Everett Leggett

In 2000, Everett J. Leggett saw a need for a charitable giving vehicle that would serve Doddridge County. Thus, he was instrumental in founding the Doddridge County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Parkersburg Area community Foundation. The purpose of the Foundation was to build permanent funds (endowments) that would support charitable causes in Doddridge County, WV, forever.

Since that time, the Doddridge County Community Foundation has grown to hold seven different permanent charitable funds with assets totaling approximately $144,000. The Foundation gives funds back to the community through community action grants, scholarships and other distributions to support charitable causes in the county. The growth of the Doddridge county Community Foundation has shown a ray of hope for this small rural county in West Virginia.

The Foundation that Everett helped established in 2000 is a vehicle to build permanent support that will benefit Doddridge County and its citizens in perpetuity. The Doddridge County Community Foundation is helping all citizens of the county in one way or another by funding non-profit organizations to help with community-based projects or by awarding a scholarship to a student to help them achieve their higher educational goals. It not only serves the community leaders of Doddridge County, but also those that are organizations, students and all citizens to achieve a goal on their own.

There is demonstrated impact resulting from the establishment of the Doddridge County Community Foundation and its funds. For example, in 2006 alone, the Board of the Doddridge County Community Foundation awarded $520 in grants in scholarships was awarded to graduating seniors from Doddridge County High School to help them pursue their higher educational goals. Of the $5,000 total awarded in scholarships, $4,000 came from Mr. Leggett's fund, the Doddridge County Promise Scholarship, to five deserving students. Impact of this important community service is also shown by individuals, other foundations and businesses donating their funds and time to help promote this important charitable vehicle.

Community foundations offer a unique and innovative way to solving problems for any community. Community foundations offer a charitable giving vehicle for individuals to support the causes they care about the most. Even more importantly, the funds of community foundations are permanent and will support charitable causes in perpetuity. By helping establish the Doddridge County Community Foundation, Mr. Leggett was not just looking for an innovative and unique way to create opportunities for Doddridge County now, but was also looking for an innovative and unique way to support charitable causes in Doddridge County far into the future.