Women Investing in Shepherd Offers Funding for Shepherd University Projects and Area Nonprofits

ISSUED: 21 January 2026
MEDIA CONTACT: Hans Fogle

SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV - Women Investing in Shepherd (WISH) invites Shepherd University groups and nonprofits addressing critical community needs to submit letters of inquiry for the organization's 2026 grant cycle. Total funding for the cycle will be $146,500.

WISH will award four grants in 2026: two Shepherd University Learning Project grants of $36,625 each and two nonprofit grants of $36,625 each. Shepherd University groups must be University-sanctioned, and eligible nonprofit organizations must be designated as 501(c)(3) public charities.

Shepherd Learning Project applicants must submit a letter of inquiry by March 15, and nonprofit applicants must submit by March 1. All applicants will be notified of their eligibility to submit a full grant proposal.

In 2025, WISH awarded four grants totaling $145,000 to two Shepherd University Learning Projects and two community nonprofits. Since 2015, WISH has awarded more than $1.46 million in high-impact grant funding.

WISH is a women's giving circle composed of both alumnae and community members and was established in 2014 by the Shepherd University Foundation. The organization was created to educate, engage and empower women to achieve their philanthropic goals.

For information about submitting a letter of inquiry, visit tinyurl.com/2026WISHGRANTS. For additional information about the organization, contact Meg Patterson, director of donor engagement and strategic initiatives, at 304-876-5021 or [email protected].

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