PROGRAM INFORMATION

Planning and Technical Assistance Grant Program

To help our region’s nonprofit staff, board members, and volunteers better achieve their missions, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation regularly offers grant funding, workshops, learning opportunities and leadership development.

In addition to this support, we also recognize that from time to time nonprofits have a need or an opportunity to engage in a capacity building project that requires immediate additional resources. These projects can range from strategic planning assistance, board development, organizational assessments, evaluating business models and fundraising strategies, to website and database enhancements.

We seek to provide flexible funding to allow an organization to seize an opportunity to 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. We particularly seek projects that strengthen the governance and diversity of smaller nonprofit boards.

Organizations with defined projects approved by their boards are encouraged to apply. Project proposals should be able to illustrate how investing in this capacity building strategy now will result in enhanced organizational strength, resiliency, or effectiveness and how this hoped for outcome will result in the ability to advance their mission.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must:

• Be incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization or operate under fiscal sponsorship of a 501(c)(3) organization.
• Be based in and serve residents of the Berkshire Taconic region of Berkshire, Columbia, northeast Dutchess and northwest Litchfield counties. Fiscal sponsors may be located outside of the region.
• Not include in its by-laws or practice discrimination against a person or group on the basis of age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or religious belief.
• Have a funding need that is not eligible for consideration by a Berkshire Taconic area fund or have a funding need that falls outside an area fund’s grantmaking cycle.
• Priority will be given to organizations with operating budgets under $1 million annually.
• Preference will be given to organizations that have not received prior funding from this grant program.

AWARDS

Grants range up to $10,000 for a single year.

PROJECT EXAMPLES

For information purposes only (similar projects are not guaranteed funding):

• Hire a consultant to assist your organization in strategic planning
• Hire an outside facilitator to conduct board listening sessions on roles and responsibilities
• Pay for technical assistance training in building organizational capacity (finance, HR, fundraising)
• Hire a consultant to do an organizational assessment
• Training for current staff to implement new technology (CRM, website, database, etc.)

REVIEW CRITERIA

Applications will be reviewed fairly and competitively using the following criteria:

• Potential for funding to strengthen the organization’s governance and diversity.
• Impact of the organization on the residents of the Berkshire Taconic region.
• Potential impact of the proposed capacity building project on the longer-term effectiveness of the organization.
• Demonstrated need for BTCF funding at this point in time.
• Readiness of the organization to implement proposed project, as communicated by the applicant (e.g., organization history, organization health and/or capacity goals, or significant changes to the organization).
• Preference will be given to organizations with mission and programs that are in alignment with the foundation’s strategic priorities, namely increasing educational attainment, community engagement and economic opportunity. Foundation staff in making decisions will also seek to ensure there is proportional funding across the foundation’s region.

REPORTING

As part of the foundation's effort to learn and understand the results from this program, participating grantees in the Planning and Technical Assistance Grant Program will be invited to participate in a post-grant conversation with a BTCF staff member or complete a narrative report.