Kay Coles James, President and Founder of The Gloucester Institute, announced that the Directors of The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation approved a two-to-one challenge grant of $150,000 for The Gloucester Institute.

James said, “The Gloucester family proudly accepts this gracious gift from our Richmond friends at The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation. We also accept the challenge to meet the criteria of this grant, which will not just be used for bricks and mortar, but to build a brighter future for America’s Black and Hispanic young leaders.”

The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation awarded the grant for the Holly Knoll Campus Restoration Project at The Gloucester Institute’s historic Moton Campus in Gloucester, Virginia. The project includes the renovation of dormitories, classrooms, and conference rooms that will help provide an intellectually-safe environment for Gloucester students, who often come from tense urban areas and require long-term, systematic intervention. The renovations will help provide these students with an environment necessary for coaching, counseling, and tutoring 24-hours a day and seven days a week.

Mary Morton Parsons Foundation is a Richmond -based organization that was founded in 1988 to support the capital needs of charitable organizations. The organization, which was founded by Mary Morton Parsons and her longtime friend Clinton Webb, supports a variety of philanthropic purposes from historic preservation to fundamental community needs. Following the passing of Mrs. Parsons, the foundation continues to honor her legacy by working to preserve the related traditions and history of the Virginia Commonwealth and making the Greater Richmond area a better place to live and work.

The Gloucester Institute’s goal is to raise $300,000 by March 31, 2013 to fulfill the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation challenge grant requirements and maintain the current renovations schedule. Donors interested in helping The Gloucester Institute meet this goal can contribute stock to the institute’s brokerage account, donate online, or send a check to The Gloucester Institute’s administrative offices in Richmond, Virginia. For more information about contributing to The Gloucester Institute, please call (804) 644-6290, visit online at www.gloucesterinstitute.org, or in person at 100 N. 5th Street, Richmond, VA 23219.