The Lions Club of Parkersburg Monarch Fund was started to create a permanent legacy of helping with the eye care and eye health needs of the Mid Ohio Valley. The Parkersburg Lions Club had seen other local clubs discontinue their services due to lack of members, and although the club was larger and its future appeared safe, the Lions wanted to be certain that if the Club did not remain viable, there would be an outlet for its funds. Instead of moving current assets, the club started the Monarch Fund with donations and memorial contributions.

The Parkersburg Lions Club started the Monarch Fund with the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation in November of 2000. The initial contribution was $250 in the name of Murray O'Connor, a long-time member of the club who was blind. In January of 2001, the club increased the amount by $2,250 in honor of W. R. "Doc" McLaughlin and Bernard and Alice Schuetz. An additional $1,000 was deposited in June 2001 in honor of Bill Eason, and created a club award, the Bill Eason Fellowship Award, honoring the active Lion. Annually the Parkersburg Lions present the award to one of their members and donate $1,000 to the Monarch Fund. In 2003, the Lions conducted a campaign along with the Community Agency Partners Fund. The community agency matched the $1,700 raised by the Lions Club.

The Lions Club of Parkersburg, the third oldest Lions Club in West Virginia, was started in 1922. Just three years later, Helen Keller challenged the Lions of the world to become "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness." Lions accepted the challenge and have had worked with the visually impaired as a major service emphasis ever since. The Parkersburg Lions assists persons with sight-related problems to get the help they need. They have conducted sight screenings and provided information on eye diseases. The Club conducts an annual Easter egg hunt for visually-impaired children. Like other Lions clubs, they help with other community needs they identify. The Lions provide meals to underprivileged families at holidays. They collect new and used luggage for use by the local family crisis shelter. The Parkersburg Lions sponsored the building of the first accessible Habitat for Humanity house in the area, and were co-sponsors of another Habitat home. They have regularly provided scholarships for students to attend Boys and Girls State and the West Virginia Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership program. Lions is an international organization, and the local club donates to the Lions Clubs International Foundation, guide dog organizations, the West Virginia Lions Sight Conservation Foundation, and other West Virginia Lions projects.