According to Giving USA’s annual report, foundations across the U.S. increased their giving by 2.5% in 2019, a percentage that had grown nine out of the last 10 years at the time of the report. Many of these foundations disperse donated funds through a discretionary grantmaking process.
West Virginia is home to a variety of grantmaking foundations, including independent, family, corporate and community foundations. These organizations play an invaluable role in improving the lives of West Virginians by awarding grants for projects in areas such as health care, education, economic development and community beautification.
In an effort to highlight some of the incredible work these groups are doing, West Virginia Executive chose to profile the state’s top 10 foundations ranked by their annual grantmaking in the Mountain State. These foundations are changing the way West Virginians live, learn, heal and grow.
#1 Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
Founded in 1944
Total Grantmaking in 2019: $10,338,628
Michael and Sarah Benedum established the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation as a private family foundation in 1944. It is named after their only son, Claude Worthington, who died tragically in 1918 during the Spanish Flu pandemic. Michael, who built his fortune on oil and gas exploration, was one of the 100 wealthiest men of his time and was inspired to give back to the people and places of his home state of West Virginia and his adopted state and city, Pittsburgh, PA.
“The Benedum Foundation has touched all 55 counties in West Virginia with a vast range of grants that today have totaled over $500 million dollars,” says President Jen Giovannitti. “This makes the Benedum Foundation one of the largest and most consistent private philanthropic investors in the state.”
In the organization’s history, prestigious trustees have included West Virginia Governors Hulett Smith and Gaston Caperton, Senator Jennings Randolph and Judge Robert Maxwell.
Benedum has partnered closely with West Virginia’s universities, advanced state policy initiatives, contributed funding to public assets like the Clay Center and supported the formation of community organizations and intermediaries. It works closely with other foundations, such as The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation (TGKVF), which is a grantee, partner and peer. To date, Benedum has granted more than $1.5 million to TGKVF to help advance important projects and initiatives in the Mountain State.
In its close to 80 years of grantmaking, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation has benefitted thousands of projects in health and human services, community and economic development, education and the arts.
“Our ability to support and lead on regional strategies as well as take risks on innovative young leaders and bold nonprofits is always a point of pride,” says Giovannitti. “Benedum has devoted a significant amount of time and effort in advancing educational outcomes for people by investing in Benedum scholars, helping small colleges and universities, supporting teacher quality and investing in early childhood education.”
In the future, Giovannitti sees only continuous growth and innovation for the foundation.
“I want the Benedum Foundation to be the most sought after and valued philanthropic partner for the people of West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania and a national resource for others looking to invest in rural communities,” she says. “We will continue to honor the mission Michael Benedum established for the foundation as we maintain an entrepreneurial approach to our work.”
#2 The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation
Founded in 1962
Total Grantmaking in 2019: $9,956,933
The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation (TGKVF)—created by the efforts of Robert Spilman, Ned Chilton and Stanley Loewenstein—began its operations with the establishment of a single fund: the Frank A. Knight Memorial Fund. It has since enabled a multitude of community achievements in areas such as arts and culture, health and human services, economic development, education and recreation in its six-county focal region of Boone, Clay, Fayette, Kanawha, Lincoln and Putnam. Today, TGKVF ranks in the top 100 largest community foundations in the U.S. and the largest in Central Appalachia.
“The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation has supported numerous pioneering projects, including the Morris Harvey College—now the University of Charleston—nursing program in 1965, the Arthur B. Hodges Center for the Elderly in 1978, the Samaritan Inn in 1988, the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences in 1996 and the Schoenbaum Family Enrichment Center in 2002,” says President and CEO Dr. Michelle Foster. “The extreme generosity and foresight of our donors coupled with the industrious effort and passionate enthusiasm of our grantees has propelled our community closer to its vision of a culturally, financially and socially healthy environment for all residents.”
Foster is particularly proud of the foundation’s involvement in the West Virginia Health Right dental project, which helps eliminate financial and transportation barriers to dental care through an on-site dental clinic in Charleston and mobile dental unit in Boone and Clay counties.
While the foundation awards hundreds of grants each year, it is more than just a source of funding. It also offers opportunities for professional and organizational growth.
