Core Foundation INC

About the Organization

Organization category

Public Charity

Country / State

United States / Virginia

Mission

CORE Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to incubating and nurturing charitable projects that create meaningful social impact.

Programs or services

We provide resources, guidance, and infrastructure to help promising initiatives grow from concept to sustainable community solutions. We work with leaders of all ages, ideally with a business school brain, an entrepreneur’s spirit, and a social worker’s heart.

Detailed programs

https://corefoundation.org/events/

Target Audience

Projects include supporting families living with cancer, championing veterans’ issues, battling homelessness, and fighting food insecurity. CORE Foundation’s leadership team assists in incubating those visions and bringing them to life in a supportive environment. Acting as a host for a CORE Cause’s effort benefits the entire community. It allows us to work together to be agents of change.

Geographic Focus

United States, Virginia (USA)

Current projects

https://corefoundation.org/our-causes/

Organization goals

Since 2007, CORE Foundation has helped others be the change they want to see in the world through a fiscal sponsor model. Fiscal Sponsorship enables you, or a small group of changemakers, to achieve positive change under our 501(c)3 nonprofit umbrella. We call the leaders of these groups social entrepreneurs.

When you become a CORE Foundation CORE Cause, social entrepreneurs can use our nonprofit infrastructure, administrative resources, and mentoring to ignite your vision for social good.

Projects include supporting families living with cancer, championing veterans’ issues, battling homelessness, and fighting food insecurity. CORE Foundation’s leadership team assists in incubating those visions and bringing them to life in a supportive environment. Acting as a host for a CORE Cause’s effort benefits the entire community. It allows us to work together to be agents of change.

Leadership

https://corefoundation.org/our-team/

Strategic priorities

Many people are familiar with this famous quote, attributed to Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” I’ve taken that quote to heart. But being the change you want to see in the world is easier said than done. CORE Foundation helps people and organizations be that change.

We help people and organizations doing good work succeed. We focus on the blind spots that social entrepreneurs and small organizations and clubs may not know exist. We incubate good ideas to improve the lives of others and give them a better chance for success.

For each organization we support, we provide resources to help the organization succeed. Resources such as tax preparation, business planning support, and banking support, all under the umbrella of our 501(c)(3) status.

Whether you are a social entrepreneur with a great idea that can improve the lives of others, or you are a small organization that just wants to do good work, your volunteerism and commitment to others inspire us—and we want to help.

Our commitment to the organizations we choose to support: we will work very hard to help you “be the change you want to see in the world.”

Organizational capacity

CORE Foundation's capacity rests on a model built to do a great deal with very little.

Governance. An 11-member board of directors, all independent, meets quarterly. CORE maintains written conflict of interest, whistleblower, and document retention policies, and files annually with the IRS and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

People. CORE operates with one employee and 1,500 volunteers, supported by the leadership of each CORE Cause — every Cause is led by a volunteer CEO and Treasurer, distributing responsibility across the portfolio rather than concentrating it at the center.

Financial position. In 2025, CORE generated $812,583 in revenue against $689,468 in expenses, directing $510,879 — 74% of total expenses — to program services. The year closed with a $123,115 surplus and net assets of $368,652, a 50% increase over the prior year.

Infrastructure. CORE provides back-office administration, financial management, and compliance reporting for 16 active Causes simultaneously, alongside onboarding curriculum, shared templates, and monthly webinars for Cause leaders. Because this infrastructure is centralized, the incremental cost of supporting an additional Cause is low — which is how a one-employee organization sustains projects reaching tens of thousands of people each year.

Track record. Since 2007, CORE has carried 56 charitable projects, graduating 13 of them to independent 501(c)(3) status. That history, together with a positive operating margin and growing reserves, positions CORE to take on additional Causes and larger grant-funded commitments.

Funding Needs

Grant categories you're seeking

Aging and Seniors, Arts and Culture, Capital Funding, Children, Climate Change, Community and Economic Development, Community Services, Disabilities, Entrepreneurs and Startups, Environment and Conservation, Health and Medical, Nutrition and Food, Operating Support, Preservation, Small Business, Sports and Recreation, Students, Veterans and Military, Women, Youth and At-Risk Youth

Funding needs

We seek funding for CORE Foundation, Inc. operating costs as well as funding for each of our specific CORE Cause projects.

