Education and Economic Development Grants

The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation promotes human development in West Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania by providing strategic charitable resources. The foundation focuses on education and economic development, prioritizing projects that enhance teacher quality, support early childhood education, and foster innovative economic initiatives. By investing in programs that bridge geographical boundaries and encourage collaboration among sectors, the foundation aims to cultivate leadership and sustainable growth in the region.

Guiding Principles
The following principles guide the Foundation’s grants programs in those regions:
We honor Michael and Sarah Benedum’s belief in “helping people help themselves,” and we seek opportunities to cultivate the creativity of people and communities. We nurture leadership within the communities we serve, and we participate in leadership when it adds value.
We encourage planning, projects and programs that cross geographical and political boundaries so that access to services and economic growth is maximized.
We expect collaboration among the public, private and nonprofit sectors in order to leverage the resources that each can bring to common concerns.
We seek projects that contribute to advancement in public policy.
What We Fund
In keeping with the wishes of Michael and Sarah Benedum, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation is a regional philanthropy focusing on West Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania. The Foundation generally invests two-thirds of its grant dollars in West Virginia and one-third in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
The Foundation serves the entire state of West Virginia. In Southwestern Pennsylvania, the service area includes Allegheny, Washington, Greene, and Fayette Counties. This four-county area is a natural connector between Pittsburgh and West Virginia and contains rural communities that may benefit from the Benedum Foundation’s experiences in West Virginia. However, the Foundation recognizes that economic regions do not follow political boundaries, and therefore, the Foundation both encourages projects that cross state lines, and supports economic initiatives that benefit the multi-state economy centered on Pittsburgh.
Program Areas
The Foundation makes grants in two program areas that span both states:

• Education

The Benedum Foundation seeks to foster learning environments, across formal and informal educational systems, that position young learners to thrive in career and life. Academic achievement, social and emotional wellbeing, and real-world workforce preparation are the ultimate objectives of this program.
The Foundation places a high priority on teacher quality and the most advanced instructional tools. Because schools do not function in isolation, the Foundation also looks to the resources of community organizations, business, and higher education to reinforce the learning objectives of the classroom. In preparation for the rising demands of the workplace, the Foundation recognizes the need for all students to enter some form of post-secondary education.
Although the Foundation is interested in any significant opportunity to improve the education system, current specific areas of interest include:
Programs that improve teacher quality through professional development and innovative instructional strategies.Early childhood educational practices that bolster children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and academic development, including early intervention services that support school-success.Expanded and extended learning opportunities that complement and enhance the learning that occurs during the traditional school day.Career education and future readiness skill development, aligning secondary and post-secondary programs to high-demand, high-wage occupations.
Innovation will be the cornerstone of the future success of the economy in West Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania. The Foundation supports economic development activities based upon the region’s strengths in research, technology, and advanced manufacturing.
The Foundation’s agenda seeks to promote regional planning and cooperation, recognizing that with respect to any endeavor, “region” should mean whatever area is most appropriate to optimize the available opportunity, without reference to historic, geographic, or political boundaries. The expected outcomes of the Foundation’s Economic Development grants are the creation and growth of innovative, wealth-producing businesses and high-quality jobs.
In addition, many of the communities in the region served by the Foundation are rural, and enjoy abundant natural assets that provide economic opportunities that complement centers of technology-based growth. The Foundation currently supports efforts to advance agriculture, outdoor recreation, artisanship, and cultural tourism. Current specific areas of Foundation interest include:
Promotion of entrepreneurship.Projects that promote technology-based economic development.Programs to promote the growth and accessibility of new capital for businesses in distressed communities and areas of high unemployment.

Eligibility

Grants are made only to 501(c)(3) organizations and to qualified government units and agencies.

Ineligibility

The Foundation generally does not make grants in support of:Organizations serving locations outside of West Virginia or Southwestern PennsylvaniaIndividualsOrganizations not exempt from taxation under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3)Extracurricular activitiesVehicles, construction, or equipmentAngel investmentsEndowmentOngoing operating expensesNational organizationsBiomedical and bench researchOrganizations for religious purposesIndividual elementary and secondary schoolsAnnual appeals or membership drivesLobbying activitiesConferences, films, books, and media, unless an integral part of a Foundation-supported program