Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation (EWVCF) officers, (left to right) Secretary Chip Hensell, President Darlene Truman, Vice President Lisa Welch, and Treasurer Bill White recently helped celebrate the installation of seven new Legacy Society plaques at the Community Foundation office in Martinsburg. The checks they hold represent grants awarded by funds that were established through legacy gifts from Jane Snyder and Elizabeth Shade. Every year, these two funds alone provide more than $70,000 in support for youth and education programs in the Eastern Panhandle.
The Legacy Society of the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation experienced unprecedented growth in 2016, with seven local philanthropists choosing to join the group during the year. Individuals who remember the Community Foundation in an estate plan – either through a Will or Trust, or by naming EWVCF as a beneficiary of their Traditional IRA – are instrumental in the growth and well being of the organization. Some legacy gifts support the donors’ favorite charities with annual grant making in perpetuity; others add assets to existing funds, establish scholarships, or simply become a part of our unrestricted Community Impact Funds.
Donors may choose to work with Foundation staff on a Shell Agreement that provides detailed instructions for how a legacy gift will be put to use supporting education, recreation, social service programs, environmental causes, or any number of other charitable endeavors. Or, they can simply empower the board of the Foundation to use the proceeds of a Traditional IRA to support the outreach programs of the Foundation, with no restrictions.
Thanks to Legacy Society member gifts and contributions from donors who establish funds and work with the Foundation throughout their lifetime, total assets at the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation now exceed $21 million and annual grants and scholarships average well over $600,000 per year. To learn more about the Legacy Society contact Executive Director Michael Whalton at the Community Foundation offices.