Written by Shannon Amidon Castille
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation (BTCF) recently endorsed a “Public Statement from Philanthropy,” a national expression of support for First Amendment rights. The local philanthropic organization was the second signer in Massachusetts.
The public statement cautions funding agencies not to agree to “obey in advance” and bend to political pressure by pausing their efforts to assist community groups who need support and protection. This “is the best advice you can get when you’re in an environment in which a turn toward authoritarianism is looming,” BTCF Interim President Kara Mikulich says in the journal article.
When Mikulich signed the statement, she knew it was the right thing. What she didn’t know is that her foundation would gain national attention in an article in the Nonprofit Quarterly, the leading national journal in the nonprofit sector. The “Public Statement from Philanthropy” announces that “as charitable giving institutions, we are united behind our First Amendment right to give as an expression of our own distinct values.”
“Signing on is an important expression of our principles as a community foundation,” says Mikulich. “We will always stay true to our values. We are sending a clear reminder about how much we care about our communities.”
As she states in the Nonprofit Quarterly, “That’s why foundations exist. We exist to strengthen the nonprofits that meet so many community needs … and they’re especially vital for our most vulnerable neighbors.”
Guaranteed Income Program for Columbia County
On May 1, BTCF opened applications for a new two-year pilot program that provides monthly payments of $500 to single-parent/-caregiver households with children aged six and under: Guaranteed Income for Columbia County.
Two families in each town in Columbia County, for a total of 42 families, will be offered this opportunity via town lottery. Columbia County’s Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood serves as the program’s administrative partner.
BTCF Philanthropic Services Interim Director Kelly Sweet, who spearheaded the pilot, said, “I’m beyond thrilled to share that this dream, two years in the making, is now a reality—BTCF Guaranteed Income for Columbia County opened its application on May 1 and received a strong response. This pilot is about more than monthly payments.”
She added, “The Guaranteed Income Program establishes strong, stable foundations during early childhood, the most critical years of a child’s life, and changes what’s possible for families in Columbia County.
This recent initiative is the latest in BTCF’s focus on uplifting marginalized and vulnerable community members. BTCF launched the Equity Fund, developed by Gwendolyn VanSant of Multicultural BRIDGE in 2021. The Equity Fund supports Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) leaders and organizations through a community-led grant-making program, targeted investments, and strategic partnerships.
In 2024, the Equity Fund’s first year of grant making mobilized nearly $240,000 for 22 BIPOC grantees. This spring, BTCF renewed its financial commitment to the fund.
The “Public Statement from Philanthropy” was initiated by three large philanthropic organizations: the McKnight Foundation, the Freedom Foundation, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and was issued by the Council on Foundations, a 75-year-old nonprofit membership organization.
Support the Equity Fund here. Note: Massachusetts’ charitable contribution deduction was instituted in 2023. In addition to federal tax deductions, it provides a powerful tool to encourage giving.
‘A Public Statement from Philanthropy’
From the McKnight Foundation, the Freedom Foundation, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, cosigned by the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation:
Everyone—wherever we’re from or whatever our point of view—wants to live in a nation that upholds the fundamental rights and liberties we all deserve and need to thrive.
As charitable giving organizations – private and family foundations, community foundations, corporate foundations, and more – we contribute to communities in every corner of America. Together, we support new parents and elders, veterans and school children, hospitals and libraries, churches and food kitchens, artists and researchers, throughout rural, suburban, and urban communities in every state and territory. Yet in this moment, we face the threat of governmental attacks on our ability to carry out this vital mission, when the communities, organizations, and individuals we support need it most.
We don’t all share the same beliefs or priorities. Neither do our donors or the communities we serve. But as charitable giving institutions, we are united behind our First Amendment right to give as an expression of our own distinct values. Especially in this time of great need, we must have the freedom to direct our resources to a wide variety of important services, issues, and places, to improve lives today and build a stronger future for our country. The health and safety of the American people, our nation’s economic stability, and the vibrancy of our democracy depend on it.
