Overview

As Berkshire Taconic's primary source of discretionary resources, the Community Fund plays a unique role in advancing our community leadership and response to pressing issues. Through these annual investments, we seize opportunities to lead on issues, respond to urgent needs and launch new projects with the potential for powerful results around our region.

By leveraging partnerships with our area funds, gifts from generous donors and other resources, we made investments totaling over $235,000 in 2021. The projects funded innovative ideas in education, entrepreneurship and community engagement, while also meeting basic needs such as housing and food. Here’s how these gifts are going to work in our communities.

COMMUNITY FUND

The Community Fund supports our community leadership and response to pressing issues and priorities, using grantmaking and other tools that contribute to measurable impact. As our primary source of discretionary resources, the fund plays a unique role in helping Berkshire Taconic invest in partners and programs that would otherwise lack such funding. Through these investments, we seize opportunities to lead on issues, respond to urgent needs and launch new projects with the potential for powerful results.

Thanks to generous donors to the Community Fund, we have made investments totaling over $235,000 in 2021. The projects funded support innovative ideas in education, entrepreneurship and community engagement, as well as meeting basic needs such as housing and food.

Here’s how these gifts are going to work in our communities.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT // $84,058 INVESTED

OUR GOAL

Increase involvement, foster connections and harness the skills and expertise people can bring to organizations and communities

GRANTS

  • Berkshire Taconic’s new Bridging Divides, Healing Communities initiative supports community-building activities aimed at strengthening relationships and trust at the local level, especially among people who hold different points of view or come from different backgrounds. The initiative has included two grant cycles (with 36 awards), a four-part speaker series and a youth film challenge.
  • BRIDGE conducted an anti-racism workshop for a network of cross-sector leaders in Berkshire County
Volunteers for Columbia County Sanctuary Movement, which is a new Neighbor-to-Neighbor Fund partner in supporting families in crisis

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY // $49,250 INVESTED

OUR GOAL

Strengthen entrepreneurship and the conditions that allow the economy to grow and residents to prosper

GRANTS

  • Gateway to Entrepreneurial Tomorrows for Camino a la Prosperidad (Pathway to Prosperity), a four-part program for women and youth focused on empowerment, life skills and entrepreneurship
  • The Housing Collective to co-create, support and facilitate housing solutions that prevent and end homelessness across the northwest corridor in Connecticut
  • A Community Navigator pilot program is being designed to reduce barriers that underrepresented and underserved entrepreneurs face in accessing programs they need to recover, grow or start a business
  • The Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corporation for support of Pittsfield’s application for federal relief resources
  • The Basilica Hudson Farm & Flea for underwriting the costs of booths for black entrepreneurs at this 10,000-square-foot seasonal market

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT // $50,000 INVESTED

OUR GOAL

Increase educational attainment across the age continuum, from early childhood through adult learning, as a
pathway to greater economic mobility

GRANTS

  • Berkshire Innovation Center for an intensive experiential learning program for high school students and recent graduates with an interest in technology, engineering or advanced manufacturing
  • Berkshire Community College for 20 students to enroll in a Certified Manufacturing Associate credential
  • The North Adams School District for monthly coaching and supplies for a new education program serving adult English language learners
Staff at Sharon Playhouse will participate in a six-month program focused on adaptive leadership for small nonprofits in northwest Litchfield County

REBUILDING AND RECOVERY // $51,875 INVESTED

OUR GOAL

Lead funder collaboratives and nonprofit partnerships around our region to help stabilize, re-envision and rebuild the nonprofit sector

GRANTS

  • The Neighbor-to-Neighbor Funds for Columbia County and northeast Dutchess County to expand partnerships with trusted immigrant-serving groups and distribute resources to families in crisis
  • The Northwest Connecticut Funders Collaborative for a six-month program for nonprofit leaders focused on adapting and thriving in the face of challenge.

DONATE TO THE COMMUNITY FUND

Gifts to the Community Fund provide flexible resources for BTCF to quickly and effectively respond to pressing issues.

Donate to the Community Fund

Yonah Sadeh of Falls Village won the Bridging Divides, Healing Communities Youth Film Challenge.

Community Engagement

Our Goal

Increase involvement, foster connections and harness the skills and expertise people can bring to organizations and communities

Grants

  • Berkshire Taconic’s new Bridging Divides, Healing Communities initiative supports community-building activities aimed at strengthening relationships and trust at the local level, especially among people who hold different points of view or come from different backgrounds. The initiative has included two grant cycles (with 36 awards), a four-part speaker series and a youth film challenge.
  • BRIDGE conducted an anti-racism workshop for a network of cross-sector leaders in Berkshire County


“Once people were able to tell their stories and feel some sort of empathy, you started to see those shields melt down, and people listen more and be willing to be heard.”

- Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson, Bridging Divides, Healing Communities grantee

Economic Opportunity

Our Goal

Strengthen entrepreneurship and the conditions that allow the economy to grow and residents to prosper

Grants

  • Gateway to Entrepreneurial Tomorrows for Camino a la Prosperidad (Pathway to Prosperity), a four-part program for women and youth focused on empowerment, life skills and entrepreneurship
  • The Housing Collective to co-create, support and facilitate housing solutions that prevent and end homelessness across the northwest corridor in Connecticut
  • A Community Navigator pilot program is being designed to reduce barriers that underrepresented and underserved entrepreneurs face in accessing programs they need to recover, grow or start a business
  • The Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corporation for support of Pittsfield’s application for federal relief resources
  • The Basilica Hudson Farm & Flea for underwriting the costs of booths for black entrepreneurs at this 10,000-square-foot seasonal market

Educational Attainment

Our Goal

Increase educational success across the age continuum, from early childhood through adult learning, as a pathway to greater economic mobility

Grants

  • Berkshire Innovation Center for an intensive experiential learning program for high school students and recent graduates with an interest in technology, engineering or advanced manufacturing
  • Berkshire Community College for 20 students to enroll in a Certified Manufacturing Associate credential
  • The North Adams School District for monthly coaching and supplies for a new education program serving adult English language learners
Staff and board at Chore Service will participate in a six-month program focused on adaptive leadership for small nonprofits in northwest Litchfield County

Nonprofit Rebuilding & Recovery

Our Goal

Lead funder collaboratives and nonprofit partnerships around our region to help stabilize, re-envision and rebuild the nonprofit sector

Grants

  • The Neighbor-to-Neighbor Funds for Columbia County and northeast Dutchess County to expand partnerships with trusted immigrant-serving groups and distribute resources to families in crisis
  • The Northwest Connecticut Funders Collaborative for a six-month program for nonprofit leaders focused on adapting and thriving in the face of challenge.