The West Virginia Neighborhood Investment Program recently announced that the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation was allocated $28,000 in NIP tax credits. Qualifying gifts of $500 to $4,000 can be made to the Foundation to earn a 50% West Virginia income tax credit for the donor.

Because these West Virginia NIP tax credits actually reduce your state tax liability, a $1,000 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. Programs supported by NIP tax credits serve low-income residents in highly distressed neighborhoods and certain restrictions apply for contributions to be eligible. Donors are encouraged to email the Community Foundation’s Executive Director Michael Whalton at [email protected] for more information and to reserve NIP tax credits.

The West Virginia Legislature sets aside $3 million annually in NIP tax credits to help nonprofit organizations that are serving distressed neighborhoods and at-risk populations. Donors can use the tax credits to reduce liability for West Virginia Personal Income Tax or Corporate Net Income Tax by up to 50% annually. Credits may be used over a five-year period.

“Tax credits can help donors make sizable gifts that will benefit our community this year, and forever,” says Michael Whalton, executive director of the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation. “These NIP eligible gifts will support our Community Impact Funds in the five counties we serve – Berkeley, Jefferson, Morgan, Hampshire, and Hardy – as well as other endowed funds that address critical needs in our communities.”

The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation was founded in 1995 to work with local donors to build a permanent community endowment. Funds are invested and grants and scholarships are awarded from the annual gains. Individuals or businesses interested in donating can call (304) 264-0353 to reserve NIP credits and discuss how their gift will be used to benefit local charities. Credits will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Community Foundation awards more than $1 million in annual grants and scholarships to local nonprofit organizations and college-bound students and provides financial stewardship for 260 endowed funds with over $35 million in assets. The main office is located at the Caperton Station Suites at 229 E. Martin Street in Martinsburg. To learn more, visit www.EWVCF.org or call 304-264-0353.

The Hampshire County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation, was founded in 2005 to build local endowment and make annual grant and scholarship distributions to qualifying charities and applicants. Grants are made possible by the generosity of donors who are committed to local philanthropy and our quality of life in Hampshire County.

We know the pandemic caused great stress on many organizations, and that many may still be experiencing residual effects. This grant program is designed to help organizations A) continue pandemic response, B) return to normal programming, or C) introduce new programming. Grants of up to $1000 will be awarded.

Hampshire County Fall Grants Guidelines

Applications will be considered for organizations serving Hampshire County in the following areas:  Animal Welfare, Arts & Culture, Children & Youth, Community & Economic Development, Education, the Environment, Health & Wellness, and Human Services.

Eligible Organizations must be:

• A nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization in good standing with the IRS,
• A government/quasi-governmental agency, or public school applying for a project that is not funded by tax revenue,
• A religious organization requesting funding for non-sectarian activities, or
• A civic group that is not a 501(c)(3) organization requesting funding for a charitable community cause
• Be located in and/or primarily serve residents of Hampshire County;

Application Period and Grant Notification:

Applications must be submitted by September 17th, 2021. We will notify grantees by mid-October and present grant awards at our Spirit of Giving event on October 27th, 2021.

Reporting: A final report, including a summary of grant expenses, must be provided to the Community Foundation upon completion of the funded program or by June 30^th, 2022. Extensions may be allowed upon request.

501(c)(3) organizations must be in good standing with:

• West Virginia Secretary of State’s Business & Licensing and also the Charities Division: http://apps.sos.wv.gov/business/corporations/ & https://sos.wv.gov/business/Pages/Charities.aspx

• IRS, as assessed via IRS Pub 78 and GuideStar:
  https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/ & https://www.guidestar.org

Please contact us by e-mail at [email protected] or call (304)-822-7200 with any questions or concerns. We’re happy to talk through a project idea with you.

Please submit this Application on or before September 17^th.

Future generations of Berkeley County high school graduates interested in a degree in one of the health sciences will benefit from a newly established scholarship fund of the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation.  The new Douglas Arthur Ways Scholarship Fund honors a Martinsburg native who was born on September 16, 1917.

Douglas Arthur Ways graduated from Martinsburg High School in 1935 and enlisted in the Army in 1941, fighting in the Pacific theater in World War II. He was honorably discharged in 1945, and through the GI Bill was able to attend the George Washington University School of Pharmacy.

Ways served as the manager and lead pharmacist for Peoples Drug Store in Winchester, Virginia. He was married to Harriet Elizabeth Sencindiver and had one son, Douglas Kirk Ways, who, with his wife Mary, established this fund in his memory. Douglas Arthur Ways died on February 28, 1996.

Each year, the Douglas Arthur Ways Scholarship Fund will award a $5,000 scholarship to a qualified Berkeley County high school student who expresses a desire to achieve a degree in one of the health science fields. The scholarship will be distributed over the course of four consecutive years while the student is attending college.

The Community Foundation will be accepting online applications from December through February. Interested students may apply by following the instructions on the Community Foundation’s website, www.EWVCF.org.

The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation, founded in 1995, annually distributes grants and scholarships totaling more than $1 million. The Foundation provides financial stewardship for more than 250 endowment funds and holds almost $36 million in total assets. When donors establish funds at the Foundation, they are encouraged to draft guidelines that help direct how grants and scholarships are awarded.

Community foundations number more than 800 across America and 25 in West Virginia. They benefit their own geographic region by giving back to the community through an everlasting endowment. Want to learn more?  Visit the Community Foundation’s Web site: www.EWVCF.org or call 304-264-0353, or write 229 E. Martin Street, Suite 4, Martinsburg, WV 25401.

Family and friends of Harriet Johnson have established an endowed field of interest fund at the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation to honor her remarkable legacy. The Mayor Harriet Johnson Memorial Fund for Youth and Education will award grants to nonprofit organizations that provide youth and/or education programs in Martinsburg and Berkeley County.

Donations to the fund may be made by sending a check to the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation, 229 E. Martin Street, Suite 4, Martinsburg, WV 25401. Please write “Mayor Harriet Johnson Memorial Fund” in the memo. Or, you can contribute online on the DONATION PAGE of our website where you can use the dropdown menu to select Mayor Harriet Johnson Memorial Fund.