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History

Building on a Solid Foundation

The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, like so many other rural communities in America, was slow to establish its own community foundation. Although the movement that began in 1914 in Cleveland, Ohio was immediately embraced by major cities, few rural areas set up their own community foundations until late in the second half of the 20th century.

Thanks to the vision of a number of community leaders in Jefferson, Berkeley, and Morgan counties, the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation (EWVCF) was established in 1995 and Doug Roach was elected the organization’s first president. Doug would type meeting minutes on an old IBM Selectric typewriter in the back office of Roach Oil. He and the other board members volunteered their time and did everything those first six years while laying the groundwork for future success.

Tia McMillan followed Doug as president and recruited Amy Owen as the organization’s first paid employee.

During her decade-long tenure, Amy did a remarkable job of cultivating relationships with donors, financial institutions, and nonprofit organizations.

In 2005, during Diane Dailey’s term as president, the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation moved into its current offices at the renovated Caperton Station at 229 E. Martin Street in Martinsburg.

07 Mburg Caperton Hotel!
Before renovation: The Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad did not build the combination station and hotel that it served, which once also housed the railroad offices. It was constructed by Washington Kroeson, who acquired the property in April 1849 and built it sometime between then and when his property was sold in 1866 by his heirs. During the Civil War, Confederate General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson burned the other parts of the surrounding B&O yard district but he spared the hotel because it was privately owned. The structure is brick over a stone foundation and rises five stories at trackside and four at the street, with five bays and three covered porches facing the tracks. This building is evocative of the past importance of the railroad to the city. [Source: greatamericanstations.com]

As total endowments under management grew, Amy was able to bring onboard two exceptional employees—Amy Pancake to coordinate scholarships and help expand operations into Hampshire and Hardy counties; and Felicia Fuller to serve as Finance and Administration Manager, responsible for the complex fund accounting systems and daily financial operations.

When Stew Borger became president in 2007, investment markets were at an all-time high and total assets at the Community Foundation had grown to over $7 million. In September of 2008, the Great Recession began and over the next six months investment markets suffered their worst losses since the 1930s. Fortunately, the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation stayed the course and, thanks to a diversified investment portfolio, experienced fewer losses than either the benchmarks or its peers that year.

In order to make ends meet in 2009, the staff took voluntary furloughs, grants were reduced, and donors stepped up to make “pass-through” contributions so scholarships and grants could be awarded. Investment markets began to improve steadily in the spring of 2009 and by the end of 2010, virtually all losses had been erased and funds were back above historic dollar values. When former Berkeley County Sheriff W. Randy Smith won the PowerBall Jackpot in 2010, he donated $5.9 million to the Community Foundation and almost immediately began recommending donor-advised grants, which have been benefiting Berkeley County nonprofit organizations ever since.

Near the end of 2011, after almost a decade as Executive Director of the Community Foundation, Amy Owen informed the board that she and her husband Don were moving to Virginia to build their dream house and take on new challenges. With Amy’s departure date set for May 15, 2012, the board jumped into action, appointed a Succession Committee chaired by board member Jan Wilkins and began the search for a new executive director. After reviewing 43 applications, interviewing 10 candidates, and narrowing the field down to a final three, the board selected Michael Whalton as the organization’s second executive director.

Stew Borger completed his tenure as board president in 2012 and handed the reins to incoming president Scott Roach. In a fitting tribute to family and legacy, Scott began serving his first term as president the same year that his father (and founding president) Doug rotated off the board due to term limits. Under Scott’s direction, the foundation enjoyed strong growth and secured its place as an anchor institution within the community.

 

Donors and investment markets alike have been very kind to the Community Foundation during the past few years, with the average endowed fund enjoying a 7.5% annual rate of return over the past seven years. By December 31, 2016, the Community Foundation was managing more than 180 endowed funds with assets of just over $20 million.

The Community Foundation celebrated its 21st year in 2016, with new programs and projects that helped the organization continue to grow. Darlene Truman, a longtime board member, and donor began serving as President of EWVCF in 2016 and by the end of her tenure in December 2017 assets under management had grown to over $23 million.

Shepherdstown philanthropist Lisa Welch has served on several committees and as an officer of the Community Foundation for six years. She was elected President in 2018 and is currently serving her second year. Under Lisa’s leadership, the organization continues to enjoy strong growth in both gifts received and grants awarded. By the end of 2020, we predict that the foundation will be managing more than $28 million in endowed funds and awarding at least $1 million in grants and scholarships annually.

In 2020 Bill White assumed the role of President and is leading the Community Foundation as it celebrates its 25th anniversary. Since its inception in 1995, EWVCF has awarded more than $10 million in grants and scholarships and has become one of the leading grantmakers in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. Thanks to an outstanding board of directors, dedicated donors, highly competent investment advisors, and a professional staff, the Community Foundation will serve the region for generations to come.

Recent Posts

  • EWVCF Accepting Scholarship Applications
  • Final Round of COVID-19 Grants to Focus on Front-Line Nonprofits
  • Silver Anniversary Report to the Community
  • 78 Eastern Panhandle Students Receive 94 Community Foundation Scholarships
  • Shepherdstown resident leaves $3.45 million to local nonprofits

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Financial Reports

2019 Financial Statements

2019 Form 990

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2018 Form 990

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2016 Financial Statements

2016 Form 990

2015 Financial Statements

2015 Form 990

Reports 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

Our Mission

Our Mission is to improve the quality of life for all people in Eastern West Virginia. The Community Foundation embraces the concept that people working together can make a difference. We seek a common philosophy whereby people recognize, understand, and act upon the benefits philanthropy brings to our community. We build permanent endowment, offer maximum flexibility to our donors, meet high professional standards, promote effective and efficient grantmaking, and strengthen charitable organizations in our community.
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