Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

Berkshire Taconic Awards Over $62K to 37 Columbia County Nonprofit Organizations

August 3, 2011

SHEFFIELD, MA—Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation announced today that 37 nonprofit organizations in Columbia County have been awarded grants from two of its area funds: the Fund for Columbia County and the Quailwood Fund. The Quailwood Fund provides grants for the Red Rock area and the Fund for Columbia County serves the entire county.

The Fund for Columbia County and the Quailwood Fund are two of 11 permanently endowed area funds which serve a specific geographic and further the foundation’s mission to improve the quality of life for all residents of the region it serves. These two area funds have supported over 160 organizations with grants for a broad range of projects in the arts, civic interests, health and human services, education, the environment and youth.

“The grant from the Fund for Columbia County allows Literacy Connections, located at the Hudson Library, to replace very old computers. Our adult students now have an updated computer lab on which to practice their reading and writing skills, email notes home, and search for jobs on-line,” said Margaret Pfaff, Executive Director of Literacy Connections.

The Fund for Columbia County awarded $39,414 to 33 organizations:

Bindlestiff Family Variety Arts: $1,200 to provide free access to Columbia County Youth Circus Programs.
Catholic Charities of Columbia and Greene Counties: $1,500 for the Market Pantry Program to strengthen and expand their food pantry with a client choice option.
Chatham Foundation: $1,000 to install a new book drop at the Canaan Library.
Church of St John in the Wilderness: $1,000 towards preserving the historic Bell Tower.
Columbia County Habitat for Humanity: $1,030 for equipment and software to increase capacity for community organizing and fundraising.
Columbia County Historical Society: $1,000 to purchase new technology to strengthen constituent services.
Concerted Effort: $2,000 for “Beyond Paper and Pencil,” to bring performing arts into classrooms with the goal of increasing literacy and building community through the arts.
Copake Community Service Corp.: $1,000 to fully restore the clock tower in the heart of Copake.
Family Resource Centers of Columbia County: $907 to replace the FRC’s only administrative computer.
FODfest: $1,000 for FODfest in the Schools, a free educational program for junior high and high school students that focuses on the community-building power of music.
free103point9: $1,000 in operational support for the new radio station in Hudson, WGXC 90.7
Friends of Historic St. Peter's Church: $1,000 for repairs to Historic St. Peter's Church in Spencertown.
Friends of Town of Kinderhook Trails: $1,500 for safety and informational materials needed to open the initial phase of the new trail system in Kinderhook.
Hillsdale/Copake Rail Trail Alliance: $1,000 for the completion of design and engineering plans for a five mile stretch of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail from Copake Falls to Hillsdale.
Hudson Area Library: $2,000 for resources to help individuals successfully search for and obtain employment.
Hudson Opera House: $1,500 for the Hudson Teen Theatre Project to engage youth to learn acting techniques, and how to adapt, stage, and produce plays.
Kinderhook Memorial Library: $1,125 to develop plans to renovate the Children's Room.
Kinderhook Reformed Church: $1,000 for a spring and fall organ concert series.
Lebanon Valley Historical Society: $852 to purchase database software to improve public access to the virtual collection.
Literacy Connections: $1,000 to update technology in the Learning Center.
Malden Bridge Community Center: $1,500 to install security lights and signs to meet building codes.
Mental Health Association of Columbia and Greene Counties: $1,300 for the REACH Outdoor Adventure education program for at-risk youth.
New Lebanon Library: $1,000 for diverse educational and arts programming, performances and lectures.
North Chatham Free Library: $1,000 for “Enriching Lives and Increasing Knowledge,” a series of twice monthly day-time adult educational programs.
Operation Unite: $1,500 for the “Fall Family Enrichment Series” a series of performances examining contemporary artistic expression with direct and indirect African influences.
Philmont Beautification: $750 for a lecture series on topics such as health and food knowledge, re-skilling, the preservation of farmland and farming skills.
Philmont Public Library: $750 for “Acoustic Clouds” to improve sound quality in the library.
PS/21: $1,000 to present a three-part performance program for their 2011 theme: “Family Variations.”
Shaker Swamp Conservancy: $2,000 to research Shaker Swamp, including evidence of Native American use, as well as identifying and cataloging plant species.
The Crellin Park Foundation: $1,500 to construct a safe ice rink in the town of Chatham.
The Hudson Day Care Center: $1,500 to replace furniture and equipment to meet state guidelines.
The Nature Institute: $1,000 to provide no-fee and low-fee community educational programs and events.
Time & Space Limited: $1,000 to keep summer arts and educational workshops free of charge and accessible to diverse populations.

Sally Baker, Executive Director of Philmont Beautification, Inc. said, "The timing of this grant is perfect and will help launch Philmont Farmers' Market’s new educational events and workshops. These events are free to the public and will offer programs on healthy living, kids and vegetables, re-skilling tools, and enhance the Philmont community connection to surrounding farmland.”

“This grant will enable the Lebanon Valley Historical Society to purchase software to create a comprehensive catalog of our collection. Once the catalog is established, along with digital images of documents, photos, and ephemera, the Society will be able for the first time to publish lists of our holdings for public use,” said Doug Banker LVHS Secretary. “The software also enables creation of “virtual exhibits” which can be made available through the local library as well as on the Internet. This will dramatically improve availability of our collection for everyone interested in the history of New Lebanon. Because the Society does not have a museum or other building for public access, we can now fulfill our mission more effectively.”

The Quailwood Fund awarded $23,000 to 4 organizations:

Canaan Conservation Club: $2,930 to provide for secure and weather-tight storage for equipment and assets of the Club.
Columbia Land Conservancy: $5,500 to make public access improvements at the Schor Conservation Area.
Red Rock Historical Society: $4,194 for the repair and painting of the interior of the RRHS building.
Red Rock Volunteer Fire Co.: $10,375 to allow for the continued construction on the new firehouse.

The Fund for Columbia County and Quailwood Fund are overseen by a committee of local residents who review grant applications and award grants based on excellence of the project or service, its impact on the organization or community and the ability of the organization to carry out the project.

The next deadline for grant applications for the Fund for Columbia County and Quailwood Fund is April 1, 2012. Applications are available online or by calling Berkshire Taconic at 413.229.0370.

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation builds stronger communities and improves the quality of life for all residents of northwest Litchfield County, CT; Berkshire County, MA; and Columbia County and northeast Dutchess County, NY, acting as an agent for positive change in the region. Since 1987, Berkshire Taconic has managed a growing collection of charitable funds created by individuals, families and businesses. Each year, the foundation distributes over $7 million through grants and scholarships for programs in the arts and education, health and human services and environmental protection, helping thousands of donors achieve their philanthropic goals and hundreds of nonprofits carry on their good work. Berkshire Taconic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity.

###