We are thrilled to announce the publication of our 22nd Annual Report to the Community which contains lots of facts and figures about the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation. Click here to download a pdf version of the full 16-page report.
By EWVCF
We are thrilled to announce the publication of our 22nd Annual Report to the Community which contains lots of facts and figures about the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation. Click here to download a pdf version of the full 16-page report.
By EWVCF
College. It is 7 letter word that means many different things to different people. The seven letter word is a game changer because by attending college, one increases their professional development by a great deal. Money does matter but you can’t make that the only reason you want to attend college. You need to have personal goals and satisfaction in your choices. The biggest problem with college is that the cost of a college degree in the United States has increased at least 12 fold in the past 30 years and this staggering figure actually outpaces the price inflation of consumer goods, medical expenses and food. There needs to be a way to be able to go to college and not graduate with an enormous debt after the 4+ years. Well, there is a way to at least help take some of the cost burden off the student. Scholarships are an excellent way to help you to pay for college and make sure you get the very best education you can!! Here at the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation, we are excited to be able to award over $100, 000 in scholarships to students in Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan counties in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia in May of 2018. There are some scholarships that are small, some large, some that will do a single gift while others will bridge over the 4 years of a traditional degree program. While there is a lot to put into the application process, the reward is well worth the work. We are also ready and willing to educate students on the processes and enjoy going out into the community to share and promote the opportunities here. Please check out the scholarship tab on the website and start your journey to success!
By EWVCF
Please take a moment to read this article which will make understanding community foundations much clearer! The Council on Foundations is a wonderful resource for anyone that is needing some guidance and understanding about what the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation is all about!
The community foundation field is one of the fastest growing philanthropic sectors in the United States today. Community foundations build and strengthen communities in a multitude of ways, including providing the means for a wide range of donors to create permanent funds to meet critical needs. Though the first community foundation was launched just 100 years ago in Cleveland, Ohio, today there are more than 750 community foundations in the United States.
The concept has spread throughout the world, with community foundations now in countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, South Africa and the United Kingdom – in fact, every continent but Antarctica has at least one community foundation. It has been estimated that there are at least 1,000 community foundations outside the United States and Canada.
Community foundations in the United States are located in almost every region and state in the country. Community foundations grant funds to a wide variety of causes—urban affairs, the arts, education, environmental projects, health and disaster relief. Community foundations offer donors many services and benefits. They routinely work with families, individuals, attorneys and estate and financial planners to design gift plans that fit every economic situation, ensuring that donors receive the most benefit from their charitable contributions and that their philanthropic dollars are used to the fullest extent.
Community foundations accept gifts of various sizes and types from private citizens, local corporations, other foundations and government agencies. Nearly every type of gift—real estate, closely held stock, artwork and insurance—can be contributed to a community foundation. Gifts are made from bequests and by living donors through various types of funds and deferred giving vehicles. According to the Foundation Center, in 2012 community foundations received an estimated $7.5 billion in gifts, gave $5 billion in grants, and held total assets of $65 billion. The Foundation Center also reports that even though community foundations represent just 1% of the more than 82,000 foundations in the United States, their gifts represented 9% of total giving.
Community foundations range greatly in asset size, but all funds are invested in diverse portfolios and management is a major aspect of community foundations’ work. All share the common goal of serving donors, nonprofit organizations, and the community as a whole. In addition to this, one of a community foundation’s special functions is to provide effective leadership and coordinate the needs and services in its communities, so that charitable gifts are used effectively to fulfill a community’s most critical needs.
The bottom line is this: community foundations:
And why should you invest in a community foundation?
Community foundations go beyond simply making grants that advance charitable activities. They also identify current and emerging issues, channel resources to address their communities’ needs, and help their regions prepare for the future.
By EWVCF
The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation (EWVCF) offers Mini-Grants to Teachers in Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan Counties. These Mini-Grants of up to $500 will be awarded to teachers who need financial assistance with special projects, materials, or classroom resources. Our Partners in Philanthropy, joined by individual donors committed to enhancing the quality of life in the Eastern Panhandle, have pledged more than $30,000 in total.
