Search Through Grants for Community Centers in West Virginia in the U.S.

Mission

To encourage human development in West Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania through strategically placed charitable resources.

Guiding Principles

The following principles guide the Foundation’s grants programs in those regions:

• We honor Michael and Sarah Benedum’s belief in “helping people help themselves,” and we seek opportunities to cultivate the creativity of people and communities.
• We nurture leadership within the communities we serve, and we participate in leadership when it adds value.
• We encourage planning, projects and programs that cross geographical and political boundaries so that access to services and economic growth is maximized.
• We expect collaboration among the public, private and nonprofit sectors in order to leverage the resources that each can bring to common concerns.
• We strive to advance innovative practices that demonstrate measurable and sustainable benefit.
• We seek projects that contribute to advancement in public policy.

In keeping with the wishes of Michael and Sarah Benedum, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation is a regional philanthropy focusing on West Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania. The Foundation generally invests two-thirds of its grant dollars in West Virginia and one-third in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

The Foundation serves the entire state of West Virginia. In Southwestern Pennsylvania, the service area includes Allegheny, Washington, Greene, and Fayette Counties. This four-county area is a natural connector between Pittsburgh and West Virginia and contains rural communities that may benefit from the Benedum Foundation’s experiences in West Virginia.

However, the Foundation recognizes that economic regions do not follow political boundaries, and therefore, the Foundation both encourages projects that cross state lines, and supports economic initiatives that benefit the multi-state economy centered on Pittsburgh.

Program Areas: Community Development and Health

The Foundation supports Community Development and Health Services grants programs in West Virginia,.

Health

West Virginia will benefit when all families have access to high-quality health care. The best possible resources are required for families to raise their children to be productive members of their communities.

Emphasis in this program area is placed on innovations in health care delivery systems, a strengthening of the public health infrastructure, and community-based health promotion; especially regarding chronic disease prevention and management. Collaborative efforts involving communities, businesses, and public agencies are encouraged through technical assistance, program development, research, and public policy. Current specific areas of interest include:

• Support for a healthier quality of life for West Virginians through access to affordable health care, preventive health services, state-level policy development, and quality care systems across the lifespan.
• Ensuring a system of accessible and affordable health care for children, and the promotion of healthy development and child-focused public policy.
• Address social drivers of health to promote health and well-being.

Community Development

Improving capabilities of leaders, organizations, and interested citizens to address challenges and opportunities will help communities be more prosperous through their own efforts.

The Benedum Foundation promotes the economic well-being and quality of life of West Virginia communities.

Current specific areas of interest include:

• Activities that engage diverse groups of citizens in the life of the community.
• Efforts that help communities organize, plan, and implement ambitious but achievable improvement strategies.
• Leadership development.
• Programs that improve the effectiveness and accountability of nonprofit and public organizations.
• Efforts to expand technology access, affordability, and utilization.

What does this program do?

This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.

What is an eligible area?

Rural areas including cities, villages, townships and towns including Federally Recognized Tribal Lands with no more than 20,000 residents according to the latest U.S. Census Data are eligible for this program.

How may funds be used?

Funds can be used to purchase, construct, and / or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment and pay related project expenses.

Examples of essential community facilities include:

• Health care facilities such as hospitals, medical clinics, dental clinics, nursing homes or assisted living facilities.
• Public facilities such as town halls, courthouses, airport hangars or street improvements.
• Community support services such as child care centers, community centers, fairgrounds or transitional housing.
• Public safety services such as fire departments, police stations, prisons, police vehicles, fire trucks, public works vehicles or equipment.
• Educational services such as museums, libraries or private schools.
• Utility services such as telemedicine or distance learning equipment.
• Local food systems such as community gardens, food pantries, community kitchens, food banks, food hubs or greenhouses.

Grant Approval

Applicant must be eligible for grant assistance, which is provided on a graduated scale with smaller communities with the lowest median household income being eligible for projects with a higher proportion of grant funds. Grant assistance is limited to the following percentages of eligible project costs:

Maximum of 75 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 5,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 60 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 55 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 12,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 70 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 35 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 20,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 80 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 15 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 20,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 90 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income. The proposed project must meet both percentage criteria. Grants are further limited.

Charitable Contributions

Costco Wholesale’s primary charitable efforts specifically focus on programs supporting children, education, and health and human services in the communities where we do business. Throughout the year we receive a large number of requests from nonprofit organizations striving to make a positive impact, and we are thankful to be able to provide support to a variety of organizations and causes. While we would like to respond favorably to all requests, understandably, the needs are far greater than our allocated resources and we are unable to accommodate them all.

Warehouse Donations:

Warehouse donations are handled at the warehouse level - please consult your local warehouse for up-to-date information regarding their donations contacts and review process.

Grant Applications

If the request is under consideration, you may be contacted by staff for any additional information needed. Applications are reviewed within 4-6 weeks, and decisions are made based on several factors, including: type of program; identified community need not otherwise available; indication that evidenced based data will establish measurable results of intended outcomes; community collaboration; broad base of financial support; project budget and operating expenses.

Mission

To encourage human development in West Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania through strategically placed charitable resources.

