To download a flyer for the Lunch & Learn Seminar for Nonprofit Organizations, click on the link below.
To download a flyer for the Lunch & Learn Seminar for Nonprofit Organizations, click on the link below.
By EWVCF
The Two Rivers Giving Circle—named for the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers—is one of the few funders in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia that provides grants to support natural resources conservation and historic preservation programs and projects. Each member of the Giving Circle makes a tax-deductible donation of $500 or more to the Community Foundation annually. During the past ten years, grants totaling more than $73,000 have been awarded by the Two Rivers Giving Circle Fund to a wide variety of such causes in our community.
Programs and projects that are eligible for funding include:
Safeguarding Habitat: Protection of habitat is critical to the preservation of biodiversity. Focus is placed on buffer zones, wildlife areas, watersheds, and functioning ecosystems.
Children and Nature: Education and involvement of the next generation is extremely important. Programs that address youth activism, knowledge, hands-on activity, and physical movement.
Saving Panhandle Treasures: We all have a deep caring for our countryside and heritage. Initiatives that provide increased protection of historic, cultural, and pastoral places in the Panhandle.
Waste and Recycling: Efforts that catalyze underserved recycling efforts, promote effective household waste treatment and deter non-point source pollution in the Panhandle.
Energy Conservation: Initiatives that promote increasing energy conservation and decreasing consumption behaviors in our Panhandle community.
Growing the Movement: Programs that engage, organize, and empower new constituencies who add to the advancement of programs through volunteerism and leadership that lead to new ways of thinking and acting.
The Two Rivers Giving Circle brings together committed, concerned and charitably minded citizens to focus on local natural resources conservation and historic preservation in Jefferson, Berkeley and Morgan counties. By pooling their time, talent and resources, members of the Giving Circle are able to have a much greater impact on the causes that matter to them. Members of the Giving Circle meet four times per year; first in early spring when the group decides who will be honored with the Conservation/Preservation Award for the year, then in the summer for the Two Rivers Giving Circle picnic when the award is presented. Nonprofit organizations and local schools submit grant applications to the Community Foundation throughout the spring and summer. In the early fall, members of the Giving Circle meet twice to review applications, discuss the proposed projects, research the applicant agencies, and recommend grants.
We hope you will consider becoming a member of the Two Rivers Giving Circle. To join, simply download our membership flyer, fill out the form and mail a $500 check, payable to the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation (EWVCF) to 229 E. Martin Street, Suite 4, Martinsburg, WV 25401. Write “Two Rivers Giving Circle Membership” on the memo line and include your contact information, name, phone number, and email address; so we can keep you updated on the meeting schedule.
Membership is open to anyone interested in supporting natural resource conservation and historic preservation efforts, by awarding grants, recognizing leaders in the movement, and educating residents about the importance of nature, energy conservation, and much more.
Previous Years’ Grants
Grants totaling more than $73,000 have been awarded by the Two Rivers Giving Circle since its inception in 2008. To support the grantmaking, members of the giving circle each contribute at least $500 annually. Twenty percent of the annual gift is dedicated to building an endowment at the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation. During the past eleven years, the Two Rivers Giving Circle Fund has grown to just over $43,000. A list of grants that have been funded follows:
$1,000 – Martinsburg High School to assist teacher Derek Gallagher build a raised garden.
$1,200 – Driswood Elementary for Potomac Valley Audubon Society programming.
$1,500 – Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission for WVGeoExplorer Project.
$500 – Warm Springs Watershed Association as recommended by Betty Lou Harmison.
$500 – The Museum of the Berkeley Springs as recommended by Betty Lou Harmison
2016
$2,000 – Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission for stabilization of the historic Cement Mill Site.
$1,300 – Potomac Riverkeeper Network for North Mountain Stormwater Assessment in Berkeley County near Gerrardstown.
$1,500 – Potomac Valley Audubon Society for assistance with signage and marketing the new Cool Spring Preserve property in south Jefferson County.
$1,220 – Spring Mills Middle School for an environmentally friendly water bottle refill system with a water cooler and reusable water bottles.