More and more, teachers are faced with the challenge of keeping children interested and engaged with few resources beyond the basics. In its first couple years, the Mini-Grants to Teachers program awarded grants to fund classroom book sets, a giant abacus, Speed Stackers, Rekenreks, an Autism Cafe, K’NEX building sets, sheet music, Lego Mindstorm kits, pedometers, Apple TVs, pBone instruments, a projector, wood chisels, an alto flute, eBooks, a couple of robots, art supplies, a river tank system, digital cameras, calculators, graphic tablets, and much more. This year, Mini-Grants will be awarded to teachers who have a burning desire to improve the classroom experience for their students, and the ability to inspire the members of our grants committee to support your efforts. The process is simple-fill out a simple one-page application and teachers can share their ideas with the committee. The objective is to encourage and support teachers who have great ideas that will enhance the learning experience for students. Mini-Grants can be used to purchase supplies and materials for special projects; provide resources for the classroom; and support projects and programs that are not covered by school budgets or other means. All grant recipients are expected to report on the expenditure of grant funds and results of the supported project by the end of the school year (June 2018).
All Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan County public school PreK-12 teachers are invited to apply. Public schools are defined as being supported by public funds and are part of the free public education system. Any school that charges tuition to students is not eligible.
By EWVCF
When disaster strikes, the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation is ready and willing to come together to provide support in many different ways throughout the state of WV. While the majority of the Foundation’s grants and scholarships stay in the Eastern Panhandle, EWVCF increases the effectiveness of contributions given to disasters, bring greater attention to the life cycle of disasters, from preparedness and planning, to relief, to rebuilding and recovery efforts. In addition, EWVCF will provide timely and relevant advice from experts with deep knowledge of disaster philanthropy and conduct due diligence so donors can give with confidence. Pictured: Lisa Welch, Vice President, Scott Roach, Past President, Darlene Truman, President, Chip Hensell, Secretary.
RECOGNIZING THE IMPACT OF COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS
NOVEMBER 12–18, 2017
EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION Participates in National Effort to Highlight Local Impact of Philanthropy
Martinsburg, West Virginia ─ During the week of November 12-18, 2017, the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation will join more than 780 community foundations across America celebrating Community Foundation Week. For 28 years, the effort has raised awareness about the increasingly important role of these philanthropic organizations in fostering local collaboration and innovation to address persistent civic and economic challenges.
During the week, EWVCF will be working with local high school Leadership classes in Berkeley County to make them aware of opportunities to get involved in their communities. Through an innovative collaboration of schools, businesses and charitable organizations this will give the students the tools to bring about positive change and opportunities in their communities. EWVCF will also be preparing to distribute nearly $37,000 in Mini Grants to Teachers in Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan counties while also promoting and working with Philanthropy West Virginia’s Keep 5 Local statewide program that encourages local residents to take a new look at philanthropic estate planning through the community foundation, making West Virginians see a powerful private sector solution to its longtime local charitable needs.
“Community foundations impact lives, create opportunities, and the result is a bright future,” said Darlene Truman, EWVCF Board President. “We are more determined than ever to bring our community partners together to find innovative and effective solutions for some of our most challenging social problems and advance the most promising of opportunities to benefit our residents.”
Community foundations are independent, public entities that steward philanthropic resources from institutional and individual donors to local nonprofits that are the heart of strong, vibrant communities. The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation is a local, independent, public 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that directs tax-exempt gifts from donors to endowed funds to support favorite charitable causes in the region. The EWVCF, founded in 1995, provides financial stewardship for $22 million in endowments for nearly 220 component funds, and awards more than $3 million in grants and scholarships annually.
Community foundations represent one of the fastest-growing forms of philanthropy. Every state in the US is home to at least one community foundation—large and small, urban and rural—working to advance solutions on a wide range of social issues locally and globally.
Community Foundation Week, created in 1989 by former president George H.W. Bush, recognizes the work of community foundations throughout America and their collaborative approach to working with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to address community problems. West Virginia has over 25 Community Foundations and there are more than 750 across the US. These foundations, which support everything from social services to youth programs, historic preservation to the environment, and education to animal advocacy, provide stewardship for more than $66 billion in charitable endowment. For more information about the Eastern West Virginia Community contact Executive Director Michael Whalton at (304) 264-0353 or visit www.EWVCF.org.
For more information, please contact Michael Whalton at [email protected] or 304-264-0353.
Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation
229 East Martin St., Suite 4
Martinsburg, WV 25401
www.EWVCF.org
[email protected]
Join our email list
Follow us on Facebook
304.264.0353
Fax: 888.507.8375
Hardy County Community Foundation
Post Office Box 1058
Moorefield, WV 26836
www.hardycountycf.org
[email protected]
Join our email list
Follow us on Facebook
304.538.3431
Fax: 888.507.8375