The PACF awards grants from a variety of funds created by individuals, organizations, and area businesses to support critical community needs. Individuals and organizations who have donor-advised funds at the Foundation also partner to support projects, greatly expanding the Foundation’s grantmaking capacity. Many even provide additional support to respond to grant requests received each cycle. Donor advisors contributed $246,995 to this grant cycle.

This cycle saw an increase in the number of funding requests. PACF received 68 applications for a total request amount of $853,540. Of the 68 applications, 51 were funded for a total of $435,633. This includes $2,500 from the Doddridge County Community Foundation, $3,750 from the Ritchie County Community Foundation, and $4,100 from the Little Kanawha Area Community Foundation affiliates.

The Fall 2023 Parkersburg Area Community Foundation & Regional Affiliates grant recipients are:

• American Red Cross of the Ohio River Valley - $5,000 for disaster response infrastructure.
• Belpre Area Ministries - $2,506 to purchase a new commercial refrigerator and storage for the food pantry.
• Belpre Performing Arts Boosters - $20,000 to purchase instruments.
• Boys & Girls Club of Washington County - $20,000 for the Project Learn program.
• Cairo Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. - $16,013 to upgrade/replace outdated personal protective equipment.
• Catholic Charities West Virginia - $12,000 for the mobile food pantry.
• Circles Campaign of the Mid-Ohio Valley, Inc. - $5,000 to increase the amount of educational training opportunities for low-income families and those in recovery/reentry.
• City of Pennsboro - $300 to pave the gravel parking area outside of Myles Stadium.
• City of Ravenswood - $23,000 for construction of a walking trail in Ravenswood's North Park.
• Consumer Credit Counseling Service of the Mid-Ohio Valley- $12,000 to support general operating costs.
• Doddridge County Family Resource Network - $3,000 to create an underwear closet and period locker at Doddridge County Middle School.
• Ely Chapman Education Foundation - $15,000 to provide funding to help financially support WV students attending the 2023-2024 Ely Chapman afterschool and summer camp programs.
• First Presbyterian Church of Williamstown - $8,000 to provide groceries for families in need in the Williamstown Elementary School District (Winter/Spring).
• Fourth Circuit Public Defender Corporation - $9,000 to provide transportation for needy clients suffering from substance abuse and mental health disorders to and from treatment facilities and other treatment options.
• Gabriel Project Of West Virginia - $17,235 to expand services to Wirt County and meet the essential baby item needs of families in Calhoun, Pleasants, Wood, and Washington counties.
• Gilmer County Vol. Fire Department - $1,600 to build a brush truck.
• Hope4Vets - $6,167 to purchase appliances for veteran transitional housing.
• House to Home - A Project of the Parkersburg Area Coalition for the Homeless - $15,000 to install new flooring at the newly purchased day shelter.
• Humane Society of Parkersburg - $3,800 to expand surgery capacity by adding an additional prep station.
• Humane Society of the Ohio Valley - $500 to purchase a used bus for a mobile adoption unit.
• Jackson County Commission on Aging’s Aqua Fit Program - $9,000 to pay for a new pool liner and repair the steps and rails.
• Kelly’s Closet MOV Inc. - $9,000 to purchase underwear, socks, and shoes.
• Little Kanawha District United Methodist Church - $9,459 to purchase construction supplies, a sprinkler system, and LED lighting for the new 60x60 multi-purpose facility.
• Lubeck United Methodist Church - $6,300 to purchase shelf-stable nutritious food and supplies, and replace a broken color desktop printer.
• Nazareth Farm, Inc. - $11,000 to support retaining a professional, experienced home repair project coordinator to direct the home repair mission and program costs.
• Old Man Rivers Mission - $11,000 to increase the number of eye exams and glasses for the residents of Wood County each month.
• Parkersburg & Wood County Public Library - $13,000 to preserve WTAP-TV’s news footage from roughly 1981-2001 in an online digital format and make it available for the public to access.
• Pilot Club of Jackson County - $10,000 to assist dental-needy individuals.
• Progress Ridge Community Building - $2,500 for a new ceiling, walls, storage building, and exterior door.
• Ravenswood High School - $12,000 for eSports team equipment.
• Read Aloud West Virginia - $12,000 to provide books to the students at Henry J. Kaiser Elementary in Jackson County.
• Ritchie County Humane Society, Inc. - $1,725 to upgrade washer and dryer to commercial grade appliances and paint/stain two porches, handicap ramp, and walkway connecting two buildings.
• River Cities Symphony Orchestra - $250 to provide an opportunity for area children who may otherwise never be in contact with classical music, to be immersed in the performance during the side-by-side-symphony.
• Roane General Hospital - $13,000 to continue to fund Farmacy which offers free, fresh produce and the knowledge of how to use this produce to participants.
• St. Mary Catholic School - $11,000 to replace flooring throughout the main schoolhouse.
• The Arc of the Mid-Ohio Valley - $15,000 to support general operating costs.
• The Education Alliance - $5,000 to sponsor the expansion of Grow Your Own (GYO) educator programs in Jackson County.
• The Memorial Church of the Good Shepherd (a subsidiary of the Protestant Episcopal in the Diocese of WV) - $4,500 to buy suitable nutritious food for distribution to homeless food pantry clients.
• The Salvation Army - $15,000 for a kitchen upgrade.
• Town of Grantsville - $1,750 to purchase recreational equipment for the city park.
• Two Runs Community Association - $4,400 for a concrete pad in the handicapped area of the gravel parking lot.
• Voices for the Children - $10,000 to support general operating costs.
• Voices of the Streets, Inc., Essentially Yours - $3,000 to support general operating costs.
• Washington Bottom Volunteer Fire Department - $6,335 to purchase nozzles and adapters to stock fire engines and provide fire suppression services.
• Washington United Methodist Church - $2,500 to purchase food and personal care items made available in their pantry to needy individuals.
• Wirt County 4-H Shooting Sports Club - $250 to purchase shoot sports equipment.
• Wood County Schools - $10,000 to create an outdoor learning and activity area which includes flower and vegetable gardens in an existing interior courtyard at VanDevender Middle School.
• Wood County Schools - Parkersburg South High School - $293 to purchase a refrigerator for the health office.
• Wood County Sharp Shooters 4-H Club 0002949 - $1,250 to purchase shooting sports equipment.
• Wood County Society - $20,000 to purchase soft play equipment for the Nurture and Grow Learning Center.
• WV Health Right, Inc. - $10,000 to provide funding for the mobile dental unit to continue to provide free oral health services to low-income individuals in Roane County, WV.

“The grants arranged through the PACF will ensure that we have the best opportunity to capture and preserve on the long term, local news video shot by WTAP reporters and photographers over many years. It is our hope that this video can be made accessible to the general public to enjoy online and at the library itself.” Roger Sheppard, former General Manager, WTAP.

“The Eyeglass Program at Old Man Rivers is a big demand. Using this grant funding, we will be able to help more individuals in a more timely manner. Rather than have a three to four-month waiting period, we hope to use the funding to get the wait time down to one to two months at the most.“ Jeanette Pursley, President, Old Man Rivers Mission.

To be considered for a Community Action Grant an applicant must be a private, nonprofit organization or a public institution. Either the applicant or program to be funded must be located in the Foundation’s eleven-county geographic service area (Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Jackson, Mason, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Wirt, and Wood counties in West Virginia, and Washington County, Ohio).