A trusted partner to donors, organizations and community leaders, we make competitive and discretionary grants to meet changing needs in our region and work closely with donors as they pursue their philanthropic interests.

In partnership with generous donors, our funding helps promote education, the arts, civic life, the well-being of individuals and families and more – connecting people to ideas, opportunities and each other.

We are grantmakers who go beyond traditional philanthropy with vision and leadership to make sure more of our neighbors have opportunities for economic mobility and a high quality of life.

$14M

Grants and scholarships awarded in 2021

$7.16M

Ten-year average of grantmaking

77%

Percentage of grants that remain in our region

Berkshire Taconic helps create collaborations with community foundations and other funders across our region to deliver tailored support and assistance to nonprofits as they recover and rebuild from the pandemic.

Designed to meet needs originally identified by nearly 1,500 nonprofit professionals, the programs we offer include technical assistance, capacity-building programs, and other support for nonprofit staff and board leaders.

• The Massachusetts Community Foundations Partnership—a coalition of 14 community foundations, Philanthropy Massachusetts and Massachusetts Nonprofit Network—offers workshops and intensive learning cohorts on topics such as centering equity and strategic planning.

• The Hudson Valley Funders Network partners with the New York Council of Nonprofits to offer coaching, guidance and support to nonprofit organizations nonprofits in the Hudson Valley, as well as Berkshire and northwest Litchfield counties. Nineteen foundations and organizations are involved in the network.

• Four foundations that serve northwest Connecticut have funded an adaptive leadership program for smaller nonprofits. This approach helps people and organizations thrive in the face of challenge and prepare for change. Local nonprofits participating in the first cohort are Chore Service (Salisbury); Fishes and Loaves (North Canaan); Housatonic Youth Service Bureau (Falls Village); Music Mountain (Falls Village); and Sharon Playhouse (Sharon).

• A 2022 special grants program provided a total of $60,000 in funding for planning and technical assistance for nonprofits with budgets under $1 million. Berkshire Taconic also offers an annual scholarship for a local board leader to attend Harvard Business School's Governing for Nonprofit Excellence.