Local Impact
The Central Berkshire Fund was established in 2001 by David Mixer, who set in motion a community effort to build an endowment to improve the quality of life in his native Dalton and the surrounding Hilltowns.
The fund was conceived to serve a broad cross-section of community needs, reaching across town borders to combine resources for the benefit of residents long into the future. It supports programs in the arts, education, the environment, health and social services. The fund's advisory committee also responds to emerging needs with one-time grants as funding allows, and contributes to the advancement of the foundation’s impact areas with multi-year funding.
$1M
Total amount of grantmaking since 2001
353
Total number of grants since 2001
Read about the fund's grantmaking guidelines and how to apply.
- Becket Arts Center , Story workshops with Ken Cheeseman and Paula Langton. $6,000
- Berkshire AHEC, Berkshire County Mental Health First Aid, $5,000
- Berkshire Community Diaper Project , Diaper distribution, $3,500
- Berkshire Immigrant Center, Operating support, $3,500
- Berkshire Nursing Families, Central County Project, $3,000
- Central Berkshire Regional School District, Weekend Backpack Program, $7,500
- Central Berkshire Regional School District, Ukulele instruction , $4,200
- Community Access to the Arts , A return to in-person programs for people with disabilities, $5,000
- Community Legal Aid, Central Berkshire Project, $5,000
- Dalton Council on Aging & Senior Center, Technology improvements, $4,852
- Dalton CRA, CRA Hall of Fame, $5,000
- Dalton CRA, Family programming, $5,000
- Hilltown Village/It Takes a Village, Basic needs for Berkshire children, $5,000
- IS183 Art School of the Berkshires, ARTcentric: Berkshires for Craneville and Becket-Washington elementary schools, $4,000
- Jacob's Pillow, Curriculum in Motion at Becket-Washington School, $5,000
- Tamarack Hollow Nature and Cultural Center, Caribbean drumming festival and programs on birds of prey and the boreal forest, $6,500
- Tapestry, Berkshire County sexual and reproductive health clinics, $3,000
- The Becket Athenaeum, Community adult and family programs, $7,000
“We keep our fees affordable, but it is hard for some parents when they need after school care Monday – Friday throughout the school year. Your scholarship funding helped supplement payments for these grateful families.”
- Alison Peters, Dalton CRA
Advisory Committee
Pamela Green, Pittsfield, Chair
Margaret Cahill, Dalton
Ethan Klepetar, Becket
Mark Mcllquham, Dalton
Rev. Stephen Philbrick, Windsor
Donate to the Central Berkshire Fund
Make a secure online gift to the Central Berkshire 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 Central Berkshire 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.
