Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation

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2024 Berkeley County Industrial Park Development Fund Grants

A NOTE FOR APPLICANTS:

This grant cycle marks our first time utilizing our new application process! Now, applicants will visit our GoApply website and create a profile before submitting applications. That website can be found here: https://goapply2.akoyago.com/ewvcf

Once you create your profile and log in, you will see a list of our current grant opportunities, including the BCIPD grants. Once you hit “View” next to the application name, you will be taken to a page where you can read the grant guidelines. From there, you can click “Apply” and begin filling out your application! Your progress is saved as you fill out the application – no need for Save and Continue emails anymore!

Grant Guidelines & Application

The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation will consider grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, public schools, and government agencies serving Berkeley County. Projects and programs receiving funding should focus on, provide, or address any or all of the following:
  • Economic development
  • Business recruitment and/or creation
  • Workforce development
  • Job creation
  • Career training and job skills development
Application Deadline, Reviews, and Reports
All grant applications must be submitted no later than July 31 to be considered. Our representatives may contact applicants for phone or Zoom interviews. Grants will be announced in August.
Grant Size, Payment, and Final Reports
Grants will generally range from $2,000 to $12,000. A final report, including a summary of grant expenses, must be provided to the Community Foundation the following year. Extensions may be allowed with prior approval.
Organizations Eligible to Apply
Charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, schools, technical institutes, colleges, and universities serving Berkeley County are eligible to apply.  Also eligible are Berkeley County-based units of government and quasi-governmental agencies so long as funded programs meet the grant guidelines and benefit the public good.
Grantmaking Priorities
Grantseekers are encouraged to submit proposals for specific projects and programs rather than for general support or operations. Programs that have already been completed are unlikely to be funded. No grants to individuals will be made.
Trust-Based Philanthropy Reporting Requirements
In an effort to streamline the grants process for nonprofit organizations, the Community Foundation has adopted trust-based philanthropy and will award and pay the Berkeley County Industrial Park Development Fund grants upfront. A final report, including a summary of grant expenses, must be provided to the Community Foundation, and grantees agree to attend a Zoom meeting to discuss their grant. Extensions to complete the grant funded program may be allowed with prior approval; however, grantees receiving an extension should still file an interim report and attend the Zoom meeting.
We hope to see your applications soon!

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Eastern Panhandle Organizations Receive $150,000 During 2024 Winter/Spring Grant Cycle

This spring, Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan County nonprofits received $150,000 in grants during the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation’s (EWVCF) Winter/Spring grant cycle. Forty grants ranging from $500 to $12,000 each were awarded to Eastern Panhandle nonprofit organizations for a variety of different programs.

The Foundation’s Winter/Spring grant cycle awards funding to a myriad of projects and programs, including Animal Welfare, Healthcare, Historic Cemeteries, Housing, Human Welfare, and Senior Care. Thirty-two Eastern Panhandle organizations will be able to use their grants to continue their vital work tending to so many of our community’s needs. “The Community Foundation team is proud to be able to provide a variety of grants to nonprofit organizations doing such important work across the Eastern Panhandle.  Thanks to our generous donors who provide the funds for the grants, and our dedicated committee members who review every application, our Winter/Spring grants will support critical work throughout our region,” said incoming Executive Director of EWVCF Susan Caperton.

Of the $150,000 total, Animal Welfare groups received $4,000 in grants; Healthcare programs received $35,000; over $15,000 went to Jefferson County organizations for the maintenance of local Historic Cemeteries; charities tackling homelessness and affordable Housing received over $10,000; Human Welfare programs received nearly $25,000; Senior Care groups received over $60,000.

In Berkeley County, CCAP Loaves and Fishes received four grants for their programs serving low-income, underserved, and disadvantaged individuals. CCAP provides supplemental food items and many forms of financial assistance to our neighbors in need; the organization received Healthcare, Human Welfare, Senior Care, and Housing grants this cycle. Other organizations that received Winter/Spring grants for their programs serving Berkeley County include Faith Feeding Freedom, Berkeley County Meals on Wheels, the Martinsburg Initiative, Otterbein United Methodist Church, and Sleep in Heavenly Peace.

