from arts festivals to homelessness support. These contributions allow the County to provide additional services and enriching programs for residents by leveraging the work of outside agencies.  

FY26 Human Services Funding Process Orientation 

Process and Timeline

Each fall, as part of the budget development process, community organizations request funding for the year from the County. These requests are read and rated objectively using established criteria. Funding recommendations are presented as part of the County Executive’s Recommended Budget, which is typically released in February.  During the budget development process that follows, the Board of Supervisors makes final funding decisions. To be added to the distribution list for when applications open and close and updates during the process, please contact budget@albemarle.org.

Local non-profits cover a wide range of community needs, and there is a wide variance in the type and level of support they request from the County. The County has four programs for eligible community agencies to submit funding requests:

Human Services Funding Process (HSFP) 

The Human Services Funding Process (HSFP) process is the method used by the County to review and rate annual applications for funding from local area non-profits for programs that serve Albemarle County residents in need of human services. The HSFP team consists of community volunteers and County staff who review the agency/program applications individually before meeting to discuss and reach consensus on a rating.

For further information or questions about the process, agency representatives can contact the Project Specialist, John Freeman (jfreeman@albemarle.org). For technical questions about the WizeHive site and online application, please contact Stacy Pethia (spethia@albemarle.org).

Cultural, Arts, and Festival Contributions

This program is for funding contributions to cultural, arts, and festival organizations that provide programs, educational opportunities, and/or placemaking that contribute to quality of life for our community. For further information or questions about the process, please contact the Office of Management and Budget (budget@albemarle.org).

Capital Improvement Program (CIP)

The County’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) serves as a planning and implementation tool for the acquisition, development, construction, maintenance, and renovation of public facilities, infrastructure and capital equipment. Community agencies have the opportunity to submit eligible requests for one-time capital funding under the program.

A capital project is a planned expense for a facility or physical item requiring a minimum expenditure of $20,000, having a useful life span of 10 years or more (except for technology projects). Capital requests must meet specific criteria to be considered.

For further information or questions about CIP funding and to receive request forms, please contact the Office of Management and Budget (budget@albemarle.org).

Other: Department of Finance & Budget Application Review Process

For certain community agencies that receive funding from the County, such as larger regional agencies and those with a state relationship, Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) or regional agreements in place, funding is reviewed by the Department of Finance & Budget. These organizations will receive application information directly from the Office of Management & Budget in October. For further information or questions about the application process, please contact the Office of Management & Budget (budget@albemarle.org).

Unsure of what funding to apply for?

If your program is not currently funded by the County and you want to apply for operating funding, submit the request through the Human Services Funding Process or the Cultural, Arts, and Festival Contributions process. If you need one-time funding for a capital project, submit the request through the CIP process.