Local Impact
Berkshire Taconic formed the Northeast Dutchess Fund in 2001 to improve the quality of life in this region. Launched with a $100,000 challenge grant from Judy and Russ Carson, part-time residents of Millbrook, the fund set in motion a community effort to build an endowment dedicated to these towns, villages and hamlets, and their residents.
Through its annual grantmaking cycle, NED seeks to support new or existing projects, programs or organizations that have a meaningful and positive impact on the residents of NED, with particular emphasis on low-income and/or historically underserved adults and children.
In order to respond to unmet needs of the growing immigrant population, NED and the Carson Family Charitable Trust partnered to launch the NEDCorps program in 2007. Initially, the program supported two social workers who traveled throughout the region to help their clients access resources including Medicare, Medicaid or other health insurance; literacy and translation services; prescription drug programs, food pantries, shelters, mental health programs, emergency cash grants and more.
The program has since grown to comprise three core elements: an expansion of the original mobile case management program; a grants program for organizations that serve and support immigrants; and investments in educational programming designed to support young adults’ successful transition from school to work and improved earning potential.
$4.48M
Total amount of grantmaking (including cash assistance) since 2001
660
Total number of grants since 2001
Read about the fund’s grantmaking guidelines and how to apply.
- Astor Services for Children & Families, Chromebooks for Wingdale Head Start, $3,000
- Center of Compassion, Backpack program, $10,000
- Clinton Community Library, Optimistic Aging: Overcoming Challenges During COVID-19, $6,000
- Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County, 4-H Cloverbud Summer Learning, $10,000
- Engaging People in Community (EPIC), Program expansion, $15,000
- Food of Life/Comida de Vida Pantry, Essential food relief program, $10,000
- Hudson River Housing, Tri-Town Coalition: Securing the Future of Affordable Housing, $10,000
- Innisfree Foundation, 2021 Innisfree Garden Community Days, $5,000
- Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, Free civil legal services, $10,000
- Long Table Harvest, Gleaning programs, $2,750
- Millbrook Early Childhood Education Center, Scholarship assistance, $5,000
- Millerton Adopt-A-Family, Christmas 2021, $6,000
- North East Community Center, Rural Model for Sustainable Child Care Services, $10,000
- Rebuilding Together Dutchess County, Safe and healthy housing, $6,000
- Rock Steady Farm and Flowers, Operational support, $10,000
- Sisters Hill Farm (Seton Ministries), $5,000
- Stonewood Community Project, First Harvest Community Garden and Pantry, $5,000
- The Susie Reizod Foundation, New shoes donation program for children in need, $3,000
- Vecinos Seguros, Essential food relief program, $2,500
- Wassaic Project, General operating support for summer 2021 programming, $10,000
- White Pine Community Farm, Preservation and expansion of farm business-based programming, $5,000
“These funds have allowed us to provide weekly backpacks to children who would otherwise not be eating nutritious meals when the schools are not in session.”
- Karen Finnerty, Center of Compassion
Advisory Committee
Sarah S. Stack, Clinton Corners, Chair
Annemarie C. Abrams, Dover Plains
Diana Bontecou, Millbrook
Gloria G. Callen, Millbrook
Wendy Curtis, Millerton
Deban Flexner, Millbrook
Nancy N. Hathaway, Millbrook
Ken Holzberg, Millbrook
David Offensend, Wassaic
Daphne Richards, Stanfordville
Nancy Stahl, Millbrook
Donate to the Northeast Dutchess Fund
Make a secure online gift to the Northeast Dutchess Fund 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 Northeast Dutchess Fund (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.
