ewvcf.org

  • Learn
    • Board of Directors
    • Community Foundation Staff
    • History
    • How We Invest
    • National Standards
    • Community Workshops & Nonprofit Training Programs
    • FAQs
    • Blog
    • Contact Us
  • Give
    • Become a Donor
    • NIP Tax Credits
    • Our Endowed Funds
      • Unrestricted Funds
      • Agency & Hybrid Endowed Funds
      • Designated Funds
      • Donor Advised Funds
      • Field of Interest Funds
      • EWVCF Scholarship Funds
    • Two Rivers Giving Circle
    • Legacy Society
    • Partners in Philanthropy
  • Receive
    • Grants
      • Grantee Forms & Information
    • Scholarships
      • EWVCF Scholarship Funds
      • How to Apply for Scholarships
      • Scholarship FAQs
  • Plan
    • Professional Advisors
    • Charitable Bequests
    • Types of Funds
  • Hampshire County Affiliate
    • Learn
      • Established Funds
      • FAQs
      • How We Invest
      • News
    • Give
    • NIP Tax Credits
    • Partners In Philanthropy
    • Grants
    • Scholarships
    • Plan
      • Legacy Society
    • NEWS
    • Events
  • Hardy County Affiliate
    • Learn
      • Established Funds
      • FAQs
      • How We Invest
    • Give
    • NIP Tax Credits
    • Partners In Philanthropy
    • Grants
    • Scholarships
    • Plan
      • Legacy Society
    • NEWS
    • Events-Hardy

May 16, 2022 By Michael Whalton

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 info@ewvcf.org. The cost of membership in the Giving Circle is $500 annually. However, contributions of any amount are welcomed.

Filed Under: Blog, Uncategorized

April 8, 2022 By Michael Whalton

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 mwhalton@ewvcf.org, 304-264-0353.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

February 28, 2022 By Michael Whalton

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.

Please wait while flipbook is loading. For more related info, FAQs and issues please refer to DearFlip WordPress Flipbook Plugin Help documentation.

Filed Under: Blog, Slider, Uncategorized

January 3, 2022 By Michael Whalton

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.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Blog, Uncategorized

December 22, 2021 By Michael Whalton

EWVCF Awards More Than $120K to Support Youth and Education Programs

The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation recently awarded 49 grants, totaling $123,661.21, to 40 groups in the Eastern Panhandle dealing with issues related to youth and education.

These grants were made possible thanks to gifts from generous donors, who established the C. Scott and Elizabeth C. Shade Youth Fund, the Jane P. Snyder Youth Fund, the Tom and Virginia Seely Morgan County Children’s Fund, the EWVCF Endowment for the Community, the Bonn Poland Family Roundhouse Recreation Fund, the Frada Fine Berkeley Education Fund, the Calarma Farm Fund, the EWVCF Endowment for Recreation, and the EWVCF Endowment for the Arts.

Nine of these grants, totaling $32,500, went to organizations serving more than one county in the Eastern Panhandle, including CASA of the Eastern Panhandle, Wind Dance Farm & Earth Education Center, and Faith Community Coalition for the Homeless.  21 grants totaling $40,012.37 went to organizations serving Berkeley County. 12 totaling $27,798.84 went to Jefferson County-focused organizations; 7 totaling $23,350 to Morgan County organizations.

The majority of funding went to programs addressing basic needs in our area, with $40,500 being used to buy diapers, wipes, formula, food, and clothes, and to provide shelter for the most vulnerable populations. Karen Reyes of Renewed Life Ministries, Inc., a group serving both Jefferson and Berkeley counties that received a $3,000 Youth grant, kindly wrote that the Foundation “will probably never know what [their] support does for our local families […] with you, we can help.”

Public schools in the Eastern Panhandle received $40,311.21. Katlin Grantham at Washington High School plans to use her grants to install Water Tower Gardens and to further fund the Washington’s FFA Community Meals. Susie Howell and MJ Pavlik will use their grant to fund a dedicated playground for their Pre-K program housed at Musselman Middle School. Laura Bohrer, a 6th grade science teacher at Spring Mills Middle School, received exactly $785, which she will use to buy an Ultraviolet Sterilization Goggle Cabinet and twenty extra pairs of goggles, ensuring hygiene and safety for her students.

