Northern Piedmont Community Foundation Opens Applications for 2025 Richard Lykes Rappahannock Community Fund

The Northern Piedmont Community Foundation is pleased to announce that applications for the Richard Lykes Rappahannock Community Fund will be available starting October 22, 2025. This grant opportunity aims to provide much-needed funding to nonprofit organizations based in or serving Rappahannock County. This grant invites proposals for projects that strengthen the fabric of Rappahannock County by addressing community challenges or creating new opportunities. Eligible nonprofits can apply for grants through the NPCF website. Organizations are encouraged to reach out to staff to discuss your grants.

The deadline for application submission is November 12, 2025. Full grant funding guidelines and eligibility requirements are available on the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation website.

The grant is named for Richard Lykes, a freelance photojournalist whose work most often appeared in the Rappahannock News (Washington, Virginia). He was active in a number of county civic organizations including the Ki Theatre, the Rappahannock Association for the Arts and the Community (RAAC), the Rappahannock Historical Society, and the Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection (RLEP). Lykes lived at Vista Hermosa Farm on Fogg Mountain near Flint Hill which he and his partner, Buddy Darden, purchased in 1992. He was an avid photographer since the mid-1950s but turned professional upon coming to Rappahannock County.

Before retiring in 2000 as an economist and research director for the Manufacturers Alliance, Lykes wrote extensively on international trade and authored several studies, including A Handbook on Financing U.S. Exports and Are You Ready for Disaster? A Corporate Guide for Preparedness and Response. He lived permanently in Rappahannock County since 2000. Born in Laredo, Texas, Lykes attended college at George Washington University (B.A. and M.A. in International Affairs/Economics). Growing up bilingual in Spanish and English, Lykes also studied abroad at Mexico City College (Mexico) and did graduate work in international law at the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina) as a Rotary Foundation Fellow. Lykes has an identical twin brother, Roy, of Silver Spring, Maryland and brother, Dr. Frederick Lykes of Victoria, Texas. Richard Lykes died February 25, 2009.

In his obituary, Jim Gannon said of Richard Lykes, “He was a soft-spoken man of refined taste, delicate constitution and sensitive talent, both a gentleman and a gentle man. Though he was a native of Texas, he was the polar opposite of the stereotypical Texan–nothing about him suggested toughness, loudness or swagger.”

Richard Lykes was a giving man — of his time, talent and, ultimately, from his estate after his death. By all accounts he loved Rappahannock County and was beloved by many who came to know him.

Important Note - Before submitting an application for the Lykes Rapphannock Community Fund, please make sure that all the information in your account is up to date. This includes accurate titles and contact information for all individuals associated with your organization, as well as the correct mailing address of the NPO organization. If you have any questions about updating your account, please contact Renard Carlos at Rcarlos@npcf.org or Tammy Buckalew at tbuckalew@npcf.org.