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Career Readiness By The Numbers

BTCF is fortunate to have strong partnerships with local organizations that enhance our community’s future through youth career readiness programs, and support for their work comes from a variety of BTCF funds. 

2023 Investments ($444,375)

$173,110 for Columbia County for school to work programming

$130,000 to Berkshire County for internships and apprenticeships

$79,000 to Northeast Dutchess County for career exploration and internships

$62,265 to Northwest Litchfield County for middle school summer enrichment program

 

2023 Results

176 internships and apprenticeships

339 high school students across all counties completed career exploration

48 middle school students completed career exploration

Wassaic Project After-School Art Club

Art Club students gather at least twice a week during the school year in the Maker Space at the Wassaic Project. In this creative oasis, students have two hours to delve into their creative projects with a well-equipped art studio at their disposal and guidance from education coordinator Jill Winsby-Fein.

 

 

 

Philanthropy in Our Backyard

Learn About and Support a Variety of Local Organizations and Causes

Childcare, early literacy, health care, the environment, and housing are causes that Deb Lans supports through her Donor Advised Fund at BTCF.  “There are lots of wonderful local organizations addressing these issues…It’s actually incredible. Yet, they don’t always rise to the surface.” 

Berkshire Taconic can connect donors with local nonprofits making a positive impact in the region. 
 

Learn more about opening a fund at BTCF.

Regional Roundup: Spring 2024 Grantees

Fund for Columbia County Grantees

The Fund for Columbia County awarded $180,425 in this cycle, funding 40 Columbia County nonprofits. In addition, the Fund designated $40,000 for Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s Neighbor-to-Neighbor initiative, which provides one-time grants to residents in crisis, and $25,000 for Planning and Technical Assistance grants.

  • Ancram Center for the Arts (Formerly Ancram Opera House)
  • Ayni Herb Farm
  • Beautiful Racket
  • Bindlestiff Variety Arts
  • Center For Regenerative Ecological Education & Enterprise Development
  • Chatham Public Library
  • Copake Hillsdale Farmers Market
  • Claverack Free Library
  • Coarc
  • Columbia Childrens Center
  • Columbia County Habitat for Humanity
  • Columbia County Recovery Kitchen
  • Columbia County Sanctuary Movement
  • Columbia-Greene Addiction Coalition
  • Columbia Pathways to Recovery
  • Common Ground Dispute Resolution
  • Family Resource Centers of Columbia County
  • FASNY Museum of Firefighting
  • Flying Deer Nature Center
  • Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood
  • Harmony Project Hudson
  • High & Mighty Therapeutic Riding and Driving Center
  • Hillsdale Safe at Home Committee
  • Hudson Area Association Library
  • Hudson City School District
  • Hudson Hall
  • Kinderhook Memorial Library
  • Kite's Nest
  • Literacy Connections
  • New York Folklore
  • North Chatham Free Library
  • Perfect Ten After School
  • Philmont Public Library
  • PS21/Center for Contemporary Performance
  • Reentry Task Force of Columbia County
  • Roeliff Jansen Community Library
  • Super Stories
  • The Canary Project
  • The Sylvia Center
  • Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood

 
 


Northeast Dutchess Fund Grantees

Northeast Dutchess Fund (NED), which supports 11 towns in the county, has awarded a total of $254,350 to support 29 nonprofits providing crucial services to the community. The fund also granted a total of $19K for Planning and Technical Assistance to Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue and the Wassaic Project. 

