To ensure educational opportunities for deserving students and to enhance the academic excellence of Shepherd University.
Shepherd University Foundation Inc centers its giving on Shepherd University itself, with two very large general-expense grants accounting for most of the recent dollar flow: $843,070 in 2023 and $669,006 in 2024. That pattern fits a funder built around institutional support rather than broad external philanthropy. Beyond the university’s core operations, the foundation also funds nearby community organizations and campus-linked projects in Shepherdstown and the surrounding West Virginia region. Recent support reached Shepherdstown Public Library Foundation for general support, Contemporary American Theater Festival for general support, and Berkeley Co Meals-on-wheels Inc in Martinsburg for general support in both 2023 and 2024. The foundation’s active programs show the same institutional and student-centered orientation through scholarship endowments, program funds, and WISH pooled grants for regional nonprofits and approved Shepherd University programs. Its stated purpose is to ensure educational opportunities for deserving students and enhance academic excellence at Shepherd University.
Student support is a major thread. The Moler General Scholarship Endowment provides need-based general academic scholarships, and the broader scholarship funds support need-based and merit awards for Shepherd students. Academic and campus support also appears through program endowments and general enhancement funds tied to academic colleges, campus needs, and university priorities. The foundation’s recent grants to Shepherd University were marked as general expenses, which aligns with that operating-style support. Community funding extends beyond the campus through WISH pooled grants. Those grants are designed for regional 501(c)(3) nonprofits and approved Shepherd University programs working on critical community needs, local and state impact, and capacity-building projects. Recent recipients in the grant list include Martinsburg-based service organizations and Shepherdstown cultural institutions.
Typical grants are modest compared with the foundation’s largest awards: the p25 size is $10,455, the median is $15,212, and the p75 is $31,406. The distribution suggests a two-track pattern: a small number of large institutional grants, plus a broader set of mid-sized general-support awards. The grant list also shows repeat support to the same recipients across years, including Berkeley Co Meals-on-wheels Inc and Contemporary American Theater Festival. The foundation is structured around endowed funds, annual funds, and pooled WISH grants, with some programs accepting unsolicited LOIs through WISH.
$1.3M
$49.3M
$4.3M
$2.2M
Most grants fall between $10K and $31K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$31K
SHERRI JANELLE
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Giving is highly local, with 83% of grants going to recipients in West Virginia and all recent grants landing in the United States. Shepherdstown is the main recipient city in the list, alongside Martinsburg and one grant to Greenville, North Carolina. The program structure also points to regional West Virginia counties in the Shepherd University service area, especially through WISH grants.
The foundation supports Shepherd University itself, student scholarships, faculty excellence, academic programs, athletics, library and campus facilities, and regional community nonprofits. Its active WISH programs also support approved Shepherd University programs and regional 501(c)(3) nonprofits addressing critical community needs or local and state impact.
It uses endowed and annual scholarship funds, including the Moler General Scholarship Endowment and named scholarship funds. These support need-based and merit scholarships for Shepherd University students, with some funds directed to general academic scholarships and others tied to named awards.
Yes, through the WISH pooled grant programs. Those programs invite 501(c)(3) nonprofits serving the regional service area to submit letters of inquiry, and invited applicants then submit full proposals.
Very local. 83% of grants go to recipients in West Virginia, and the recipient list includes Shepherdstown, Martinsburg, and Greenville, North Carolina, with all recent grants recorded in the United States.
