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Community Foundation of West Ky Inc pairs disaster response with long-horizon community investment. Among its recent grants, the largest is a $5,452,818 award in 2025 to Remaining Under 5000, alongside major support for social services and tornado recovery in 2024 and 2023. That mix fits a foundation that funds both urgent needs and local capacity: emergency aid, housing stability, family services, schools, arts, health awareness, and scholarship support across western Kentucky. The foundation also uses grantmaking to strengthen nonprofit endowments through its Fred Paxton Challenge for Charities, showing a second track that looks beyond one-time response. In the recent-grants list, awards to Northside Baptist Church in Mayfield for tornado relief and Relevant Church in Paducah for tornado recovery sit next to support for Paducah Public Schools and other local institutions. The result is a profile shaped by crisis relief, direct service, and place-based community support, with most giving staying in Kentucky.
Emergency and disaster response is a defining part of the foundation’s work. It gave $1,266,667 to Northside Baptist Church in Mayfield for tornado relief, $566,863 to Relevant Church in Paducah for tornado recovery, and $195,000 to Camp Graves in Water Valley for disaster relief. Beyond crisis response, education appears in multiple forms. The foundation awarded $531,890 to Paducah Public Schools and $175,380 to Rivers Discovery for education. Youth-focused support also shows up in a $174,906 grant to Paducah Public Schools Fdtn for youth services. Health and family stability are present too, including $201,537 to A New Beginning for Women for women housing and $176,925 to Hope Unlimited Family Care for family assistance.
Typical grant size is mid-sized for this funder: the 25th percentile is $31,104, the median is $80,000, and the 75th percentile is $173,882. The recent-grants list shows both very large awards and many smaller, targeted grants, which fits a pattern of mixing major response funding with program support. The foundation also funds individuals through scholarship programs and lists several named scholarship offerings. Its active programs include both unsolicited scholarship opportunities and grant programs that are not open to unsolicited applications, such as the Fred Paxton Challenge for Charities matching program. The recent grant record includes repeated awards to local institutions and recurring disaster-related support across multiple years.
$10.1M
$48.5M
$12.8M
$12.3M
Most grants fall between $31K and $174K, with a median of $80K.
25th Percentile
$31K
Median
$80K
75th Percentile
$174K
CHRISTINA DOCKINS
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Grantmaking is heavily concentrated in Kentucky, which accounts for 90% of grants, and the foundation gives most often in KY overall. Western Kentucky and the Paducah area appear repeatedly in the grant list, including Paducah, Mayfield, Dawson Springs, Benton, Water Valley, and Murray. Recent awards also reached Johnson City, Tennessee, through Appalachia Service Project, but the recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based. The pattern is regional rather than national, with most support staying close to the foundation’s service area.
Its recent grants show support for social services, tornado recovery, schools, churches involved in relief, arts, and community organizations. Examples include Paducah Public Schools, Relevant Church in Paducah for tornado recovery, and Northside Baptist Church in Mayfield for tornado relief.
Some active programs do. Philanthropy 360 Grants accepts unsolicited applications, and several scholarship programs also accept them. By contrast, the Fred Paxton Challenge for Charities matching program does not accept unsolicited applications.
The typical grant size is $31,104 at the 25th percentile, $80,000 at the median, and $173,882 at the 75th percentile. The recent-grants list also includes much larger awards, including a $5,452,818 grant in 2025.
Grantmaking is concentrated in Kentucky: 90% of grants go to recipients in the state, and Kentucky is the top state by grant count. Recent recipients include organizations in Paducah, Mayfield, Dawson Springs, Benton, Water Valley, and Murray.
Yes. It funds individuals through scholarship programs, including the Grimmer-Weitzel Memorial Scholarship for Women in Medicine, the Graydon Seaton Endowed Scholarship, the Avery-Shahan Scholarship, and the Cullen Gream Memorial Scholarship.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Community Foundation of West Ky that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Participating nonprofit organizations in the annual Challenge for Charities.
Deadline: June 1 - August 31; 2026 challenge window shown as June 1 - August 1, 2026.
Who can apply: Local nonprofit organizations serving Paducah and surrounding counties across western Kentucky. Further eligibility details are not provided in the scraped content.
Deadline: Applications for 2026 will open in the fall.
