Our community is amazing! Thanks to you, the Beckley Area Foundation is entering its 35th year of service.  That’s 35 years of pursuing a simple, yet powerful concept of caring people providing good things for the future of our area--helping our neighbors to help their neighbors.  Literally, hundreds of people have supported the vision of the Beckley Area Foundation these past 35 years, and thousands more have benefited from the generosity of others.
Since its inception in 1985, supporters have helped the Beckley Area Foundation to create 479 endowed funds and award 9,610 grants totaling $16,540,000. These funds have been used to support projects and organizations in the fields of education, public recreation, health and human services, the arts and civic beautification. 
Just as there are perennial needs, new opportunities emerge each year. The Beckley Area Foundation is evolving to better meet annual needs and to seek creative, strategic solutions to move our community forward.  To do so, we need your help.
The Campaign for the 21st Century is our annual appeal to you.  Contributions will be used to support our local non-profit and community organizations.  Your tax-deductible donation will be recognized in the Beckley Area Foundation’s annual report.  More importantly, you will be helping to move our community forward.  If you’d like to help, donate online at www.bafwv.org
On behalf of the Beckley Area Foundation and the numerous individuals and organizations it supports, I thank you for considering a contribution.
 
Sincerely,
Christopher R. Vaught
Campaign for the 21st Century
 
PS:  Although the Campaign for the 21st Century is a great way to contribute, there are many different ways you can be part of the Beckley Area Foundation.  For example, did you know if you have a required minimum distribution from an IRA or 401(k), you can contribute up to $100,000 tax-free to any certified nonprofit and offset your required minimum distribution due by December 31, 2019?   Contact the Beckley Area Foundation to learn about all the great ways you can help from legacy giving to fund matching and more.

Deadline to apply is November 30th. To find out more about this opportunity and to apply   visit: https://indeedhi.re/2QhADLO  Please include a cover letter with your resume. 

ATTENTION Raleigh County teachers this post is for YOU!

Beckley Area Foundation's Student First Mini-Grant applications are now available online. This program began in 1996 to offer a special grant opportunity to Pre-K through 12th grade Raleigh County classroom teachers.  It is designed to provide funding support for teachers' most creative and innovative instructional projects. BAF, with the support of the Carter Family Foundation, have granted over $279,000 for classroom projects since the program's inception. Go to our Students First page for information about program changes, application instructions and more. We can't wait to read your applications and see just how creative YOU can be! 

The Beckley Area Foundation is excited to highlight new funds established since April 1, 2018.  You can read more about the donors and the causes they support by going to our home page and checking out the "New Fund" section. 

Thirteen funds were established by our donors: 
​Animal Rescue Fund
Margaret Ann and Jerry L. Bays Scholarship Fund
​Wayne and Diana Bennett Family Fund
George A. Bragg Scholarship Fund
Leslie Equipment Company Fund
The William Mahaffey Memorial Fund
Robert Manning Memorial Scholarship Fund​
​Stephen Mullens Scholarship Fund
​Raleigh County Historical Society Fund
Charles R. and Shirley M. Weaver Community Service Scholarship Fund
David Alan Wills Scholarship Fund
Woodrow Wilson High School Class of 1956 Fund
Woodrow Wilson High School Class of 1968 Memorial Scholarship Fund​

Our ability to give back to numerous organizations is ONLY made possible by our supportive donors, who believe in, "Local Giving. Lasting Legacies." Remember anyone can donate to these new funds through our website, or by mailing a check to  BAF (129 Main St, Ste 301, Beckley, WV 25801). 

