Endowment

The Community Foundation of Washington County MD gives grants to other nonprofit organizations and manages charitable endowment funds for groups and individuals. The Community Foundation was started in 1997 with less than $10,000. By 2006, that had grown to about $11 million. Individuals, families, corporations, institutions, courts, bequests, private foundations and charitable organizations may establish funds through the Community Foundation. Each fund must begin with a minimum donation of $1,000 in cash or property.

BOONSBORO - Like many who call Washington County's South County home, Randy Thompson and his wife, Jennifer, love this area where they live. They are also prepared to put their money where their mouth is and are encouraging others to do the same as the South County Endowment Fund gets off the ground. A board member of the Community Foundation of Washington County, Randy Thompson said this new fund points out that Washington County is more than Hagerstown. "We are always looking for a chance to help the whole community, not just Hag-erstown," he said.

The Chambersburg Area School District Foundation has announced the inclusion of the Duffield Alumni Scholarship to its endowment program. The Duffield Alumni Scholarship, in the amount of $600, will be awarded each May to a student who attended Duffield Elementary School for at least three years. Recognizing the importance and value of education, in 2001 and 2002 parents and teachers of Duffield Elementary Parent Teachers Organization began exploring the idea of establishing a scholarship for Chambersburg Area Senior High School seniors who attended Duffield Elementary, to encourage them to continue their post-graduate education.

The Drew Michael Taylor Foundation and the Summit Health Community Health department recently received grants from Summit Endowment to aid them in implementing or continuing programs to benefit the community. The grant awarded to the Drew Michael Taylor Foundation will be used to expand the foundation's grief and loss lending library. The grant awarded to Summit Health's Community Health Department will be used for a Drop 10 in 10 with Smart Technology program. This program is an enhancement to the weight loss education now being offered in Summit Health's GetFit!

After five years, the Waltersdorf-Henson Endowment Challenge Campaign has achieved its goal of raising $5 million through the Community Foundation of Washington County MD Inc. and 15 other local nonprofits. The money raised will be matched by the endowment. The challenge ended in December with more than $10 million being raised through the campaign and the matching endowment grant. The total raised through the campaign was $10,144,964.84, according to Marsha Jackson, director of marketing and communication for the Community Foundation.

The Johns Hopkins University is known throughout the world for medical research, but the late Hagerstown businessman Michael G. Callas remembered his alma mater by endowing a professorship for his profession, civil engineering. Somnath Ghosh, who holds joint faculty appointments in Hopkins' departments of Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, was installed Dec. 5 as the first Michael G. Callas Professor of Civil Engineering in a ceremony at the university. Callas, who died in 2004, earned his bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1943 at Hopkins and his master's degree in structural engineering in 1947, according to the biography provided by the university.

Hagerstown Community College recently announced the addition of four new endowed scholarships due to the generosity of Jack and Anna Hershey, both of Hagerstown. The Hershey family donated more than $120,000 in proceeds from the HCC Foundation Tribute Dinner, held annually in March in HCC's Athletic, Recreation and Community Center. Each year, members of the HCC Foundation recognize philanthropists and community leaders for their dedication and efforts to improve life in Washington County.

When he was a kid, just 12 or 13 years old, Thomas C. Newcomer spent time working in the orchards of his hometown of Smithsburg. A few years before that, Newcomer, now 51, caught the giving bug. While working with his grandfather on the family farm, Newcomer had a conversation with his grandfather that still resonates in his life, and the lives of others. “What do you want to do when you grow up?” his grandfather asked. “I want to travel. I want to see the world,” Newcomer recalled replying.

alician@herald-mail.com About 50 area women gathered from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, at the home of Cynthia Perini to learn more about a new organization called The Women's Giving Circle. Last spring, Perini and Jeanne Singer, who serve on the board of trustees for the Community Foundation of Washington County, were encouraged by fellow board members to explore the idea of a local philanthropic women's group. They teamed up with financial planner Shelby Penn-Ross and did just that.

The Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce announced Thursday that its Centennial Endowment Fund has reached $150,000 in donations and pledges. The money will be used to support programs in education, workforce development and leadership. The chamber unveiled a plaque with contributors' names at its annual business breakfast at Wilson College. The chamber publicly launched the fund drive on Aug. 21, its 100th anniversary. The Centennial Endowment Fund was created through one of its affiliates, the Greater Chambersburg Chamber Foundation, to ensure that the chamber will continue to positively impact future generations.