About West Virginia University Foundation
To enrich the lives of those touched by West Virginia University by maximizing charitable support and providing services to the University, its students and affiliated organizations.
Focus Areas
ScholarshipsAcademicsHealth SciencesWVU MedicineStudent supportFaculty development and researchPublic healthEntrepreneurship and innovation
Who They Fund
students of West Virginia University
Funding Style
direct service / program supportscholarships / financial aidinstitutional support to a single university
About West Virginia University Foundation
West Virginia University Foundation Inc’s recent giving is dominated by very large, recurring transfers to West Virginia University for student support. The three largest grants on file all went to the university in Morgantown, including $21,453,699 in 2024, $21,030,449 in 2025, and $14,448,635 in 2023. That pattern matches the foundation’s stated role: maximizing charitable support and services for the university, its students, and affiliated organizations. The foundation’s grantmaking is tightly linked to student aid and campus support. Its active programs include WVU Foundation Scholarships, Endowed Scholarships, Annual Scholarships, and the Augusta Scholarship Fund, all centered on privately funded awards for WVU students. The scholarship structure ranges from permanent endowed funds that continue in perpetuity to annual awards supported by donor contributions. One program, the Augusta Scholarship Fund, is specifically designed for need-based undergraduate scholarships at WVU. Leadership is listed under Cynthia L Roth, President & CEO, and the foundation reports a large asset base supporting this university-centered model of giving.
What West Virginia University Foundation Funds
Scholarships are the clearest theme in the foundation’s recent and program-level activity. WVU Foundation Scholarships provide privately funded awards to West Virginia University students, and the endowed version is built to pay out in perpetuity. Need-based aid is another visible priority. The Augusta Scholarship Fund pools memorial and honor gifts to support need-based undergraduate scholarships at WVU, tying donor contributions directly to student financial assistance. The foundation also supports university-wide student aid through annual scholarship giving. Its annual scholarships are donor-funded, non-endowed awards, with a minimum pledge of $2,000 per year for five years required to start a new scholarship. Across these programs, the focus stays on students of West Virginia University rather than broad external grantmaking.
How West Virginia University Foundation Gives
Grant sizes are highly concentrated, with a p25 of $17,739,542, a median of $21,030,449, and a p75 of $21,242,074. That distribution reflects a small set of very large institutional awards rather than many smaller grants. The recent record also shows continuity: West Virginia University appears repeatedly across 2023, 2024, and 2025, indicating recurring support rather than isolated one-off awards. The foundation is structured around institutional support to a single university, with restricted-purpose grants aimed at students. It also administers both endowed and annual scholarship vehicles, and its annual scholarship program is donor-funded rather than open-ended.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$21M
Total Assets
$3B
Total Revenue
$242.5M
Total Expenses
$153.9M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $17.7M and $21.2M, with a median of $21M.
25th Percentile
$17.7M
Median
$21M
75th Percentile
$21.2M
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
About 100% of grants go to recipients in WV.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Cynthia L Roth
President & CEO
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