The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc
The West Virginia Humanities Council is a nonprofit public charity based in Charleston, West Virginia. It serves the state through humanities grants and direct programs, including traveling exhibits, History Alive!, regional lectures, and e-WV, the online West Virginia Encyclopedia.
The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc at a glance
In short: The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc gave $204K across 16 grants in 2024 (avg $13K), mostly in West Virginia. 27% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $204,029
- -12.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 16
- +14.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,752
- -23.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,643
- Total assets
- $2,752,547
- +5.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (4 of 15, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- West Virginia (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc
- How to Apply
-
The Council’s guidelines advise applicants to review the grant guidelines and application materials, confirm eligibility, and discuss their project with the grants administrator before applying. An awarded sponsoring organization must have an IRS Federal Employer Identification Number and an active Unique Entity ID and full registration in SAM.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1310 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston, WV 25301
Phone: (304) 346-8500
Website: https://wvhumanities.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc
WV Humanities Fellowship Grant
The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc
Amount
US $3,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
WV Humanities Publication Grant
The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc
Amount
Up to US $20,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
WV Humanities Teachers Institutes Grant
The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc
Amount
Up to US $20,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was West Virginia University Research Corporation ($29K). Together the top 10 received $170K.
Grant Size Distribution
143 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 143 grants of 143 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Council says it serves West Virginians statewide, including in schools, libraries, museums, and other locations. Its 2024 grant filings show that all reported grant dollars went to West Virginia recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 15 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $9K first-time, $12K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $204K (2024) to $833K (2021). In 2024 it made 16 grants totaling $204K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| West Virginia University Research Corporation Morgantown, WV | Support the Organization's Projects | $28,675 |
| Shepherd University Foundation Shepherdstown, WV | Support the Organization's Projects | $25,227 |
| West Virginia Symphony Orchestra Charleston, WV | Support the Organization's Projects | $20,000 |
| Alchemy Theatre Troupe Inc Huntington, WV | Support the Organization's Projects | $18,000 |
| WV Music Hall of Fame Charleston, WV | Support the Organization's Projects | $18,000 |
| Marshall University Research Corp Huntington, WV | Support the Organization's Projects | $13,041 |
| Augusta Heritage Center Elkins, WV | Support the Organization's Projects | $12,061 |
| WV Public Broadcasting Foundation Charleston, WV | Support the Organization's Projects | $11,516 |
| Martinsburg Berkeley County NAACP Martinsburg, WV | Support the Organization's Projects | $9,770 |
| Step by Step Inc Charleston, WV | Support the Organization's Projects | $8,685 |
Ready to take the next step with The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,752,547 | $1,776,214 | $1,776,999 | $204,029 | 16 | $67,783 |
| 2023 | $2,615,255 | $2,329,342 | $1,678,061 | $232,591 | 14 | $10,269 |
| 2022 | $1,963,412 | $1,384,887 | $1,380,155 | $269,836 | 21 | $5,224 |
| 2021 | $2,418,938 | $2,018,202 | $1,821,030 | $833,471 | 46 | $4,046 |
| 2020 | $2,086,415 | $1,694,952 | $1,600,561 | $564,692 | 46 | $5,557 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Council’s mission is to promote a vigorous program in the humanities throughout West Virginia. Its grants support public humanities programming, and its direct programs include the West Virginia Folklife Program and e-WV, a free online encyclopedia with multimedia content.
The Council describes its grants as supporting educational institutions, museums, public broadcasting, historical societies, and other organizations. Among its 2024 grantees, the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra says it makes music to enrich and inspire people in its region; Augusta Heritage Center says it fosters the scholarly study and practice of traditional arts; and West Virginia Public Broadcasting Foundation says it supports access to public broadcasting. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Council reported 16 grants totaling $204,029. Grant amounts ranged from $5,052 to $28,675, with a median of $10,643. All reported grant dollars went to recipients in West Virginia.
Among the largest reported awards were $28,675 to West Virginia University Research Corporation, $25,227 to Shepherd University Foundation, $20,000 to West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and $18,000 each to Alchemy Theatre Troupe and WV Music Hall of Fame. The filing gives the purpose for these grants as supporting the recipient organizations’ projects.
