Each April, our amazing community comes to support area nonprofits during The Community Foundation’s Great Community Give. During this day-long event, nonprofits raise funds and awareness for a variety of wonderful causes that benefit people right here in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.

As a local nonprofit organization, HDR is proud to be one of the participants in this year's Great Community Give! Not only do we get to share our goals and milestones for downtown, but we also love spotlighting some of our downtown nonprofit neighbors who have done amazing work in their fields.

We encourage you to mark your calendars for Wednesday, Apr 22, 2026, and join us for an epic day of giving. Ahead of the big event, we thank everyone for donating to HDR and our nonprofit peers! Every dollar and social media share helps. 💚

HDR’s Great Community Give Goals

For almost 25 years, HDR has been the nonprofit tasked with leading the ongoing revitalization of Downtown Harrisonburg -- the heart of our community! We are passionate about our mission to build a Downtown Harrisonburg as a destination where businesses thrive, and people enjoy memorable experiences.

Downtown Harrisonburg’s vision statement, which you helped create, puts a priority on being an intentionally inclusive community with equitable opportunities and more cultural programming. Therefore, we are looking to help fund three areas with our $4,000 Great Community Give goal this year:

*Example shade sails that would go in park*

Sensory Playground Shade Sails

HDR is working with the Speech and Language Center to create a sensory playground at their new downtown location to provide an inclusive space where all children can play safely and their sensory needs can be met. We received a Virginia Main Street grant and will provide a match using raffle proceeds, but there is still a funding gap. Help us close it by funding the shade sails so families can enjoy the playground on sunny days.

Downtown Marketing Intern Support

HDR is launching a marketing agency dedicated to helping downtown business owners reach more customers, grow their brands, and thrive in our community with the help of HDR's Intern Program! Your donation will support the agency’s work to continue to support our downtown businesses that need assistance with marketing. It’s a lot to be an entrepreneur who wears all the hats and is expected to be a marketing maven, too. Help us lighten their load while giving students real-world experience.

Levitt AMP Harrisonburg Music Series Local Opening Acts

HDR wants to showcase local musicians at our Levitt AMP Harrisonburg Music Series, providing performance opportunities as the opening acts and spotlighting their incredible talent. Our Levitt Foundation grant doesn’t cover the cost of paying for opening bands, so your donation will put local musicians on the big stage to play in front of their fellow community members.

We thank you for your generous support and will put your contributions towards the costs associated with making these projects happen. You can make a donation on our great Community Give page now through April 22 here.

Nonprofit Spotlights

We love to call attention to other nonprofits participating in the Great Community Give who are located downtown or are one of our partners. Check out these nonprofits, and many more, ahead of the Great Community Give!

RHSPCA

As an open-admission animal shelter, the RHSPCA is dedicated to promoting respect, compassion, and advocacy for all animals in our community, connecting pets and people since 1972.

Since starting our Hburg Hounds dog influencer program, we have partnered with RHSPCA to help educate pet owners about pet safety and distribute resources about our dog-friendly downtown.

As Hburg Hounds partners, you’ll find the RHSPCA at all of our free community festivals, signing up new dog influencers and letting people know about local adoptable pets.

Check out RHSPCA’s Great Community Give profile here and consider supporting their mission this month so we can continue to see more happy pet owners in our dog-friendly downtown.

Explore More Discovery Museum

We are fortunate to have the Explore More Discovery Museum located in the heart of Downtown Harrisonburg. With over 15 hands-on exhibits sparking curiosity and creativity in kids of all ages, this destination is a favorite among local and visiting families alike.

This year, we were thrilled to test pilot our new Downtown Harrisonburg Marketing Agency with Explore More as a client. We matched this nonprofit with a talented student intern who helped develop campaign content for the Downtown Ducklings and beyond!

We love Explore More’s dedication to creating playful moments for all ages. Having quality destinations with engaging programming and interactive exhibits helps people make lasting memories downtown and encourages people to visit again and again.

Find their profile here and consider supporting their mission!

The Green Book House

As a nationally registered landmark and once-vital stop in the Green Book, the Ida Mae Frances Tourist Home preserves the story of a woman-owned business, a thriving African American middle-class family in Harrisonburg, and how Jim Crow laws created uncertainty for those traveling through the South.

There is no other remaining Green Book house in Virginia that is completely untouched from when it was used as a safe lodging destination in the mid-1900s. When you walk inside, you see the home as it was when George Washington Carver, Duke Ellington, and Cab Calloway stayed here. HDR’s work is based around finding new uses for old buildings, so historic preservation is at our core. We are eager to see that this site is protected and opened to the public.

Although the Green Book House is not participating in the Great Community Give this year, the organization working to save the building and to establish this hallowed historic site as a destination in Harrisonburg. They received their nonprofit status recently and are ready to accept donations! You can still make a donation through The Community Foundation’s website here.

Check out our video about the Green Book House here.

Shenandoah Valley Conservancy

One of Harrisonburg’s branding tenets is serving as the basecamp for outdoor recreation, so protecting the land that surrounds our city is important to many. This year, we want to call your attention to Shenandoah Valley Conservancy, which moved into the Harrisonburg Innovation Hub last year. This organization is the only land trust exclusively protecting the Shenandoah Valley, preserving farms, forests, and waterways for generations to come.

Each Levitt AMP Harrisonburg season, we invite nonprofits to spread awareness of their mission by having a booth at our free outdoor concerts. We were thrilled to have the Shenandoah Conservancy come out to share the importance of their work on the local environment last year, and want to continue helping people learn about their work

Check The Shenandoah Valley Conservancy’s Great Community give profile here and consider supporting their mission this month so we can continue to enjoy the natural beauty of the Valley.
How Can I Help?

Any donation, no matter the amount, makes a difference. If you are considering giving during the Great Community Give, here are some tips to get the most out of your donations:

Check for Power Hours: Many nonprofits encourage donors to give during specific “power hours” throughout the day for the chance to unlock additional funds. Set a calendar reminder for power hours for your favorite nonprofits to give them the best shot at the prize. HDR’s power hour is 10am-11am.
Be a Fundraising Champion: For causes you deeply care about, you can choose to create a personal fundraising page. By rising to the top of the leaderboards, you are demonstrating the passion you have for this cause and inspiring others to take action too.
Be on the Lookout for Events & Giveaways: Many organizations partner with local businesses on proceeds events and giveaways. Check social media for events and giveaways happening throughout the day. HDR will be giving away several prize packs to our donors!

While Great Community Give is primarily a day of fundraising, there are other ways you can be supportive. Consider supporting HDR and your other favorite organizations by:

Liking, commenting, and engaging on social media posts
Texting a friend or family member a reminder about Great Community Give
Reposting or resharing content from your favorite nonprofits
Sharing your personal stories for why community organizations are important to you

Thank you for helping make a difference!

Small Town, Big Heart: Join HDR for an Epic Great Community Give