Organizations serving Jefferson County received nearly $30,000 in grants. Two of those grants were for Animal Welfare programs, benefiting the Animal Welfare Society of Jefferson County and Veterinary Community Outreach. Both of those organizations will use their grants to help provide low-cost spay and neuter services to pet owners in the county. At Harpers Ferry Middle School, librarian Jill Fornadley will use her Human Welfare grant to fill the school’s clinic closet with spare clothes, shoes, toiletries, and school supplies for students who need them. Other organizations that received grants for their programs serving Jefferson County include the City of Charles Town, Community Networks, Edge Hill Cemetery, Jefferson County Community Ministries, Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission, and Meals on Wheels of Jefferson County.

Morgan County Starting Points and Senior Life Services of Morgan County received Senior Care and Healthcare grants, respectively, for their vital programs serving seniors in Morgan County. “Over twenty percent of the total population of Morgan County is elderly,” reports Senior Life Services Executive Director Tamara Kees. “Although the majority of the elderly population is totally independent, there are many who do not have that luxury,” she continued. SLSMC will use their grant to continue to provide transportation to their clients, which Kees describes as one of the major components of their operation. Morgan County Starting Points will use their grant to support the Meal Time Community Kitchen, a program that has provided hot meals to seniors and other community members for nearly twenty years now.

Grants totaling $67,000 were awarded to organizations with programs serving more than one Eastern Panhandle county. Operation Press Paws, Rescue Me WV, and To The ResQ received Animal Welfare grants to provide spay and neuter services. Good Samaritan Free Health Clinic, B&B’s Health Boutique, and Jefferson County Community Ministries received Healthcare grants to continue their work providing high quality care to patients in need. Community Networks and Faith Community Coalition for the Homeless received Housing grants. Panhandle Home Health, Community Markets, and Berkeley Senior Services received Senior Care grants. Community Combined Ministries, CASA of the Eastern Panhandle, Junior League of the Eastern Panhandle, The Blessings Closet, Martinsburg Union Rescue Mission, and Catholic Charities WV all received Human Welfare grants to fulfill a wide variety of needs in Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan County.

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 $15 million dollars, including nearly $1.5 million dollars in 2023. The Community Foundation now holds more than 290 endowed funds with assets of just over $40 million and 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 call 304-264-0353.

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EWVCF Scholarship Deadline February 28

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 2023, the Foundation awarded nearly $180,000 in scholarships to students in Jefferson, Berkeley, Morgan, Hampshire, and Hardy Counties.

Our scholarship application is available through an online platform, AwardSpring. The application for our 2024 scholarship program is now open. You may begin your application at https://ewvcf.awardspring.com/

The application deadline is 5 PM, February 28, 2024.

Because we are not requiring FAFSA this year you must provide the following information in the appropriate fields in the application. 
1. What is the estimated cost of attendance for one year (tuition, room/board, books/fees) for the school you are most likely to attend (most schools provide this information on their website)
2. Please describe your financial resources for college (scholarships, loans, 529 Savings plan, parent contribution, etc.).
3. Please tell us about your financial circumstances and your personal and family strategy for paying for college. Because we’re not requiring the FAFSA, this is your only opportunity to explain your need for a scholarship.
Questions can be directed to Karin Hammann Dunn:  [email protected]  or 304-671-8167.

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

Timeline:

  • Wednesday, February 28 – Applications are Due. No Exceptions. The system will not accept new applications after 5:00 P.M.
  • 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

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Starting With a Clean Slate: Tips for Charitable Giving in 2024

A new year is such a great time to plan and reboot. Cliche as it may be to talk about resolutions this time of year, it’s tough to deny that January represents a clean slate for “to do” lists, goals, and your overall mindset.

As you think about your 2024 charitable giving goals and priorities, here are a few items to consider:

You may have more capacity to give to charity.

The IRS issued inflation adjustments for important thresholds such as the standard deduction, Social Security cost-of-living adjustments, annual exclusion gifts, Required Minimum Distributions, Qualified Charitable Distributions, and levels of income for each tax bracket. Talk with your advisors about how these adjustments might impact your charitable giving goals–or even create opportunities for you to do more to support your favorite causes in 2024.

You may soon get a charitable deduction even if you do not itemize.

Many eyes are on the Charitable Act, which, if passed, would allow even non-itemizers to deduct certain charitable gifts on their income tax returns. This legislation has generated strong public support; 77% of Americans are reportedly in favor of the proposed “universal” charitable deduction.

You’ll likely still receive requests to fund disaster relief efforts.