$ 850 – Wind Dance Farm & Earth Education Center for field trip bus transportation to the Morgan County environmental education facility.
2015
$2,500 – Berkeley County Historical Society for an archive computer, supplies and other equipment.
$1,675 – Cacapon Institute for Potomac Headwaters Leaders of Watersheds (PHLOW) – conservation, education, and tree planting program in the Eastern Panhandle.
$2,000 – Historic Shepherdstown Commission for continued repairs to the stone walls at the Shepherd Family Graveyard.
$2,000 – Jefferson County Black Historic Preservation Society to cover partial expenses to install a backyard garden and brick patio at the historic Webb-Blessing house.
2014
$1,500 – Historic Shepherdstown Commission for Graveyard stone wall repairs
$2,100 – Jefferson County Black History Preservation Society Webb Blessing House Interpretation
$ 500 – Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission digitizing GeoExplorer project
$1,000 – North American Bushcraft School to help toward the construction of an Outdoor Classroom
$1,500 – Potomac Valley Audubon Society Stauffer’s Marsh wetlands education for students
$1,500 – Town of Bath StreetScapes Green Infrastructure construction on Washington Street
$ 900 – Wind Dance Farm & Earth Education for three bus field trips to the facility
2013
$3,000 — CraftWorks at Cool Spring for establishing a roughly six-acre native grassland bird habitat
$360 — Eastern Panhandle Free Clinic for drug disposal boxes to keep old drugs out of the watershed
$1,000 — Shepherd University for restoration of windows (and workshop) in historic property on campus
$3,000 — Warm Springs Watershed Assoc. for installing kiosks in wetlands near Berkeley Springs High School
2012
$3,488.23 — Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission to support digitizing materials for historic preservation.
$1,192 — Jefferson County Museum to support a new project called “History à la carte” to promote children’s interest in history.
$1,000 — Morgan Arts Council to support “Water, Ecology, and Nature” artist program for schools and summer camp.
$1,000 — Martinsburg Library to support “This Land is Your Land”, an environmental awaremess program for children.
$1,000 — Potomac Valley Audubon Society to support design, purchase, and installation of interpretive signs for Stauffer’s Marsh.
$360 — Charles Town Health Right, Inc. to support a safe drug disposal program.
2011
$1,694.85 — Shepherd University and its Historic Preservation Program to sponsor hand-on experiential learning for students in restoration of area historic graves and graveyards.
$2,500 — Potomac Valley Audubon Society to seed a “Wee Naturalist” conservation-education program offered in preschools in Jefferson and Berkeley Counties.
$2,500 — Morgan County Solid Waste Authority to offset costs for glass recycling in that county.
$2,500 — Berkeley County Historical Society to purchase storage units for historic documents.
2010
$2,000 — Shepherd University in partnership with Shepherdstown Elementary School to develop a two-day scavenger hunt for fifth-graders. The program integrates photography with local architecture, natural sites and historic places in the Shepherdstown area.
$993.95 — Warm Springs Watershed Association based in Berkeley Springs to design, print and distribute a new informational brochure about local watershed importance and protection.
$2,000 — Craftworks at Cool Spring to launch a citizen-based invasive species education and management program in Jefferson County.
$500 — Friends Wilderness Center to offset costs for materials for repair and renovation of a tree house retreat center.
$2,000 — Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission to purchase a computer server for the GeoExplorer project to enable local citizens online access to historic records.
2009
$1,500 — Potomac Valley Audubon Society to seed a new in-school environmental education program for 2nd graders in select area schools.
$1,500 — Berkeley Springs High School AP Environmental Science Class to establish a school-wide recycling program.
$1,500 — Martinsburg-Berkeley County Library to help support an after-school ecology club program in the children’s library.
2008
$800 — American Conservation Film Festival to support a photographic safari for children at the group’s annual film festival.
$2,021.97 — Elks Run Study Committee to help build outreach and communication to local citizens regarding the importance of Elks Run Stream and its watershed.
$2,175 — Morgan County Solid Waste Authority to assist with the purchase of equipment to open and operate a permanent recycling center to serve Morgan County.
