Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation

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Eastern Panhandle Nonprofits Receive $100,000 in Arts, Music, Design, and Nature Grants

The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation mailed grant checks from the Detlev and Mary Ellen Preissler Fund for the Arts, Music, Design, and Nature on Tuesday, May 24. Twelve Eastern Panhandle nonprofits received grants ranging from $2,325 to $10,000.

Several general support grants were awarded, while others focused on specific programs or projects ranging from an outdoor teaching space with a living roof at Potomac Valley Audubon Society’s Cool Spring Preserve to Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Libraries’ “Martinsburg Rocks!” concert series in collaboration with the Tony M Music and Arts Foundation.

“We are delighted to be able to award these grants to so many worthy organizations,” stated EWVCF Executive Director, Michael Whalton. “Until now we haven’t had the resources to provide this kind of support for programs focused on the arts and nature.”

Just over $100,000 in grants were presented to the twelve nonprofits, and nearly $49,000 in grants will soon be awarded to Eastern Panhandle schools for art, music, theatre, design, and nature programs and projects. The advisors who recommended the grants were impressed with the quality of the applications and the summer programs that received funding are already gearing up to put the grants to good use.

In Jefferson County, the Contemporary American Theater Festival will use its grant to provide fair wages to college interns working with CATF this summer. Funding for the Old Charles Town Library will create a Children’s Art Center. Shepherdstown Day Care is offering a pottery class with Ms. Joy. The Appalachian Chamber Music Co., Black Box Youth Playhouse, and Friends of Music are all using their grants to support their programs.

Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Libraries, Potomac Valley Audubon Society, and the Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle will offer a variety of programming during the summer. And, in Morgan County, the Black Box Music Cooperative, Morgan Arts Council, and Wind Dance Farms & Earth Education Center will all be able to provide expanded programs for children thanks to the grants they received.

The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation (EWVCF) was established in 1995 to help donors create permanent endowments to provide grants and scholarships. Since its inception, EWVCF has awarded $13.7 million, including $1 million in 2021 alone. The Community Foundation now holds more than 260 endowed funds with assets of just over $38 million and it is the leading steward of philanthropic giving in the region. EWVCF works with a wide range of nonprofit organizations providing funding for projects from human welfare and scholarships to affordable housing and natural resources conservation; youth and education to animal welfare and historic preservation, and much more. For information visit www.EWVCF.org, or contact EWVCF Executive Director Michael Whalton at [email protected], 304-264-0353.

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Two Rivers Giving Circle Honors Jane Rissler

The Two Rivers Giving Circle has honored Jane Rissler, the director of the Jefferson County Museum, with its 2022 Preservation Award.

The award was presented at a ceremony and reception held on Sunday, May 15, at the museum in Charles Town. It is a personalized, handcrafted platter made from local clay by award-winning potters Pam and Ren Parziale, of Sycamore Pottery in Leetown.

The accompanying photo shows Giving Circle member Linda Case, left, presenting the award to Ms. Rissler. They are standing in front of a historic flag that was conserved for the museum’s collection with help from a Two Rivers Giving Circle grant. The flag is from Charles Town’s Green-Copeland American Legion Post 63, founded in 1929 by local African Americans who had served in World War I.

The Two Rivers Giving Circle is a field of interest fund of the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation. Since its inception in 2008, it has provided more than $110,000 to Eastern Panhandle organizations engaged in natural resources conservation and historic preservation. It is one of the few grantmakers in the region that focuses on these two fields.

Each year, the Giving Circle also recognizes one or more individuals who have been leaders in one or both of these fields.

A Jefferson County native, Ms. Rissler received a bachelor’s degree from Shepherd College, a master’s from West Virginia University, and a Ph.D. in plant pathology from Cornell University. Her ensuing career as a scientist spanned three-and-a-half decades and included positions with the University of Maryland, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the National Wildlife Federation, and the Union of Concerned Scientists.

In 2005, while she was still working and commuting from Jefferson County to Washington, DC, she began volunteering at the county museum. When she retired in 2011, she was hired as the museum’s director.

In her presenting remarks, Ms. Case said Ms. Rissler has greatly modernized the museum’s operations during her tenure as director, leading major upgrades in its computing capabilities and online presence. She has also updated and strengthened its finances, establishing a special new fund dedicated to acquisitions and conservation, and successfully seeking grant funding to help support these purposes.

“In addition,” Ms. Case said, “she has worked to build bridges to all sectors of the community. She has recounted that in 2016, the museum was preparing for an exhibit and realized it was not representing African Americans and women’s contributions to the county. Since then, she has made a strong push to diversify the museum’s collection and provide exhibits that recognize the contributions of all.”

To learn more about the Giving Circle and get information about joining or contributing, go to the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation website at www.ewvcf.org. Or contact Michael Whalton, the Foundation’s executive director, at 304-264-0353 or [email protected]. The cost of membership in the Giving Circle is $500 annually. However, contributions of any amount are welcomed.