Disaster giving is likely to remain high on the fundraising radar, meaning you will likely continue to get requests for donations to support disaster-related causes. As always, please reach out to the community foundation to strategize about effective deployment of your charitable dollars to help people who need it most in the wake of disasters and humanitarian crises.

This is a good time to review your estate plan without being rushed.

The beginning of the year is an excellent time to be sure your estate plan is in order. Many people scramble at the end of the year to execute tax planning transactions, which is understandable, but this often leaves little time for a thoughtful, strategic evaluation of the various components that make up a comprehensive estate plan, including financial planning, retirement planning, tax planning, investments and wealth management, business succession planning, planning for disability, evaluating wills and trusts as children get older and needs change, and, of course, charitable planning.

Reach out to the team at the community foundation as you and your advisors evaluate the steps you’d like to take in 2024. We’re here to help ensure that you achieve your charitable giving goals in the most tax-savvy and impact-minded way possible so that you can continue to help the causes you care about the most.

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EASTERN PANHANDLE NONPROFITS RECEIVE $90,000 IN YOUTH GRANTS

This fall, the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation (EWVCF) awarded over $90,000 in Youth Grants to local nonprofits. Twenty-one 501(c)3 organizations received grants ranging from $500 to $5,000 this November for their programs addressing the needs of the youngest members of our community and their families.

Nonprofits with programs serving youth and families across Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan County received nearly $40,000. Nonprofit programs serving solely Berkeley County young ones received over $22,000. Sleep in Heavenly Peace, an organization new to the Community Foundation, received a grant to aid in their mission to build and deliver beds to kids in need across the county.

Organizations serving Jefferson County received nearly $13,000 to boost their programs, including the new Blue Ridge Food Pantry. Established this year, the Food Pantry received a grant that will help them both purchase and safely store the food they provide. Nonprofits serving Morgan County received over $17,000 for several tried-and-true programs such as Morgan Arts Council’s STEAMWorks, and BlackCat Music Cooperative’s music camp.

Over $30,000 in grants went to organizations providing basic needs to Eastern Panhandle residents. Berkeley County BackPack Program, Community Combined Ministries, Community Networks, Faith Community Coalition for the Homeless, and Morgan County Starting Points each received $5,000 grants to continue their vital work providing food and shelter to children and families in need.

Nonprofits with outdoor and recreation-based programs received $18,000. Potomac Valley Audubon Society received four grants to continue both their Nature in the Neighborhood summer camps and their in-school programs. Wind Dance Farm and Earth Education Center will use their grant to purchase equipment and supplies for their expanding outdoor classrooms.

Other categories funded by the Foundation’s Youth grants included Arts and Music, which received over $13,000. Jefferson County Parks and Recreation received a grant to host a 6-week children’s summer concert series in 2024, which may include music, magicians, puppetry, and side-show performers.

Literacy programs received nearly $16,000, with grants going to organizations such as Martinsburg Sunrise Rotary Club, which provides ten free books to every second-grade student in Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan county. Shenandoah Community Health Foundation received a grant for their Pediatric Early Literacy project, which aims to promote early literacy by having healthcare providers “prescribe” books to young patients and encourage families to read together.

Several organizations also received grants to help continue their vital work tending to the social and emotional health of young ones in our community, with mental health care programs receiving $12,500 in grants. CASA of the Eastern Panhandle received a grant for their Fostering Futures program, helping to mentor young ones on track to “age out” of the foster care system. The Eastern Panhandle Juvenile Drug Court received a grant to continue their vital work treating and counseling youth ages 10-17 with substance abuse issues.

All of EWVCF’s grants are made possible thanks to the generosity of our donors. Funding for these Youth grants came from the Jane P. Snyder Youth Fund, C. Scott and Elizabeth C. Shade Youth Fund, Bonn Poland Family Roundhouse Recreation Fund, Frada Fine Berkeley County Education Fund, Tom and Virginia Seely Morgan County Children’s Fund, Arch Gleason Memorial Fund, Calarama Farm Fund, Steeley Foundation Fund, Mayor Harriet Johnson Fund for Youth and Education, and the Bill and Nancy White Charitable Fund.

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 $15 million dollars, including over $1.3 million dollars this year alone. The Community Foundation now holds more than 290 endowed funds with assets of just over $38 million and 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 call 304-264-0353.

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.