When Allie Canton and Gabe Bassin moved to Millbrook in 2021, they found a place where relationships and connections run deep. At the same time, their experiences revealed that even in a place like Millbrook, often perceived as well-resourced, unmet needs exist. “Some might think people in Millbrook don’t need help,’” Allie noted, “yet, when you scratch below the surface, there’s a lot more need than meets the eye.”

The couple knew they wanted to get more involved with their community; they just needed to learn the best way to do it. Through a conversation with their neighbor Susan A., they were introduced to Sarah Stack, chair of the Northeast Dutchess Fund, who offered a helpful “lay of the land” for local philanthropy and introduced them to Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. From there, one introduction led to another—eventually connecting Allie and Gabe to Rural Immigrant Student Empowerment (RISE), a local nonprofit empowering immigrant youth and families. For Allie, who has family roots in Honduras, supporting the local immigrant community was a meaningful way to start getting more involved.

Allie and Gabe continued to have conversations with friends and neighbors and began to better understand the landscape of local nonprofits and ways that they could better contribute, not just with donations, but with time and relationships. For them, giving locally has begun to hold a special kind of meaning. “When you give locally, you see the impact as you drive through your town,” Gabe said. That immediacy matters—it connects their philanthropy to daily life and makes generosity visible.

That sense of connection is part of what makes Millbrook distinct. Whether it’s running into neighbors at Marona’s Market or hearing about a need through word of mouth, Allie and Gabe have come to see how quickly people show up for one another. When a devastating fire hit a local farm in 2024, they watched the community rally. Neighbors helped with cleanup, farmers shared resources, and, alongside many others, they contributed to a recovery fund even without knowing the family personally. It reinforced the idea that generosity here is relational, and it spreads quickly.

Their instinct to give back is rooted in how they were raised. Allie describes growing up in a family where giving wasn’t about wealth, but about sharing what you had. Even small efforts like a lemonade stand came with an expectation to share something back. Gabe brings a similar perspective through the Jewish tradition of tzedakah, and together they are passing those values on to their children.

Connecting with BTCF helped them discover ways to structure that instinct. As Allie explained, “We’d been talking for years about wanting to give more locally, but we weren’t approaching it systematically.” When they established their Donor Advised Fund at BTCF, it became a tool to help them organize their giving and be more intentional. The simplicity of the DAF also held appeal as something they could easily involve their children in one day, without the complexity and administrative burden of other arrangements.

As they deepened their involvement, they also began to see that philanthropy itself is often hidden in plain sight. Like many others, their early experiences with giving were informal—responding to a friend running a marathon for a cause or other one-time requests—before evolving into something more intentional. That shift raised new questions: how much to give, where to give, and how to stay engaged.

Over time, Allie and Gabe have come to understand the critical role philanthropy plays in sustaining the organizations communities rely on. With that understanding has come a desire to make the process feel less opaque. By sharing what they’ve learned and talking openly about giving, they hope to help others feel more confident stepping into their own role as donors.

For Allie and Gabe, generosity isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about being willing to begin, ask questions, build relationships, and take part in something larger than themselves. In Millbrook, they’ve found a place where those small acts of connection and care ripple outward, strengthening not only individual organizations, but the entire community.

Allie serves on the board of RISE and Foundation for Community Health (FCH).