Guiding Principles

The following principles guide the Foundation’s grants programs in those regions: 

• We honor Michael and Sarah Benedum’s belief in “helping people help themselves,” and we seek opportunities to cultivate the creativity of people and communities. 
• We nurture leadership within the communities we serve, and we participate in leadership when it adds value.
• We encourage planning, projects and programs that cross geographical and political boundaries so that access to services and economic growth is maximized.
• We expect collaboration among the public, private and nonprofit sectors in order to leverage the resources that each can bring to common concerns.
• We strive to advance innovative practices that demonstrate measurable and sustainable benefit.
• We seek projects that contribute to advancement in public policy.

What We Fund

In keeping with the wishes of Michael and Sarah Benedum, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation is a regional philanthropy focusing on West Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania. The Foundation generally invests two-thirds of its grant dollars in West Virginia and one-third in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

The Foundation serves the entire state of West Virginia. In Southwestern Pennsylvania, the service area includes Allegheny, Washington, Greene, and Fayette Counties. This four-county area is a natural connector between Pittsburgh and West Virginia and contains rural communities that may benefit from the Benedum Foundation’s experiences in West Virginia. However, the Foundation recognizes that economic regions do not follow political boundaries, and therefore, the Foundation both encourages projects that cross state lines, and supports economic initiatives that benefit the multi-state economy centered on Pittsburgh.

Program Areas

The Foundation makes grants in two program areas that span both states:

Education

The Benedum Foundation seeks to foster learning environments, across formal and informal educational systems, that position young learners to thrive in career and life. Academic achievement, social and emotional wellbeing, and real-world workforce preparation are the ultimate objectives of this program.

The Foundation places a high priority on teacher quality and the most advanced instructional tools. Because schools do not function in isolation, the Foundation also looks to the resources of community organizations, business, and higher education to reinforce the learning objectives of the classroom. In preparation for the rising demands of the workplace, the Foundation recognizes the need for all students to enter some form of post-secondary education.

Although the Foundation is interested in any significant opportunity to improve the education system, current specific areas of interest include:

• Programs that improve teacher quality through professional development and innovative instructional strategies.
• Early childhood educational practices that bolster children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and academic development, including early intervention services that support school-success.
• Expanded and extended learning opportunities that complement and enhance the learning that occurs during the traditional school day.
• Career education and future readiness skill development, aligning secondary and post-secondary programs to high-demand, high-wage occupations.

Economic Development

Innovation will be the cornerstone of the future success of the economy in West Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania. The Foundation supports economic development activities based upon the region’s strengths in research, technology, and advanced manufacturing.

The Foundation’s agenda seeks to promote regional planning and cooperation, recognizing that with respect to any endeavor, “region” should mean whatever area is most appropriate to optimize the available opportunity, without reference to historic, geographic, or political boundaries. The expected outcomes of the Foundation’s Economic Development grants are the creation and growth of innovative, wealth-producing businesses and high-quality jobs.

In addition, many of the communities in the region served by the Foundation are rural, and enjoy abundant natural assets that provide economic opportunities that complement centers of technology-based growth. The Foundation currently supports efforts to advance agriculture, outdoor recreation, artisanship, and cultural tourism. Current specific areas of Foundation interest include:

• Promotion of entrepreneurship.
• Projects that promote technology-based economic development.
• Programs to promote the growth and accessibility of new capital for businesses in distressed communities and areas of high unemployment.

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Background

The Highmark Foundation is a private, charitable, organization of Highmark Inc. that supports initiatives and programs aimed at improving community health. The Highmark Foundation's mission is to improve the health, well-being and quality of life for individuals who reside in communities served by Highmark Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. We fulfill our mission by awarding high impact grants.

Ideally, the Foundation seeks evidence-based programs that impact multiple counties, that achieve replicable long-term models, and that attract collaborative funding by community partners.

Foundation grants have been awarded to hospitals, community health centers, health service organizations, local community groups and government agencies committed to improving community health.

Our focus is health. The Foundation awards health-related programmatic grants to charitable organizations to implement evidence-based programs aimed at improving community health within Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Grant funding is used to support projects that:

• Are consistent with the Foundation’s goals, strategies and focus
• Demonstrate new and sustainable ways to solve health problems
• Illustrate the effectiveness of early intervention and preventive health

Funding Priority Areas

The Foundation awards grants in the area of health, defining health broadly to include social, behavioral and other dimensions beyond illness or disease. The Foundation focuses its grantmaking on four areas:

Chronic Disease

For more than a decade, the Foundation has funded chronic disease intervention and prevention programs for the most vulnerable populations in the region. By analyzing data from global, national, and statewide resources, the Foundation determines where it can make significant impact among populations by reducing the burden on both patients and health care providers.

One major example of the Foundation's leadership is its funding of community-based programs and services that have been created to reduce the effects of diabetes among minority populations. Through comprehensive, multilevel strategies, the Foundation has provided millions of dollars which grant these individuals easier access to diabetes prevention programs.

The Foundation has also supported national efforts—locally. For example, the Foundation was one of the first in the nation to fund an initiative known as Mission Lifeline. This is an initiative of the American Heart Association which advances the systems of care for patients who have experienced the most severe form of heart attack.

Data analysis of other chronic diseases, such as osteoporosis, certain types of cancer, asthma, and many others, are constantly being reviewed by the Foundation staff to determine significant impact opportunities with outcomes that are both measurable and achievable.

Funding Programs and Interventions that Address:

• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Cancer
• Obesity

Family Health

Family health initiatives have been at the heart of many programs funded by the Highmark Foundation.

For five years, the Foundation's Highmark Healthy High 5 initiative focused on five areas that ultimately impacted family health: physical activity, nutrition, bullying, self-esteem and grieving. Many of the programs funded were not just aimed at children, but incorporated the entire family unit.