Impact & Recognition

Outcomes and impact

CORE Foundation measures impact through the reach of its CORE Causes. In 2024, CORE Causes served 37,418 people, delivered 27,100 meals and therapeutic play kits, engaged 1,693 athletes, awarded 41 youth scholarships, hosted 127 impact events, and collaborated with 202 partner organizations — work carried out by 2,270 volunteers.

Those totals rest on specific program results. Helping Hungry Kids distributed more than 22,000 weekend food bags to students facing food insecurity and expanded to reach summer school students. Smiles from Sarah delivered 3,290 therapeutic play kits serving 5,000 hospitalized children, adding Inova L.J. Murphy, Boston Children's, and Richmond Children's Hospital as partners. Friends of Fairfax Falcons brought 25 adaptive athletes ages 6 to 18 to eight tournaments across six states. Reston Stars awarded 15 performing arts scholarships to middle school students. Herralink piloted a personality-based program matching volunteers with seniors and expanded intergenerational programming connecting youth and seniors. Reston Pride convened more than 4,000 attendees and 60 vendors and organizations.

Impact continued into 2025, when CORE directed $510,879 to program services and distributed $135,580 in grants across its active Causes.

Outcomes are tracked at two levels. Each Cause reports its own participation, distribution, and partnership figures to CORE, which aggregates them into an annual impact report — allowing both individual Causes and the Foundation to see what is working and where to concentrate effort.

Success stories

https://corefoundation.org/in-the-press-room/

Organization achievements

CORE Foundation began in Reston, Virginia in 2007 with a single community triathlon: 231 athletes raising $8,500 for Reston Interfaith. Since then, CORE has served as fiscal sponsor and incubator for 56 charitable projects — 16 active CORE Causes and 40 alumni — across healthcare access, food security, youth development, adaptive sports, the fine arts, veteran support, and inclusion.

Thirteen alumni have graduated to independent 501(c)(3) status after three to six years under CORE's sponsorship, most recently Rise Above Be Relentless. Three exceeded $100,000 in annual revenue before graduating; ten operated in the $8,000–$40,000 range.

2025 was CORE's strongest year financially. Gross receipts reached $812,583, a 30% increase over 2024, with contributions and grants rising 55% to $525,153. CORE closed the year with a $123,115 operating surplus and net assets of $368,652 — up 50% year over year — while sustaining operations with a single employee and the 1,500 volunteers reported on its 2025 Form 990.

That first triathlon has grown into the Racing in Reston Series: the Reston Sprint Triathlon (990 athletes, ages 14 to 82), the Reston Youth Triathlon (225+ athletes ages 6 to 17, welcoming para and adaptive competitors), the Reston Triathlon, and the Women's Training Festival 5K, alongside the Fore CORE Golf Classic.

CORE recognizes achievement each year at its Giving Gala & Impact Awards. 2024 honorees included CORE Cause of the Year (Reston Stars), Rookie of the Year (The Green Lizard Foundation), Volunteers of the Year, and six recipients of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award.

CORE is governed by an 11-member board, all independent, and maintains written conflict of interest, whistleblower, and document retention policies. Its work is supported by community and corporate partners including Gartner, Cornerstones, Reston Association, Giant, Wegmans, Patient First, and USA Triathlon.

In 2026, its twentieth year, CORE marks the 20th anniversary of the Reston Sprint Triathlon with the Foundation's first integrated storytelling and fundraising campaign, alongside newly launched programs including The Green Lizard Foundation's Herndon Middle School Bike Program and Resonance Improv Alliance, which completed its first year with the Lights of Laughter performance.

Major funders

LB Charitable, Reston Chamber of Commerce, Gartner, Microsoft, Google

Partnerships & Collaborations

https://corefoundation.org/our-partners/

Sustainability, dissemination & replicability

Sustainability. Over twenty years, CORE Foundation has sponsored 56 Causes — 16 active today and 40 alumni. Each operates as a fiscally sponsored project under CORE's 501(c)(3) umbrella, with CORE providing back-office administration so leaders can focus on programming rather than infrastructure. Every Cause is led by both a CEO and a Treasurer and is onboarded with a phased business plan, giving it shared leadership and a defined growth path. CORE is entirely volunteer-run, keeping overhead minimal, and is supported by both administrative fees and its own fundraising rather than a single revenue source.

