Updated: 5/29/2020

In March, the Beckley Area Foundation established the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which was created to support local nonprofit organizations working to provide aid to those impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.

After our latest fourth round of grant award decisions, we have now granted $39,085 to twelve different non-profit organizations. Below is a list of non-profits in our community who we have supported during this time.

Bread of Life | The purchase of supplies for their food pantry.
Raleigh County Commission on Aging | The purchase of food for their local pick-up or home delivery seniors program.
One Voice WV | The purchase of food to support the Food for Angels program.
Beckley Dream Center | The purchase of food for children, unemployed and the elderly in our community.
Crab Orchard Baptist Church | The purchase of food to assist their Neighbors on Wheels program to help low-income communities.
Helping Hands | The purchase of food and supplies to help Raleigh County residents who cannot afford food.
McDowell County Commission on Aging | The purchase of food boxes for seniors and disabled individuals.
The Carpenter's Corner | The purchase of supplies to support their take-out feeding program.
Salvation Army | The purchase of food boxes for unemployed and low-income families.
Five Loaves and Two Fishes Food Bank, Inc. | The purchase of food for their summer feeding program.
The Itmann Food Bank | The purchase of food for their food pantry.
Quota Club of Beckley | Matching funds to support their Empty Bowls program.

Your Donations will Support Our Community, Today
The Beckley Area Foundation is very thankful for the contributions we have received thus far. We are reviewing applications each week and will continue to distribute grants in response to our community needs.

If you are interested in donating, you may donate online by clicking the button below, or make a check payable to Beckley Area Foundation with "CERF" in the memo line.

Please mail your check to Beckley Area Foundation, 129 Main Street, Suite 301, Beckley, WV 25801.

UPDATE 4/24/2020: The Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, 2020 (H.R. 266) was signed today to provide additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), hospitals and COVID-19 testing. PPP, passed in the CARES Act in late March, was quickly depleted with many for-profit and nonprofit small businesses failing to get loan applications approved before the money ran out.

​
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is an SBA 7(a) loan forgiveness that allows the SBA to make loans up to $10 million ($1 million for an SBA Express loan) to certain businesses, including tax exempt organizations. From now until June 30, 2020, the law allows the SBA to provide 100% federally guaranteed loans to eligible businesses to pay operational costs including payroll support, paid sick or medical leave, insurance premiums, mortgage, rent, and utility payments, subject to eligibility and limitations. No collateral is required. Loans can convert to grants. Lenders will start processing applications on April 3, 2020. 

NOTE: Funds will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis until the lender runs out of the funds.

Generally, these include for-profit businesses (including sole proprietors, independent contracts, and the self-employed), 501(c)(3)s, 501(c)(19)s, and tribal business concerns with 500 or fewer employees (certain exceptions exist). Prior to the Stimulus Bill, in order to be eligible for a 7(a) Loan a small business applicant had to establish that it was a for-profit operating business located in the U.S. that met the size requirements (based on headcount and/or revenue) and demonstrated a need for the credit. The CARES Act modifies these general eligibility criteria, expanding them in several key ways:

• First, non-profit entities are specifically eligible for 7(a)(36) Loans.
• Second, businesses need not demonstrate a “need” for the credit. In addition, size restrictions for businesses are in many cases tightened, with entities generally only eligible for a 7(a)(36) Loan to the extent that they have 500 or fewer employees. An exception to this is where the “general,” pre-Stimulus Bill 7(a) Loan size restriction for the business is greater than 500 employees.

A non-profit organization can get a loan from an approved lending institution. Banks that already issue SBA Business Loans can issue loans immediately. While final SBA guidance is not yet available, early indicators are that other federally insured depository lenders and credit unions and Farm Credit institutions will be enabled. The loans have a maximum interest rate of 4 percent, a 100 percent government guarantee, and other borrower-favorable terms and conditions. Loan amounts are generally 250% of average monthly payment costs during the last year up to $10 million.

Borrower Certification Requirement
A borrower under the Paycheck Protection Program must certify in “good faith” that (i) current economic conditions necessitated the loan, (ii) the funds will be used to retain workers and make other eligible payments, (iii) the borrower has not applied for another 7(a)(36) Loan for “the same purpose and duplication of” the requested loan, and (iv) the borrower has not in fact received another 7(a)(36) Loan for the same purpose and duplication of the requested loan.

