The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation hosted its first Grantee Recognition Breakfast in early March after receiving and reviewing a record 93 applications from nonprofit organizations serving the region. During the breakfast ceremony EWVCF awarded 67 grants totaling $161,460 for a wide range of programs covering the gamut from helping infants and their families to providing palliative care for folks in the final stage of life.
In 2017, the Community Foundation awarded nearly $1.8 million in grants and scholarships, received just over $1 million in contributions, and grew endowed assets to $23 million. Thanks to investment advisors at BB&T, BCT Bank of Charles Town, CNB Bank, City National Bank, First United Bank & Trust, and United Wealth, the endowed assets grew nearly 15%. EWVCF manages more than 220 endowed funds, including 82 agency or designated funds that were created specifically to provide annual support to area nonprofit organizations. Another 31 field of interest or unrestricted funds are the source of the competitive grants.
The program started off by awarding a total of $88,000 in Youth Grants, which are funded by the Jane P. Snyder Youth Fund, the Tom & Virginia Seely Children’s Fund, and the C. Scott and Elizabeth C. Shade Youth Fund. There were 35 Youth Grants awarded to programs serving all three Eastern Panhandle counties. The average youth grant this year was $2,500.
The Frada Fine Berkeley Education Fund awarded 14 grants totaling $20,000 to education focused programs serving Berkeley County. Frada Fine established a Memorial Scholarship Trust that is administered by BB&T Wealth Management. Each year, the Community Foundation receives a substantial gift from the trust which funds Berkeley County Education grants and Mini-Grants to Teachers.
The Joan Roach Volunteer Fund for the Needy, Housing Action Fund, Robert A. Sanders Fund, and Partners in Philanthropy underwrote nearly $14,000 in Housing and Human Welfare grants. Seven nonprofit organizations benefited from these grants in 2018.
The Eastern Panhandle CARE Clinic discontinued operations in 2016, but before doing so, their board of directors established the Eastern Panhandle CARE Fund in order for the Community Foundation to award grants to nonprofit organizations that deliver services similar or complementary to those that were provided by the CARE Clinic during its 16 years of operation. The mission of the organization was to provide all residents of the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, regardless of their economic status, access to affordable, high-quality, patient-centered care; while empowering patients through health education and providing connection to community resources. The Eastern Panhandle CARE Fund awarded six healthcare grants totaling $25,000 during the 2018 breakfast ceremony.
The Helen Parker Willard Fund was established in her memory by her son Henry to help restore civil war era monuments in historic cemeteries in Jefferson County. EWVCF awarded four grants totaling $14,545 from the Helen Parker Willard Fund.
EWVCF Partners in Philanthropy sponsors ROCS Local Market/Roach Oil, BB&T Wealth, Bowles Rice, United Bank, Jefferson Distributing, First United Bank and Trust, CNB Bank, BCT Bank of Charles Town, Dan Ryan Builders, City National Bank, and Gat Creek Furniture have been instrumental in the success of or grants program.