Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation

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EWVCF hosts Grantee Recognition Breakfast

The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation hosted its first Grantee Recognition Breakfast in early March after receiving and reviewing a record 93 applications from nonprofit organizations serving the region. During the breakfast ceremony EWVCF awarded 67 grants totaling $161,460 for a wide range of programs covering the gamut from helping infants and their families to providing palliative care for folks in the final stage of life.

In 2017, the Community Foundation awarded nearly $1.8 million in grants and scholarships, received just over $1 million in contributions, and grew endowed assets to $23 million. Thanks to investment advisors at BB&T, BCT Bank of Charles Town, CNB Bank, City National Bank, First United Bank & Trust, and United Wealth, the endowed assets grew nearly 15%. EWVCF manages more than 220 endowed funds, including 82 agency or designated funds that were created specifically to provide annual support to area nonprofit organizations.  Another 31 field of interest or unrestricted funds are the source of the competitive grants.

The program started off by awarding a total of $88,000 in Youth Grants, which are funded by the Jane P. Snyder Youth Fund, the Tom & Virginia Seely Children’s Fund, and the C. Scott and Elizabeth C. Shade Youth Fund. There were 35 Youth Grants awarded to programs serving all three Eastern Panhandle counties. The average youth grant this year was $2,500.

The Frada Fine Berkeley Education Fund awarded 14 grants totaling $20,000 to education focused programs serving Berkeley County. Frada Fine established a Memorial Scholarship Trust that is administered by BB&T Wealth Management. Each year, the Community Foundation receives a substantial gift from the trust which funds Berkeley County Education grants and Mini-Grants to Teachers.

The Joan Roach Volunteer Fund for the Needy, Housing Action Fund, Robert A. Sanders Fund, and Partners in Philanthropy underwrote nearly $14,000 in Housing and Human Welfare grants.  Seven nonprofit organizations benefited from these grants in 2018.

The Eastern Panhandle CARE Clinic discontinued operations in 2016, but before doing so, their board of directors established the Eastern Panhandle CARE Fund in order for the Community Foundation to award grants to nonprofit organizations that deliver services similar or complementary to those that were provided by the CARE Clinic during its 16 years of operation. The mission of the organization was to provide all residents of the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, regardless of their economic status, access to affordable, high-quality, patient-centered care; while empowering patients through health education and providing connection to community resources. The Eastern Panhandle CARE Fund awarded six healthcare grants totaling $25,000 during the 2018 breakfast ceremony.

The Helen Parker Willard Fund was established in her memory by her son Henry to help restore civil war era monuments in historic cemeteries in Jefferson County. EWVCF awarded four grants totaling $14,545 from the Helen Parker Willard Fund.

EWVCF Partners in Philanthropy sponsors ROCS Local Market/Roach Oil, BB&T Wealth, Bowles Rice, United Bank, Jefferson Distributing, First United Bank and Trust, CNB Bank, BCT Bank of Charles Town, Dan Ryan Builders, City National Bank, and Gat Creek Furniture have been instrumental in the success of or grants program.

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EWVCF to Award Three New Scholarships

Kevin Walker, Michael Whalton, and Charles Mason met last summer to deposit proceeds from the The inaugural Fulton L. Walker, Jr. Scholarship Golf Classic.  First year contributions to to the EWVCF Fulton L. Walker Jr. Scholarship Fund totaled $12,500.00 and the new fund hopes to award at least one scholarship in 2018.

Eastern WV Community Foundation offers three new scholarships in 2018

In addition to more than 40 existing scholarships, three new ones were recently established at the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation. Deadline to apply for any of the Community Foundation scholarships is March 1st and a total of more than $100,000 will be awarded to deserving students.

Graduating seniors from Berkeley County who are carry a 3.0 or better GPA and plan on attending WVU may apply for the $1,250 Fulton L. Walker Jr. Scholarship. The Inspiration Scholarship Fund: In Memory of Thelma Henry and Viola Hedges will offer one $2,000 scholarship to a graduating senior from Jefferson, Berkeley, or Morgan county, who carries a 3.5 GPA and is planning on attending an out-of-state college or university. Cadets any of the squadrons of the West Virginia Wing – Civil Air Patrol may apply for the third new scholarship being offered by the Community Foundation. The award is estimated to be $2,000 and graduating seniors with a GPA of 2.5 or better who have earned the CAP Amelia Earhart award or higher may apply.

Scholarship guidelines, applications, and information about all 44 EWVCF scholarships can be found on the Foundation’s website at https://www.ewvcf.org/how-to-apply/.

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EWVCF Enjoys Exceptional Year in 2017

From Grantmaking to Asset Growth, the past year has been one to remember for the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation. Thanks to the generosity of several of our donor advised funds, we topped more than $1.7 million in total grantmaking in 2017. Our investment advisors at BCT-Bank of Charles, BB&T, City National Bank, CNB, First United Bank & Trust, and United Wealth all provided excellent returns on investment with what is anticipated to be considerably better than 10% ROI.

EWVCF had more than $2o million under management at the beginning of the year, so we are very pleased with these results and hope that more of the same may be coming our way in 2018. Although we didn’t received any major gifts in 2017, new donations to the Community Foundation continued to help build our assets and provide us with expanded grantmaking capabilities.

The addition of Karin Hammann Dunn as our Program Manager back in July has given Felicia, Amy, and me more time to focus on our core responsibilities and we are pleased with the expertise and enthusiasm Karin has brought to the table. Revisions to our Grant and Scholarship Programs are beginning to pay dividends and we’ve had good feedback about the new application forms and grant deadline. We added several new field of interest funds that will allow us to award grants to more nonprofit organizations providing a wider scope of services to the community.

EWVCF President (2016-17) Darlene Truman enjoys a quiet moment with Finance & Admin Manager Felicia Fuller and Program Manager Karin Hammann Dunn before our Mini-Grants to Teachers Celebration in late November of 2017.

Finally, we want to thank our friend and leader Darlene Truman for serving as President these past two years. Darlene’s professionalism, keen intelligence and quick wit, provided a calm reassurance to the staff and board at the Community Foundation. For her leadership and friendship, we are most grateful.

We are looking forward to more success in 2018 and are excited to be working with our new President, Lisa Welch who has a long list of her own remarkable skills that she is willing to share with us. This promises to be another great year for the Community Foundation and we are most grateful to have the opportunity to serve our donors, area nonprofit organizations, and the community at large.

Happy New Year!

Michael Whalton, Executive Director

Martinsburg Office
127 Crimson Circle
Martinsburg, WV 25403
[email protected]
304.264.0353

Romney Office
Post Office Box 40
91 South High Street
Romney, WV 26757
[email protected]
304.822.7200

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Vision

To build vibrant communities that provide opportunities for everyone living in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

Mission

To inspire philanthropy, serve donors, strengthen communities, and improve the quality of life in Eastern West Virginia now and for future generations.

Values

We honor the philanthropic vision of our donors and value their generosity. We respect the work of nonprofit organizations and the passion they bring to carrying out their missions. We earn the trust of our grantees, donors, and partners through our commitment to excellence in our stewardship and our dedication to accountability, integrity, professionalism, and transparency in all our actions. In all our work, we actively embrace accessibility, inclusion, racial and social equity, and the unity that comes from diversity.