Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation

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Two Rivers Giving Circle Honors Betty Lou Harmison

The Two Rivers Giving Circle has honored Betty Lou Harmison, of Berkeley Springs, with its 2017 Preservation and Conservation Award.

The award recognizes Harmison for her many years of support for historic preservation and natural resources conservation in Morgan County. It was presented during the organization’s annual picnic, held September 16 at Cacapon State Park. Harmison received a handcrafted platter made from local clay by award-winning potters Pam and Ren Parziale of Sycamore Pottery in Leetown.

The Two Rivers Giving Circle is an advised fund of the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation. Since its inception in 2008, it has provided grants totaling more than $68,000 to Eastern Panhandle organizations engaged in historic preservation and natural resources conservation. It is one of the few grantmakers in the region that focuses on these two fields.

Each year, the Giving Circle also recognizes an individual who has been a leader in one or both of these fields.

A long-time resident of Berkeley Springs, Harmison for many years operated the Park View Inn (now the Country Inn) with her late husband Bill. Over the years she has been an energetic member of many different community organizations.

In the field of historic preservation, she has been active in the Morgan County Historical Society and Ye Olde Town of Bath Daughters of the American Revolution. She is one of the founders and a longtime leader of the Museum of the Berkeley Springs, and a longtime member of the Town of Bath Landmarks Commission.

During the nation’s Bicentennial in 1976, she headed the town’s bicentennial committee, developing historical markers and a walking tour of the town’s original lots, and hosting officials from Bath, England.

She also wrote the National Register of Historic Places nomination for Berkeley Springs State Park.

In 2011, she was the co-author, with Jeanne Mozier, of the Arcadia Publishing Company’s “Images of America” volume on Berkeley Springs.

At the state level, she has served on the Records Management and Preservation Board of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.

Harmison has also had a strong interest in natural resources conservation. She is one of the founders and a longtime member of the Foxglove Garden Club in Berkeley Springs, which has long helped to beautify the town, and has also served on the town’s streetscape committee. A decade ago, she assisted the Potomac Valley Audubon Society in establishing the Eidolon Nature Preserve in Morgan County.

She was named a West Virginia History Hero in 2007 and received a Girl Scouts Women of Distinction Award in 2010.

Individuals interested in joining the Two Rivers Giving Circle should contact Michael Whalton, executive director of the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation, at 304-264-0353 or [email protected]. The cost of membership is $500 annually.

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Two Rivers Giving Circle Grant Deadline Looms

The Two Rivers Giving Circle Fund was established at the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation in 2007 by a group of like-minded donors who wanted to focus on local conservation and preservation grantmaking in the Eastern Panhandle. Since its inception, the Two Rivers Giving Circle has awarded more than $66,000 in grants and this year will distribute nearly $8,000 to organizations that submit winning proposals by the September 15th deadline.

Grant awards generally range from $500 to $2,500. Committee members will review and consider a wide variety of grant categories including ones that focus on any or all of the following:

  • Safeguarding Habitat: Protection of habitat is critical to the preservation of biodiversity. Focus is placed on buffer zones, wildlife areas, watersheds, and functioning ecosystems.
  • Children and Nature: Outdoor or environmental programs that address youth activism, knowledge, hands-on activity, and physical movement.
  • Saving Panhandle Treasures: Initiatives that provide increased protection of historic, cultural, and pastoral places in the Eastern Panhandle.
  • Waste and Recycling: Efforts that catalyze underserved recycling efforts, promote effective household waste treatment and deter non-point source pollution in the region.
  • Energy Conservation: Initiatives that promote increased energy conservation and decreased consumption behaviors in our community.
  • Growing the Movement: Programs that engage, organize, and empower volunteerism and leadership in the fields of conservation and preservation.

Once proposals have been reviewed, Two Rivers Giving Circle representatives may contact applicants for a phone or face-to-face interview and site visit. Grants winners will be announced by November 30, 2017.

Organizations interested in applying for a Two Rivers Giving Circle grant can download instructions and an application here.

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West Virginia NIP Tax Credits Available in Eastern Panhandle

Thanks to the West Virginia Development Office Neighborhood Investment Program (NIP), the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation is offering West Virginia residents NIP Tax Credits for qualifying gifts made to the Foundation. Because the West Virginia tax credits actually reduce your state tax liability, a $1000 gift to the Community Foundation translates into an actual $500 out of pocket expense—and even less if donors itemize deductions on their federal tax return.

“Tax credits can help donors make sizable gifts that will benefit favorite charities this year, and forever,” says Michael Whalton, executive director of the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation. The Community Foundation works with local donors to build permanent community endowment. Funds are invested and the gains produce grants and scholarships that benefit Eastern West Virginia. The minimum gift to qualify for NIP tax credits is $500 and the maximum is $5,000.

A number of existing agency endowed funds held in the Community Foundation qualify a donor’s gift for the credit. The Eastern Panhandle CARE Fund, CCAP Loaves and Fishes, CASA of the Eastern Panhandle, Jefferson County Community Ministries, Camp Frame 4-H, Boys and Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle, Healthy Smiles Dental Clinic, Shepherdstown Daycare Center, Junior Mentoring Program (JUMP), Shenandoah Women’s Center, Housing Action Fund, Community Networks, Inc. – Bethany House all have endowed funds which are eligible to receive gifts through the Neighborhood Investment Program.

Tax credits may also be used to set up a new, qualifying fund in the Community Foundation. Individuals or businesses interested in making an NIP eligible donation can call (304) 264-0353 to reserve credits and discuss how their gift will be used to benefit local charities.

The West Virginia Legislature sets aside $3 million annually in NIP tax credits. To participate, an organization must be a public 501(c)(3) charity and apply to the West Virginia Development Office. Donors may use the credits to reduce liability for West Virginia Personal Income Tax or Corporate Net Income Tax.

The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation was founded in 1995 and serves Jefferson, Berkeley, Morgan, Hampshire and Hardy counties. It provides financial stewardship for more than 230 endowment funds, holds over $22 million in assets, and distributes nearly $1 million in annual grants and scholarships to local nonprofit organizations and college-bound students. For information about the Community Foundation visit www.EWVCF.org or call 304-264-0353.

 

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2017 Mini Grants to Teachers

The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation (EWVCF) is offering Mini-Grants to Teachers in Jefferson, Berkeley, and Morgan Counties. These Mini-Grants of up to $500 will be awarded to teachers who need financial assistance with special projects, materials, or classroom resources. Our Partners in Philanthropy, joined by individual donors committed to enhancing the quality of life in the Eastern Panhandle, have pledged more than $30,000 in total. Deadline for applying is October 16th.  Click here to download the application! Call or email with questions at 304-264-0353 or [email protected]

2017 Mini-grant app -word

2017 Mini-grant app – fillable pdf

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Hampshire Affiliate Seeking Spirit of Giving Nominations

The Hampshire County Community Foundation is looking forward to honoring and celebrating Hampshire County’s generous spirit with its 2017 Spirit of Giving awards. This event is our way of saying thanks to the vibrant community service sector and the organizations and individuals who work tirelessly to make Hampshire County a better place in which to live, work, and play.

We cordially invite Hampshire County organizations to nominate an exceptional volunteer. The Community Foundation will select four nominees to be recognized at a celebration of community spirit to be held on Friday, November 17th at the Bottling Works in Romney. This is an ideal opportunity to spotlight a hard working volunteer, as well as your organization.

Help us celebrate the spirit of giving in Hampshire County by submitting a  2017 SOG Nomination Form by October 6th.  Questions? Please call us at 304-822-7200 or email [email protected].

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.