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COMMUNITY FOUNDATION’S NEW FUND TO AWARD GRANTS TO ARTS, NATURE PROGRAMS IN 2022

MARTINSBURG — Eastern Panhandle organizations with programs focusing on the arts and nature will soon benefit from a newly established donor-advised fund at the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation. The new Detlev and Mary Ellen Preissler Fund for the Arts, Music, Design, and Nature will award up to fifteen grants of approximately $10,000 each this year. Eastern Panhandle schools and nonprofit organizations that inspire and educate children through art, music, design, and nature seeking general operating support or funding for a specific program are invited to apply for a grant from this new fund. This year’s deadline to apply is April 28th.

The Detlev and Mary Ellen Preissler Fund for the Arts, Music, Design, and Nature was established by Mary Ellen in honor of her late husband Detlev, a German-born architectural designer who called Harpers Ferry his home for nearly 50 years. The two met on a blind date in late 1991 and Detlev proposed two weeks later on New Year’s Eve. They were married on February 15, 1992, and remained together until his death in 2017.

Detlev and Mary Ellen traveled wide and far throughout their lives. Detlev drove more miles than anyone else she had ever known, Mary Ellen said, but he always considered himself a “little country boy from West Virginia.” Mary Ellen, a New York native who had previously worked as a realtor, joined Detlev’s firm Helikon Design Corp when she moved to Harpers Ferry. Detlev was a renowned designer, first working at various prestigious DC design firms and then creating round Helix Structure homes at his own firm.

Detlev was a visionary, Mary Ellen says. He wrote philosophical poetry and maintained friendships that spanned nearly his entire lifetime. Mary Ellen speaks of his good sense of humor and said he would command a whole room if he knew the occupants. Now, by creating this fund, Mary Ellen has ensured that both Detlev’s brilliant mind and her own generosity and love for him will live on forever.

Through this new fund, the arts in Jefferson, Berkeley, and Morgan Counties will continue to grow and thrive. Programs that help children expand their knowledge and practice of art, music, and design, especially those that incorporate nature and the natural world into the curriculum, should visit www.EWVCF.org to learn more and apply for a grant from the Detlev and Mary Ellen Preissler Fund for the Arts, Music, Design, and Nature today!

The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation (EWVCF) was established in 1995 to help donors create permanent endowments to provide grants and scholarships throughout the region. Since its inception, EWVCF has awarded $13.7 million, including $1 million in 2021 alone. The Community Foundation now holds more than 260 endowed funds with assets of just over $38 million and it is the leading steward of philanthropic giving in the region. EWVCF works with a wide range of nonprofit organizations providing funding for projects from human welfare and scholarships to affordable housing and natural resources conservation; youth and education, animal welfare and historic preservation, and much more. To apply visit https://www.ewvcf.org/detlev-and-mary-ellen-preissler-fund-for-the-arts-music-design-and-nature-request-for-proposal/or contact EWVCF Executive Director Michael Whalton at [email protected], 304-264-0353.

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2021 in Review and What’s New in 2022

The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation awarded more than $1 million in grants and scholarships in 2021. To learn more about the outstanding work being done by our organization, take a look at the slides we prepared for a recent News@Noon presentation to members of the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce. Rebecca and Michael are happy to make similar presentations to civic groups and nonprofit boards if you are interested. We’ve compiled the slides into the flipbook below.

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Community Foundation Awards $20,000 Grant to Martinsburg Union Rescue Mission

The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation Solomon Fine Memorial Fund awarded the organization’s final grant of the year on December 31st. The Community Foundation’s $20,000 contribution to the Martinsburg Union Rescue Mission raised the total amount of grants and scholarships awarded by EWVCF to over $1 million this year.

The Solomon Fine Memorial Fund annually presents a substantial grant to one Martinsburg-Berkeley County nonprofit organization that has done exceptional work during the year. The grant to the Rescue Mission was made even more meaningful as the members of the advisory committee recommended the grant be presented in memory of Martinsburg Mayor Harriet Johnson who was a great supporter of the Rescue Mission and its Director Pastor Tim Guerino.

The Martinsburg Union Rescue Mission has continued operating daily throughout the pandemic. In 2021, the Rescue Mission served more than 70,000 meals, provided a safe place for homeless men to sleep, supplied clothing and shoes to families, and offered job skills training and employment opportunities throughout the community.

Currently, the Rescue Mission is engaged in a capital campaign to convert the existing structure at 604 West King street into six apartments that will provide emergency transitional housing for families. With this $20,000 grant from the Solomon Fine Memorial Fund, the campaign is halfway to its $800,000 goal.

When it is safe to do so, the check will be presented to Rescue Mission Director Pastor Tim Guerino by EWVCF President Andrew McMillan and Solomon Fine Memorial Fund Advisory Committee members Martinsburg Mayor Kevin Knowles, Berkeley County Schools Superintendent Patrick Murphy, Gerrardstown Presbyterian Church Pastor Karen Greenawalt, and Good Samaritan Free Health Care Director Karen Newell.

 

 

 

 

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.