Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation

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EWVCF Program Manager Karin Dunn Presents Grant Checks

EWVCF Program Manager Karin Hammann Dunn has been busy delivering grant checks and attending New Teacher Lunches and Breakfasts around the Eastern Panhandle. Several nonprofit organizations have recently submitted Final Grant Reports for 2017 Youth and Education Grants and we decided to have Karin deliver the grant checks rather than drop them in the mail. Turns out this is a great way for the Community Foundation to learn more about the many organizations that are providing vital services in our region. Last week, Karin delivered a $4,000 check to the Junior Mentoring Program (JUMP) Executive Director Ashley Kilmer and Board President Ed Wilson.

On the same day Karin helped stuff backpacks and presented a  $3,000 check to Berkeley County Backpack Program Executive Director Lisa Henry . “You’d be amazed at how grateful these organizations are for the support,” stated Karin. “Even small grants can make a remarkable difference to grassroots charities like these.”

The Community Foundation is currently reworking several competitive grant programs and moving the application deadline up to December 8th of this year for our 2018 Eastern Panhandle Youth Grants, Frada Fine Berkeley Education Grants, Jefferson County Historic Cemetery Grants, Eastern Panhandle CARE Fund Grants, and Housing in Action Grants. More than $120,000 in grants will be awarded from these grant programs in mid-February. By moving everything up we can get our grants awarded before the big scholarship push and the earlier dates provide our grantees a longer period of time to complete their grant funded programs.

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Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation Offices

 

The offices of the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation (EWVCF) are located on the fourth floor of the beautifully restored Caperton Station Office Suites at 229 East Martin Street in Martinsburg, directly across the train tracks from the old B&O Roundhouse Complex. What was originally one of the earliest hotels situated next to a train station, this historic brick structure now houses several nonprofit organizations that serve the Eastern Panhandle. Entrance to the office complex is on Martin Street.

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Fulton L. Walker, Jr. Scholarship Golf Classic Fundraiser a huge success

The inaugural Fulton L. Walker, Jr. Scholarship Golf Classic took place at Locust Hill Golf Course this spring. It was an amazing fundraiser that attracted and engaged community leaders from numerous professions and local organizations. Under light rain and cloudy skies, 64 golfers turned out for this wonderful event.

The tournament started with welcoming the participants, providing insight about the scholarship, and giving golfers course rules for the day. Activities included: 50/50 Raffle, $10,000 Hole in One Shot, Sport Memorabilia to bid on, and a closing ceremony which included team trophies, door prizes and BBQ dinner.

The success of this event would not have been possible without the support of our many sponsors, golfers, family, friends and volunteers. We would like to give a Special Thanks to Pill and Pill, PLLC., Mountaineer Fan Club, Martinsburg’s Chick-fil-A, and Craig Martin of Martin Distributing Company for their generous contributions which truly made a huge difference in making the event a successful one.

The event raised $15,389.00.  After expenses, a check for $10,900.00 was deposited into the Fulton L. Walker, Jr. Scholarship Fund at the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation.  This will bring the first year total contributions to $12,500.00 in the Fulton L. Walker Jr. Scholarship Fund.

During a recent meeting to review this year’s tournament, committee members Kevin Walker, Charles Mason, Robert Sowell, Bertha Brown, Rick Pill, Paul Mason, and Gregg Wachtel expressed their thanks to everyone that helped make this inaugural event a great success. They are looking forward to seeing you next year at the Fulton L. Walker, Jr. Scholarship Golf classic which is already in the early planning stages.

 

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EWVCF Hires Karin Hammann Dunn

The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation (EWVCF) has operated successfully with three full-time employees for nearly 10 years. When our first Executive Director Amy Owen received a grant from the Benedum Foundation in 2007 to add our second and third staff members, the foundation had $7.1 million in assets, grants and scholarships totaled $153,000 per year, and there were 89 endowed funds.

During the past 10 years we have grown to $22 million in assets, now award an average of $700,000 per year in grants and scholarships, and manage 250 endowed funds. And, we’ve been able to do all of this with the same three staff positions. Our Finance and Admin Manager Felicia Fuller will celebrate her 10th anniversary with the Community Foundation on August 1. Affiliate Director (and Scholarship Coordinator) Amy Pancake has been here nine years.  I came onboard when Amy Owen moved to Virginia in 2012.

Thanks to generous donors, strong investment market returns, prudent spending, and healthy financial reserves, we are finally able to add our first new full-time employee in almost 10 years. Since our grants and scholarships have more than doubled in the past five years we realized that we needed to bring onboard a Program Manager and we are excited to announce that we have hired Karin Hammann Dunn to fill that position and join the Community Foundation team.

Karin Hammann Dunn has been hired to fill the new position of Program Manager at the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation. She joins the team of Michael Whalton, Felicia Fuller, and Amy Pancake.

Karin has been working at Habitat for Humanity of the Eastern Panhandle for more than three years, first as Director of Operations, and more recently as Interim Executive Director.  Prior to that she was Assistant Project Manager at Shepherd University from 2006 to 2012 when many construction projects were completed. Early in her career Karin was the General Manager at Tanger Outlet Centers in Martinsburg and when the property sold in 2003, she stayed on and served as Director of Operations and Facilities for Mountain State University until 2006. She is a graduate of Shepherd University and cousin of founding EWVCF board member, the late Connie Hammann. Karin lives in Martinsburg with her husband Larry, a Jefferson County native. They have two children, a daughter who just completed her first year as a teacher in Berkeley County, and a son who will finish his senior year at college this coming May.

We received 35 strong applications, interviewed our top 10 candidates and were impressed with all of them. But Karin was the one that stood out most of all. She is friendly yet professional and has all the skills – grant writing, computer literacy, grant evaluating, internet, project management – that we need in a Program Manager. And, she is a self-starting multi-tasker who isn’t afraid of wearing any number of different hats at work.

Karin’s first day on the job is July 17 and once she gets settled in here at the Community Foundation we will host a reception to introduce her to the board, our technical advisors, and emeritus leaders. In the meantime, Felicia, Amy and I will continue holding everything together and counting the days until the newest member of our team joins us.

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Volunteer Hardy Scheduled for August/September

 

The Hardy County Community Foundation is seeking participants for its 4th annual Volunteer Hardy initiative. Volunteer Hardy is the Community Foundation’s attempt to call attention to the invaluable contributions nonprofits, and the volunteers who serve them, make to their local communities and Hardy County.

Volunteer Hardy seeks to promote the work of local volunteer-driven organizations by encouraging and promoting fundraising events held during a specific time of year.  This year’s initiative will take place during the months of August and September.

The intent of the initiative is to remind people of the impact our local nonprofit and civic organizations have on our communities and to encourage not only financial support of their work, but to also consider getting involved in their efforts.

Organizations wishing to participate in this year’s initiative should download the 2017 Volunteer Hardy Letter for details about the event.

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.