​Beckley Area Foundation (BAF) awards a grant to Just for Kids, a nationally accredited child advocacy center, to upgrade their current phone system. It is crucial for this organization to have a system that meets the needs of law enforcement, child protective services and all the other partners they work with as well as the families they serve.
Replacement of the current phone system will improve their ability to communicate with individuals and organizations that they work with in a timely manner. As a small non-profit, it is a challenge for them to use needed program funds for basic infrastructure needs. BAF funding will help Just For Kids continue to provide the quality services for the children they serve and improve their capability to maintain strong communications in the community. 
Just For Kids serves every child and family in Raleigh, Fayette and Wyoming Counties.  One in ten children under the age of 18 have been sexually abused.  Children from all walks of life, ethnic backgrounds and socio-economic groups are affected.  Their mission is to help reduce the trauma that children experience who have been abused. 
As a nationally accredited child advocacy center their three main goals are to: 1.) Work as a team with law enforcement, child protective services and the prosecutor’s office to provide a child friendly environment to conduct forensic interviews of children who have been subject to criminal child abuse (sexual, serious physical abuse and neglect); 2.) Offer counseling to those children who disclose abuse; and, 3.) Provide prevention and awareness training in the communities served. Just For Kids conducted 118 interviews in the Beckley office last year.  Sixty percent of the children interviewed disclosed abuse in their interview.  Counseling is offered to every child who discloses abuse.  Their counselor saw 71 of those children last year and provided between 1 and 8 sessions of Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.  National research shows that close to 90% of the children who complete this therapy learn the skills to live healthier productive lives.
Just For Kids is also an authorized organization to provide the nationally developed Stewards of Children training which is a two hour video based training for adults regarding prevention and awareness of child sexual abuse. In addition, other prevention and awareness activities are provided throughout the year in conjunction with the Raleigh Co. Family Resource Network and the Women's Resource Center.
Beckley Area Foundation has awarded over $136,000 in funding to Just for Kids since 2002 through
its Community Grant program and other donor designated and donor advised endowments.  For more information on how you can support your favorite organization(s), call BAF at 304-253-3806.
To learn more about Just for Kids, visit their website at jfkwv.com.  

​A $2,000 grant from the Beckley Area Foundation allowed a Junior Achievement's classroom volunteer to inspire students at Cranberry-Prosperity, Maxwell Hill, and St. Francis deSales elementary schools.  The 4th grade teachers at these schools submitted a request for Junior Achievement's financial literacy and workforce readiness curriculum for their students. Volunteer, Ronn Robinson of American Electric Power works with the teachers at these schools to deliver the Junior Achievement (JA) curriculum and inspire these students.
Many of the students in these classrooms qualify for free or reduced lunch.  Maxwell Hill Elementary has a 52% free and reduced lunch population, Cranberry Prosperity Elementary has a 93% free and reduced lunch population and St. Francis deSales has a free and reduced lunch population of 21%.  JA programs inspire students to think beyond the normal school day and dream about their future careers and workplaces.  These are children who, in many cases, have forgotten that it is okay to dream about the future because they are so focused on just getting through the day.  JA has reignited their passion for breaking through the walls that may be limiting their views of the future.
During the six Junior Achievement classes, Ronn was successful in making students aware of opportunities they didn’t realize existed. He was also able to illustrate the value of education and how it correlates to their success later in life with an emphasis on the importance of staying in school and graduating from high school.
The teachers at these schools welcome Ronn back to their classrooms each year because he has a gift of inspiration and they realize the value of his participation as a classroom volunteer and the value of the Junior Achievement message. Most of all, Junior Achievement and Ronn, instill “hope” for the future in each child, something that cannot be underestimated.
One Maxwell Hill Elementary teacher commented, “Mr. Robinson has completed the Junior Achievement Program in my fourth grade classroom now for the last 4 years. It is a wonderful learning opportunity for my students to learn about Economics and do hands on activities related with the concepts. Mr. Robinson does a wonderful job facilitating and teaching the students. My students always look forward to when he comes. They study the previous week’s content on their own so they can do well in the game he always plays upon returning. The concepts he teaches through the Junior Achievement program align with the West Virginia Fourth Grade College and Career Readiness Standards. I feel JA is important for several reasons, the content is required to be taught and JA makes it fun for the kids to learn. It is great to see my students so excited to learn about real life issues. I also feel it is important to have people from the community be involved with our students. I hope Mr. Robinson and the Junior Achievement Program continues for many years.”
A heartfelt thank you from the BAF Board of Directors and staff to Ronn Robinson and Junior Achievement for opening the students' eyes to opportunities that are possible. 

