News Release 

January 16, 2007                                                                                                              Contact:  Betsie Trew

                                                                                                                                                  Executive Director 

Community Foundation Receives $50,000 Benedum Grant

- Hires Development Associate 

The Washington County Community Foundation (WCCF) is pleased to announce that it has received a $50,000 grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, a regional private foundation serving West Virginia and Southwestern PA.  The grant was awarded to hire a development associate to assist in the community foundation’s Grant-Making Capacity Building Campaign.  The primary objective of this campaign is to increase the WCCF’s ability to respond to emerging community needs through growth in the unrestricted grant-making endowment. 

 Virginia Kearns, former Executive Director of the Greater Green Valley Community Foundation (GGVCF) in Arizona, has assumed this position.  Ms. Kearns was born and raised in Washington County, PA and was once employed as an assistant trust officer with the former First National Bank in Washington.  She and her husband moved to Arizona, and in 1997 she was hired as the first employee of the Greater Green Valley Community Foundation.  Under her leadership, the GGVCF transformed from an annual fund, raising approximately $250,000 each year to support primarily health and human service organizations, to a permanent foundation with more than $1 million in endowment.

“Ms. Kearns brings a wealth of expertise and experience to this position,” stated Betsie Trew, WCCF Executive Director.  “She has also maintained many relationships with individuals and businesses in Washington County over the years, a tremendous advantage in the not-for-profit development arena.” 

As a development associate, Ms. Kearns will work with existing and prospective donors of the WCCF to encourage gifts to the unrestricted grant-making endowment.  Her efforts will be enhanced by the WCCF’s current one to three match incentive for endowed gifts, made possible from another grant received from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, which was announced late last year.  The goal of the Grant-Making Capacity Building Campaign is $1 million.  Currently, the WCCF manages more than 100 permanent funds with a combined value in excess of $3.2 million.  To learn more, please contact the WCCF at 724-222-6330.