The Bama Works Fund, established by Dave Matthews Band, provides grants to support community initiatives in Charlottesville, Virginia, and surrounding counties. The fund is administered by the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (CACF) and focuses on funding nonprofit and community-based organizations that enhance local communities through various programs and services. Grants are awarded twice a year, and eligible organizations may apply once every 12 months. Public schools may also apply, but only one application per school is allowed per cycle.

The primary objective of the Bama Works Fund is to support projects that benefit residents of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Nelson, and Orange. Organizations eligible to apply must be registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits, governmental or religious entities, or projects with fiscal sponsorship from a 501(c)(3) organization. Special application requirements apply to fiscally sponsored organizations, including the submission of CACF’s updated Fiscal Sponsorship Policy form.

Grants awarded through the Bama Works Fund are up to $10,000 per recipient. There is no explicit reporting requirement mentioned for recipients. Organizations are encouraged to carefully review the fund's policies, especially for applications from public and private schools. Funding decisions for the first application cycle are made in early summer, while the second cycle’s decisions are announced in December.

Applications are submitted online via the Grantee Portal. The first application window opens on January 2 and closes at 11:59 PM on February 28, with funding decisions communicated in early June. The second application window runs from July 1 to August 29, with funding decisions released in early December. Organizations should ensure they adhere to these deadlines, as late applications will not be considered.

For organizations that require technical support with the Grantee Portal, assistance is available from the Grants Administrator. Additionally, questions regarding fiscal sponsorship should be directed to CACF’s designated contact person. Any general inquiries about the grant can be addressed via email to grants@cacfonline.org.