   Thanksgiving plans are being formed.  Black Friday sales advertisements are increasing.  #GivingTuesday pop-ups are prominently displayed.  Amidst all of these happenings Do Not Forget to submit your Beckley Area Foundation Community Grant Application before the 11:45 p.m. November 30th deadline.  
      Non-profits with a 501-c-3 designation, schools, and municipalities serving Raleigh County are eligible to apply for grant assistance in areas of arts, education, civic beautification, public recreation, health and humans services.  Projects or programs must occur between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020.  Maximum request is $7,000. 
      For additional instructions and the electronic application click here or visit our website at www.bafwv.org.  Don't Delay!  Deadline is less than two weeks away!

      A new deadline for our annual community grant application is being implemented this year.  Non-profits with a 501-c-3 designation, schools and municipalities serving Raleigh County need to mark their calendars for the 11:45 p.m. Friday, November 30th deadline. 
       If you are planning a project or program for implementation between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020, you definitely do not want to miss this opportunity! Requests for up to $7,000 are accepted for assistance in the areas of arts, education, civic beautification, public recreation, economic development, health and human services.  
         If you haven't started your application, don't delay!  Only 30 days remain to develop your plan, gather data and complete the application.  Access the digital application by clicking here or through a link on our website and Facebook page. 
          Is this your first time submitting a request?   Don't feel intimidated.  BAF staff welcomes the opportunity to discuss possible projects for funding and the 'how to' of submitting your request.   Please feel free to contact us at 304-253-3806 Monday through Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.   Continue to check out our blog for additional nuggets related to the grant process.
    
     
     

   The Beckley Area Foundation is a member of the Leave A Legacy of Central Appalachia organization. This program is a collaborative effort among local non-profit organizations, foundations and estate planning professionals to encourage people from all walks of life to make charitable gifts, large or small, through their estate plans. 
   One "Leave a Legacy" initiative is the promotion of "Wills Week" during October aimed to create awareness about the need to have a will and the importance of giving to charity. 
   You can leave money to your family and to your favorite charity through a will. Some people think they must choose between these two options; however, you can do both. 
   Make sure you have an up-to-date will or living trust that adequately reflects your charitable objectives. Without these documents, you surrender control of your property and assets to the courts. Contact a financial planner, lawyer or accountant and ask for help in establishing a charitable gift. Consider gifts of real estate, personal property or stocks as well as cash. Other options include making one or more of your favorite charities the beneficiary of your life insurance, pension plan or IRA.
   Imagine how much could be done if each one of us remembered a favorite charity in our will or estate plan. The impact would be immeasurable. 
   BAF has received 58 testamentary gifts totaling over $8 million benefiting diverse local charitable organizations including animal shelters, YMCA of Southern WV, Children's Home Society, Mac's Toy Fund, Helping Hands Resource Center, Hospice of Southern WV, Salvation Army, Women's Resource Center, Fuller Center, American Red Cross, Civil Air Patrol, Beckley Concert Association, area libraries, several churches and BAF discretionary funds used to respond to the Annual Community Grant program. 
   In each instance, these gifts will make a difference in the lives that follow.  Donations made through the Beckley Area Foundation are placed in permanent endowments that generate income year after year for the charitable purpose defined by the donor.  The permanent endowment can be named for the donor or donor family thus serving as a lasting memorial. 
   Testamentary gifts may also be directed to one or more specific charitable organizations, and the assets used for current needs. 
   Contact Beckley Area Foundation at 304-253-3806 or email dena@bafwv.org for more information about leaving your legacy.