LEF Honored With 2026 Nonprofit Achievement Award

Recognition comes during LEF’s 35th anniversary year, following five years of significant growth in community investment and impact

The Loudoun Education Foundation has been selected to receive the 2026 Nonprofit Achievement Award from the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties, recognizing the foundation’s growing impact on Loudoun County Public Schools students and educators.

On November 13, the Community Foundation will honor at the fourth annual Roots & Legacies awards dinner and gala. The event celebrates individuals and organizations whose philanthropy, leadership and service have made a lasting impact on Loudoun and northern Fauquier counties. Michael and Teresa Wheeler have been named the 2026 Philanthropists of the Year, and Al Van Huyck will receive the Changemaker of the Year award.

As part of the recognition, the Community Foundation will establish a $10,000 charitable endowment fund in honor of each award recipient for a charitable purpose of their choice.

The award comes during LEF’s 35th anniversary year and follows five years of significant growth for the organization. 

Since 2021, annual funds raised by LEF have increased by more than 80% as businesses, foundations, donors and community partners have become increasingly engaged in supporting LCPS students and educators and preparing students for the region’s future workforce.

“We are incredibly honored to receive the Nonprofit Achievement Award from the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties,” said Danielle Nadler, executive director of the Loudoun Education Foundation. “This recognition reflects the dedication of our team, board of trustees, volunteers, partners and supporters who believe deeply in creating opportunities for Loudoun’s students and educators. It’s also a powerful reminder that investing in public education has an impact far beyond the classroom. When our students and educators thrive, our entire community is stronger.”

35 Years of Connecting Community and LCPS

Since 1991, LEF has served as a bridge between Loudoun County Public Schools and the broader community. By connecting businesses, foundations, volunteers and donors with the needs of LCPS, LEF turns community generosity into direct impact for students and educators.

That role has expanded significantly over the past five years.

In fiscal year 2026, LEF raised $3.8 million, more than 80% above the organization’s annual fundraising five years earlier. That growing community investment helped LEF direct $2 million toward enriched learning opportunities, including $600,000 for student health and well-being, $376,000 for future workforce development programs and $320,000 in support for educators.

Through Fueled, its student food security program, LEF also provided 54,885 weekend meals to LCPS students during the fiscal year.

The growth represents more than an increase in dollars raised. It reflects deeper engagement among LCPS, local businesses, philanthropic organizations, donors and community members around the needs of students today and the skills they will need for the future.

In workforce development, LEF helps bring employers and industry leaders into conversations with LCPS educators about emerging career needs and the skills students will need to succeed. 

Those partnerships have helped support programs including the Health and Medical Science Academy and Summer in the Trades, while programs such as PROPEL and Level Up help younger LCPS students build skills and prepare for increasingly challenging coursework.

LEF has also expanded Fueled beyond traditional weekend meal bags. Today, the program includes in-school pantries offering food and hygiene essentials, fresh produce through a partnership with Bainum Foundation Farm, and snacks for LCPS students participating in schoolwide tutoring and other academic programs.

Learn more here: sqr.co/fy26lef/

Building Capacity for LEF’s Next Chapter

As philanthropic investment in LCPS has grown, LEF has also expanded its capacity to support LCPS partners, measure results and demonstrate the impact of those investments to donors and the broader community.

That work includes the addition of Rebecca Flick as LEF’s director of projects and impact, a new role focused on strengthening connections among donors, funded programs and LCPS partners and helping ensure investments translate into meaningful results for students and educators.

Flick brings more than 20 years of experience in communications, advocacy, fundraising and events, along with longstanding ties to LCPS. An LCPS parent and volunteer, she previously served as PTO president at Leesburg Elementary School and supported the Tuscarora Band Boosters. She also comes from a family of educators.

In her new role, Flick helps connect LEF donors and philanthropic partners with the LCPS teams implementing funded programs. As LEF’s partnerships and investments have grown, the position strengthens the foundation’s ability to support those programs, capture results and tell a more complete story about what community investment makes possible for LCPS students and educators.

“At the heart of our work is the belief that public education is a community investment,” Nadler said. “The growth we’ve experienced is possible because more people and organizations across Loudoun see themselves as partners in the success of LCPS students and educators. This recognition belongs to that entire community.”