Childhood obesity and bullying remain major public health concerns for the nation and the region, and will remain critical issues for the Foundation. To that end, the Foundation is continuing to fund school and community-based programs that directly impact these issues and bring about positive change for children's physical and mental well-being.

The Foundation also funds programs in the area of maternal health, such as the doula pregnancy programs, walk-in clinics for uninsured and underinsured women, and parenting education classes. For the region's senior population, the Foundation funds programs that provide senior access to home health or palliative care, as well as routine health screenings and interventions.

Funding Programs and Interventions that Address:

• Nutrition and Physical Activity
• Adolescent Health
• Maternal Health
• Senior Care
• Mental Health

Service Delivery Systems

Serving a diverse geographic area that encompasses urban and rural populations presents a unique set of challenges. However, despite the differences in these settings, gaining access to quality health care is a challenge for many individuals in both. In urban settings, there is a lack of health care providers, but the underinsured or uninsured often lack the resources to gain access. In rural settings, the situation is even worse. There are very few health care providers available, and those that are available may not have the capacity to serve the underinsured or uninsured populations.

During the past decade, the Foundation has funded many programs across the region to help underserved and uninsured populations gain access to quality and, in some cases, free health care. This is most evident in the area of dental care and oral health, in which the Foundation, through a series of grants, allowed more patients to gain access to quality dental care.

The Foundation has also provided grants to help organizations hire and recruit health care professionals. It has funded millions of dollars in grants to address the nursing shortage in Pennsylvania. In fact, approximately 5,000 nursing students, nurses, medical students, residents, first responders and nursing faculty have benefited from Foundation funding.

Finally, the Foundation has provided grants to organizations planning to invest in new capital and technologies that will better serve their local population. By providing funding for capital expenditures at locations such as Federally Qualified Health Clinics (FQHC), nonprofit organizations, and community hospitals, the Foundation allows these facilities the ability to serve more patients.

Funding Programs that Address:

• Access to Care
• Recruitment of Healthcare Professionals
• Community Health Clinics
• Screenings

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Grants

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation only accepts unsolicited proposals for specific areas within the education, family economic stability and childhood health sectors in select countries where we work, namely the United States, India and South Africa.

As a guideline, the foundation does not fund more than 25% of a project’s budget or more than 10% of an organization’s total annual operating expenses.

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has always recognized the power of providing grants to partner organizations that we knew were already working hard to improve the lives of urban children living in poverty. By aligning with organizations that are already making a difference, we continue to make an immediate impact on the lives of thousands of children.

Foundation priorities:

We fund social enterprises that directly serve or impact children or youth from urban low-income communities in the areas of education, health, and family economic stability (including livelihoods and financial inclusion). These social enterprises may be structured as for-profit or nonprofit entities.

Partnerships

We collaborate with a range of organizations focused on creating opportunities for children and families living in urban poverty, with a deep emphasis on measuring impact. Our funding advances projects already making an impact in education, health, and family economic stability. Through these enduring and long-standing partnerships, we create lasting change together.

The purpose of the West Virginia Civil Money Penalty Fund Project is to provide a pool of funds each year to assist eligible nursing facilities to prevent continued noncompliance, help improve performance, and/or develop new and innovative approaches to improve the quality of life and/or care of residents in nursing facilities.

About Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Funds

A CMP is a monetary penalty the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) may impose against nursing homes for either the number of days or for each instance a nursing home is not in substantial compliance with one or more Medicare and Medicaid participation requirements for long-term care facilities. A portion of CMPs collected from nursing homes are returned to the states in which CMPs are imposed. State CMP funds may be reinvested to support activities that benefit nursing home residents and that protect or improve their quality of care or quality of life.

Funding Uses

The following examples of allowable uses of CMP funds are not all-inclusive. Please see the Allowable and Non-Allowable Uses of CMP Funds download for more information. CMP funds may be used for:

• Assistance to support and protect residents of a facility that closes or is decertified
• Time-limited expenses incurred in the process of relocating residents to home and community-based settings or another facility when a facility is closed or downsized pursuant to an agreement with the state Medicaid agency
• Projects that support resident and family councils and other consumer involvement in assuring quality care in facilities
• Facility improvement initiatives, such as joint training of facility staff and surveyors, or technical assistance for facilities implementing quality assurance and performance improvement programs

As part of its continued commitment to the nation’s most vulnerable populations, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched the Civil Money Penalty Reinvestment Program (CMPRP) to improve quality of life by equipping nursing home staff, administrators and stakeholders with technical tools and assistance to enhance resident care. CMPRP is one of several initiatives CMS has underway to strengthen safety and health outcomes for nursing home residents

WV Culture: Arts in Education - Mini-Grants

What is an Arts in Education Mini-Grant? The Arts in Education Mini-Grant program is a funding opportunity of the West Virginia Commission on the Arts (WVCA) providing direct support to projects that present West Virginia artists in performances, workshops, and other arts education experiences serving PK-12 students.

Examples of fundable projects include but are not limited to:

• an artist presentation that takes place in a school and is designed to enrich curriculum;
• a school-based performance;
• or an arts education workshop held at a community center or afterschool program. 

The NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is seeking competitive applications from eligible applicants to enter into a cooperative agreement with NIST to operate a MEP Center in the States of Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP) Program is a nationwide network of Centers (referred to hereinafter as the MEP National Network™). The MEP National Network consists of NIST MEP, the MEP Centers located across the United States and Puerto Rico, the MEP Advisory Board, MEP Center Boards, as well as over 1,440 trusted advisors and experts at approximately 460 MEP service locations, providing U.S. manufacturers with access to the resources they need to succeed. MEP Centers serve as trusted business advisors focused on transforming U.S. manufacturers’ ability to compete globally, supporting supply chain integration, providing access to technology for improved productivity, and supporting a strong manufacturing workforce.

MEP Centers work directly with area manufacturers in each state to provide expertise and services tailored to manufacturers’ most critical needs, ranging from process improvement and workforce development to business practices and technology transfer and implementation. Additionally, MEP Centers connect manufacturers with industry-led consortia, government and trade associations, universities, technical and community colleges, and research laboratories, and a host of other public and private resources to help manufacturers realize individual business goals.

West Virginia Humanities Council 

The West Virginia Humanities Council offers a variety of matching grants to nonprofit organizations that provide public humanities programming for West Virginia audiences.

What are the Humanities?

The humanities represent a group of academic disciplines that have traditionally been concerned with values, ideas and choices. The humanities provide a framework for analyzing the human condition – for making sense of our roles in contemporary society. The term humanities includes the following:

• Language, both modern and classical; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archaeology; comparative religion; ethics; the history, theory and criticism of the arts; those aspects of social sciences that have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods; and the study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to our diverse heritage, traditions and history and to the relevance of the humanities to the current condition of national life.

Major Grants

These grants support major humanities projects including, but not limited to, lectures, school projects, symposiums, panel discussions, reading and discussion series, exhibits, reenactments, and conferences. Applicants should allow twelve weeks between the deadline and the start of the project.

Major grants have funded humanities programming at the Contemporary American Theater Festival in Shepherdstown, a permanent exhibit at the Weston State Hospital, archeology digs in Wood and Greenbrier counties, the Ohio River Festival of Books, and wayside exhibits at historic locations along the Kanawha Valley Rivers to Ridges Trail.

Humanities Scholar

The project must involve at least one humanities scholar, who will directly advise, offer direction on, or otherwise provide substantive contribution to the project. The humanities scholar associated with the project is expected to provide informed oversight regarding content, historical or cultural contexts, factual information, and/or information and research relevant to the project’s content.

As content-specific expertise is the quality a humanities scholar is expected to bring to any project, the appropriate credentials establishing that expertise may vary from project to project. For the purposes of grant applications made to the West Virginia Humanities Council, “humanities scholar” may be understood to mean:

• a credentialed academic scholar in the appropriate content field;
• an expert practitioner in a living tradition upon which the project is centered; or
• a community member with extensive and documented life experience in the content area upon which the project is centered.

The West Virginia Humanities Council offers a variety of matching grants to nonprofit organizations that provide public humanities programming for West Virginia audiences.

What are the Humanities?

The humanities represent a group of academic disciplines that have traditionally been concerned with values, ideas and choices. The humanities provide a framework for analyzing the human condition – for making sense of our roles in contemporary society. The term humanities includes the following:

• Language, both modern and classical; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archaeology; comparative religion; ethics; the history, theory and criticism of the arts; those aspects of social sciences that have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods; and the study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to our diverse heritage, traditions and history and to the relevance of the humanities to the current condition of national life.

Minigrants

Minigrants support small projects, single events, lectures, small museum exhibits, brochures, consultation needs, and planning for more complex projects. Applicants should allow six weeks between the deadline and the start of the project.

Minigrants have supported projects including workshops by West Virginia authors at Daniels Elementary School in Raleigh County, permanent exhibits at the Entler Hotel museum in Shepherdstown, and a Wayne County quilt trail.

Humanities Scholar

The project must involve at least one humanities scholar, who will directly advise, offer direction on, or otherwise provide substantive contribution to the project. The humanities scholar associated with the project is expected to provide informed oversight regarding content, historical or cultural contexts, factual information, and/or information and research relevant to the project’s content.

As content-specific expertise is the quality a humanities scholar is expected to bring to any project, the appropriate credentials establishing that expertise may vary from project to project. For the purposes of grant applications made to the West Virginia Humanities Council, “humanities scholar” may be understood to mean:

• a credentialed academic scholar in the appropriate content field;
• an expert practitioner in a living tradition upon which the project is centered; or
• a community member with extensive and documented life experience in the content area upon which the project is centered.

The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation (EWVCF) was founded in 1995 to help donors create endowed funds to benefit 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations (including schools, churches and government agencies) in Jefferson, Berkeley and Morgan counties.

Healthcare Grants

Eastern Panhandle CARE Fund – Healthcare grants will be awarded to support Eastern Panhandle healthcare programs that provide one or more of the following: Empowerment through health education; connection to community healthcare resources; or access to affordable, high-quality, patient-centered care.

Supporting Historic Sacred Places

A program of Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Fund for Sacred Places provides financial and technical support for community-serving historic houses of worship across America.

What We Offer

The National Fund for Sacred Places provides matching grants of $50,000 to $250,000 to congregations undertaking significant capital projects at historic houses of worship, along with wraparound services including training, technical assistance, and planning support.

What We’re Looking For

The National Fund for Sacred Places assesses applicant eligibility according to the core criteria shown below, while also striving to build a diverse participant pool that reflects a broad range of geographic, cultural, and religious identities.

