Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

Six Local Nonprofits Complete Nonprofit Learning Program

September 19, 2011

SHEFFIELD, MA—Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation today announced the six graduates of the 2011 Nonprofit Learning Program. The Nonprofit Learning Program is an intensive program that provides nonprofit executive directors and board members with training in governance, management and fundraising. The organizations selected from the Northwest Corner were: Cornwall Housing Corporation, Housatonic Youth Service Bureau, Northwest CT Arts Council, SOAR/SCS Enrichment Fund and Women’s Support Services. The Berkshire South Regional Community Center was selected from South Berkshire County. These organizations were supported by grants from The Northwest Corner Fund and The South Berkshire County Fund, both endowments of Berkshire Taconic and The Foundation for Community Health.

“Thanks to our donors, these six organizations will become even better at what they do by participating in this unique training program,” said Jennifer Dowley, President of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. “The benefits extend not only to the groups themselves, but to the diverse constituents that they serve and our region as a whole. These challenging times call for imaginative strategies and the Nonprofit Learning Program is helping our nonprofits be on top of their game.”

Berkshire South Regional Community Center works to build a sense of community and common purpose throughout the region and to enhance the recreational, educational, cultural, health and social well-being of the residents of the South Berkshire region. The Cornwall Housing Corporation works to make housing opportunities available in Cornwall for individuals and families who are unable to afford local housing prices. The Housatonic Youth Services Bureau works to create supportive environments and empowering experiences where youth can embrace their full potential as individuals, students, family members and as community members. The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council promotes the arts and cultural resources of Northwestern Connecticut as integral contributors to the quality of life in the region, assists artists and cultural organizations in their efforts to thrive, and gives access to the arts and cultural events in the region. SOAR/SCS Enrichment Fund facilitates and supports improvements and initiatives at Salisbury Central School to support programs and purchases that distinguish the school in terms of the quality of educational experience offered to its students. The mission of Women’s Support Services is to create a community free of domestic violence and abuse through intervention, prevention and education.

“If you know you and your organization are saying one thing and doing another, not accomplishing what you need to accomplish, and just treading water, the Nonprofit Learning Program is the right place for you,” Lisa Lansing Simont, Chair of the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council.

Since 2005, the Northwest Corner Fund has directed its grantmaking to sponsoring local organizations in the Nonprofit Learning Program. The program includes five training sessions with Simone Joyaux, an internationally recognized consultant, 12 hours of private consultations for each organization and the opportunity to apply for a $2,000 grant at the program’s conclusion to help the group implement lessons learned.

“Seven years ago, the Northwest Corner Fund developed this program to be strategically proactive in our grantmaking to nonprofits. The intent is to build strong leadership of the area’s nonprofits so that they can produce more effective results for our communities,” said Jennifer Dowley. “Since that time, other Foundations and Funds at Berkshire Taconic have supported nonprofits’ participation. This year both the Foundation for Community Health and the South Berkshire County Fund partnered with the Northwest Corner fund to underwrite the Nonprofit Learning Program.”

The Northwest Corner Fund is an endowment of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. It strengthens communities in northwest Litchfield County by supporting nonprofit organizations that serve Bantam, Canaan, Colebrook, Cornwall, Cornwall Bridge, Falls Village, Goshen, Kent, Lakeville, Lime Rock, Litchfield, Norfolk, North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon, Taconic, Warren, West Cornwall and Winchester, CT. For more information about the Northwest Corner Fund, visit www.berkshiretaconic.org/ourfunds.

The South Berkshire Fund was established at Berkshire Taconic in 2005 to support the towns of Southern Berkshire County: Alford, Egremont, Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, Monterey, Mount Washington, New Marlborough, Otis, Richmond, Sandisfield, Sheffield, Stockbridge, Tyringham and West Stockbridge.

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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.

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