The Bernard H. and Blanche E. Jacobson Foundation is a Charleston, WV–focused funder that concentrates its giving on local higher education and community well‑being. The foundation’s largest and repeated investments are in West Virginia State University, supplemented by support for community development via the United Way and basic health access through West Virginia Health Right, indicating a preference for strengthening regional education, civic infrastructure, and health services.
The Bernard H and Blanche E Jacobson Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by repeated support for West Virginia State University Foundation, including a $110,000 grant in 2023 and $75,000 grants in 2024 and 2025. That pattern points to a funder that returns to the same institutions over multiple years rather than spreading support broadly. Alongside higher education, the foundation has backed community health, civic service, youth development, and arts organizations in Charleston and nearby West Virginia communities. West Virginia Health Right Inc received $50,000 in 2025 after earlier grants of $25,000 in 2024 and 2023, showing sustained support for health access. Other large gifts include $65,000 to United Way of Central WV in 2023 and $50,000 to the University of Charleston in 2023, indicating that the foundation’s portfolio includes both community infrastructure and educational institutions. Across the recent grants list, most recipients are based in Charleston, Institute, Lewisburg, and other West Virginia locations, reinforcing a local giving pattern centered on strengthening institutions serving residents in the state.
Education is the clearest theme in the recent grants. The foundation gave $75,000 in 2025 to West Virginia State University Foundation for educational purposes, and also supported the University of Charleston with a $50,000 educational grant in 2023. A smaller education grant went to the Library Foundation of Kanawha County for $25,000 in 2025. Health and direct service organizations are another major area. West Virginia Health Right Inc received $50,000 in 2025 for health work, while East End Resource Center and Union Mission Ministries Inc each received $25,000 in 2025 for health-related purposes. Hope for Appalachia also received $25,000 in 2024 and 2025. Youth programming appears through Boy Scouts of America Buckskin Council and Girls Scouts of Black Diamond, which received recurring support across 2023, 2024, and 2025. Arts and culture grants include the West Virginia Symphony, WV Symphony Orchestra, and Clay Center for Arts and Sciences.
Typical awards sit in a middle band: the p25 is $5,000, the median is $10,000, and the p75 is $20,000. Recent grants show both one-time gifts and repeated support across multiple years, especially for West Virginia State University Foundation, West Virginia Health Right Inc, Boy Scouts of America Buckskin Council, Girls Scouts of Black Diamond, and Kanawha Valley Fellowship Home. The pattern favors program and project support rather than individuals, and the foundation does not make program-related investments. The giving profile fits a locally focused private foundation with a stable annual payout and recurring institutional relationships.
$410K
$4.6M
$705K
$443K
Most grants fall between $5K and $20K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$20K
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Concentrated, local-focused giving: a small number of relatively large grants with repeat multi-year support to a flagship higher‑education grantee and smaller single grants to community and health organizations.
Notable grantees: West Virginia State University Foundation, United Way of Central West Virginia, West Virginia Health Right, Inc.
Giving is overwhelmingly concentrated in West Virginia: 97% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state, and the recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based. Charleston appears most often among recipient cities, with additional grants to Institute and Lewisburg. The recent list also includes West Virginia State University Foundation in Institute and Greater Greenbrier Valley Community Foundation in Lewisburg, showing that the foundation’s local reach extends beyond Charleston while remaining centered in-state.
The recent grants show support for higher education, health access, community development, youth programming, and arts organizations. Examples include grants to West Virginia State University Foundation, West Virginia Health Right Inc, United Way of Central WV, Boy Scouts of America Buckskin Council, and West Virginia Symphony.
Yes. 97% of grants go to recipients in West Virginia, and the top state by grant count is also WV. The recent grants list is entirely U.S.-based, with recipient cities including Charleston, Institute, and Lewisburg.
The grant-size distribution centers on relatively modest awards: p25 is $5,000, the median is $10,000, and p75 is $20,000. Recent grants also include larger institutional gifts, such as $110,000 and $75,000 awards.
