New Berkshire Taconic Area Fund Will Award Grants to Williamstown Individuals and Nonprofit Organizations
January 23, 2007
Great Barrington, MA — Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation today announced the establishment of the Fund for Williamstown, an endowed fund that will award grants to individuals and nonprofit groups for programs and projects directly benefiting residents of the town.The Fund will begin grantmaking this spring with approximately $25,000 available for its first round of grants.
“The Fund for Williamstown is a permanent resource for people seeking to create a vibrant community responsive to diverse needs and voices,” said Mark Gold, a member of the Fund’s community board. “Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the Fund will continue Williamstown’s strong history of community improvement by helping to enhance the quality of life for all townspeople.”
The Fund for Williamstown has completed its Founding 50 Campaign, in which 50 donors pledged at least $1,000 per year for the next five years. Half of the contributions will be used for grantmaking on a current basis and half will build the endowed portion of the Fund. Additional donors who give at the Founding 50 level will be designated as Builders. Anyone interested in contributing to the Fund can contact any member of the Community Board or the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.
A 9-member community board will review applications and award grants based on the merit of the proposed project or service, its impact on the organization or community, and the ability of the applicant to carry out the project. Members of the board are Jane Allen, Carolyn Behr, Liz Costley, Carol DeMayo, Henry Flynt, Mark Gold, Rob Jandl, Stefanie Jandl and Jack Merselis.
Application forms for the Fund will be available beginning February 12 at www.berkshiretaconic.org/grants-scholarships.html, Town Hall or by calling 800-969-2823. The deadline for applications will be March 26.
The Fund for Williamstown is one of Berkshire Taconic’s 12 endowed area funds, which provide resources for grantmaking within specific geographic communities.
“We are delighted that the Fund for Williamstown is up and running, and are proud to steward this important community initiative,” said Jennifer Dowley, president of Berkshire Taconic. “These funds are permanent resources for the towns they serve and provide vitally important programs in the arts, education, health and human services and the environment.”
Founding 50 members are: Jane and John Allen, Pamela and Henry Art, Linda J.L. Becker, Daniel and Samantha Becker, Robert and Carolyn Behr, John and Janet Bryan, Russell and Mary Jo Carpenter, Chip and Michelle Chandler, the Charles Jackson Craig Foundation, Clark Art Institute, Liz and Tom Costley, Countryside Landscape Services, Michael and Lisa Cushman, Janice Cook and Cecil Driver, Skip and Margie Durning, Tom and Ellen Ennis, Tracy and Joe Finnegan, Mary and Henry Flynt, Peter and Mary Fohlin, Tom and Cathy Gajda, Steven and Jennifer Gerrard, Michael Gerrity and Annie Clarke-Gerrity, Susan W Gold, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Robert and Barbara Hadden, Joan and Jim Hunter, John M. Hyde, Tom and Susan Hyde, Robert Jandl, Ellen L. Kennedy and Mark S. Gold, Mr. and Mrs. George D. Kennedy, Katie and John Lanoue, Jack and Mary Merselis, Charles and Lisa O'Brien, Michael Patten, William S. Peabody, Dorothy and Frederick Rudolph, Jude Sabot, Fred and Gay Klaus Scarborough, Philip and Susan Smith, South Adams Savings Bank, The Alice Shaver Foundation, Jid (Mary Jane) and John Sprague, Jane and Win Stuebner, Holly Taylor and Dick Lamb, Fay Vincent, Pamela B. Weatherbee, Lawrence and Judith Weber, Cheryl and Donald Westall, Mariet Westermann and Charles Pardoe, and Williamstown Savings Bank.
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation builds stronger communities and improves the quality of life for all residents of the region it serves: Berkshire County, MA; Columbia County and northeast Dutchess County, NY; and northwest Litchfield County, CT. Each year we help thousands of donors achieve their philanthropic vision and hundreds of nonprofit organizations carry on their good work. For more information, please contact Berkshire Taconic at 271 Main Street, Suite 3, Great Barrington, MA, 413.528.8039, info@berkshiretaconic.org or visit www.berkshiretaconic.org.
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