We are a regional Steering Committee of high school students from public, independent or home schools in Grades 9-12, in Loudoun and Fauquier counties.  We are learning to be student grant-makers in the S. Murray Rust and Mary H.C. Rust Student Philanthropy Project.  Our slogan is “Forward Turn”----which means we encourage you to step “Forward”, do a good “Turn” for your community, and maybe we can help you by giving you some money (a grant) for your project.  We are also doing a “Forward Turn” by being part of the Student Philanthropy Project, an 8 month project each school year!

Committee Work:

• Assess the needs of our community as we see it from a youth’s standpoint
• Determine how to get our information into the hands of youth so they can apply for our grants.
• Be spokespersons for Forward Turn---we can come meet with your group or take questions via email.  You can contact us at info@forwardturn.org or call 540-687-5223 to reach the Piedmont Community Foundation office which is our “home”.
• Review, discuss and score each grant as we receive it.  Once the grant deadline is closed we determine / decide which grants we have the most interest in supporting.  We then call you up and make a time to meet---this is called a “site visit”.
• Make final decisions on what grants we want to see funded.  In May we give a full presentation to the Directors of the Piedmont Community Foundation and give our grant advice for funding.  Once the Directors give approval you are notified if your grant was successful or not.
• The next school year we begin following up on prior grants to have full reports.

Where do we get our money for grants?

A permanent fund was established in Piedmont Community Foundation by the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Mr. S. Murray Rust and his wife, Mrs. Mary H.C. Rust to set up the Student Philanthropy Project. The fund is an endowment which means any money received for the Fund is invested and the earnings are used for our youth grants. This perpetual student grant project honors the principles of youth philanthropy which were of high importance to Mr. and Mrs. S. Murray Rust during their lifetimes. The Rust's are on of Virginia's earliest pioneer families who have figured prominently in the affairs of the commonwealth since 1654. Read more about the Rust's. Anyone can donate to the Student Philanthropy Project which helps us have more money for grants.

Meet our Steering Committee this year.

Ailiena 1st year grant maker	Amanda 2nd year grant maker	Chandler 3rd year grant maker
Dane 2nd year grant maker	Daria 2nd year grant maker	EricaJoy 2nd year grant maker
Isabelle 2nd year grant maker	Johne 3rd year grant maker	Kat 2nd year grant maker
Katie 1st year grant maker	Kelsi 2nd year grant maker	Lauren 3rd year grant maker
Lauren 2nd year grant maker	Maddie 2nd year grant maker	Maggie 1st year grant maker
Markus 1st year grant maker	Matt 1st year grant maker	Megan 1st year grant maker
NeJohn 2nd year grant maker	Robert 3rd year grant maker	Sam 2nd year grant maker
Sarah H. 3rd year grant maker	Thompson 3rd year grant maker	Vivienne 3rd year grant maker
Yasamin 1st year grant maker