Michael Whalton, Author at ewvcf.org

April 30, 2023 By Michael Whalton

Partners in Philanthropy Spur Community Foundation Growth

Since 1995, the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation has been dedicated to improving our local communities and connecting donors to the most pressing needs in Berkeley, Jefferson, Morgan, Hampshire, and Hardy Counties. As a center for charitable giving, we support the arts, feed the hungry, expand literacy, improve health, and champion countless other meaningful causes. Our work is supported by a broad base of individuals, families, businesses, and organizations connected by the desire to improve our region.

We want to welcome our newest Partner in Philanthropy, Capstone Sponsor Pill & Pill, PLLC.

Over the past ten years, our Partners in Philanthropy have contributed nearly $400,000. These gifts, which come from local, regional, and national companies, bolster the Community Foundation’s grantmaking through our Mini-Grants to Teachers program and Community Impact Funds. In 2020, when local nonprofits faced unprecedented challenges during the Covid shutdown, our Partners in Philanthropy helped us respond quickly and we awarded $350,000 in grants to locally-based programs that provided critical services to our most vulnerable neighbors. We couldn’t do the work we do without the help of our generous business partners.

Throughout our five-county region, the Community Foundation supports local nonprofit organizations and the individuals and families they serve. In addition to providing annual sponsorship support, several business partners have established donor-advised funds (DAF) at the Community Foundation. You can learn more about the benefits of creating a DAF at the Community Foundation in the article that follows. We certainly hope you might be interested in our Partners in Philanthropy program or in establishing a donor-advised fund and we are here to answer your questions. Click on the link below to download more details.

PARTNERS IN PHILANTHROPY SPONSORSHIP FLYER & INFORMATION

March 14, 2023 By Michael Whalton

Honoring Tia McMillan

Founding Board Member and Emeritus Extraordinaire

March being Women’s History Month, we thought it only fitting to recognize one of the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation’s founding board members. Tia McMillan served as President of EWVCF in the early 2000s and has continued to be involved with the Foundation and with the community ever since.

When I started searching for biographical information about Tia, I discovered that my predecessor Amy Owen had saved a copy of the following “Citizen of the Year” nomination. Written by another dear friend and previous board member of the Foundation, Betty Russell, this nomination beautifully illustrates what an amazing person Tia really is. In 2007, Tia was recognized by the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce as the Berkeley County Citizen of the Year, an honor truly well-deserved.

To illustrate the impact Tia and the other founding members of the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation have had, you’ll note that at the time Betty wrote the nomination, EWVCF held $6.5 million in endowments. Today the Foundation has more than $35 million in assets and has awarded nearly $15 million in grants and scholarships during the past 27 years.

We will forever be indebted to Tia and the other founding board members for laying the groundwork to build this awesome Foundation.

Thank you, Tia!

Why Tia McMillan Should Be Berkeley County Citizen of the Year

A native West Virginian and resident of Berkley county since 1986, Tia McMillan’s words and deeds exemplify the true meaning of philanthropy: love of mankind. As put by one fellow volunteer leader, “Tia has never, in memory, hesitated to mix business and philanthropy. Her principal work blends evenly with the region’s best causes.”

As a businesswoman and co-owner of Jefferson Distributing Company, Tia has made it a practice to bolster the efforts of numerous charities and programs in the community. From golf tournaments to event fundraisers to scholarship programs, Jefferson Distributing Company’s management practice has been one of generosity and partnership. What’s more, through her company, ideas to address community needs have been both flexible and creative, from taking on programs to build alcohol abuse and misuse awareness in our area high schools to incubating new nonprofit groups serving Berkeley County. Her efforts from this vantage point are strengthened and made more valuable by the commitment of her co-owner and spouse, Bob McMillan, and Jefferson Distributing Company Chief Executive Officer, Jim Linsenmyer.

Tia has served as volunteer treasurer to her church since 1995, helping to develop investment standards, increased communication among the church leaders regarding church finances, and overall bookkeeping improvements.

Statewide, she has served since 1993 as a Governor’s appointee on the board of directors of the West Virginia Humanities Council. During that time, she has provided “excellent service and wise leadership.” The Council has a statewide mission and board representation from all parts of West Virginia. Tia has helped keep the organization in touch with the Eastern Panhandle and represent our region. Last July, she helped to organize the group’s summer board meeting in the Panhandle, assisting in important ways with arrangements with Shepherd University and others. As put by the organization’s executive leader, “We appreciate Tia’s good business sense and solid advice on our finance committee.”

