To encourage human development in West Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania through strategically placed charitable resources.
The Foundation's grant programs are guided by principles honoring the belief in "helping people help themselves," cultivating community creativity, nurturing leadership, encouraging cross-boundary projects for maximized service access and economic growth, expecting collaboration across sectors, advancing innovative practices with sustainable benefits, and supporting projects contributing to public policy advancement. Focused on West Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania, the Foundation chiefly invests in these regions, emphasizing education and economic development. In education, the Foundation aims at enhancing academic achievement and workforce preparation, prioritizing teacher quality and innovative instructional tools, and promoting partnerships that extend learning beyond classrooms into communities, businesses, and higher education. In economic development, the Foundation supports innovation-driven activities, regional planning, entrepreneurship, technology-based development, and efforts that generate wealth and quality jobs, along with bolstering agriculture, outdoor recreation, artisanship, and cultural tourism in rural communities.