Mission

The mission of the Ligonier Valley Education Trust is to support and promote a broad range of educational activities, projects, and programs for residents in all communities of the Ligonier Valley.

The Ligonier Valley Education Trust is 30!

This marks the 30th year for the Education Trust to be awarding grants to local community organizations. To date, over 340 grant requests have been funded totaling over $125,000.

In 1996, Tom and Tina Thoburn made an initial contribution to the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County (CFWC) to create a donor-advised fund. A group was assembled to create a formal body of people that would determine the methodology for selecting recipients of yearly grants from the fund and to provide the CFWC with recommendations for disbursements. The group became the original Trustees of the Ligonier Valley Education Trust (LVET).

Some of the original Trustees include Milroy “Bud” Carnahan, LeRoy “Whitey” Schaller, and Vanessa Roddy. 

What We Do

The LVET fund was created to provide small grants for educational projects that were not otherwise able to get funding. LVET funds grants for educational projects that benefit citizens of all ages within the Ligonier Valley School District. To apply for a grant an organization must have 501(c)(3) status. 

The LVET awards up to 15 grants annually worth up to $750.00 each.

How To Apply

The grant application process is simple. Applicants complete a one-page application explaining their proposal. In 2026, grand applications were available through the LVET Facebook page beginning in August. The deadline to submit a grant was September 8, 2026. 

Grant recipient organizations are asked to submit photographs or other documentation of the project once it has been completed. One year is given for the completion of all projects. 

An annual reception is sponsored by LVET to recognize the grant recipients. Each recipient shares how the grant supported their project.