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"We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill
Welcome to the Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc. Web site.
The Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc. promotes philanthropy by fostering charitable giving, serving our donors' interests, and effectively responding to the needs and opportunities of communities in Mercer County, West Virginia and Tazewell County, Virginia.
Through scholarships and grants in the areas of Education, the Arts, Culture and the Humanities, Health, and Human Services, the Community Foundation matches the generosity of the people of our area with the needs of area organizations and individuals.
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Latest News from the Community Foundation
New! - 2008 Was a Good Year for Foundation - Details Foundation Returns More Than $90,000 to Communities in 2008 - Details Grants Recipient Profile - Tender Mercies - Link Fund Raising Concert Draws Enthusiastic Crowd - Details List of Grants Awarded in 2008 - Details First-half 2008 Contributions to Foundation - Details Bev Blalock Memorial - Link Used Office Furniture for Sale - Details
Community Foundation Compiling Email Lists The Foundation is compiling a master email list to keep interested parties informed of our activities. If you would like to hear from us via email, please send your address to admin@cfvinc.org
Help make your community a better place to live through a tax-deductible charitable contribution to the Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc.
For a list of the many area organizations that have received financial assistance from the Community Foundation, go here.
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Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc. 128 North Street ● P.O. Box 4127 ● Bluefield, WV 24701 Phone: 304-324-0222 ● Fax: 304-324-7716 Email: admin@cfvinc.org
Member of the South Bluefield Merchants and Professional Association
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Foundation Has Good Year in 2008 Despite the economic problems toward the end of the year, 2008 was a good year for the Community Foundation, with the establishment of two fully endowed funds, the Joshua Lee Shutt Memorial Fund, and the Alfred and Shirley Wampler Caudill Scholarship Fund, and the Lindsay Rebekah Haun Memorial Scholarship Build-a-Fund. In January, Linda and Ed Shutt of Princeton endowed the Shutt Memorial fund in memory of their son Josh, who died in a car accident in October of 2005. This fund is directed toward aiding youths in Mercer County. The Caudill Scholarship Fund was established by Don Caudill last spring as a partner to the grant fund of the same name. The scholarship is designated for children of employees of Bluefield College, Bluefield State College and other local colleges. Deborah and James Haun, Jr. established the Build-a-Fund in memory of their daughter Lindsay in December. This fund is designed to assist students at Princeton Senior High School who have studied fine arts. Together with two successful fund raising events, the Annual Dinner and the NJO Quartet Dinner and Concert, and with contributions through the year, the Foundation collected donations of approximately $106,000. Of that amount, $5,800 came in year-end contributions, Actor and playwright Ed Trotta was featured speaker at the Annual Dinner in September. Ed, who is known for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln, among other things, began in character as Lincoln, and evolved out of character and talked about the Stage II project of the Summit Players, which is what brought Ed here from Hollywood last year. In November, an enthusiastic audience enjoyed a great dinner and an evening of jazz featuring the NJO Quartet and Annie Sellick. The Nashville-based group is associated with the Nashville Jazz Orchestra, a non-profit musical organization founded to perpetuate jazz. The Quartet is comprised of members of the Orchestra along with Annie, who is a frequent guest vocalist with the NJO. In 2008, the twelfth year of grant making, the Community Foundation awarded Grants and Scholarship in the amount of $95,463 in support of area students and 501(c)(3) charitable organizations. The Foundation awarded scholarships totaling nearly $43,000 to 32 deserving area students, and grant awards went to 40 area organizations totaling more than $50,000.
Foundation put more than $90,000 back into local communities in 2008
As 2008 draws to a close the Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc. wants to thank the people of Mercer and Tazewell counties for their continued support of the Foundation’s efforts to help fund worthwhile local projects, and assist local students in furthering their education.
This year the Foundation awarded Grants and Scholarship in the amount of $95,463 in support of area students and 501(c)(3) charitable organizations.
