Current WISH Award Recipients

Women’s leadership in philanthropy - whether high-profile or quietly strong and informal - is a powerful force in solving the challenges facing our families, our communities and our world.
Maureen O’Gara Hackett, Shaw-Hardy Taylor Award for Advancing Women’s Philanthropy Recipient

2025 Grant Award Recipients

The 2025 WISH grant awards were presented Sunday, September 21, 2025 at Erma Ora Byrd Hall to two nonprofits and two Shepherd Learning Projects. Each grant totaled $36,250.

Community Nonprofit Winner- Camp Frame

Nonprofit winner Camp Frame has served the community for nearly 100 years, but unfortunately many buildings on the property are without modern heating and air conditioning systems that make them viable for cold weather use. The WISH grant of $36,250 will provide for the installation of a new HVAC system. This will not only improve the overall quality of the camping experience, but it will enhance the camp’s ability to serve as a community relief center for the American Red Cross.

“Camp Frame 4-H is extremely honored to be selected for a 2025 WISH grant award. This award will allow us to finally start the process of bringing HVAC to our facilities, allowing us to open to a broader network of our community. We can add months of opportunities by heating earlier in the year and cooling during the hottest days of summer. The magic of camp is made by creating a safe, secured environment, where youth and adults alike can learn, grown, and inspire. Thank you for letting our facility have the opportunity to educate, engage, and empower our community” – Mikie Withrow, Berkeley County 4-H Extension Agent

Camp Frame representatives (l to r): Chase Brown, Huck Puffenburger, Mikie Withrow, and Denny Barron pose with Grant Committee Co-Chair Harriet Pearson (c)

Community Nonprofit Winner- Children’s Home Society of West Virginia

The Children’s Home Society in downtown Martinsburg serves the needs of children in the foster care system. In order to better support family visitations during out-of-home placement court cases, the organization needed to create a safe, comfortable atmosphere for these children and their biological families. The WISH grant funds will be used to redesign three visitation spaces to include new flooring, paint, furniture, décor, and play equipment.

“We are deeply grateful to Women Investing in Shepherd for awarding us this generous grant in support of our foster care program. Your investment will allow us to remodel three visitation rooms, creating warm, welcoming, and home-like spaces where family can reconnect and strengthen their bonds. This support is invaluable in helping us further our mission to promote the well-being of children.” – Kaitlin McKay, Permanency Supervisor

Children’s Home Society of WV staff (l to r) Adrianna Nicely, Kaitlin McKay, and Beverly Largent pose with Grant Committee Co-Chair Harriet Pearson (c)

Shepherd Learning Project Winner- Ruth Scarborough Library

Thanks to the $36,250 Shepherd Learning Project grant from WISH, along with additional funding from other sources, the Ruth Scarborough Library will add four modern, single-use study pods for student use. With current demand for study rooms exceeding availability, these sound-dampening pods provide a flexible solution: private, quiet spaces without the need for costly renovations. The new pods will give more students the focused environment they need to achieve academic success.

“The Scarborough Library is honored to be chosen for a 2025 WISH grant. This extraordinary gift will transform the student experience by providing much-needed individual study spaces that foster focus, productivity, and academic success. We are profoundly grateful to Women Investing in Shepherd for their vision, generosity, and commitment to empowering Shepherd students to achieve their goals” – Theresa Smith ’90 , Director

WISH Grant Committee Co-Chair Harriet Pearson (l) poses with Scarborough Library Director Theresa Smith (r)

Shepherd Learning Project Winner- Shepherd University Agricultural Innovation Center at Tabler Farm

A Shepherd WISH grant award of $36,250 was given to the Shepherd University Agricultural Innovation Center at Tabler Farm, which is located just one mile from main campus. Overseen by the Shepherd Entrepreneurial Research Center (SERC), the farm seeks to establish a new composting venture that will provide opportunities for students while reducing approximately $2,000 in annual operation costs. The WISH funds will purchase the necessary equipment for efficient composting that both rotates and grinds the material.

“The impact of the WISH grant for community-based composting is truly multifaceted. It helps the Agricultural Innovation Center (Tabler Farm) stand up a new activity which reinforces the farm as an experiential learning environment for students, while enabling them to understand how the concepts of sustainability and recycling actually can work. The grant provides three years of critical funding including the purchase of some basic equipment and an allocation of funds for student workers/internships. In its fully developed vision, this project also reinforces the ongoing link between Shepherd and the Shepherdstown community. We thank the WISH donors for sharing and enhancing this vision. ” – Dr. Ben Martz, Dean of the College of Business and Recreation, Director of Shepherdstown Entrepreneurial Research Corporation