“In 2020, we seized the virtual learning opportunity Zoom offered during the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Foster. “We offered two criminal justice grant information sessions, two program evaluation sessions, a session on nonprofits surviving a recession and another that provided grant writing tips for understaffed organizations. An average of 30 nonprofit leaders attended each session, all of which included time for peer-to-peer learning.”
TGKVF also distributed more than $12.6 million through 791 grants across all grantmaking programs and awarded $830,155 through 370 statewide scholarships in 2020. As its 60th anniversary approaches, the foundation’s goal is to continue making thoughtful and proactive investments that grow the multiple forms of wealth necessary for its communities to thrive.
#3 Encova Foundation of West Virginia
Founded in 2012
Total Grantmaking in 2019: $3,249,733
Originally founded as the BrickStreet Foundation in 2012, the Encova Foundation of West Virginia is the philanthropic arm of Encova Insurance.
“Our board at the time, particularly Tom Flaherty and Marty Becker, had the vision that we should start a foundation with an emphasis on giving back to the communities where we live and work,” says Greg Burton, executive chairman of Encova Insurance.
The foundation puts a major focus on education, health care and child welfare. Since 2015, it has invested more than $8 million to establish a variety of endowed scholarships at many of West Virginia’s two-year and four-year colleges and universities.
“It is amazing the number of students who are aren’t able to go back to school for their next semester because they owe $1,000 or $2,500,” says Burton. “We wanted to concentrate on helping as many of those students to make sure that $1,000 or $2,500 didn’t preclude them from continuing their education. These scholarships will be there forever because they are endowed at the schools, and that is something we are very proud of. I can’t think of anything more important than helping somebody pay for their schooling, so they don’t have to come out of school with a large amount of debt.”
While the foundation traditionally focuses on educational initiatives, like many other foundations, it turned its attention toward basic needs during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have given a lot of money recently to food pantries and various entities that are doing great work, like the American Red Cross, YWCA and YMCA,” says Burton. “Our focus has shifted a bit, but we are still able to address child welfare, health care and education by supporting these organizations and initiatives.”
The foundation’s educational emphasis is on full display at West Virginia University (WVU) and Marshall University.
“We are proud of the Encova Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at WVU,” says Burton. “This will help those who want to start new businesses in West Virginia. At Marshall, we have given a number of dollars toward things like the engineering school and the business school. The two largest institutions of higher education in West Virginia are big drivers of the economy. President Gee and President Gilbert have both done a tremendous job. We appreciate the ability to partner with them and help with their vision as they move the state forward.”
#4 United Methodist Foundation of West Virginia
Founded in 1974
Total Grantmaking in 2019: $2,344,211
The United Methodist Foundation of West Virginia, Inc. was created by the West Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church as a separate and distinct legal entity in 1974. Known then as United Methodist Charities, the foundation was a permanent charitable vehicle that could solicit and manage gifts. It has always had a special focus on United Methodist churches and causes.
Renamed the United Methodist Foundation in 1992, the organization’s mission has always been to create a culture of generosity that transforms the world.
“We expand and enhance the ministries of the church,” says President Jeff Taylor. “Every community in West Virginia has at least one United Methodist Church, and each church has its own administrative overhead and ministries that require funding. Our funding can help them reach beyond the walls of the church and deeper into the community. Our funds impact communities through addiction recovery ministries, food and clothing pantries, community cultural events, backpack programs and scholarships. Theologian Frederick Buechner once wrote that ‘the place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.’ There is certainly a deep need in West Virginia for charitable dollars across many areas.”
The foundation has funded several standout ministries, including a response to the Upper Big Branch mine disaster in 2010.
“After the mine disaster in Montcoal, we became the administrator of funds raised by the West Virginia Council of Churches to help the families of the miners who were killed or seriously injured,” says Taylor. “Thousands of gifts came from all over the country from people who felt the need to respond in some way, ranging in size from cents to tens of thousands of dollars. On the six-month anniversary, we distributed nearly $1 million to those 29 families. It could in no way make up for the terrible personal losses, but at least they knew they were not alone. They were being thought about, prayed for and cared for. It was a great feeling to have some small part in being present with others in their suffering.”
Until recently, the foundation did not have the luxury of undesignated funds. However, as unencumbered donations continue to rise, Taylor’s goal is to be a good steward.
