Our Mission
Our Pillars
ECHO
Education · Cultural Preservation · Healthcare · Opportunity
"An ECHO Across Generations"
"Our family has been fortunate to have achieved success through our past business endeavors, affording us the opportunity to give back to the Loudoun community."
— Sharon Virts, Founder
Education
Arts, music, and mentorship for the next generation
Cultural Preservation
Historic sites, heritage, and community identity
Healthcare
Life-saving infrastructure and counseling access
Opportunity
Empowering underserved communities to thrive
The Founders
Sharon Virts & Scott Miller
Sharon and Scott founded the Virts Miller Foundation in 2015, driven by a personal commitment to give back to the Loudoun County community that has been their home for decades.
"Our family has been fortunate to have achieved success through our past business endeavors, affording us the opportunity to give back to the Loudoun community," says Sharon. Together, they have granted nearly $7 million to local nonprofits, healthcare institutions, and preservation efforts.
Est. 2015
Photo: Tony Powell / Inside-DC
Latest News
Foundation Updates
September 17, 2026
Loudoun Empty Bowls
The Foundation supports Loudoun Hunger Relief at this community event, where attendees share a simple meal of soup and bread to raise awareness and funds for local food insecurity.
January 29, 2026
Virts Miller Foundation Awards 7 Nonprofit Grants
The Virts Miller Foundation has awarded over $50,000 to seven area nonprofits as part of its 2025 competitive grant program. Sharon Virts noted that the initiatives funded this year will impact hundreds of lives in Loudoun County and make a difference in the community for generations to come.
Recipients include organizations focused on healthcare access, education and the arts, historic preservation, employment for adults with disabilities, youth development, and disaster relief — reflecting the Foundation's four-pillar mission.
Read the full storyNovember 7, 2025
Hurricane Helene — One Year Later
On behalf of Franklin Graham and Samaritan's Purse: "We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Virts Miller Foundation for your partnership, which allowed us to deliver both emergency aid and long-term support to communities devastated by Hurricane Helene."
Read moreJune 19, 2025
2025 Competitive Grant Program
The Foundation invites local nonprofits to submit Letters of Interest for its annual competitive grant program, supporting cultural preservation, healthcare access, education, and underserved communities in Loudoun County.
Learn moreHow We Fund Our Mission
Amlés Wines
Sharon and Scott founded Amlés — a fine wine brand — as a direct vehicle for philanthropy. 100% of profits from Amlés go directly to the Virts Miller Foundation.
The concept grew from their restoration of Selma, where they discovered Thomas Jefferson had 2,000 acres of winegrapes nearby and was a great admirer of Bordeaux wine. Sharon and Scott engaged world-renowned winemaker Philippe Melka — who trained at Château Haut-Brion, Jefferson's favorite — and commissioned original label paintings by Sharon herself.
Amlés now sources from Napa Valley, the Mosel Valley in Germany, and Willamette Valley in Oregon. Each label a work of art. Each bottle a contribution to the community.
Visit Amlés Wines100%
of profits to the Foundation
Not a portion — all of it
2018
Inaugural Napa Valley vintage
Founded by Sharon Virts & Scott Miller
3
Wine regions
Napa Valley · Mosel Valley · Willamette Valley
Annual Competitive Grant Program
Apply for a Grant
Each year, the Virts Miller Foundation awards over $50,000 in competitive grants to area nonprofits through a two-phase application process. Grants support cultural significance, historic preservation, healthcare access, underserved communities, and educational mentorship programs. To date, the Foundation has awarded nearly $7 million to the Loudoun community.
Eligible organizations must directly benefit Loudoun County or the surrounding Virginia region, and work must align with the Foundation's four mission pillars.
Learn About Grant ApplicationsKey Initiatives
Making a tangible difference in Loudoun County and beyond — from emergency medicine to disaster relief.
Inova Virts Miller Family Emergency & Trauma Center
$4M+ CommittedIn 2015, Sharon's younger brother suffered a severe brain aneurysm and had to be medevacked 35 miles away — Loudoun County's hospital simply lacked the trauma capacity to save him. That painful personal experience drove Sharon and Scott to commit over $4 million to build a world-class emergency and trauma center at Inova Loudoun Hospital. Today, the Inova Virts Miller Family Emergency and Trauma Center is a nationally-acclaimed, full-service ER and the county's only designated trauma center — treating over 43,000 patients per year and achieving Level 2 trauma designation.
Mosaic Virginia — Women's Care & Maternity Home
Multi-Year PartnerThe Foundation has been a sustained multi-year partner of Mosaic Virginia, which provides expert, compassionate care to women facing unplanned pregnancies. In 2023, the Foundation funded a full office renovation and — critically — donated a property that allowed Mosaic to open their first maternity home. In 2025, a $100,000 grant fully renovated their Lansdowne Center and established a permanent home for the GPS Parenting Program, which saw a 54% increase in participation, reaching 234 families.
Loudoun Education Foundation — Arts & Music
EducationCreating new art and music programs for local elementary school students, including a state-of-the-art recording studio, ensuring every child — regardless of background — has access to creative education.
A Place to Be
Therapeutic ArtsSupporting an award-winning therapeutic arts organization creating community, belonging, and hope through music therapy, performance, and the expressive arts for those facing mental health challenges.
A Farm Less Ordinary
Employment & CommunityHelped build a commercial greenhouse to secure year-round employment for adults with disabilities — a model for inclusive economic opportunity in rural communities.
Rector House Restoration
Historic PreservationPartnered with Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area to renovate and restore the historic c. 1801 Rector House in Atoka, VA — preserving a piece of the region's architectural and cultural heritage for future generations.
The Family One
Youth DevelopmentSupporting children in exploring their creativity and developing artistic skills — helping young people in underserved communities find their voice through the arts.
Samaritan's Purse — Hurricane Helene Relief
Disaster ReliefWhen Hurricane Helene devastated communities across the Southeast, the Foundation partnered with Samaritan's Purse to deliver both emergency aid and long-term support. Samaritan's Purse wrote: "Your compassion and generous support have been instrumental in positively impacting the lives of hundreds of families and individuals."
Community Leadership
Loudoun Museum
Sharon served as Board Chair of the Loudoun Museum for nine years, working to preserve and share the rich history of one of Virginia's most storied counties — ensuring the community's past remains accessible to all.
Hometown Roots
Lucketts, Virginia
Sharon was raised in Lucketts, a quaint village of Leesburg in Loudoun County. Her philanthropy is not abstract — it is personal, born from a deep love for the land, people, and heritage of the county she grew up in.
Washington Life Magazine
Philanthropic 50 of 2020 — honored for work in education, health, and cultural preservation