GRANT GUIDELINES

INTRODUCTION

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation established the Fund for Columbia County (FCC) in 1998 to help strengthen communities and improve the quality of life for everyone in Columbia County. The fund serves as a resource for organizations that make life safer, healthier, and more equitable for all residents of the county.

GRANTS FOR GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT

Through its General Operating Support Grants, FCC supports organizations that have a deep, lasting, and positive impact on the residents of Columbia County, with particular emphasis on low-income and underserved adults and children. 

FCC’s primary focus areas include:

• Youth development
• Education
• Services for the elderly
• Health and social services
• Civic and community engagement through arts, culture, and education

First-time applicants or projects outside these focus areas: Please contact Leila Kaplan at lkaplan@berkshiretaconic.org before submitting your application. 

ELIGIBILITY

• Non-Profit Status: Organizations must have IRS-designated 501(c)(3) status or an existing fiscal sponsor.
• Service Area: Organizations must be in and/or actively serve Columbia County residents. If you have locations outside the region, you must demonstrate local presence through indicators such as locally based staff, regional offices, or programs targeting our region’s residents.
• Years in Operation: Organizations must have at least three (3) years of recent operating history.
  Fiscally sponsored organizations are eligible; in these cases, the organization itself—not the fiscal sponsor—must meet the three-year operating requirement.
• Operating Budget: Strong preference for organizations with operating budgets under $5 million

What Can Be Funded:

These Grants provide flexible general operating support, which may include:

• Personnel and overhead costs
• Planning and implementation of programs
• Technology, equipment, or material costs
• Strategic planning, staff/board development, and/or succession planning
• Investments to increase organizational capacity
• Other annual operating expenses

What Cannot Be Funded:

The following are not eligible for funding:

• Individuals
• Sectarian or religious organizations (unless serving as fiscal sponsor for a broad community benefit)
• K-12 schools (public, private, or charter)
• Government entities (municipalities, fire districts, etc.)
• "Friends" organizations supporting schools, municipalities or government agencies
• Private foundations
• For-profit organizations
• Endowments or capital campaigns (funding must be used towards annual operating expenses)

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

Neither the Fund for Columbia County nor Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation support organizations that discriminate in their constitution, bylaws, or practice based on age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender/gender identity, socioeconomic status, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or religious belief

AWARDS

• Grant range: $5,000 to $15,000
• Timeline: Funding supports operations for 12 months from the date of the grant award.

REPORTING

• You must submit a follow-up report within 12 months of receiving the grant.
• All applicants must complete a follow-up report for any prior funding before submitting a new application

APPLICATION TIMELINE

The application opens on Jan. 1. Applications are due Feb. 15.

REVIEW CRITERIA

Applications will be evaluated using the following criteria: 

Impact
FCC’s volunteer review committee evaluates the needs the organization addresses and evidence of past effectiveness along with the potential to strengthen its work. They also consider how FCC’s funding can reach all parts of Columbia County, giving priority to applicants serving demographic, geographic or issue areas that are underrepresented in our current grant portfolio.

Equity
The committee prioritizes organizations working with communities that face structural barriers, including BIPOC, low-income, geographically isolated, LGBTQIA+, disabled, refugee, or immigrant communities. Additional consideration is given to first time applicants and organizations with BIPOC leadership.

Organizational Capacity
The committee looks for organizations with strong operational foundations—experienced teams, the agility to respond to changing circumstances, and sound financial management.

HOW GRANT DECISIONS ARE MADE

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation establishes committees of volunteer community members with varied experience and expertise to participate in a structured review process. BTCF staff facilitate these committees to ensure adherence to IRS regulations and published criteria for each grant cycle. 

Funding recommendations are based on where grants can have the largest impact and leverage, and take into consideration total scores, alignment with our mission, and available resources.

Committee members follow the Foundation's confidentiality and conflict of interest policies. BTCF staff partner with committee chairs to recruit new members who serve three three-year terms. This model leverages volunteers with interest in and knowledge of their communities to bring the Foundation's funding strategies to each part of the Berkshire Taconic region.

Funding recommendations are reviewed by Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation's Board of Directors.

QUESTIONS? Please contact Leila Kaplan at lkaplan@berkshiretaconic.org