The Community Foundation awarded scholarships totaling nearly $43,000 to 32 deserving area students, and grant awards went to 40 area organizations totaling more than $50,000.
Grant awards were made in the following fields of interest: Human Services received 57 percent of the total awards; Arts and Humanities received 23 percent of total awards; Education projects received 17 percent; and Health projects received 3 percent of the total.
Each year, the Foundation receives more requests from Human Services organizations than all the other fields of interest combined, and in 2008 more than 60 percent of requests for funding came from those organizations. This reflects the need in Mercer and Tazewell counties for the services provided by Human Service organizations. The Foundation always has more requests than it has funds available to support them.
Please consider the Community Foundation for your charitable contributions, and particularly your year-end giving. Your donations will go directly to assist organizations in Mercer and Tazewell counties that are solving problems in your community.
Contributions should be mailed to the Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc., P.O. Box 4127, Bluefield, WV 24701
Fund Raising Concert Draws Enthusiastic Crowd
The Foundation's dinner/concert fund raiser attracted an enthusiastic crowd to the Summit Theater on Thursday night, Nov. 13. The event featured the music of the NJO Quartet featuring Annie Sellick, a jazz group from Nashville, Tennessee.
The NJO Quartet is a sub-set of the Nashville Jazz Orchestra, a non-profit traditional big band with a mission statement that can be summed up in two words: "perpetuate jazz." The Community Foundation is fortunate to have been able to present this exciting group of musicians and vocalist Annie Sellick to a local audience.
The crowd of more than 100 enjoyed the great music and the delicious dinner, and the Foundation raised additional funds to add to its investments.
Dinner was catered by Your Grate Escape from Tazewell, Virginia, which did an outstanding job with food preparation and service.
Thanks to everyone who supported this event, and to all who support the Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc.
Foundation Announces Grants for 2008
The Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc. is pleased to announce the award of 43 grants for 2008.
These awards totaling $52,513 represent the Foundation’s 12th annual grant cycle supporting local nonprofit groups. A total of $82,535 was requested from the Foundation. With the inclusion of the 2008 awards, the Foundation has returned approximately $523,372 to the area since 1997 in grants and scholarships.
The Grants Committee is chaired by Betty Gardner Bailey and is comprised of ten other members, including Mary Azzo, Dr.Phyllis Beaver-Horwitz, Kathleen Blaydes, Charlie Carter, Carole Dodson, Doris Sue Kantor, Al Modena, Libby Perry, Bettye VanDyke and Pat Whittaker.
The Board of Directors of the Foundation unanimously approved the following grants on September 9, 2008:
I. EDUCATION:
II. HEALTH:
III. HUMAN SERVICES:
IV. ARTS, CULTURE & THE HUMANITIES:
The Board of the Foundation is gratified to share this report with the community and those whose support and encouragement have made it possible. Be assured of the Foundation’s continued best efforts in the year ahead. Organizations may request and submit grant application packets for the Year 2009 during the months of April, May and June. Evaluations will be conducted in July and August; the Board will finalize approval of grants in September. Grant payments will be made upon request thereafter.
Donor Generosity Benefits Community Foundation
The first half of 2008 has seen charitable donations of nearly $27,000 pour in to the Community Foundation.
The contributions are the result of the establishment of two new funds, the Joshua Lee Shutt Memorial Fund and the Alfred and Shirley Wampler Caudill Scholarship Fund, along with memorial contributions to existing funds.
The nearly 50 endowed funds held by the Foundation go to provide scholarships for area students, and to fund worthwhile area projects in the areas of Health; Education; Human Services; and the Arts, Culture and the Humanities. Donations to individual funds or to the Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc. are tax deductible.