Historic, Cultural, or Architectural Significance

We are looking for buildings that have historic, cultural, or architectural significance—and sites that have important and relevant stories to tell. Many of our participants are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the state register, or the local register. Your building does not have to be on one of these lists, but eligibility for one or more of these lists is a good benchmark for National Fund eligibility.

As part of the National Trust’s commitment to telling the full American story, we particularly encourage congregations to apply that illuminate a unique or overlooked aspect of American history and that expand our understanding of our shared national heritage. We encourage submissions related to historic sacred places of importance to historically and contemporaneously underrepresented communities including, but not limited to, women, immigrants, Asian Americans, Black Americans, Latinx Americans, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and LGBTQIA communities.

Successful applicants are able to demonstrate their place in history by answering questions such as:

• Does the building tell a story relevant to our history—either cultural or religious?
• Does the history highlight previously underrecognized communities, stories, or locations?
• How has the building served the community over time? Does the building have a great physical presence in its community due to its location or programming?
• Is the building the work of a notable architect? If so, is it a high-quality example of their body of work?
• Is the building an exceptional example of its architectural style or building technology?
• Does the building embody the congregation’s resilience over time?

Community-Serving Congregations

We are looking for congregations that are engaged in their communities and that are serving others. Engaged congregations operate and host programming that serves vulnerable, at-risk, and diverse populations; share space with non-affiliated groups and organizations (often at subsidized rates); work with other congregations, faith-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and/or municipalities; and have a widespread reputation for being a welcoming center of community life.

Project Scope and Need

We fund historic preservation projects addressing urgent repair needs and/or life safety. We also fund projects that increase congregations’ ability to open their buildings to new populations or to serve greater numbers of people. All projects must adhere to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, which is a universally accepted framework for doing work to older and historic properties.

We prioritize congregations/projects where there is a demonstrated need (meaning that the congregation cannot raise the funds alone) or where it is clear that our grant will have a catalytic effect (meaning that our grant is likely to lead to additional monies being contributed to the project).

Readiness

Once-in-a-generation capital projects require a great deal of planning. We are looking for applicants that understand their buildings’ needs and that are ready to undertake a capital campaign. National Fund congregations typically have a history of successful capital campaigns, which demonstrate an ability to raise significant funds and complete a project.

Successful congregations come to us with a realistic fundraising goal, which has been generated with the help of qualified preservation professionals and is not too far beyond the congregation’s fundraising capacity.

Healthy Congregations

The National Fund prioritizes healthy, stable congregations so that our investment is truly impactful and lasting. We look for the following, although this is not an exhaustive list of characteristics that indicate healthy congregations: tenured, well-respected clergy; capable lay leadership; stable or growing membership; financial strength and stability; support of the judicatory or governing body, if applicable; and a history of weathering any congregational conflict or trauma with resilience.

West Virginia Nita M. Lowey 21st CCLC Grant

The 2025 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) Request for Proposals is now open.This program supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly those who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. The program helps students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math. It also offers students a broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs. Additionally, the program supports participating students’ families and offers literacy and other educational services to families. The West Virginia Department of Education makes competitive grants, based on available federal funding, to eligible organizations that implement community learning centers to assist student learning and development.

Funding

The number of grants awarded is based on the amount of federal funds received annually by WVDE. By federal statute, a 21st CCLC grant may not be less than $50,000 and no matching funds are required. The maximum amount of funding is $250,000. The WVDE has the discretion to award grants for a period of 5 years. Funding is based on average daily attendance. Funding is reduced to 80% of original funding in year 4 and 70% in year 5.

About the Foundation

Jesse W. Couch lived a life of zeal, honor, and dedication to the betterment of his community. The Couch family now humbly stewards the foundation he created to carry on his legacy of service for future generations. We believe that impact is best accomplished through partnerships with local organizations that know the people and communities they serve. We invest in and support efforts to protect the environment, further conservation and preservation initiatives, and save historical architecture that preserves community heritage. We also support initiatives that promote wellness and mental health and organizations seeking to provide and further education for all communities.

Annual Grant Focus

Each year, we seek to partner with and support non-profit organizations making an impact in the focus areas listed here.  The focus areas for 2025 are:

• Animal Wellbeing: We are dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations that nurture compassion and respect for all living animals. We must have animal-focused organizations that advocate for animal rights and provide humane treatment across all spectrums.
• Early Childhood Education: We are looking for schools that are providing young children with a creative and balanced approach to education. Things we love in early childhood curriculums:
  • Life Skills
  • Collaboration With Their Peers and Teachers   
  • Having Fun   
  • Montessori Teachings   
  • Project Based Teachings   
  • Diversity   
  • More Time Outside   
  • Less Screen Time
• Teachers: Teachers are essential to providing children with the best possible education. We must invest in their future and are always looking for teams that help them succeed in educating future generations.
• Get Outside: Being outside can improve memory, fight depression, lower blood pressure, and more! We support organizations that facilitate and encourage more outdoor activities that help create healthier communities. 

How and Why Giving Back to Communities is Important to O’Reilly

From O’Reilly Auto Parts’ inception, O’Reilly co-founder C.H. “Chub” O’Reilly instilled the culture of maintaining high standards for every endeavor, including the area of building civic pride. With Chub’s good example to guide them, all four of his children adopted a business and family philosophy of “giving back” to the community as the Company grew and prospered. Supporting a large number of charitable organizations in all communities in which we operate has long been a focal point for O’Reilly Auto Parts. In order to make an even greater impact, the O’Reilly Automotive Foundation was established in 2020.

