Since our founding in 1995, donors have established over 380 endowed funds at the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation (EWVCF). Created to serve Berkeley,Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, and Morgan counties, these funds address a variety of needs in the community. With over $62 million in total assets under management, EWVCF is one of the largest grant makers in the Eastern Panhandle. Donors wishing to establish a fund have several options and each fund agreement is created to address the specific desires of the donor. Funds support a wide range of nonprofit organizations and charitable causes, as well as scholarship opportunities for students.
Unrestricted Funds
When you establish an Unrestricted Fund, your gift can address a broad range of local needs — including future needs that often cannot be anticipated at the time your gift is made. We evaluate all aspects of community well-being: arts and culture, economic development, education, environment, health and human services, neighborhood revitalization, and more. The flexibility of your unrestricted gift enables your community foundation’s program experts to respond to the community’s most pressing needs, today and tomorrow. Unrestricted funds can be established with a gift of as little as $5,000 and can be named in honor or in memory of a loved one.
Agency Endowed Funds
Nonprofit organizations can establish an Agency Endowment at the community foundation. It’s a simple and efficient way to build an endowment — and help create sustainability — for your nonprofit organization. The community foundation’s experienced staff can also help your organization develop a campaign to build your endowment. The minimum to endow an agency fund is $10,000, but nonprofit organizations can seed an agency fund with a $1,000 initial gift and have five years to grow the fund to the $10,000 endowed level.
Designated Funds
Establishing a Designated Fund allows you to support the good work of a specific nonprofit organization — a senior center, museum, or virtually any nonprofit charitable organization. Because it’s given through your Community Foundation, your gift provides the organization you select with funding and investment management services through the power of endowment. Designated funds, like agency endowed funds, have a $10,000 minimum with the same seed fund option.
Field of Interest Funds
By establishing a Field of Interest Fund, you can target your gift to address needs in an important and specific area of community life: Arts. AIDS. Aging. At-risk youth. Education. Historic Preservation. Conservation. You identify your personal interest area when making your gift; our board awards grants to community organizations and programs that are making a difference in the area you select. Your gift stays flexible enough to meet community needs in your interest area — even as they change over time. A field of interest fund can be endowed with a $5,000 gift to the community foundation and like all of the funds we offer may be named to remember a loved one who has passed or to recognize someone for an outstanding accomplishment.
Donor-Advised Funds
A Donor-Advised Fund allows you to make a gift to the Community Foundation and remain actively involved in suggesting uses for your gift. You can work with the Community Foundation staff to suggest ongoing uses for the fund — targeting the issues you care about most. Grant awards are issued to charities in the name of the fund (or anonymously if you prefer). It’s a simple, powerful, and highly personal approach to giving. The minimum endowed level for donor-advised funds is $10,000.
Scholarship Funds
In creating a scholarship, you invest in your community’s future and show students you care. Your community foundation provides the expertise to help you meet your personal goals and awards scholarships to deserving students. Your gift can help students — from preschool to postgraduate — achieve their lifetime dreams. Because of the complexity in administering a scholarship fund, the minimum for one to endow a fund of this type is $20,000.
If you would like to speak with someone about establishing a fund at the Community Foundation, please call our Martinsburg, WV office at 304-264-0353, or our Romney WV office at 304.822.7200. You may also email [email protected] and we will be happy to help. The process is simple, it doesn’t take very long, and there is no cost to create a fund.