Initiatives & Impact
Working in four counties across three states for 36 years, Berkshire Taconic has mobilized over $225 million to help our communities thrive.
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
The building blocks for stronger communities
By responding to our region’s highest priority issues, while addressing their root causes, Berkshire Taconic is expanding the role of philanthropy as a force for change. We’ve aligned our work around a set of strategic priorities where we believe philanthropy can make a measurable difference.
STRENGTHENING NONPROFITS
We touch crucial aspects of community life and countless lives each year
A trusted partner to donors, organizations and community leaders, we make competitive and discretionary grants to meet changing needs in our region. We work in partnership with other funders to strengthen the leadership, management and adaptive capacities of nonprofits large and small, established and new.
Building a Culture of Learning
Berkshire Taconic has increased its capacity to better understand and grow the impact of its grants, programs and strategic priorities. In recent years, we have built out the foundation’s Strategy, Evaluation and Learning functions to create a continuous cycle of improvement:
- Strategy: Strategic planning, program theory and measures contribute to strategic direction
- Evaluation: Data collection, analysis and reporting generate findings and knowledge
- Learning: Lessons learned, program improvement and knowledge sharing influence course corrections and strategy refresh
Ultimately, strategy work helps us make decisions on how best to address our strategic priorities with the foundation’s resources, and evaluation produces findings and knowledge that – coupled with systematic review, reflection and dialogue – drive learning and improvement. As our work progresses, we are committed to supporting, commissioning and contributing to evaluation and research projects and sharing what we learn with the community.
Local & Regional Philanthropy
Partnering for impact
Our area funds for specific parts of our geography make competitive annual grants and invest in our strategic priorities. In partnership with donors, other funders, government and nonprofits, we support students, neighbors in need and projects to solve persistent challenges, often over a multi-year period.