O’Reilly Automotive Foundation, Inc.

Impact

The O’Reilly Automotive Foundation complements O’Reilly Auto Parts’ role as the Friendliest Parts Store in Town. The Foundation serves as an additional conduit to connect with, support, and strengthen the communities in which O’Reilly Auto Parts’ team members and customers live and work. The Foundation continues the philanthropic legacy of the O’Reilly family as dependable community partners, seeking to support critical services in times of need to build stronger communities.

Mission

The O’Reilly Automotive Foundation strives to have a lasting, positive impact in the communities where O’Reilly Auto Parts’ team members and customers live and work by supporting organizations and programs which address issues critical to improving the quality of life for underserved and underrepresented individuals and families. In particular, the Foundation will concentrate its giving in support of organizations and programs addressing economic stability and mobility, workforce development, health and social services, and disaster relief.

Economic Stability and Mobility

Advocating for and endowing programs which provide assistance with issues including hunger, homelessness, and poverty for the economic betterment of the communities in which we operate.

Workforce Development

Promoting programs which aid in workforce readiness, technical training, and literacy, including children’s literacy, to ensure the continuance of an educated society and a capable, innovative workforce.

Health and Social Services

Championing and prioritizing matters of health, including mental and behavioral health, access to basic needs such as medical and dental care for underprivileged communities, and providing funding for organizations focused on childhood development and children’s advocacy as well as care and support for victims of domestic violence.

Disaster Relief

Providing funding and visibility to organizations specializing in providing relief from natural disasters and state of emergency, including providing temporary shelter, food, water, and hygiene or sanitation products to those affected and aiding in cleanup efforts.

Application Requirements

We will consider three principal types of grants:

Project Support Grants support specific projects or programs aligned with our mission. These requests may include some funds earmarked for the overhead costs associated with running a project.

General Operating Support Grants provide limited general operating support for the core operations or organizations whose missions and activities are aligned with our mission. These grants will often help the grantee build organizational, programmatic, and fundraising capacity. Operating support is not intended to help organizations in fiscal crisis. Applicants must have a current strategic or business plan that clearly outlines the organization’s goals and presents a plan for achieving results. Operating support grants must not exceed 15% of an organization’s total agency budget.

Capital Support Grants provide limited support for capital campaigns to fund the acquisition and construction of facilities, existing property renovation, or the purchase of major equipment. The program has a comprehensive approach to funding capital initiatives, which also includes funding for increased program capacity. A feasibility study may be required for capital initiatives to be considered.

As a family foundation in Pittsburgh, PA, our philanthropic traditions are well rooted in our continued support of organizations that foster transformative programs which best serve the local community as a whole in the areas of arts and culture, education, environmental, health and medical, human services, and religion.

Even though the Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation encompasses many broad areas of concern, or categories, there is no one area deemed more important than the next. Nevertheless, the Foundation has found it beneficial underwriting grants that are tangible in nature or serve a higher number of individuals within the community and surrounding areas. The Foundation continually aids organizations that are endlessly striving to serve the community in various ways such as improving social conditions, expanding education, and working to better the environment.

Category Definitions

The Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation’s Board of Directors has designated several areas of concern comprised of specific intentions.

• Arts/Culture: Performing arts, humanities, media and communications, multipurpose museums, public broadcasting, and historical preservations.
• Education: Promotional programs for elementary, secondary and vocational systems, colleges/universities, graduate programs, adult and multipurpose libraries.
• Environmental: Support of natural resources, beautification programs, pollution control, environmental education, and horticultural/botanical programs.
• Health/Medical: Rural health care, crisis intervention, special programs in health centers, and prevention/treatment of specific diseases.
• Human Services: Youth development and recreation, disaster relief, employment training/ placement, multipurpose agencies, and abuse prevention.
• Religion: The theological education and ecumenical programs as well as the mission of many churches, synagogues, and religious charities.
• Miscellaneous: Because every grant cannot be included into a category, the Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation permits grants for animal welfare, community development, sports, camps, fire and police departments and economic development as miscellaneous grants.  

Program Areas

We believe an auto company can also be a vehicle for change. That’s why Toyota is proud to partner with nonprofit organizations in the dozens of communities where we operate. Investing in and creating better opportunities for our communities and its citizens improves their quality of life, builds lasting relationships and helps enrich society.

Let’s make an impact – together. We work collaboratively to address some of society’s most pressing challenges – and fund programs tied to our strategic priorities.

What We Fund

Nationally, Toyota focuses on:

• STEM Education
• Workforce Readiness

Regionally, Toyota makes contributions to help support the specific needs of local communities. Please note that Toyota entities based in Plano, Texas (Toyota Motor North America, Toyota Financial Services and Toyota USA Foundation) as well as Production Engineering and Manufacturing Center (PEMC) have moved to an invite-only grant application process.

Calling to Serve

Since its inception in 2016, the Robinson Foundation has sought to demonstrate God’s love through sharing the gifts we have received. We understand the often unspoken hardships and struggles that people in and outside of our community face everyday. As such, our contributions are focused on relieving these hardships for the betterment of our world.

As a family-operated foundation, we pray that our small efforts will not only create immediate change in the lives of our neighbors, but will help set those lives on a course for success in the future. We are thankful for each and every day we have on this earth to use what God has granted us to make a difference.

