Martinsburg – Twenty-six years ago the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation (EWVCF) was established to serve donors and support nonprofit organizations in Jefferson, Berkeley, and Morgan counties. One of more than 800 community foundations across the United States, EWVCF invites everyday people with a vision and a passion for community to create something together: For good. Forever. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, the Community Foundation provides donors with the opportunity to make tax-deductible contributions to create a lasting legacy for nonprofit organizations and charitable causes they hold dear.
Since its inception in 1995, the Community Foundation has awarded grants and scholarships totaling more than $11 million and is now one of the leading grantmakers in the region. The organization manages $35 million in assets and holds endowments for more than 255 component funds which support a wide range of charitable causes; from addressing homelessness to healthcare, youth and recreation programs to senior services, the arts to community development, youth philanthropy to grants for teachers, environmental causes to local food and farm programs, and so much more.
Community foundations across the country are helping people invest in the future of the communities they care about. Trillions of dollars are expected to transfer from one generation to the next during the next 50 years. The philanthropic opportunity during this transfer has the potential to improve the quality of life—in urban centers and small towns alike—through economic development, education, health, human services, environment, arts, and culture. As place-based organizations that focus collective assets for good works, community foundations are helping people of all means give back and make a difference.
“We’ve discovered that a growing number of people are establishing endowments at the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation and also becoming members of our Legacy Society by remembering us in their estate plans,” stated Executive Director Michael Whalton. “They see us as a way to support their favorite charities today and in perpetuity with a single gift and a few simple instructions.” Individuals, couples, and companies interested in learning more about the Legacy Society or in establishing a fund at the community foundation can contact Whalton by email at mwhalton@EWVCF.org or by calling 304-264-0353.