Yes. Several organizations appear across multiple years, including West Virginia State University Foundation, West Virginia Health Right Inc, Boy Scouts of America Buckskin Council, Girls Scouts of Black Diamond, Kanawha Valley Fellowship Home, and Hope for Appalachia.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia State Univ | Institute, WV | $50,000 | 2026 | Education |
| West Virginia State Univ | Institute, WV | $50,000 | 2026 | Education |
| Kanawha Charleston Humane | Charleston, WV | $40,000 | 2026 | Animal Welfare |
| Library Foundation | Charleston, WV | $25,000 | 2026 | Educational |
| Clay Center for Arts and Science | Charleston, WV | $20,000 | 2026 | Education |
| WV Symphony Orchestra | Charleston, WV | $20,000 | 2026 | Culture |
| Union Mission Ministries | Charleston, WV | $20,000 | 2026 | Relief |
| WV Humanities Council | Charleston, WV | $20,000 | 2026 | Culture |
| City of Charleston Beautif | Institute, WV | $20,000 | 2026 | Civic improvement |
| Covenant House Inc | Charleston, WV | $15,000 | 2026 | Health |
| WV Health Right | Charleston, WV | $15,000 | 2026 | Health |
| Girl Scouts Black Diamond | Charleston, WV | $15,000 | 2026 | Youth program |
| Boy Scouts Buckskin Council | Charleston, WV | $15,000 | 2026 | Youth program |
| REA of Hope Inc | Charleston, WV | $15,000 | 2026 | Health |
| Kanawha Valley Fellowship Home | Charleston, WV | $15,000 | 2026 | Health |
| Daymark Inc | Charleston, WV | $10,000 | 2026 | Health |
| University of Charleston | Charleston, WV | $10,000 | 2026 | Education |
| WV Independent Colleges | Charleston, WV | $10,000 | 2026 | Education |
| American Red Cross | Charleston, WV | $10,000 | 2026 | Health |
| WV Food and Farm Coalition | Charleston, WV | $10,000 | 2026 | Relief |
| American Red Cross | Charleston, WV | $10,000 | 2026 | Health |
| Charleston Ballet Inc | Charleston, WV | $5,000 | 2026 | Arts |
| Appalachian Children's Chorus | Charleston, WV | $5,000 | 2026 | Youth program |
| FestivAll Charleston Inc | Charleston, WV | $5,000 | 2026 | Culture |
| Children's Home Society | Charleston, WV | $5,000 | 2026 | Youth program |
| West Virginia State University Fnd | Institute, WV | $75,000 | 2025 | Educational |
| West Virginia Health Right Inc | Charleston, WV | $50,000 | 2025 | Health |
| Library Foundtion of Kanawha Cty | Charleston, WV | $25,000 | 2025 | Education |
| Union Mission Ministries Inc | Charleston, WV | $25,000 | 2025 | Health |
| Hope for Appalachia | Charleston, WV | $25,000 | 2025 | Health |
| West Virginia Symphony | Charleston, WV | $25,000 | 2025 | Arts and culture |
| East End Resource Center | Charleston, WV | $25,000 | 2025 | Health |
| Kanawha Valley Fellowship Home | Charleston, WV | $20,000 | 2025 | Health |
| Boy Scouts of America Buckskin Council | Charleston, WV | $20,000 | 2025 | Youth devel. |
| WV Humanities Council | Charleston, WV | $15,000 | 2025 | Historic preserv. |
| REA of Hope Inc | Charleston, WV | $15,000 | 2025 | Health |
| Girls Scouts of Black Diamond | Charleston, WV | $15,000 | 2025 | Youth program |
| Clay Center for Arts and Sciences | Charleston, WV | $15,000 | 2025 | Educational |
| McDowell County Commission on Aging Inc | Welch, WV | $14,000 | 2025 | Health |
| Charleston Regatta Inc | Charleston, WV | $10,000 | 2025 | Culture |
| United Way of Central WV | Charleston, WV | $10,000 | 2025 | Community dev. |
| Covenant House Inc | Charleston, WV | $10,000 | 2025 | Community dev. |
| WV Independent Colleges | Charleston, WV | $10,000 | 2025 | Educational |
| National Youth Science Fnd | Davis, WV | $10,000 | 2025 | Youth program |
| Faith In Action | Charleston, WV | $5,000 | 2025 | Community dev. |
| Charleston Ballet Inc | Charleston, WV | $5,000 | 2025 | Cultural |
| Legal Aid of West Virginia Inc | Charleston, WV | $5,000 | 2025 | Welfare program |
| Appalachian Children's Chorus | Charleston, WV | $5,000 | 2025 | Cultural |
| Festiv-All Charleston | Charleston, WV | $5,000 | 2025 | Cultural |
| Daymark Inc | Charleston, WV | $5,000 | 2025 | Health |
West Virginia State Univ
$50,000Education
West Virginia State Univ
$50,000Education
Kanawha Charleston Humane
$40,000Animal Welfare
Library Foundation
$25,000Educational
Clay Center for Arts and Science
$20,000Education
WV Symphony Orchestra
$20,000Culture
Relief
WV Humanities Council
$20,000Culture
City of Charleston Beautif
$20,000Civic improvement
Girl Scouts Black Diamond
$15,000Youth program
Boy Scouts Buckskin Council
$15,000Youth program
REA of Hope Inc
$15,000Health
Kanawha Valley Fellowship Home
$15,000Health
Daymark Inc
$10,000Health
WV Independent Colleges
$10,000Education
American Red Cross
$10,000Health
WV Food and Farm Coalition
$10,000Relief
American Red Cross
$10,000Health
Charleston Ballet Inc
$5,000Arts
Appalachian Children's Chorus
$5,000Youth program
FestivAll Charleston Inc
$5,000Culture
Library Foundtion of Kanawha Cty
$25,000Education
Hope for Appalachia
$25,000Health
West Virginia Symphony
$25,000Arts and culture
East End Resource Center
$25,000Health
Kanawha Valley Fellowship Home
$20,000Health
Boy Scouts of America Buckskin Council
$20,000Youth devel.
WV Humanities Council
$15,000Historic preserv.
REA of Hope Inc
$15,000Health
Charleston Regatta Inc
$10,000Culture
United Way of Central WV
$10,000Community dev.
WV Independent Colleges
$10,000Educational
National Youth Science Fnd
$10,000Youth program
Faith In Action
$5,000Community dev.
Charleston Ballet Inc
$5,000Cultural
Appalachian Children's Chorus
$5,000Cultural
Festiv-All Charleston
$5,000Cultural
Daymark Inc
$5,000Health