Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation - [image of young people in drum circle]
Grant Seekers

Grant Guidelines: Quailwood Scholarship

Vision and History of the Fund

Jonathan Schor (1946-2004), a resident of Red Rock for thirty years, established the Quailwood Fund before he died to create an endowment to generate annual grants “to provide community support in the Red Rock, Columbia County, New York area for public services and improvement of the quality of life, for conservation work, public recreation facilities, fire and rescue facilities and educational scholarships.”

According to Jon’s wishes, the Quailwood Fund has an advisory board that consists of the presidents of the Red Rock Volunteer Fire Company, the Red Rock Historical Society, the Canaan Conservation Club, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and the executive director of the Columbia Land Conservancy.

The Quailwood Fund and its Advisory Board looks to the long term needs of the Red Rock community. It remains open to new ideas and possibilities to improve and enrich the quality of life for the residents of Red Rock.

Through its grantmaking programs, the Quailwood Fund works to help retain a strong sense of community in Red Rock by bolstering community gatherings, encouraging a diversity of participation in the life of the community and supporting a wide range of social and economic opportunities for residents.

There are four Grant Programs to support the vision of the Quailwood Fund:

  • The Quailwood Scholarship Fund for Students is for Red Rock residents who are graduating high school seniors or adult residents who wish to attain a college, graduate or professional degree.
  • The Quailwood General Fund supports nonprofit organizations or public entities that provide programs/projects that benefit the residents of and that take place in the Red Rock area.
  • The Red Rock Emergency Relief Fund provides one-time assistance for residents who find themselves in dire straits.

    • Berkshire Taconic is proud to serve as steward for the Quailwood Fund and is committed to upholding the highest standard of quality and integrity in administering and reviewing applications submitted for these programs. All staff and committee members adhere to strict confidentiality and conflict of interest policies.

    Quailwood Geographic Service Area

    The Quailwood Fund serves the community of Red Rock, NY. For the purposes of the Quailwood Fund, Red Rock is defined as roughly the current boundaries of the Red Rock Fire District in the towns of Austerlitz, Canaan and Chatham, New York described as follows:

    1. Columbia County Route 9 south from the intersection of Columbia County Route 24 to the Austerlitz town line. Columbia County Route 9 north from the intersection of Columbia County Route 24 for a distance of 0.6 miles.

    2. Clark Road west from the intersection of Columbia County Route 9 to the intersection of Raup Road.

    3. The entire lengths of Columbia County Route 24, Schoolhouse Road, Lee O’Knobit Road, Overlook Road, Lamoree Road, Mercer Mountain Road, Heather Lane, Walden Road, Ridge Road, Doe Run, Schor View Drive, Pierson Road, Cody Lane, Oak Lane, The Narrows Road, Madison Avenue and Pine Lane.

    4. Cemetery Road north from the intersection of Columbia County Route 24 to the intersection of Schor View Drive.

    5. Stonewall Road south from the intersection of Columbia County Route 24 for a distance of 1.3 miles.

    6. Macedonia Road from the intersection of Columbia County Route 5 to a point 0.2 miles east of the most easterly intersection of Stonewall Road.

    7. Columbia County Route 5 north from the southern end of Barrett (Fog Hill) Pond to the intersection of Mercer Mountain Road.

    8. Fog Hill Road west from the intersection of Columbia County Route 5 for a distance of 0.3 miles.

    Straight lines drawn (as shown on the below map) connecting the end points of the highway descriptions listed above shall establish “Red Rock” for the purposes of this grant with the addition of the property owned by the Canaan Conservation Club on Frisbee Street in the Town of Canaan. If a question should arise concerning any location which may lie within Red Rock, as described above, a tax bill indicating a tax for the “Red Rock Fire Protection District” shall be considered proof of that property being within Red Rock.

    Quailwood map

    Eligibility

    First Time Applicants Must:

  • Be a graduating high school senior.
  • Have been a full time resident within Red Rock* during most of the last two years of high school. An exception may be made for boarding school students whose family residence is in Red Rock.
  • Be accepted at a college or professional program.

    • Adult (24 or older) Applicants Must:

  • Have been a full time resident within Red Rock* during most of the last two years of high school. An exception may be made for boarding school students whose family residence is in Red Rock.
  • Be accepted at a college or professional program.

    • Awards

    Awards generally range between $1,000 and $3,000.

    Applicants will be informed of Berkshire Taconic’s decision within two months of the deadline date.

    Review Criteria

    The committee will review applications and materials submitted and make their decisions according to the following criteria:

    The Student’s:

  • Academic Achievement and Potential
  • Efforts and Ambitions to Achieve His/Her Academic and Life Goals
  • Financial Need
  • Significance of the Scholarship Award to the Student

    • Applications will be reviewed by the CHA-NEL Scholarship Fund Advisory Committee. This is a committee of Columbia County residents who are active in community and academic affairs that gives multi-year awards to graduates of Chatham and New Lebanon high schools. Their recommendations will be reviewed by Berkshire Taconic’s Board of Directors.

    If you have any questions about the fund, email us at grants@berkshiretaconic.org.