How to Participate as a Charity

The Smith Mountain Lake Charity Home Tour Board would like to invite you to apply to become one of eight participating charities in the 34th Annual Charity Home Tour, which will be held on October 10, 11, and 12, 2025.  Funds raised during the Tour are distributed to the participating charities so they can continue their good works in our area.  In 2024, we distributed over $175,000 to the participating charities.

The Tour’s success is based upon a productive working relationship between the Charity Home Tour Board and each charity, based on timely communication, responsiveness, and teamwork.  To participate, a charity must meet the following criteria:

  • Possess 501(c) 3 tax-exempt status.
  • Provide services directly to the people in the Smith Mountain Lake geographic area.
  • Be prepared to provide 6 Key Volunteers to handle the charity’s Tour obligations (see the short descriptions provided at “Key Volunteer Roles and Responsibilities”; copy attached).   Please note — It is not necessary that these Key Volunteers come directly from your employee or volunteer pools. No Key Volunteer should be assigned to more than one job due to the work commitment for each position. Your 6 Key Volunteers must have good organizational, computer and communication skills.
  • Please keep in mind that the SMLCHT window for soliciting sponsorships will be Late-February to mid-May.  If you have other fundraising plans for that time please be sure they don’t conflict with your fundraising commitment to the Home Tour.

Below are the documents that need to be reviewed and filled out when applying to participate in the SML Charity Home Tour. Please review the following:

  • 2025 Charity Application: Available as a printed or online document – complete and send back to the address below.
  • Description of the Key Volunteer Roles and Responsibilities – please read
  • Charity Participation Agreement – please review, participating charities will complete it at the Kick-off Event
  • Key Volunteer Spreadsheet – charities chosen to participate will provide this completed form at the Kick-off Event

Charities who wish to apply must submit their application and required materials by December 13, 2024.

Applications can be sent to SML Charity Home Tour, Inc., c/o Charity Administrator, P.O. Box 416, Moneta, VA 24121 or [email protected]. If you have any questions about the application form, please contact Beth Hoyos, Charity Administrator, at the same email address or 703-283-5000. 

Note: Smaller charities are encouraged to partner with other charities and apply as one unit, combining their volunteers and splitting the proceeds.  In that situation, each charity should complete a separate application and submit the applications together as one package.

The SML Charity Home Tour is an all-volunteer organization working for the betterment of our SML community, and we value our partnerships with SML area charities supporting those in need. We hope you will apply to be a participating charity on the 2025 Tour.