Dissemination. New Causes begin with a structured onboarding curriculum and templates drawn from what has already proven effective. Monthly CORE webinars keep Cause leaders aligned and circulate practical lessons across the portfolio, and leaders mentor one another directly; what works is folded back into CORE's templates for the next Cause.

Replicability. Replication is the model. Thirteen alumni have graduated to independent 501(c)(3) status after three to six years as sponsored projects — three exceeding $100,000 in annual revenue, ten in the $8,000–$40,000 range. Others were never intended to become permanent institutions: COVID-era meal delivery to seniors, desk-building for homeschooled students, Afghan refugee assistance, food aid for Ukrainian families, high school service projects, and bicycle clubs funding youth sports for underserved children. Because CORE supplies 501(c)(3) status and administration, a Cause can test its business plan at minimal financial risk — growing into independence, concluding when its purpose is met, or ending without having consumed the resources a standalone nonprofit spends simply existing.

Internal checks & balances to prevent fraud

We have a strict policy that those who make the decision to spend are not permitted to pay and visa versa. This hold true for our fiscally sponsored projects as well. Each project is require to have both a CEO (decision maker) and a Treasurer.

Get Involved

How can volunteers get involved?

Volunteer opportunities are promoted through community outreach including sign up forms on website, social media, newsletter emails. We welcome individuals and corporate groups to participate.

How can donors support your mission?

Donors sustain CORE Foundation and its CORE Causes in four ways.

Financial gifts. Contributions can support CORE Foundation's incubator infrastructure — the back-office administration, 501(c)(3) umbrella, and leadership support every CORE Cause depends on — or be designated to a specific Cause. All gifts are tax-deductible; CORE Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, EIN 20-5997764.

Time. Volunteers are how this work happens; in 2025, 1,500 of them contributed time across CORE Causes. Opportunities range from race-day support at the Racing in Reston Series to ongoing service with an individual Cause — packing weekend food bags, assembling therapeutic play kits, coaching adaptive athletes, or mentoring youth.

Goods and services. In-kind donations reduce program costs and fuel fundraising. Silent auction contributions are especially valuable, and they need not be merchandise: one donor offers cooking lessons for groups of ten, auctioned to support CORE Causes. Professional services, event supplies, and donated technology all extend what CORE can do.

Event participation and sponsorship. Registering for the Reston Sprint Triathlon, Reston Youth Triathlon, Reston Triathlon, Women's Training Festival 5K, or the Fore CORE Golf Classic — or attending the annual Giving Gala & Impact Awards — supports CORE Causes directly. Sponsorship opportunities are available at every event.

Do you accept partnerships?

Yes. Partnership is central to how CORE Foundation operates, and takes several forms.

Corporate partners. Businesses that support CORE through financial contributions, sponsorship, or in-kind giving are recognized as partners on CORE's website and in its annual impact reporting. Partner benefits may include admission to the Giving Gala & Impact Awards, entries in the Fore CORE Golf Classic, and registrations for the Racing in Reston Series. Current partners include Gartner, Cornerstones, Reston Association, Giant, Wegmans, Patient First, Reston Community Center, and USA Triathlon.

In-kind and technology partners. CORE receives donated software licenses through nonprofit technology programs, and provides website recognition in return — an arrangement that keeps administrative costs low and directs more resources to programs.

Program partners. CORE Causes work alongside hospitals, schools, and community organizations to deliver services directly, including Children's National Hospital, Inova L.J. Murphy Children's Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, Richmond Children's Hospital, area middle schools, and REPFIT Runners. In 2024, CORE Causes collaborated with 202 partner organizations.

CORE welcomes inquiries from organizations interested in partnership at any of these levels.

Are you seeking board members?

CORE Foundation is governed by an 11-member board of directors, all independent, meeting quarterly. The board is experienced and fully engaged, and CORE remains open to adding members who share a real commitment to the mission.

What matters most is engagement. Directors are expected to participate actively in the Foundation's work, support CORE Causes and their leaders, and help connect CORE to the communities it serves. Individuals interested in board service are encouraged to contact CORE Foundation directly.

Website & Social Media