Programs tackling the social and emotional health of our youth received $12,650. Berkeley Heights Elementary School will now be able to implement a Calming Corner, which will be especially helpful for students with autism, ADHD, and/or Attachment disorders. The Martin Robison Delany Opportunity Learning Center will be able to continue to provide Yoga sessions, shown to decrease behavioral referrals and increase GPA in their students.

            Art-based Youth programs received $10,600 in funding. Black Cat Music Cooperative’s $2,600 grant will allow them to invite Dominic “Shodekeh” Talifero, Innovator-in-Residence at Towson University’s College of Fine Arts and Communication, to participate in their Youth Mentorship Program. Taylor Fox and Kelli Polen of South Jefferson Elementary plan to use their $1,000 grant to create a mural in their school made of ceramic tiles decorated by students.

Other issues receiving funding include recreation programs, receiving $9,200; traditional educational programs, receiving $22,953.84; technological and equipment upgrades, receiving $15,335.37; and educational programs related to environmental, agricultural, and conservation issues, receiving $12,422.

Potomac Valley Audubon Society, who received four grants totaling $8,500, will be able to continue to host their “Nature in the Neighborhood” summer camps for children in high poverty neighborhoods in both Berkeley and Jefferson counties. Caitlin Mitchell, a physical education teacher at North Jefferson Elementary School, was awarded a $2,500 grant to install a rock climbing wall in the school’s gym. Rock climbing “teaches focus, concentration, body mindfulness, […] stability, […] [and] full body resistance strength,” Mitchell wrote in the application. Other teachers and educators will use their grants to buy books, math games, and to upgrade classroom technology. April Bageant of Bunker Hill Elementary School impressed our Grants committee with her plan to purchase letter magnets and cookie sheets for a guided reading program for her very young students.

Filed Under: Slider, Uncategorized

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 18
  • Next Page »

Recent Posts

  • Two Rivers Giving Circle Honors Jane Rissler
  • COMMUNITY FOUNDATION’S NEW FUND TO AWARD GRANTS TO ARTS, NATURE PROGRAMS IN 2022
  • 2021 in Review and What’s New in 2022
  • Community Foundation Awards $20,000 Grant to Martinsburg Union Rescue Mission
  • EWVCF Awards More Than $120K to Support Youth and Education Programs

Sign Up for Our Newsletter




Make a Donation

Give a gift that builds your community. Donate today:

ewvcf.org/donate

EWVCF Downloads

Policies

Privacy Policy

Financial Reports

2021 Financial Statements

2020 Financial Statements

2020 IRS Form 990

2019 Financial Statements

2019 Form 990

2018 Financial Statements

2018 Form 990

2017 Financial Statements

2017 Form 990

2016 Financial Statements

2016 Form 990

2015 Financial Statements

2015 Form 990

Reports to the Community

26th Annual Report to the Community

25th Annual Report to the Community

24th Annual Report to the Community

23rd Annual Report to the Community

22nd Annual Report to the Community

21st Annual Report to the Community

2014 Report to the Community

The Community Foundation has many governing documents, including a Conflict of Interest Policy. These are available upon request.

The Community Foundation is not currently required to file a Form 990-T. However, if at some future date we are required to file one we will post it on our web site.

Contact Us

Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation
229 East Martin St., Suite 4
Martinsburg, WV 25401
www.EWVCF.org info@EWVCF.org
304.264.0353
Fax: 888.507.8375

Contact Us

Hardy County Community Foundation
Post Office Box 1058
Moorefield, WV 26836
www.hardycountycf.org info@hardycountycf.org
304.538.3431
Fax: 888.507.8375

Vision

Our Vision is to build vibrant communities that provide opportunities for everyone living in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

Mission

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

Values

We Value diversity, provide exceptional stewardship, and fully embrace accountability, integrity, professionalism, and transparency in everything we do.

Copyright EWVCF © 2022 · Log in