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Create a free accountDeadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| REMAINING UNDER 5000 | — | $5,452,818 | 2025 | — |
| APPALACHIA SERVICE PROJECT | JOHNSON CITY, TN | $442,400 | 2025 | DISASTER RELIEF |
| CAMP GRAVES | WATER VALLEY, KY | $195,000 | 2025 | DISASTER RELIEF |
| PADUCAH PUBLIC SCHOOLS FDTN | PADUCAH, KY | $174,906 | 2025 | YOUTH SERVICES |
| COMMUNITY FNDT LOUISVILLE | LOUISVILLE, KY | $155,711 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| PADUCAH COOPERATIVE MINISTRY | PADUCAH, KY | $148,009 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| MAYFIELD GRAVES LTRG | MAYFIELD, KY | $147,368 | 2025 | DISASTER RELIEF |
| HOPKINS CO LRDRC | DAWSON SPRINGS, KY | $145,676 | 2025 | DISASTER RELIEF |
| MARSHALL CO LONG TERM RECOVERY GRP | BENTON, KY | $142,310 | 2025 | DISASTER RELIEF |
| FIRST UNITED METHODIST METROPOLIS | METROPOLIS, IL | $124,661 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| DISASTER READINESS CENTER OF WEST KY INC | MAYFIELD, KY | $118,000 | 2025 | DIASTER RELIEF |
| SOUTHSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH | PRINCETON, KY | $111,934 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| HABITAT FOR HUMAN PENNYRILE REGION | MADISONVILLE, KY | $95,545 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| HOPE UNLIMITED FAMILY CARE CTR | PADUCAH, KY | $92,331 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| COMMUNITY FNDT HENDERSON | HENDERSON, KY | $88,650 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| HOPE INITIATIVE INC | MAYFIELD, KY | $80,000 | 2025 | DISASTER RELIEF |
| MARKET HOUSE THEATRE | PADUCAH, KY | $76,797 | 2025 | ARTS |
| MURRAY CALLOWAY ENDOWMENT FOR HEALTHCARE | MURRAY, KY | $73,897 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| LUTHER F CARSON FOUR RIVERS CENTER | PADUCAH, KY | $70,297 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| SOUTHLAND BAPTIST TEMPLE | PADUCAH, KY | $69,592 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| PADUCAH COMMUNITY KITCHEN | PADUCAH, KY | $68,758 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| COMPASS 82 | TOMS RIVER, NJ | $65,900 | 2025 | DISASTER RELIEF |
| MCCRACKEN CO COMMUNITY CAREER ENDOWMENT INC | PADUCAH, KY | $65,093 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| CASSIDY'S CAUSE THERAPEUTIC RIDING ACADEMY INC | PADUCAH, KY | $61,513 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| CHILD WATCH COUNSELING & ADVOCACY CENTER INC | PADUCAH, KY | $61,061 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| AUBURN UNIVERSITY | AUBURN, AL | $59,744 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL |
| PADUCAH JR COLLEGE INC | PADUCAH, KY | $59,360 | 2025 | YOUTH SERVICES |
| UNITED WAY MURRAY CALLOWAY | MURRAY, KY | $54,558 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| BRIENSBURG BAPTIST CHURCH | BENTON, KY | $52,615 | 2025 | DISASTER RELIEF |
| SOCCER FACTORY KY INC | MAYFIELD, KY | $52,000 | 2025 | DISASTER RELIEF |
| COLUMBIA ART HOUSE INC | PADUCAH, KY | $52,000 | 2025 | ARTS |
| BEYOND UGANDA | PADUCAH, KY | $51,579 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| WOODLAWN CHURCH | PADUCAH, KY | $50,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| MCCRACKEN CO EXTENSION OFFICE | PADUCAH, KY | $50,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| SAMFORD UNIVERSITY | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $50,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL |
| CITY OF PADUCAH TREASURER | LOUISVILLE, KY | $45,631 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| FAMILY SERVICE SOCIETY INC | PADUCAH, KY | $44,110 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH | PADUCAH, KY | $43,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| JOURNEY BAGS | MURRAY, KY | $42,533 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| KY TREASURY | FRANKFORT, KY | $42,113 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| MURRAY CALLOWAY CO NEED LINE | MURRAY, KY | $41,100 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| MERRYMAN HOUSE | PADUCAH, KY | $39,838 | 2025 | ARTS |
| RIVER DISCOVERY CENTER | PADUCAH, KY | $39,465 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| BROADWAY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | PADUCAH, KY | $37,610 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| MCCRACKEN CO HUMANE SOCIETY | PADUCAH, KY | $36,937 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| UNIVERSITY CHURCH OF CHRIST | MURRAY, KY | $34,280 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| PADUCAH QUILT MURALS INC | PADUCAH, KY | $29,240 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| MURRAY-CALLOWAY SR CITIZENS | MURRAY, KY | $27,020 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | HENDERSON, KY | $26,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| ASCENDIGO AUTISM SERVICES INC | CARBONDALE, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
REMAINING UNDER 5000
$5,452,818CAMP GRAVES
$195,000DISASTER RELIEF
PADUCAH PUBLIC SCHOOLS FDTN
$174,906YOUTH SERVICES
PADUCAH COOPERATIVE MINISTRY
$148,009SOCIAL SERVICES
HOPKINS CO LRDRC
$145,676DISASTER RELIEF
MARSHALL CO LONG TERM RECOVERY GRP
$142,310DISASTER RELIEF
FIRST UNITED METHODIST METROPOLIS
$124,661RELIGIOUS
DISASTER READINESS CENTER OF WEST KY INC
$118,000DIASTER RELIEF
SOUTHSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH
$111,934RELIGIOUS
HABITAT FOR HUMAN PENNYRILE REGION
$95,545SOCIAL SERVICES
COMMUNITY FNDT HENDERSON
$88,650SOCIAL SERVICES
HOPE INITIATIVE INC
$80,000DISASTER RELIEF
MARKET HOUSE THEATRE
$76,797ARTS
MURRAY CALLOWAY ENDOWMENT FOR HEALTHCARE
$73,897SOCIAL SERVICES
SOUTHLAND BAPTIST TEMPLE
$69,592RELIGIOUS
PADUCAH COMMUNITY KITCHEN
$68,758SOCIAL SERVICES
COMPASS 82
$65,900DISASTER RELIEF
MCCRACKEN CO COMMUNITY CAREER ENDOWMENT INC
$65,093SOCIAL SERVICES
CASSIDY'S CAUSE THERAPEUTIC RIDING ACADEMY INC
$61,513SOCIAL SERVICES
CHILD WATCH COUNSELING & ADVOCACY CENTER INC
$61,061SOCIAL SERVICES
AUBURN UNIVERSITY
$59,744EDUCATIONAL
PADUCAH JR COLLEGE INC
$59,360YOUTH SERVICES
UNITED WAY MURRAY CALLOWAY
$54,558SOCIAL SERVICES
BRIENSBURG BAPTIST CHURCH
$52,615DISASTER RELIEF
SOCCER FACTORY KY INC
$52,000DISASTER RELIEF
COLUMBIA ART HOUSE INC
$52,000ARTS
BEYOND UGANDA
$51,579SOCIAL SERVICES
WOODLAWN CHURCH
$50,000SOCIAL SERVICES
MCCRACKEN CO EXTENSION OFFICE
$50,000SOCIAL SERVICES
SAMFORD UNIVERSITY
$50,000EDUCATIONAL
CITY OF PADUCAH TREASURER
$45,631SOCIAL SERVICES
GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
$43,000RELIGIOUS
JOURNEY BAGS
$42,533SOCIAL SERVICES
KY TREASURY
$42,113SOCIAL SERVICES
MURRAY CALLOWAY CO NEED LINE
$41,100SOCIAL SERVICES
MERRYMAN HOUSE
$39,838ARTS
RIVER DISCOVERY CENTER
$39,465SOCIAL SERVICES
BROADWAY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$37,610RELIGIOUS
MCCRACKEN CO HUMANE SOCIETY
$36,937SOCIAL SERVICES
UNIVERSITY CHURCH OF CHRIST
$34,280RELIGIOUS
PADUCAH QUILT MURALS INC
$29,240SOCIAL SERVICES
MURRAY-CALLOWAY SR CITIZENS
$27,020SOCIAL SERVICES
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$26,000RELIGIOUS