Areas of Interest

• Animal Welfare
• Children & Families
• Disaster Relief
• Education
• Medical Assistance
• Nature & Wildlife Conservation
• Poverty Relief
• Religious & Spiritual Endeavors
• Veterans' Issues

Grant Considerations

We take many different aspects of applications into account when making grant issuing decisions, however these are some of the high-level questions we ask ourselves during the process:

• How does the organization serve their key audience goals?
• Is the organization fiscally responsible?
• Will a grant have a tangible, meaningful impact?
• Will we see direct results from this grant?
• Does the organization have other financial contributors?

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.

Parkersburg Area Community Foundation (PACF) works to provide regional leadership and develop philanthropic resources to meet the needs of an 11-county service area: Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Jackson, Mason, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Wirt, and Wood counties in West Virginia, and Washington County, Ohio.

PM Company's Spirit of Giving

The PM Company's Spirit of Giving is a charitable initiative started in 2007 by Pat Minnite Sr. to support local charities and nonprofit organizations, particularly in the Mid-Ohio Valley area. The program is designed to provide financial grants to organizations serving vulnerable and underserved populations primarily in Wood County, West Virginia, and Washington County, Ohio, where The PM Company does most of its business

The Spirit of Giving Story

The Spirit of Giving fund was created by Pat Minnite, Sr., at the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation in 2007 as a source to benefit local charitable efforts and non-profit organizations through grants. It took on a life of its own when it became the focus of our annual Christmas party at the Grand Pointe Conference and Reception Center.

Once upon a time, The PM Company sent cards, chocolates, and other typical gifts to our associates during the holidays. Then it occurred to us that the money spent on those tokens of appreciation could go further, and be more meaningful, if we all came together to celebrate the true meaning of the season. We asked our tenants, vendors, and business partners to join us in collecting donations of goods and dollars for several local groups who serve those in need, and the Spirit of Giving was born.

Past Projects

The fund supports a wide range of local nonprofit efforts, from health and welfare to education and family services, aligning with The PM Company's mission to give back positively to the community.

Gupta Family Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, USA. Our mission is to support organizations that provide focused intervention in the lives of people who have been disadvantaged in some way to help them become self-reliant. We take a very broad view of “disadvantage” to include anything that holds a person back from realizing their potential, such as poverty, physical or mental disability, social alienation, etc. The foundation also supports relief agencies that serve people affected by emergencies such as natural disasters.

The foundation evaluates and awards annual and multi-year grants ranging from $5,000 to over $250,000 (USD). Our focus is on funding smaller organizations all around the world that are led by individuals with a deep personal commitment to their missions. 

Our selection criteria include:

• Mission alignment
• The organization is run by the founder or, if not, by a successor who embodies the original inspiration, passion and commitment of the founder.
• At least 90% of grant monies reaches the intended beneficiaries.
• The organization is non-sectarian, i.e.,
  • It does not, directly or indirectly, support or condone the proselytization of any religion,
  • It is not supported by or affiliated to a religious organization.

About Us

Our legacy and our future

The Nicholas County Community Foundation is a 501(c)3, public charity, created by and for the people of Nicholas County in 2006. We manage collection of charitable funds created by donations from caring citizens and businesses. This collection of funds is Nicholas County’s permanent endowment whose earnings support a wide variety of causes throughout the county.

The NCCF is a foundation for the community, making grants to community organizations. We are also a foundation created by the community. We are able manage a variety of funds established by individuals, business, families, churches and organizations.

The NCCF works to keep the wealth and assets of our great community here in Nicholas County, forever.

Case Statement

The work of the Nicholas County Community Foundation falls into three basic areas: (1) we raise funds from individuals, families, businesses and groups for all types of local charitable needs; (2) we invest funds for long-term sustainability and prudent growth; and (3) we distribute funds as grants and scholarships according to donor’s wishes and in light of local needs. Our principle aim is to help donors build permanent endowments for the long term support of Nicholas County as a whole. Local needs change over time, and we help donors give gifts today which will remain effective forever.

Mission Statement

Nicholas County Community Foundation connects charitable giving with a permanent source of funds to ease local needs while enriching the community for today and tomorrow.

Vision Statement

The Nicholas County Community Foundation visualizes Nicholas County as a vibrant, compassionate community without walls where all people collaborate to build a prosperous community. The foundation is a leader in the development of this vision by providing expertise and inspiration for community members to participate in local charitable giving as a way to connect their personal values with long-term community impact.

Nicholas County Community Foundation Grant

The Nicholas County Community Foundation knows that our quality of life is enhanced by a diverse and healthy nonprofit sector. That is why we encourage nonprofit organizations in Nicholas County to apply for our competitive grant making funds.

The Nicholas County Community Foundation (NCCF) is making discretionary grants from the Seelinger Family Foundation Fund and the Fund for Nicholas County. The Seelinger Family Foundation Fund is a field of interest fund “dedicated to maintaining and improving the areas of Summersville, West Virginia and Nicholas County, West Virginia, including but not limited to, their schools and educational systems, parks and recreation commissions, extracurricular organizations, governing bodies, athletic associations, fine arts centers and cultural and historical societies.”

The Fund for Nicholas County fund is our unrestricted fund. These funds are used to assist organizations that serve all of Nicholas County.