Arts and culture are of paramount interest to Tia, and she has applied that vision locally, as well. In 1987, she was part of a group of volunteers who created the Boarman Arts Centre (now, the Arts Centre). She oversaw the Centre’s efforts to showcase local artisan works at its facility, organized fundraisers, attracted key donors to the cause, and recruited incoming board members until her final term serving as board president in 1995.

She started on the ground floor, too, as the initial idea of the Contemporary American Theatre Festival took shape in 1990. She helped build networks with legislators and theatre enthusiasts in Charleston who served as important advisors. She became a founding board member, and after a nine-year term, was voted as an Honorary Member. Now an acclaimed venue—nationwide—to see new contemporary plays, the Contemporary American Theatre Festival has proven more than a boon to live theatre. The Theatre serves as a sound investment in economic advancement, filling area hotels and restaurants with out-of-town theatre patrons. The Wall Street Journal has named it as one of the eight best places in America to see new contemporary plays. As stated by Shepherd University President, David Dunlop, “Tia was very supportive in helping to promote and to guide the festival to its current high level of success.”

More recently, Tia has worked to build a legacy for Berkeley County and all of the Eastern Panhandle. Tia has been a volunteer leader and “heavy lifter” in creating and building the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation since its inception in 1995. She has served on the organization’s executive committee since that time and provided unflagging leadership as its board president from 2000 to 2004. Working to build locally donated gifts and bequests that stay here in the community as everlasting endowments, Tia has helped strengthen the organization’s capacity by adding its first staff in 2001 due to a grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. Under her presidential leadership, the Foundation has more than doubled in assets, from $1.3 million to almost $3 million in gifts and pledges. Today, the Community Foundation holds $6.5 million in endowment. The Foundation has been instrumental in providing local training to area nonprofits through collaboration with the United Way of Berkeley & Morgan Counties, United Way of Jefferson County, and Shepherd University. Tia was instrumental in a first-ever and well-attended 2004 “Spirit of the Panhandle” event honoring three grassroots “unsung” volunteers from the Eastern Panhandle. Last but not least, through Tia’s generosity, Jefferson Distributing Company provided professional office space for the Foundation, pro bono, from 2001 to 2004.

Gifts of time, resources, ideas, and financial support are a tangible way to express love of community. In Tia’s case, she offers a trove of time, talent, and treasure to our community that is making a difference for our friends, families, and neighbors. Her work merits special recognition.

Nominated by: Betty Russell

January 24, 2023 By Michael Whalton

EWVCF Accepting Scholarship Applications

The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation (EWVCF) is accepting scholarship applications now through March 3, 2023. University, college, community college, and other higher-education bound students graduating in 2023 from Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan Counties are eligible to apply for EWVCF scholarships.

For the past 27 years, EWVCF has been committed to assisting students as they pursue their higher education goals. Thanks to donors who share this vision, the foundation offers dozens of scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000.

In 2023, forty-three different funds will award scholarships totaling more than $150,000 to students from Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan counties in the Eastern Panhandle. Students can visit the community foundation’s website at www.EWVCF.org to learn about the different types of scholarships available and their respective requirements, as some are quite specific.

Aimee Ballard received a West Virginia Wing – Civil Air Patrol Cadet Scholarship from the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation for the first time in 2020 when she graduated from Jefferson High School. Now in her third year at WVU, Aimee continues to be active in the Civil Air Patrol, earning the rank of Cadet/First Lieutenant and qualifying to receive the scholarship each of the last two years.

The West Virginia Wing – Civil Air Patrol Cadet Scholarship Fund was established by the late Dennis D. Barron to award scholarships to Civil Air Patrol cadets from around the state. Cadets who are chosen to receive these scholarships must be excellent students and proven leaders in their squadrons. The scholarships are renewable so long as the student remains a cadet in the West Virginia Wing throughout his or her college years.

The Theodore K. Oates Nursing Scholarship is for Berkeley County graduates who are currently studying or plan to study nursing at one of the colleges, universities, or technical institutes in the Eastern Panhandle. It is one of the few EWVCF scholarships that are available to students who are already attending college.