  • Center of Compassion: Operations Support Grant
  • Clinton Community Library: Optimistic Aging 2024
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County: Literacy in Action
  • Dover Union Free School District*: Dover Guitar Program for Youth
  • Food of Life/Comida de Vida Pantry: Food Insecurity Missions at St. Thomas Amenia
  • Habitat for Humanity of Dutchess County: Mobile Home Repair & Replacement Program
  • Hudson Valley Hospice: Charity Care for Under or Uninsured Patients
  • Innisfree Foundation: 2024 Innisfree Community Days
  • Legal Services of the Hudson Valley: Free Civil Legal Services
  • Long Table Harvest: Social & Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE), The Gleaning Program
  • Millbrook Early Childhood Education Center: Scholarship Assistance Program at Millbrook Early Childhood Education Center (MECEC)
  • Millbrook Library: Millbrook Library Connectivity Kits & Public Computer Update
  • New Pine Plains Herald*: General Operating Support
  • North East Community Center, Inc.: General Operating Support, Transportation Program Assistant, Adopt-a-Family Program
  • Northeast Dutchess Immigrant Services (NEDIS): Operations Support
  • NorthEast Millerton Library: Music in the Annex 2024 Concert Series
  • Nuvance Health*: Workforce Development Program: Career Readiness Initiative at Sharon Hospital
  • Rebuilding Together Hudson Valley: 2024 Rebuilding Day Program Support
  • Rock Steady Farm and Flowers: General Operating Support
  • Sisters Hill Farm: Ten full CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) food shares
    for low-income residents
  • Sky High Farm*: Sky High Farm Food Access Program
  • Stonewood Community Project: The Market Garden at Stonewood
  • The Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse*: Personal Safety Program
  • The Susie Reizod Foundation: New Shoes Donation Program for Economically Insecure Children
  • Town of Dover*: For Those Who Work in Acres, Not Hours: Cultivating Fertile Minds at the Farm
  • Village of Millerton: Century Boulevard Redevelopment Planning & Design Project
  • The Wassaic Project: General Operating Support
  • Willow Roots: Willow Roots Food Pantry & Giving Box
  

Arts Build Community - Berkshire County

Arts Build Community awarded over $400,000 to arts organization in Berkshire County as part of our Community Engagement strategic priority. 

ABC Incubation Grants

Funding for projects that test emerging ideas to more effectively engage residents in the arts and creative process. Projects are designed to reduce barriers identified by BTCF’s community-based participatory research, which include cost, transportation, social discomfort, time constraints, and fear of rejection based on race and social class.

  • 18 Degrees, Inc.
  • Arts in Recovery for Youth (AIRY)
  • Barrington Stage Company
  • Berkshire Music School
  • Berkshire Pulse Inc.
  • Community Access to the Arts
  • Community Recreation Association (CRA)
  • Images Cinema
  • Latinas413
  • Let it Shine! Public Art Partnership
  • Life Needs Coop Inc. DBA Stanton Home
  • Literacy Network of South Berkshire
  • Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
  • Roots & Dreams and Mustard Seeds Inc.
  • Second Street Second Chances, Inc.
  • Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute
  • Tamarack Hollow Nature & Cultural Center
  • The Adams Theater Presents Inc
  • WAM Theatre

 

 

 


 

Resident Leadership Engagement Grants
Funding for projects that activate community members, artists, and leaders who engage lower-income community members, communities of color, youth, immigrants and other historically marginalized groups in the arts.

  • Barrington Stage
  • Berkshire Pulse
  • Community Access to the Arts
  • Mahaiwe
  • Mass MoCA
  • The Mount
  • WAM Theatre

 

Planning and Technical Assistance Grants
Organizations can refine their strategy, invest in board development, and evaluate and refine program delivery at a time when their missions are needed most by the communities they serve. 

  • Berkshire Art Center
  • Berkshire Busk!
  • Berkshire Children's Chorus
  • Berkshire County Historical Society
  • Berkshire Opera Festival
  • Berkshire Pulse
  • Community Access to the Arts
  • Dewey Memorial Hall
  • Edith Wharton Restoration
  • Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival
  • Tamarack Hollow Nature & Cultural Center
  • The Bidwell House
  • WAM Theatre


 

  

Northwest Litchfield County - Community Health & Wellness Center Opening

 




 

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