Local Impact

Berkshire Taconic established the Fund for Columbia County in 1999 to help strengthen communities and improve the quality of life for the residents of Columbia County, N.Y. The fund serves as a permanent resource to help organizations create and implement programs that make life safer, healthier and more equitable.

Through its Grants for Community Impact program, the fund supports projects that further youth development, economic equity, civic and community engagement, the arts, education, the environment, and health and social services that directly impact the people of Columbia County.

Recognizing the significant needs of seniors in the county, the fund established a Grants for Aging with Dignity program in 2018. Starting in 2021, the fund is also making multi-year investments in innovative projects and services that support high school and college-age youth in making a successful transition from school to work.

$1.4M

Total amount of grantmaking since 1999

556

Total number of grants since 1999

Grantmaking Guidelines

Read about the Fund for Columbia County’s grantmaking guidelines and how to apply.

Grants for Community Impact: Support projects that create or enhance a deep, lasting and positive impact on the residents of Columbia County.

Grants for Aging with Dignity: Supports projects that create or enhance a deep, lasting and positive impact on seniors in Columbia County.

Grants for New Nonprofits: Provides funding for community groups that are in the process of becoming a nonprofit organization.

Skilling the Gap: Aims to expand the depth of career-oriented learning in Columbia and Greene counties by creating opportunities for educators, nonprofits and employers to learn together and take action.

  • Ancram Opera House, Writing on Your Feet: Developing Personal Narrative Writing Skills, $4,305
  • Columbia County Youth Theatre, From the Page to the Stage, $3,500
  • Germantown Library, Germantown's Natural Environment: An Exploration, $2,350
  • Glynwood Center, Building Food Sovereignty in Columbia County: Prioritizing Protein, $2,500
  • Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood, Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents, $5,000
  • Harmony Project Hudson, $5,000
  • High & Mighty Therapeutic Riding and Driving Center, Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood partnership, $2,344
  • Hudson Hall, City of Trash, $5,000
  • Ichabod Crane Primary School, 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, $4,150
  • Kinderhook Business & Professional Association, Classical Kids, $2,000
  • Kinderhook Memorial Library, Decodable Book Collection, $2,000
  • Kite's Nest, Social Justice Leadership Academy, $10,000
  • Mental Health Association of Columbia and Greene Counties, Creating a safe outdoor counseling space for groups and individuals, $4,891
  • Perfect Ten After School, THE RESET: Academic Rigor, $5,000
  • The Canary Project, The Toolshed Exchange, $3,500
  • The Hudson Literacy Fund, READ ONE BOOK! Project for 6th, 7th and 8th graders, $2,500

  • Camphill Ghent, Cultural Lifeline, $5,000
  • Hudson Area Association Library, Memory kits, collections and programming for person-centered care, $4,950
  • Neighbors of Northern Columbia County, Advancing Neighbors of Northern Columbia County: A Senior Self-Help Project, $4,500
  • North Chatham Free Library, How to Be More Eco-Friendly Program, $2,380
  • PS21, Virtual Theatre Arts with Nancy, $2,800

  • Columbia-Greene Community College, Career Connections, $50,000 over two years
  • Hudson Area Library, Craft Entrepreneurship for Tweens and Teens, $10,000
  • Hudson Hall, Live Arts & Media Workforce Development Program, $20,000
  • Kite's Nest, ReGen Teens and Emerging Builders, $35,000 over three years
  • Operation Unite, Youth in Action: Earn to Learn, $25,000 over two years

“We are truly thankful for the outpouring of community assistance for our students.”

- Joan Koweek, Columbia-Greene Community College

Advisory Committee

Peter Frank, Hudson, Chair

AnnaMaria Assevero, Stockport

Didi Barrett, Claverack

Sheldon Evans, Ghent

Hilary Dunne Ferrone, Spencertown

Michelle Kopec, Stuyvesant Falls

Tanu Kumar, Chatham

Lael Locke, Chatham

Katharine Millonzi, Germantown

Jodie Moore, Hudson

Jeffrey Mousseau, Ancram

Donate to the Fund for Columbia County

Make a secure online gift to the Fund for Columbia County on our donate page.

Are you 70 ½ years old or older? A qualifying charitable distribution (QCD) allows you to donate up to $100,000 per year to the Fund for Columbia County (or any eligible charitable organization) directly from your IRA and exclude it from your income. Please email our Philanthropic Services team at PS@BerkshireTaconic.org to learn more.

Double the size of your gift! Many employers offer matching gift programs, allowing you to double the amount you give just by filling out a simple form. Check with your employer to learn more. Berkshire Taconic’s tax ID # is 06-125-4469.