Spirit of Philanthropy Awards Program

West Virginia is fortunate to have a state of individuals, organizations, and staff who contribute their time, talent and travel to spread the Spirit of Philanthropy. In 2007, Philanthropy West Virginia founded the Spirit of Philanthropy Awards Program to recognize outstanding philanthropic leaders for their generosity in support of their communities, regions, and state. The Spirit of Philanthropy Awards Program has three awards (Volunteer Leadership, Staff Leadership, and Critical Impact) that are announced at the Annual Conference each year.

2023 Honorees:

• Kim Weaver, Executive Director of Weirton Christian Center; 
• Judith “Judy” Ritchie, Executive Director Emerita of Parkersburg Area Foundation
• Claudia Raymer and the Ohio County Food Security Team.

2021 Honorees:

• Lifetime Achievement in Individual Philanthropy:  Major General Kenneth D. Gray
• Critical Impact Award: Charleston Creativity Connections
• Staff Leader Award: Robert “Bob” Boone, Bernard McDonough Foundation
  
• Individual Philanthropist Award: Reed Byers
  
• Corporate Responsibility Leader: Elm Grove store of Riesbeck’s Food Markets
  
• West Virginians Recognized with the 2021 Spirit of Philanthropy Awards (news article)

2020 Honorees:

• Critical Impact Award: Beckley Area Foundation COVID-19 Relief Efforts
• Staff Leadership Award: Marian Clowes, Parkersburg Area Community Foundation
• Volunteer Leadership Award: Billy Atkins
• Corporate Responsibility Award: Star Plastics

2019 Honorees:

• Critical Impact Award:  Foundation for the Tri-State (FTSC) & America’s Best Communities Huntington Collaborative (stand in for FTSC is Philanthropy WV board member Janell Ray)
• Volunteer Leader:  Jean Clark, Preston County, WV and Board Member of Your Community Foundation of North Central WV
• Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Leader: C.J. Kaiser, Wheeling, WV and long-time board member of the Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley
• Corporate Responsibility Leader: Dominion Energy and Inaugural Award recipient
• Staff Leader:  Tamara Mullins, Nicholas County Community Foundation
• Lifetime Achievement Staff Leader: Sheri Ryder, The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation

2018 Honorees:

• The Critical Impact Award: Two honorees for their crowd-funding collaboration: Parkersburg Area Community Foundation and Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley

• The Volunteer Leadership Award: Mimi Wilson of the West Virginia Child Advocacy Network’s Board of Directors. .

• The Lifetime Volunteer Leadership Award goes to Dr. Usha Vasan for her long-time commitment to the Mid-Ohio Valley community. 

• The Staff Leadership Award: Kim Barber Tieman of the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation

• The Lifetime Staff Leadership Award: William “Pat” Getty, retiring president of the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

2017 Honorees