“I see the foundation taking the initiative in funding more projects and programs,” he says. “I also hope to see the foundation partner more with other funders and work collaboratively to address societal needs. We have discovered we can do so much more by working with others.”
#5 Parkersburg Area Community Foundation & Regional Affiliates
Founded in 1963
Total Grantmaking in 2019: $2,298,314
In 1963, five local citizens met in Parkersburg, WV, to discuss insufficient funding for their local nonprofit organizations. Determined to build a better future, they started the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation & Regional Affiliates (PACF), electing Edwin Dils, a local store owner, as the first governing board chair.
“Nearly 60 years later, while much has changed, much work remains to be done,” says Executive Director Judy Sjostedt Ritchie. “Between 1963 and today, PACF’s annual grants to the community have grown from $2,000 per year to more than $2.75 million in Fiscal Year 2020. The fact that PACF does so much good today is due in large part to the good people who came before, stepped up and did their part for the causes for which they cared.”
PACF’s main function is to build permanent charitable resources, but it also delivers leadership initiatives for the broad benefit of its service area.
“PACF’s Civic Leaders Fellowship is a home-grown initiative that has been operating for nearly a decade,” says Ritchie. “This program of summer employment and leadership activities for college-aged students boasts impressive results. For every dollar a donor invests, Ohio University researchers estimate this initiative returns nearly $33 in social value for the Mid-Ohio Valley region. Approximately 75% of those who have completed their tenure as fellows are now employed within a three-hour drive of Parkersburg. This initiative embodies what a community foundation is—one generation taking care of the next generation.”
Another key project, Give Local MOV, was launched in 2014 and allows locals to make donations to support their favorite nonprofits online. Since its inception, it has raised more than $2 million, with community interest growing annually.
“Give Local MOV has come to symbolize a way for PACF, our region’s nonprofits and all our donors to work together to increase the resources available for the common good,” says Ritchie. “On May 4, 2021, $505,000 was raised in just 24 hours to support the 59 participating causes.”
In 2020, PACF’s total grantmaking totaled $2,753,236.
“Building community philanthropy in West Virginia is critical,” says Ritchie. “We don’t know what the future holds for West Virginia, but we do know the communities of our region will be better equipped to deal with the challenges they will face because of the generous support people are giving to PACF today.”
#6 Pallottine Foundation of Huntington
Founded in 2017
Total Grantmaking in 2019: $1,902,452
The Pallottine Foundation of Buckhannon and Pallottine Foundation of Huntington were both founded by the Pallottine Missionary Sisters of the Catholic Apostolate. In 1921, the group purchased a private residence in Buckhannon, which was converted to an eight-bed hospital facility named St. Joseph’s Hospital. In Huntington, St. Mary’s Medical was originally opened by the Pallottine Missionary Sisters in 1924 as a 35-bed hospital and grew to be one of the largest health care providers in the state with 393 beds and over 2,600 employees. The group later sold the two hospitals and used the proceeds to fund the two private foundations.
The Pallottine Foundation of Huntington was officially incorporated in January 2017 with a mission to support transformative health initiatives that empower all individuals to lead lives of optimal health, self-reliance and self-respect. While the foundation itself is relatively young, it has a lot of which to be proud.
According to Janell Ray, CEO of the Pallottine Foundation of Huntington, the two foundations have partnered with Marshall University’s oral health team to provide dental care, oral cancer screenings and critical provider referrals to older West Virginians without dental insurance and partnered with West Virginia Local Health, Inc. to support county health departments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Huntington location is also part of a collaborative partnership with the Cabell-Huntington Coalition for the Homeless, United Way of the River Cities, Marshall University and Prestera Center on the creation of a comprehensive drop-in center for homeless youth.
The Pallottine Foundation of Huntington serves 20 counties in its tri-state region of West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. It has made grants totaling $5,376,575 since its inception, and Ray sees nothing but continued support in its future.
“Our plans include the continued support of health-related organizations that strive to create significant positive change in the health of our communities through innovative and impactful programming,” she says. “We plan to expand our knowledge base throughout the 20 counties in the foundation’s region. We aspire to help create substantive improvement in the four core focus areas of food insecurity, mental and behavioral health, substance use disorder and tobacco use prevention and cessation. We hope to see communities with greater access to healthy foods, improved access to mental health providers and treatment, decreased rates of overdose death rates, lower numbers of individuals in recovery, lower vaping rates among youth and improved health indicators for patents with various chronic diseases.”