The Council’s website describes minigrants as supporting small projects, single events, lectures, small museum exhibits, brochures, consultation, and planning for larger projects. It lists a maximum award of $2,000. The website’s current notice says grantmaking is limited while the Council awaits access to more federal funding; its application page lists an August 1 minigrant deadline, which has passed for 2026. The same page lists applications for major grants, fellowships, media grants, publication grants, travel assistance, and teacher institutes as paused.
For eligible projects, the Council’s general guidelines call for a humanities focus, qualified scholars or expert practitioners, public access, a publicity and dissemination plan, and an evaluation plan. Projects generally must be sponsored by a nonprofit, secure dollar-for-dollar matching funds, and provide a 25% cash match for requests over $2,000. The guidelines exempt travel assistance grants and fellowships from the nonprofit sponsor and matching requirements.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists George Gib Brown as president, Paul Papadopoulos as vice president, J Dan McCarthy as treasurer, and Leslie Baker as secretary. Directors listed on that filing are Matthew Bond, Rita Hedrick-Helmick, Gregory Coble, Laurie Erickson, Ann Farr, and Charles Ledbetter.
The organization says it is governed by a board of directors. Its 2023 filing states that board members may elect new board members and that the West Virginia governor may appoint five members.
The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc is led by Eric Waggoner, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 2 of 23 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Eric Waggoner
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$90K (2020) → $109K (2024)
George Gib Brown
President
Director → Vice President, 2022
Vice President → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bryson Vannostrand
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Unger
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laurie Erickson
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Rose
Director
Program Committee Chair → Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Megan Tarbett
Director
Vice President → President, 2022
President → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tom Sopher
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Charles Ledbetter
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Katrena Ramsey
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rita Hedrick-Helmick
Director
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cicero Fain III
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Bond
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michele Moure-Reeves
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Pam Tarr
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ann Farr
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gregory Coble
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lydia Warren
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Patrick Felton
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Heather Campbell
Fiscal Officer
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$11K (2023) → $67K (2024)
J. Dan McCarthy
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leslie Baker
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paul Papadopoulos
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (26)
- Former: Margaret Mary Layne (2020–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Patricia Proctor (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Patrick Cassidy (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Rosemary Hathaway (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Dan McCarthy (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Karen Rice (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Robert Conte (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Amy Pancake (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Billy Joe Peyton (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Kelli Johnson (2020–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Kim Duff (2021–2022) — Fiscal Officer-
- Former: Andy Sweetnich (2022) — Fiscal Officer-
- Former: Jane Sargent (2022) — Director
- Former: Bob Conte (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Leslie Dillon (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Tia McMillan (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Df Mock (2021) — Director
- Former: Justin D. McCarthy (2021) — Director
- Former: Ray Smock (2021) — Director
- Former: Charlie Delauder (2020) — Director
- Former: Donald DF Mock (2020) — Director
- Former: Elliot Hicks (2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Gayle Manchin (2020) — Director
- Former: Kimberly Duff (2020) — Fiscal Officer
- Former: Raymond Smock (2020) — Director
- Former: Timothy Sweet (2020) — Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $109K, to Eric Waggoner (Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc
How much does The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc give each year?
The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc gave $204K across 16 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $233K across 14 grants.
What is The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc's typical grant size?
The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc's median grant in 2024 was $10,643, and its average grant was $12,752, across 16 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc that year got $11K on average.
Where does The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc give grants?
The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc gives mostly in West Virginia: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Charleston, WV (4 grants), Huntington, WV (3 grants) and Elkins, WV (3 grants).
Does The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support the Organization's Projects" (15 grants).
Who are The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc's largest grantees?
The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc's largest 2024 grantees include West Virginia University Research Corporation ($28,675), Shepherd University Foundation ($25,227) and West Virginia Symphony Orchestra ($20,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc?
The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc reported $2.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.8M.
What does The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc fund?
The Council’s mission is to promote a vigorous program in the humanities throughout West Virginia. Its grants support public humanities programming, and its direct programs include the West Virginia Folklife Program and e-WV, a free online encyclopedia with multimedia content. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc?
The Council’s guidelines advise applicants to review the grant guidelines and application materials, confirm eligibility, and discuss their project with the grants administrator before applying. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc's EIN?
The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 55-0553594. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 16, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 6, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 26, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 28, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-west-virginia-humanities-council-inc-morg_6fb54700eee942c1a4e61e18cfca3d3b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_550553594_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-west-virginia-humanities-council-inc-morg_6fb54700eee942c1a4e61e18cfca3d3b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
The West Virginia Humanities Council Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?