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-topeer 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 .
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 .”
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