close

WCCF awards $150,000 in Charity of Excellence grants

4 min read
article image -

Community Foundation Finalizes Its Charity of Excellence Initiative Which Included $150,000 in Grants

The Washington County Community Foundation recently finalized its Charity of Excellence initiative, naming Blueprints the winner of the top award, which included a $25,000 unrestricted grant, and the Washington Area Humane Society as the winner of a $5,000 People’s Choice Award. The Charity of Excellence initiative was the cornerstone of the foundation’s celebration of its 25th anniversary in 2020.

The Charity of Excellence top award of $25,000 was determined in two phases. In phase one, applicants were judged on the following criteria: quality and variety of programming; community impact as gauged by the number of people served relative to the operating budget; volunteer engagement, and improvement in the organization’s financial position over the last five years. From the numerous applications that were received, 25 local nonprofits were named Charity of Excellence honorees: Blueprints, Bradford House Historical Association, CASA for Kids, Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern PA, Donora Public Library Association, Dress for Success Pittsburgh, Friends of the Canonsburg Town Park, Genesis of Pittsburgh, Lemoyne Community Center, Literacy Council of Southwestern PA, Little Lake Theatre, Low Cost Spay Neuter Washington County, Meals on Wheels @ the Crossroads, Mon Valley YMCA, Mon Valley Youth and Teen Association, Mon-Vale Health Resources, Inc./Monongahela Valley Hospital, Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, Presbyterian SeniorCare Network, Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services, The CARE Center, TRPIL, Village of FPC, Washington Area Humane Society, Washington Hospital, and the Washington Symphonic Orchestra. All Charity of Excellence honorees received a grant of at least $5,000.

In phase two, each of the 25 Charity of Excellence honorees was asked to develop a public relations campaign to encourage visits to that charity’s volunteer testimonial on the WCCF Storybook website and to incorporate the Charity of Excellence seal in its marketing and communication materials. The public relations campaign, use of the Charity of Excellence seal, and the four criteria from phase one, were used to determine the top awardee.

“We were very impressed with the public relations efforts of all 25 honorees in phase two, and so it was a difficult decision to choose just one for the top prize,” said Betsie Trew, WCCF President & CEO. “But Blueprints, a multi-faceted charity that annually serves more than 20,000 people through its 35 programs, has achieved a level of maturity and sophistication that warrants special recognition. For this initiative, Blueprints developed a creative, professional, and comprehensive public relations campaign, which with along with the four original criteria in phase one, set Blueprints apart from the other finalists.”

“Blueprints is exceptionally honored to be designated the top Charity of Excellence in Washington County, marking the auspicious occasion of the Foundation’s 25th anniversary,” remarked Darlene Bigler, Blueprints Chief Executive Officer. “This distinction validates the community impact we strive for, as well as our journey for organizational excellence as we break barriers and build futures for children and families.”

The People’s Choice Award of $5,000 to the Washington Area Humane Society was determined by the more than 1,000 unique pageviews the Humane Society’s volunteer testimonial received during a month-long contest on the WCCF Storybook website. In total, more than 5,400 votes were cast during the contest period.

“The Washington Area Humane Society values the Washington County Community Foundation and all it does to support nonprofits in Washington County,” said Kelly Proudfit, Washington Area Humane Society Executive Director. “We are very grateful for having been named as one of the Foundation’s 25 Charity of Excellence recipients and we appreciate all the supporters who voted for us in the People’s Choice Award contest.”

The $150,000 in grants awarded through the Charity of Excellence initiative were issued from the Alvin and Carol Berthold Fund. Lifelong residents of McDonald, the Bertholds were longtime supporters of the WCCF. Their fund, valued at more than $6.5 million, is the largest discretionary grant-making fund of the WCCF.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today