What are Loan Forgiveness Requirements?
Nonprofits are eligible for loan forgiveness for the amount spent during the first eight weeks of the loan on payroll costs, interest payment on mortgage, rent, and utilities. The portion of these expenses that is eligible for forgiveness depends on the percentage by which you reduced FTE staff and/or salaries (relative to a comparable period in 2019). In general, the amount of payroll, interest paid on a covered mortgage obligation, covered rent payments, and covered utility payments that are actually paid by the borrower during the 8-week period beginning on the date the loan is obtained is forgivable. The amount of forgiveness cannot exceed the amount of 7(a)(36) Loan principal (i.e., not principal plus interest).

Special Note: If the loan benefits under this provision are utilized, the employee retention credit also authorized by the bill cannot be taken.

For more information, visit the full article by the Council on Foundations, here: https://www.cof.org/content/cares-act-benefits-small-businesses-and-tax-exempt-organizations

The Beckley Area Foundation has established the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which will provide resources to local nonprofit organizations working to provide aid to those impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.

Donations to CERF will support emergency needs identified by our nonprofit partners in human services, health, housing and education, and will make grants to nonprofits providing aid to impacted individuals and families in Raleigh County.

CERF is designed to complement the work of local public health, nonprofit and government entities, and to expand local capacity to support individuals and families experiencing hardship because of the outbreak and related closures and disruptions.

Foundation leaders will be closely monitoring how the Coronavirus impacts our community and will deploy financial resources to best meet evolving needs.

Individuals, corporations, donor advisors and private foundations are encouraged to join BAF in these efforts by making a gift to CERF. All gifts are tax-deductible and will be used to support local nonprofit organizations.

100% of donations will be used to support our communities. BAF is waiving the administrative fees that would normally be associated with CERF. Banking fees, including credit card transactions for contributions to CERF, will apply.

We are very thankful for the contributions we have received thus far. If you are interested in donating, you may donate online by clicking the button below, or make a check payable to Beckley Area Foundation with CERF in the memo line. Please mail your check to Beckley Area Foundation, 129 Main Street, Ste 301, Beckley, WV 25801.

The Board of Directors of the Beckley Area Foundation has approved $218,427 to fund 61 projects between April 2020 and March 2021. 

BAF makes annual discretionary grants to charitable organizations serving Raleigh County in the areas of animals, the arts, civic beautification, education, health and human services, and public recreation. Using the pooled income from discretionary funds, BAF addresses the community’s most pressing needs and promising opportunities. A distribution committee reviews all proposals and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors, who make the final decision on all grants.

Areas of interest breakdown:

• Health & Human Services - $110,359
• Education - $39,330
• Arts - $26,622
• Civic Beautification - $18,741
• Public Recreation - $13,375
• Animals - $10,000

Anyone interested in growing the pool of discretionary funds used to respond to BAF’s Annual Community Grant Program can make donations in any amount to any unrestricted fund. Mail contributions to BAF, 129 Main St. Suite 301, Beckley, WV 25801, or use your credit/debit card on the BAF website. 

​If you are interested in starting a named unrestricted fund, call the foundation at 304-253-3806 or email info@bafwv.org.

The legacy of Susan S. Landis was honored by Philanthropy West Virginia with the inaugural Susan S. Landis — WV Spirit of Philanthropy grant awards.

Landis was our former executive director at the Beckley Area Foundation and served for over 20 years. She was an advocate for West Virginia artisans, nonprofits, community foundations and communities.

The WV Spirit of Philanthropy awards are the state’s highest honor in recognizing philanthropic impact and each award honoree selects a nonprofit to receive the mini-grant.

Philanthropy WV will open nominations for the 14th annual WV Spirit of Philanthropy Awards program in April 2020, which honors individual citizens, foundations and corporations for philanthropic impact.

For more information about the awards program, contact Philanthropy WV at www.philanthropywv.org or 304-517-1450.

​You can read this full article by the Register-Herald, here.

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!