#7 Roy and Gwen Steeley Foundation, Inc.
Founded in 2014
Total Grantmaking in 2018: $1,171,519
A long-time resident of Charles Town, WV, Roy Steeley was best-known for his significant contributions to the vending machine manufacturing industry. He retired as president of Dixie-Narco in Ranson, WV, and started Royal Vendors in Kearneysville, WV, which he sold in 1996. He served the community in many capacities, including as a board member of the Animal Welfare Society and Blakeley Bank.
His wife of 48 years, Gwen Scott Steeley, M.D., was a native of Glasgow, Scotland, who moved to the U.S. in 1958. She owned and operated a private obstetrics and gynecology practice in Virginia and served as a lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps.
The Steeleys were successful in their careers and generous and caring toward the community that gave them so much. While the foundation honoring their legacy was first established in the late 1990s, it became fully operational in 2014 with a mission to invest in education and communities to strengthen West Virginia.
The foundation’s commitment to education stems from the Steeleys themselves. They often provided funding to their employees working toward a college education.
“The foundation continues this legacy by offering the Roy and Gwen Steeley Memorial Scholarship Program, which gives qualifying students a 100% tuition-free opportunity to attend an accredited West Virginia college of their choice,” says President Adam Sanders.
The foundation’s leadership is most proud of helping organizations apply for and receive federal and national foundation grants.
“When we can use our resources to help schools and various nonprofits pull down even larger funds, we feel we are maximizing our influence and able to move the needle,” says Sanders.
The Roy and Gwen Steeley Foundation also encourages the leadership of local nonprofits to think in terms of what their organization needs to grow and be successful and then helps them achieve this through the funding of administration costs and non-designated funds.
The foundation is unique in that it does not have an online application for grantees; rather, foundation leadership controls the conversation by seeking out the organizations and opportunities it feels best align with its mission.
“By spending more time in the community and not behind a desk, we feel we gain a better pulse on the needs facing our community,” says Sanders. “It’s important for us to remember our role is to cut checks, not to tell organizations what to do. We strongly believe in empowering doers and keeping our role focused on funding.”
#8 The Ross Foundation
Founded in 2006
Total Grantmaking in 2018: $1,629,771
Parkersburg-based SBR was founded by Sam Ross in 1972 as a privately holding company. SBR operated 12 manufacturing plants in the U.S. and one in China and generated approximately $565 million in annual revenue. Its staple product, Simonton Windows, made the company one of the largest sellers of vinyl, hurricane-resistant windows. When the company was sold to Fortune Brands Inc. in 2006, The Ross Foundation was created.
“We wanted to continue giving back to the community that made us successful,” says Executive Director Tres Ross, Sam’s son. “We made our money here, and we had a policy of giving back to the community while operating the businesses.”
The Ross Foundation’s mission is to build strong, healthy communities by supporting nonprofit organizations that create a lasting impact in the Mid-Ohio Valley. With primary interests in education and community and economic development and secondary focuses in arts, disabilities and animal welfare, The Ross Foundation is committed to enhancing quality of life in Pleasants, Ritchie and Wood counties.
“We give about $1.75 million to our region every year,” says Tres.
The foundation works closely with other funders in its region when they share a common interest. The Ross Foundation, Bernard McDonough Foundation and Parkersburg Area Community Foundation are currently working together to address childcare access and affordability in their region. The Ross Foundation also partners with West Virginia University on its West Virginia Forward initiative.
“We have also been doing a lot in the science, technology, engineering, arts and math, or STEAM, space,” says Tres. “We have worked with The Education Alliance on programs to integrate hands-on learning and makers spaces throughout schools in our area.”
The largest project in the foundation’s history will be the children’s museum it is currently planning to be built in downtown Parkersburg.
“This will expand on what we did in smaller groups with the hands-on learning and makers spaces and take it to a whole new level by making it part of a downtown development project,” says Tres. “We are finishing our final numbers now, but it will likely cost close to $8.5 million. Our foundation will take on about 89% of that.”
The museum is tentatively set to launch in 2022.