The grant-size distribution is modest: p25 is $10,455, median grant size is $15,212, and p75 is $31,406. The recent record also includes a small number of much larger institutional awards to Shepherd University.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Shepherd University Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Open to gifts from alumni, parents, friends, faculty, and staff to support the university broadly; not a competitive grant program for external applicants.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHEPHERD UNIVERSITY | SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV | $1,071,036 | 2026 | GENERAL EXPENSES |
| SHEPHERD UNIVERSITY TABLER FARM | SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV | $36,250 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RUTH SCARBOROUGH LIBRARY | SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV | $36,250 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHILDREN'S HOME SOCIETY OF WV | MARTINSBURG, WV | $36,250 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CAMP FRAME | HEDGESVILLE, WV | $36,250 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES | MARTINSBURG, WV | $26,750 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB | MARTINSBURG, WV | $26,750 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN THEATER | SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV | $15,650 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LITERACY VOLUNTEERS OF THE | MARTINSBURG, WV | $14,082 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SHEPHERD UNIVERSITY | SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV | $1,395,582 | 2025 | GENERAL EXPENSES |
| JEFFERSON COUNTY COMMUNITY MINISTRI | CHARLES TOWN, WV | $35,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SHEPHERDSTOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY | SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV | $31,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN THEATER | SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV | $15,100 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GIRLS ON THE RUN SHENANDOAH VALLEY | MARTINSBURG, WV | $11,833 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BERKELEY SENIOR SERVICES | MARTINSBURG, WV | $10,625 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SHEPHERD UNIVERSITY | SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV | $669,006 | 2024 | GENERAL EXPENSES |
| SHEPHERDSTOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY | SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV | $31,875 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BERKELEY CO MEALS-ON-WHEELS INC | MARTINSBURG, WV | $15,625 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN THEATER | SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV | $14,700 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BERKELEY SENIOR SERVICES | MARTINSBURG, WV | $10,625 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EASTERN AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTE | GREENVILLE, NC | $9,945 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SHEPHERD UNIVERSITY | SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV | $843,070 | 2023 | GENERAL EXPENSES |
| SHENANDOAH COMMUNITY HEALTH FOUNDAT | MARTINSBURG, WV | $31,250 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BERKELEY CO MEALS-ON-WHEELS INC | MARTINSBURG, WV | $15,625 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN THEATER FESTIVAL | SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV | $14,800 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EASTERN AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTE | GREENVILLE, NC | $9,945 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COMMUNITY NETWORKS INC | MARTINSBURG, WV | $6,250 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
SHEPHERD UNIVERSITY
$1,071,036GENERAL EXPENSES
SHEPHERD UNIVERSITY TABLER FARM
$36,250GENERAL SUPPORT
RUTH SCARBOROUGH LIBRARY
$36,250GENERAL SUPPORT
CAMP FRAME
$36,250GENERAL SUPPORT
GENERAL SUPPORT
CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN THEATER
$15,650GENERAL SUPPORT
LITERACY VOLUNTEERS OF THE
$14,082GENERAL SUPPORT
SHEPHERD UNIVERSITY
$1,395,582GENERAL EXPENSES
JEFFERSON COUNTY COMMUNITY MINISTRI
$35,500GENERAL SUPPORT
SHEPHERDSTOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY
$31,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN THEATER
$15,100GENERAL SUPPORT
GIRLS ON THE RUN SHENANDOAH VALLEY
$11,833GENERAL SUPPORT
BERKELEY SENIOR SERVICES
$10,625GENERAL SUPPORT
SHEPHERD UNIVERSITY
$669,006GENERAL EXPENSES
SHEPHERDSTOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY
$31,875GENERAL SUPPORT
BERKELEY CO MEALS-ON-WHEELS INC
$15,625GENERAL SUPPORT
CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN THEATER
$14,700GENERAL SUPPORT
BERKELEY SENIOR SERVICES
$10,625GENERAL SUPPORT
EASTERN AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTE
$9,945GENERAL SUPPORT
SHEPHERD UNIVERSITY
$843,070GENERAL EXPENSES
SHENANDOAH COMMUNITY HEALTH FOUNDAT
$31,250GENERAL SUPPORT
BERKELEY CO MEALS-ON-WHEELS INC
$15,625GENERAL SUPPORT
CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN THEATER FESTIVAL
$14,800GENERAL SUPPORT
EASTERN AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTE
$9,945GENERAL SUPPORT
COMMUNITY NETWORKS INC
$6,250GENERAL SUPPORT