Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

Berkshire Taconic Awards More Than $25,000 to 20 Columbia County Nonprofit Organizations

June 11, 2009

Great Barrington, MA—Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation announced today that 20 nonprofit organizations in Columbia County have been awarded grants from two of its area funds: the Fund for Columbia County and the Quailwood Fund. The Quailwood Fund provides grants for the Red Rock area and the Fund for Columbia County serves the entire county.

The Fund for Columbia County awarded $24,727 to 18 organizations:

Animalkind, Inc: $1,000 to subsidize the cost of pet care, including spaying/neutering, emergency care and vaccination.

Catholic Charities of Columbia and Greene Counties: $2,500 to establish a program to educate, support and assist the caretakers of children placed in Kinship Foster Care.

Clausson Raught Community Rescue Squad: $1,500 to purchase three fully equipped First Response Gear Bags and Automated External Defibrillators. This equipment is used in emergency medical situations to begin treatment before the ambulance arrives.

Columbia County Community Health Care Consortium: $2,000 for “Assuring Your Wishes,” an online Healthcare Proxy registry established by the Partnership in Palliative Care, which provides discussions about end-of-life issues.

Columbia County Council on the Arts: $1,000 to upgrade website functionality and capability.

Columbia County Historical Society: $1,500 for a technology assessment that will provide increased public access to an online library catalog and photo database, as well as faster responses to membership inquires and renewals.

Columbia County Youth Bureau: $1,000 for the Youth Leadership Award Ceremony.

Concerted Effort, Inc.: $2,000 to document and analyze progress of individual students participating in “Beyond Paper and Pencil” at John L. Edwards Elementary School.

Crellin Park Foundation: $888 for skateboarding helmets, picnic tables and field trips organized by the Youth Summer Recreation Program.

Friends of Chatham Public Library: $1,000 for a new book drop.

Friends of Taconic State Park: $589 to erect a marker designating the Copake Iron Works as a national and state historical site.

Hudson Opera House: $1,500 for Open Studio, a free weekly arts workshop serving at-risk children and teens.

Lebanon Valley Historical Society: $1,000 for computers and image creation equipment to digitize the collection, making it more available to the public.

The Nature Institute, Inc.: $1,250 for forest maintenance to ensure safety of groups and individuals visiting the preserve.

New Lebanon Library: $1,000 to develop multicultural programs for all age groups in the community.

Reach Center: $2,000 to develop a recruitment, training and retention plan for a 24-hour crisis hotline for survivors of interpersonal violence.

Twin County Recovery Services: $2,000 to provide monthly Parent Groups for families of chemically-dependent teens receiving treatment services.

Walking the Dog Theater: $1,000 for general operating expenses that will allow the theater to retain its staff and provide workshops to more than 4,000 people.

The Quailwood Fund awarded $1,000 to two organizations: Canaan Conservation Club: $500 to refinish interior floors and replace a sign.

Red Rock Volunteer Fire Company: $500 to help pay overhead costs of planning an annual Father’s Day Pancake Breakfast.

The Fund for Columbia County and Quailwood Fund are overseen by a committee of local residents who review grant applications and award grants based on excellence of the project or service, its impact on the organization or community and the ability of the organization to carry out the project. The Fund for Columbia County is currently focusing its grantmaking on initiatives and programs that are critical to sustaining the community in difficult times.

The next deadline for grant applications for the Fund for Columbia County and Quailwood Fund is April 1, 2010. Applications are available here or by calling Berkshire Taconic at 413.528.8039.

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation builds stronger communities and improves the quality of life for all residents of Berkshire County, MA; Columbia County and northeast Dutchess County, NY; and northwest Litchfield County, CT. Thanks to its generous donors, in 2008 Berkshire Taconic distributed nearly $9 million in scholarships and grants for programs in the arts and education, health and human services, and environmental protection. Berkshire Taconic is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization.

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