Beckley Area Foundation Awards Over $375,000 in Designated Distributions

BAF Executive Director, Dena Cushman, United Way of Southern WV Executive Director, Trena Dacal, and BAF Board Member, Dr. Kevin Bailey

A designated fund is established by a donor to benefit a specific charity, or program for a charity. Since the first designated fund was established in 1986, BAF has been telling stories of donors and helping local organizations create new stories each year. To date, over $6 million dollars has been distributed from designated funds. 

This year, BAF distributed $381,929 to 62 organizations in our area. These grants were made possible by the 118 different designated funds that contributed to the distribution for 2021-2022.

To celebrate this annual distribution, BAF met with some of our local nonprofits who have benefitted from these funds over the years: 

• “AWAY (f/k/a Women's Resource Center) is so thankful for the BAF funds that we receive each year from the gracious donors in and around our area. These funds help our clients to get a fresh start. AWAY is able to purchase furniture, pay deposits for rent, assist with utilities, and other essential needs to help our clients get back on their feet. I know that I am not only speaking for AWAY, but also each client that these funds help -- we are extremely fortunate to have BAF in our community and be a part of all the good work they do.”   — Regina Thomas | Executive Director, AWAY

 

• "The annual BAF distributions are always a reminder of our community's generosity."   — Robert Moore | Executive Director, Beckley Art Group 

 

• “BAF safeguards the generosity of those who have made endowments in the name of the church and leverages the money with others in the community to return a higher yield than we would get on our own. The endowments continue to grow, and a percentage of the gain is returned to the church so we can share generosity with others.”     — Rev. Monte Mitchell | Pastor, Beckley Presbyterian Church 

 

• “The Fayette County Public Library is truly fortunate to receive memorial and endowment funds from BAF. These funds help support and provide library services, such as homebound delivery and e-books to the people of Fayette County. We are grateful for the generosity of the families that have set up these accounts to be distributed yearly to our library.”   -- Becky Kellum | Director, Fayette County Public Library  

 

• "We at United Way of Southern West Virginia are proud to be supported by BAF through the Tracy & Martha Jane Riffe Fund, United Way of Southern West Virginia Fund, and the Endowment Fund honoring Dr. Francis L. Edwards & Dr. Theresa Amato Edwards. These designated funds and our longstanding partnerships with BAF help us support our partner agencies and our direct services like the Equal Footing Shoe Fund and 211 Information & Referral Hotline. Community support from BAF is vital to our success and appreciated beyond measure."  — Trena Dacal | Executive Director, United Way of Southern West Virginia 

 

• “The money received from our donor designated funds at BAF have always been critical support for the YMCA’s operations. This year’s distribution was no exception, as it helped us with everything from memberships for youth to the continued revitalization of our downtown facility.” — Jay Rist | CEO, YMCA of Southern West Virginia 

 
The 2021-2022 grant awards are as follows: 

• Alderson-Broadus College $1,388 
• American Red Cross – Raleigh County, WV $2,850 
• Animal Control and Welfare Project $1,942 
• Appalachian Bible College $6,106 
• Beckley Art Group, Inc. $2,551 
• Beckley Babe Ruth League, Inc. $729 
• Beckley Concert Association $10,059 
• Beckley Dream Center $78 
• Beckley Little League, Inc. $694 
• Beckley Presbyterian Church $57,892 
• Beckley-Stratton Middle School $582 
• Black Diamond Girl Scout Council $2,036 
• Bluestone Baptist Church $1,879 
• Bradley-Prosperity Volunteer Fire Department $2,071 
• Buckskin Council of Boy Scouts of America $2,823 
• Children’s Home Society of West Virginia $1,997 
• City of Beckley $16,812 
• Concord University $1,277 
• Davis Stuart, Inc. $799 
• Family Crisis Center, Inc. $1,997 
• Fayette County Public Library $6,760 
• First Baptist Church $2,671 
• First Christian Church $2,585 
• First United Methodist Church $877 
• Friends of the Beckley Library $1,572 
• Friends of Shady Spring Library $2,813 
• Fuller Center for Housing of Beckley, WV $3,478 
• Harrah Cemetery Improvement Association $424 
• Helping Hands Resource Center $20,956 
• Hospice of Southern West Virginia, Inc. $29,878 
• Humane Society of Raleigh County $33,412 
• Just for Kids $15,473 
• Lillian James Learning Center $510 
• New River Humane Society, Inc. $1,931 
• Piney Creek Watershed Association $1,195 
• Princeton Public Library $570 
• Raleigh County Animal Rescue $1,933 
• Raleigh County Board of Education $7,493 
• Raleigh County Commission on Aging $416 
• Raleigh County Emergency Housing Center $207 
• Raleigh County Historical Society $1,124 
• Raleigh County Public Library $4,012 
• Raleigh County Special Olympics $508 
• Salvation Army $11,784 
• Southern WV Fellowship Home $1,984 
• St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church $507 
• St. Francis De Sales Catholic School $6,312 
• St. Matthews AME Church $668 
• St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church $6,175 
• Temple Beth El $1,940 
• The First Tee of West Virginia $2,073 
• Theatre West Virginia, Inc. $3,098 
• United Methodist Temple $2,288 
• United Way $3,912 
• University of Charleston – Beckley $21,342 
• West Virginia Public Broadcasting $12,359 
• Woman’s Club of Beckley $1,068 
• Women’s Resource Center $24,354 
• Woodrow Wilson High School $300 
• Wyoming County Paw Patrol, Inc. $4,500 
• YMCA of Southern West Virginia $17,606 
• Youth Museum of Southern West Virginia $2,304 

 
Anyone interested in donating to these funds may mail contributions to BAF, 1210 South Kanawha Street, Beckley, WV 25801 or  donate online. If you are interested in starting a designated fund or leaving a legacy gift, call BAF at 304-253-3806 or email info@bafwv.org.