“We have working toward this since 2018,” says Tres. “We started out as a small grant funder in the $1,000-$30,000 range. In 2015, we changed to higher grants of up to $150,000. Now we are taking on this large-scale, multimillion-dollar operation.”
#9 Beckley Area Foundation
Founded in 1985
Total Grantmaking in 2019: $1,422,353
In 1984, 10 community-minded citizens met to initiate something new, untired and untested in the Beckley area: a community foundation premised on the simple concept of caring people providing good things for the future. In January 1985, a gift of $1.1 million was given by the Dr. Thomas Walker Memorial Health Foundation and was enhanced by an additional $150,000 in private endowment funds.
Thus, the Beckley Area Foundation (BAF) was born, and its mission to inspire and facilitate generous charitable giving that advances the community is still in full effect.
“Beckley Area Foundation is our community’s philanthropic center,” says Executive Director Dena Cushman. “BAF has distributed $1,258,455 in grants and $325,818 in scholarships this year alone. In its 35 years of existence, a total of $18,530,000 has been awarded in grants and scholarships. All the work we do is possible because of generous donors who believe in making things happen. Every donation, no matter the size, lets us know our supporters believe in BAF’s mission.”
As the foundation continues to serve Fayette, McDowell, Raleigh, Webster and Wyoming counties, Cushman believes the operation is unique due to its ability to take a broad view of community in its grant programs.
“We are proud to provide grants to all sectors of need that strengthen and enhance the quality of life in the communities we serve,” she says. “We support our community in perpetuity; every dollar donated benefits the community forever. Funds are invested and income earned is used to provide charitable grants each year and forever.”
BAF’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was swift and efficient. The COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, or CERF, supported BAF’s nonprofit partners.
“Donations helped 42 organizations address food insecurity, human services, health and educational needs,” says Cushman. “Additionally, we were able to secure personal protective equipment to area nonprofits struggling to open or to stay open.”
This experience helped created an opportunity for BAF to expand its work.
“Prior to the pandemic, BAF positioned itself to help established nonprofits accomplish their objectives. Now, in addition to supporting existing organizations, BAF understands it must fill a new role in creating solutions to address unmet needs,” says Cushman. “Additionally, BAF will be doing its first-ever capital campaign to relocate into new space. This will create an opportunity for the foundation to offer more to our donors, nonprofit partners and the community.”
#10 Bernard McDonough Foundation
Founded in 1962
Total Grantmaking in 2018: $1,316,240
The Bernard McDonough Foundation was founded by Bernard McDonough in 1962. His wife, Alma, further funded the foundation to enable it to increase its granting endeavors. McDonough was inspired to form the foundation to share his wealth with those who are less fortunate, and his philanthropy followed three main themes: improvement to the body, mind and spirit.
The foundation’s rich, 59-year history is steeped in its mission to support and promote religious, charitable, scientific, literary and educational activities that promote the general welfare of society.
“We strive to find creative ways to achieve our goal by supporting nonprofits in rural West Virginia that have limited resources and challenges in finding networking opportunities that result in grant funding,” says President Bob Boone. “We currently fund $1.5 million a year in grants.”
The foundation’s current focus is basic human needs, with grants being made primarily in the area of social welfare. In 2019, the foundation funded the City of Solutions report created by Marshall Health, which outlines all the organizations in Huntington, WV, that assist with programs and services for individuals with substance use disorder.
It also funds Nonprofits LEAD, a program under the McDonough Center for Leadership & Business at Marietta College that helps build a strong, sustainable nonprofit community in the Mid-Ohio Valley—including Washington County, Ohio—in which every organization can achieve its mission. Nonprofits LEAD delivers training and professional development programs that address the diverse capacity needs of nonprofit organizations and leaders across the region.
“We also fund the Tucker Community Foundation challenge,” says Boone. “Participants raise team support for the community cause of their choice during the Run For It campaign and then run or walk for that cause in a 5k event held in September of each year. The event raises funds and awareness for community organizations, projects, nonprofit agencies, educational activities and charities located within the foundation’s service area.”
Editor’s Note: This list is based on 2018 and 2019 Form 990 filings as found on Guidestar by Candid. The Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable Trust’s total grantmaking in 2019 was $7,507,450, making it the third largest grant maker in the state. However, the foundation’s leadership preferred not to be interviewed.