The Floyd and Isabel Jacques Memorial scholarship fund was created by Mr. Jacques to benefit Musselman High School seniors who are in the top 10% of their class. Previous Jacques Scholarship recipients have attended a wide range of colleges and universities, including Shenandoah University, Hagerstown Community College, and Seton Hill University.

The Martinsburg High School Class of 1964 Fund was created with gifts from dozens of Class of ’64 graduates. This fund provides scholarships for Martinsburg High graduates who will attend a West Virginia higher education institution.

The Derflinger Earth Sciences Scholarship fund was established by the late Jerry Derflinger. This fund provides scholarships for a graduating senior who is planning to attend a West Virginia public college or university and pursue a degree in agriculture, forestry, geology, archeology, or environmental science.

The Susan Wellford Smith Scholarship fund was established in memory of Ms. Smith by her family. This fund provides scholarships for female athletes from Jefferson County who plan to pursue a four-year degree.

The Anna Jo Crosby scholarship fund was established by Ms. Crosby’s husband, family, and friends as a tribute to her memory. This scholarship supports Morgan County high school graduates pursuing a degree in biology or veterinary science.

Recent college graduates preparing to enter Law School may want to apply for the J. Oakley Seibert Scholarship, which was established in his memory to support law school students who reside in and plan to return to the Eastern Panhandle to practice law after graduation.

The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation and its affiliates use an online scholarship application hosted by AwardSpring for most scholarships. That application can be found at https://ewvcf.awardspring.com . For more information, contact Scholarship Program Manager Karin Hammann Dunn at khdunn@ewvcf.org or 304-671-8167.

Entering its 28^th year in 2023, EWVCF will continue to offer many programs that support our community. The Foundation awards $1 million in grants and scholarships annually and manages more than $32 million in endowed funds. Thanks to an outstanding Board of Directors, dedicated donors, highly competent investment advisors, and professional staff, the Community Foundation will serve the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia for generations to come.

December 21, 2022 By Michael Whalton

EWVCF Now Accepting 2023 Scholarship Applications

EWVCF and Affiliate Scholarships – Apply Online

The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation (EWVCF) and its affiliates work with donors who have established more than four dozen scholarship funds. Awards range from $500 to $6,000. In 2022, the Foundation awarded over $180,000 in scholarships to students in Jefferson, Berkeley, Morgan, Hampshire, and Hardy Counties.

Our scholarship application is available through an online platform, AwardSpring. Applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on March, 3rd, 2023.

To see a list of scholarships available through the Community Foundation, click on the following links:

EWVCF Scholarship Funds – residents of Berkeley, Jefferson, or Morgan Counties

Hampshire Funds – residents of Hampshire County

Hardy Funds – residents of Hardy County

Go directly to our application site: https://ewvcf.awardspring.com

Timeline:

November 1st, 2022 – Our online application goes live.
March 3rd, 2023 – Applications are Due. No Exceptions. The system will not accept applications after midnight.
March/April – Our committees will review applications and conduct interviews for certain scholarships.
May – We will notify applicants only if they’ve been selected to receive a scholarship.
June 15 – Recipients must submit a completed scholarship acceptance form before we can process their scholarship for payment.
July – Scholarship awards are mailed to schools (made payable to the school to benefit the recipient).

For step-by-step guidance on completing the online application, download: EWVCF AwardSpring Navigation Guide

For answers to common questions about our scholarship program, download Scholarships-FAQ-2023

For information about non-traditional scholarships, click here: Scholarships with Separate Applications

November 27, 2022 By Michael Whalton

27th Annual Report to the Community Now Online

Our 27th Annual Report to the Community is at the printer and hard copies will be mailed in early December. If you haven’t received our annual report in the past, but would like to, please let us know and we’ll add your name and address to our mailing list. In the meantime, you can enjoy reading the stories and learning about the grants and scholarships we awarded in 2021 by clicking on the photo of the cover below to open the flipbook version of the full annual report. We hope you will enjoy reading about our friends and neighbors who have left a lasting legacy to the communities they loved.

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Partners in Philanthropy Spur Community Foundation Growth

Honoring Tia McMillan

EWVCF Accepting Scholarship Applications

EWVCF Now Accepting 2023 Scholarship Applications

EWVCF and Affiliate Scholarships – Apply Online

27th Annual Report to the Community Now Online

Contact EWVCF

Contact Hampshire CCF

Contact Hardy CCF

Vision

Mission

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