The NCCF focuses the unrestricted grantmaking program on capital and equipment projects and special programs in the areas of: arts and culture, education, health and human services, recreation, and youth and family services. Within these focus areas, the foundation places priority on supporting:

• One time projects/programs;
• Seed money for pilot projects or for responding to unmet or emerging community needs;
• Matching grants that leverage additional funding;
• Projects that reach a broad segment of the community;
• Projects not adequately served by existing community resources;
• Expansion of existing programs;
• Start up of new projects/programs of established organizations;

Background

Every community faces unique barriers that require collaborative solutions to thrive. The Dow Promise Program supports educational and economic challenges Black youth and adults face in the United States by addressing community-identified needs and advancing equitable opportunities. Through grants of up to $10,000 towards social, economic or environmental initiatives, Dow Promise not only fosters a thriving community, but a shared future.

Since 2000, this annual competitive program has committed to uplifting communities in which Dow operates by supporting their needs and investing in positive social change for long-term success.

For more than 20 years, The Baltimore Life Companies have viewed community involvement as our responsibility, not only through financial support of local organizations, but through our employees’ commitment to volunteerism. To further demonstrate our belief in good corporate citizenship, Baltimore Life has established a community grants program to help nonprofit organizations enhance the quality of life in communities—Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, and the surrounding communities—where our employees live and work.

Grants of up to $500 will be awarded to multiple organizations. Our grants program is a continuation of Baltimore Life’s long-standing tradition of giving back to our communities.

CNX Foundation Grant

CNX has been part of our Appalachian region for over 155 years, and the pride we have for Appalachian communities is hard to put into words. So we’re putting it into action.

CNX has committed $30 million toward improving our communities and generating long-term, sustainable returns for the region, our industry, and our company. “We are on a mission to change the trajectory of our region and to improve the lives of our neighbors,” said CNX President and CEO Nick DeIuliis. “Our industry is the lifeblood of the regional economy and the foundation of our social fabric. These investments will provide returns for our local communities for years to come. This is what sustainability and ESG mean to CNX".

Mission Statement

CNX Foundation invests tangibly, impactfully, and locally to target urban and rural communities within the Appalachian Basin facing socio-economic challenges. These investments should demonstrate a return to both the targeted community and the advancement of the goals of the Foundation.

Making a Tangible, Impactful, Local Difference

CNX Foundation is committed to meeting CNX’s broader Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) philosophy by creating tangible, impactful, and local differences within the Appalachian basin. We do so by charting our course to ensure we are able to quantify and measure the visible results for the communities we serve as well as the programs we fund.

Understanding our philosophy starts with understanding the meaning of the tangible, impactful, and local initiatives we support:

• Tangible: We are laser-focused on making a real, measurable, and visible difference in the communities we serve.
• Impactful: We seek to identify true needs within our community so our support will have an immediate and long-lasting impact in helping specific programs within the region meet their goals.
• Local: Our efforts are rooted in supporting communities in our operational footprint so we can foster more opportunities for growth, close to home.

Funding Priorities

• Food Insecurity
  • A lack of consistent access to enough food to support a healthy lifestyle leads to food insecurity, affecting many communities throughout the United States, including our Appalachian region. Factors that contribute to food insecurity are, but are not limited to, housing, wages, health, and social influence. CNX works within these communities to end food insecurity through education, awareness, and access to food pantries, soup kitchens, and more.
• Children's Health and Wellness
  • Habits are developed at a young age and it is challenging to break bad routines without the proper resources. CNX works to provide the children of Western Pennsylvania and surrounding areas in grades K-12 with health and wellness education and resources as a preventative action taken to support future generations, gain understanding, develop healthy lifestyles, and help them reach their maximum potential.
    • Youth Sports and Athletic Groups – We receive a large number of requests to sponsor youth sports and athletic programs. We value the importance of these groups to their communities and, as such, we have designated a specific portion of our annual budget to supporting these groups. In order to qualify for funding, the youth organization must exist in one of our immediate areas of operation.
• Broadband and Information Technology Access
  • Many communities are falling behind due to the lack of technological equity, leading to gaps in economic growth, household income, educational performance, healthcare access, and employment searches. Providing technological and infrastructural resources for education and employment opportunities helps enrich lives and strengthen society.
• Recidivism and Re-entry
  • Life after incarceration is often difficult and discriminatory for individuals attempting to reinvent themselves into society, causing an overwhelming prevalence of homelessness, unemployment, and poverty. CNX Foundation seeks to work with individuals and organizations that understand the challenges these individuals face and can help foster a pathway forward for those previously incarcerated.
• Domestic Abuse Awareness
  • A pattern of behavior that is physically, emotionally, or mentally harmful in any relationship is domestic abuse and is challenging to escape. With survivors at the center of the cause, efforts must be made to move into the future and prevent it through advocacy, awareness, education, and support.
• Opioid Epidemic and Societal Impact
  • Society continues to be harmed by the ever-growing opioid epidemic, causing tens of thousands to suffer and experience effects from addiction. In order to begin to combat rising levels of opioid abuse, education, awareness, and strong preventative actions must be taken by individuals of all ages.
• Career Awareness and Technical/Vocational Training
  • Trade and vocational careers have developed a negative stigma, causing a shortage of employees in vital realms of work. Career awareness paired with technical and vocational training gives the future workforce and incoming employees a better look at the options available allowing them to best meet their interests, skill sets, and society’s needs.
• Water Quality Safety and Awareness
  • Clean water is a vital resource in our local communities and beyond. Research, prevention, policy, and programs should continue to be funded and utilized in order to protect and improve water quality and provide equal access to basic living necessities to future generations.