$2,125 — Potomac Valley Audubon Society to help develop and offer a new pre-school program at the Yankauer Nature Preserve.
Two Rivers photo: Dean @ the Bednbiskit
We received this great email from former scholarship recipient Jamie Shrewsbury. Jamie was awarded the Martinsburg High Class of ’64 Scholarship and the David “Hawk” Hawkens Scholarship in 2013. This wonderful update makes all the hard work that goes into awarding scholarships incredibly worthwhile. Congratulations Jamie, and thank you for the kind words!
Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation,
My name is Jamie Shrewsbury and I am a 2013 graduate of Martinsburg High School. I wanted to reach out to you to thank you for everything that you have done for me and continue to do for the community.
During my senior year of high school, I was very uncertain of how I was going to be able to further my education after graduation. I was aware that scholarships were available that I could apply for, but thought I truly had no chance of receiving any of them. However, I applied for several scholarships through the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation and was generously awarded two scholarships that helped to completely fund my freshman year at West Virginia University. Being able to attend my dream college and successfully complete my first year of schooling set me up for another successful 3 years in Morgantown.
After my first year, I decided to change my education/career path to Public Relations with an emphasis in sports. Throughout school, I participated in several university organizations and held numerous internships including a media relations internship with the West Virginia Black Bears, a Single A-Affiliate baseball team for the Pittsburgh Pirates, a summer internship with Major League Baseball in Pittsburgh and a two-year internship position with the Mountaineer Athletic Club.
In December of 2017, I graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Strategic Communications-Public Relations and a minor in English. Upon graduation, I was offered a position in the Media Relations Department with the New York Mets and gladly accepted. I am now living in New York and living out my dream of working on the business side of a Major League Baseball team.
Thank you for allowing me to have something I thought I would never have. Thank you for giving me countless memories of Morgantown hills, experiencing a Mountaineer game day and being able to link arm in arm with fellow students and sing “Country Roads” after a win. Without your continuous, tireless efforts to encourage education, I would not be where I am today. The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation gives high school students who may not be in secure financial situations hope and a chance to further their education and to hopefully one day, be able to hold their dream job.
Thank you again, Jamie Shrewsbury
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.
Kevin Walker, Michael Whalton, and Charles Mason met last summer to deposit proceeds from the The inaugural Fulton L. Walker, Jr. Scholarship Golf Classic. First year contributions to to the EWVCF Fulton L. Walker Jr. Scholarship Fund totaled $12,500.00 and the new fund hopes to award at least one scholarship in 2018.
Eastern WV Community Foundation offers three new scholarships in 2018
In addition to more than 40 existing scholarships, three new ones were recently established at the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation. Deadline to apply for any of the Community Foundation scholarships is March 1st and a total of more than $100,000 will be awarded to deserving students.
Graduating seniors from Berkeley County who are carry a 3.0 or better GPA and plan on attending WVU may apply for the $1,250 Fulton L. Walker Jr. Scholarship. The Inspiration Scholarship Fund: In Memory of Thelma Henry and Viola Hedges will offer one $2,000 scholarship to a graduating senior from Jefferson, Berkeley, or Morgan county, who carries a 3.5 GPA and is planning on attending an out-of-state college or university. Cadets any of the squadrons of the West Virginia Wing – Civil Air Patrol may apply for the third new scholarship being offered by the Community Foundation. The award is estimated to be $2,000 and graduating seniors with a GPA of 2.5 or better who have earned the CAP Amelia Earhart award or higher may apply.
Scholarship guidelines, applications, and information about all 44 EWVCF scholarships can be found on the Foundation’s website at https://www.ewvcf.org/how-to-apply/.
Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation
229 East Martin St., Suite 4
Martinsburg, WV 25401
www.EWVCF.org
[email protected]
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304.264.0353
Fax: 888.507.8375
Hampshire County Community Foundation
Post Office Box 40
Romney, WV 26757
www.hampshireccf.org
[email protected]
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304.822.7200
Fax: 888.507.8375
Hardy County Community Foundation
Post Office Box 1058
Moorefield, WV 26836
www.hardycountycf.org
[email protected]
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304.538.3431
Fax: 888.507.8375