FROSTBURG — A tri-county charitable foundation has $5,000 in grants to give away in Mineral County, $300 or more at a time, and is seeking applications from a wide range of non-profits in the county.
The Community Trust Foundation is marking Community Foundations Week in West Virginia in a big way, by reaching out to libraries, schools, arts groups, fire departments and other non-profit organizations that serve residents of Mineral County.
“We still have over $5,000 to give to non profits in Mineral County,” said Trish Yoder, executive director of the Foundation. “It could be almost any group that serves the public.”
Based in Frostburg, the Community Trust Foundation serves Allegany and Garrett counties in Maryland, and Mineral County in the Mountain State. Formed in
2006, the Trust has awarded more than $50,000 in grants throughout the region, and has received $650,000 in donations.
The Foundation's mission is “to strengthen the region by working in partnership with donors and community groups to build philanthropic resources, connect donors to organizations they care about, make effective grants that impact needs, and to provide leadership to address community issues.”
The Foundation recently gave a presentation to the Community Advisory Panel U.S. WindForce has assembled as part of its proposed Pinnacle wind farm. If that project is approved, WindForce has agreed to provide a county-based endowment of $50,000, plus $20,000 a year for the life of the project. The Community Trust Foundation is being considered to administer the grant.
The $5,000 grant now being allocated to Mineral County groups was provided by the West Virginia Grantmakers Association, which contracted with the Community Trust Foundation to allocate and administer the grant with goal “to improve the cultural well-being” of the community.
General areas that are envisioned for the grant funding include programs or groups that promote artistic, educational and economic initiatives, as well as efforts to improve personal health and the environment. While most grants will be in the amount of $300, the Foundation will also consider requests for larger grants.
Originally set for Nov. 1, the deadline for grant applications has been extended to allow for more participation. Applications for the grants can be obtained from the Foundation's Web site at http://www.ctfinc.org/ or by calling Yoder at the Foundation office, 301-689-1300.
In additon to the $5,000 grant from West Virginia Grantmakers, the Foundation plans to create a $30,000 endowment fund that will aid community efforts in perpetuity. The group is now seeking donors for the fund, with Yoder noting that donors can identify specific areas of need that they want to address. “We work with what the donor would like to fund,” she said.
The Foundation is also seeking board members from Mineral County. Currently Mineral County Commissioner Wayne Spiggle and Realtor Terry Stephens serve on the board representing the county.
Yoder is promoting the Mineral County grants as part of Community Foundations Week, proclaimed by Gov. Joe Manchin for the week of Nov. 12-18. In his proclamation, the governor noted that community foundations statewide “build a solid foundation and improve the future by creating community legacies to benefit all of West Virginia.”
