No Halo News · Sourced development
RISE Foundation announces planned closure after unsuccessful funding efforts
The Waynesboro-based RISE Foundation told supporters that it plans to cease operations on October 31. Co-founder Chanda McGuffin-Tucker told local media that she and co-founder Sharon Fitz considered funding options before deciding dissolution was the best course. The charity received a one-time $250,000 Virginia appropriation for fiscal 2023, while later requests for comparable state support did not enter final budgets. Its IRS filing reported 2024 revenue of $121,092, a year-end deficit and negative net assets.
Status matters. This page records a sourced development, not a completed No Halo investigation. An allegation is not a finding. Dismissals, settlements, judgments, corrections and final outcomes remain distinct.
Donor relevance
Why this matters
The planned dissolution would remove a small local provider of youth programs and illustrates the operational risk created when a regional charity relies heavily on nonrecurring public funding.
Attribution
Who reported or established this
Augusta Free Press reported the closure using an email sent by the co-founders, comments McGuffin-Tucker gave to The News Leader, Virginia budget records and IRS-derived filings.
Evidence limits
What remains unverified
No Halo has not established the final closure plan, the number of participants affected, whether programs will transfer to another provider, or how remaining liabilities and charitable assets will be handled.
Right of reply
Organization response
The co-founders announced that operations would cease October 31. McGuffin-Tucker said they had explored funding options and concluded that dissolution was the best course.
Classification
How No Halo records this event
Event type: Financial Distress. Current state: Pending. No Halo preserves the current procedural state rather than treating every mention as a finding.
Published October 15, 2026 · Last verified October 16, 2026. See an error or a later outcome? Submit a correction or right of reply.