PAIGE UDERMANN
Foundation
THE BENEDUM FOUNDATION
for Growth
Benedum ’ s 80-Year Legacy
After Claude Worthington Benedum passed away in 1918 , his surviving parents , Michael and Sarah Benedum , created a foundation in 1944 to honor their child : the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation .
Known for its momentous impact throughout the Mountain State , the Benedum Foundation is celebrating 80 incredible years of change-making . Throughout this time , the foundation has made profound and lasting changes throughout West Virginia .
The organization is driven by Michael Benedum ’ s Fifth Codicil to his Last Will and Testament , which is both poetic and inspiring . According to Jennifer Giovannitti , foundation president , it is the living playbook for the foundation ’ s philanthropic efforts and the guiding star for everything it does .
With a focus on opportunity and equity , the Benedum Foundation helps people help themselves through strategically placed charitable resources across West Virginia and Pennsylvania .
“ The Benedum Foundation takes to heart the idea that human potential exists everywhere but opportunity does not . Benedum has distributed over a half billion dollars to extraordinary efforts across West Virginia and beyond , supporting the amazing work of hundreds of organizations and
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