2008 Scholarships Recipients Announced
Community Foundation Scholarship Committee Chair Carole Dodson is show at left presenting Graham High School senior Marco Leung his scholarship check from the Alex B. Mahood, Jr. Scholarship Fund at a recent meeting of the Civitans, who participate with the Foundation in selecting recipients for the award. Alli Forlines (second from right) is shown receiving her check from Civitans President Greg Shrewsberry
The Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc. is pleased to announce the recipients of Foundation scholarships for 2008. Carol Dodson, chair of the Scholarship Committee, presented the committee’s recommendations to the Board of Directors for approval at its May 13 meeting, and the scholarships were presented to most students at awards ceremonies during the rest of the month.
This year, the Foundation assisted more than 36 area students in furthering their education through financial support from 15 endowed scholarship funds. These students are primarily high school seniors from area schools, although some are current college students. Scholarship awards for 2008 totaled $43,450.
C.B. and Ora Hunter Hancock Memorial Scholarship:
E. R. Gillespie Scholarship Fund:
Grace Hanna and Maurice Weinberg Scholarship Fund:
Rose Sinicrope Scholarship Fund:
Bluefield College Fund:
Harman Masonic Lodge #222:
Alfred and Shirley Wampler Caudill Scholarship Fund:
Graham High School Scholarship Fund:
Ralph H. and Shirley D. Kiser Family Scholarship Fund:
Roy R. Raub M.D. Memorial Scholarship Fund:
William G. Skewes Memorial Scholarship Fund:
Doctor Jack Walter Witten Scholarship Fund:
Alex Mahood Fund: Yiu Fung Leung, Graham High School
Kendrick Family Scholarship Fund: multiple recipients, Concord University Athletics
The Foundation’s Grants Application period began April 1, and runs until June 30. Information on applying for a grant can be obtained from the Foundation’s Web site, by contacting the Foundation at 304-324-0222, or by email at admin@cfvinc.org.
Grant Funds Improvements for Sun Valley Ruritans
The replacement of the tables and chairs is part of an on-going project of renovation and maintenance to the building, which will host more than a thousand people in a year’s time. The photos show a dramatic improvement in the appearance of the Ruritan facility.
In addition to functioning as the headquarters for the Ruritan club, the building is used for a wide variety of community events, such as family reunions, club meetings, wedding receptions, health screenings, educational meetings and community gatherings, and is also used to store food and clothing for the needy, and to host travelers to and from nearby Pipestem State Park.
The Foundation funds projects to benefit communities, such as the $2,000 grant to the Sun Valley Ruritan Club, and projects that assist low-income and needy individuals and families in the areas of healthcare, human services, education and the arts arts and humanities.
Foundation Scholarships Committee Reviewing Applications
Members of the Scholarships Committee of the Community Foundation are shown reviewing applications for this year's scholarship cycle. Altogether, the committee had 125 individual applications to evaluate for the 12 scholarship funds to be awarded this year. The recommendations of the Scholarships Committee were approved by the Foundation Board of Directors at its May meeting. Pictured above, left to right, Betty VanDyke; Carol Dodson, chair; Jim Steorts; Don Caudill and Mary Raub.
New Officers and Directors Elected, New Staff Assume Positions
At its Annual Meeting on February 12 the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation elected the following officers for 2008: Bob Perkinson, President; Julie Johnson, Vice President; Betty Gardner Bailey, Secretary; Ron Campbell, Treasurer; Matt Martin, Assistant Treasurer.
In addition, the Foundation welcomes five new members to its Board of Directors: Loretta Corte and Mary Raub, to fill unexpired terms ending in 2010, and Don Caudill, Matt Martin, and Tammy Toler to fill four-year terms expiring in 2012. Re-elected to four-year terms expiring in 2012 were: Mary Azzo, Betty Bailey, Libby Perry, Betty VanDyke, and Jenny Ware.
In addition, after several years as Executive Director, B. G. "Bev" Blalock has taken the position of Development Director, and outgoing president James Shott has taken the position of Executive Director.
Problems on our Web site? Email webmaster@cfvinc.org
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