Donate to a Fund - Give Current & Future Donors - Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

For over 30 years, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation has channeled generosity to where it is needed, bringing together resources and passion to tackle the region's most pressing issues and create lasting change.

We use a collaborative approach to philanthropy, working closely with donors to establish flexible donor advised funds, make grants and award scholarships, strengthen organizations, convene leaders and connect neighbors. Everyone has something to contribute. Together, we can make life here even better. 

Give to an Existing Fund at BTCF

Consider giving a gift to one or more of the funds established by individuals, families or organizations that are helping our communities thrive. If you need help deciding which fund to choose, you can rely on our expertise to help you identify one that matches your interests.

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About This Photo
About This Photo

Jiminy Peaks owners Brian Fairbank (right) and his son Tyler make gifts through a donor advised Brian established to support causes in their beloved Berkshire County. Photo by John Dolan. 

 

Give Now

Gifts to Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation come in all forms. You can use any of the following assets to establish a charitable fund or give to an existing fund at Berkshire Taconic.

A cash gift is the most popular type of charitable gift because of its simplicity. A gift of $25,000 or more establishes an endowed fund of your choice that begins generating income for grants or scholarships and continues in perpetuity. A gift of $10,000 establishes a donor advised fund.

Benefits to You

  • Give as much or as little as you want
  • Combine multiple gifts to establish a fund

How to Give Cash

  • Fill out our Cash Wiring Instructions form. 
  • Notify BTCF of your intention to transfer cash by calling 413.229.0370 or emailing finance@berkshiretaconic.org
  • Please do not mail cash. Cash can be hand delivered to our office in Sheffield, MA. We are open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m to 5 p.m.

How to Give a Check

Make checks payable to Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation with the fund name in the memo line/or make the check co-payable to Berkshire Taconic/fund name.

Mailing address:
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation
800 North Main Street
Sheffield, MA 01257

Long-term appreciated holdings, such as stocks, bonds or mutual funds may provide greater tax benefits than a cash gift of equivalent value, especially if they have a low-cost basis. You receive a charitable deduction for the full market value of your holdings – even if you bought it for far less. You also avoid capital gains tax – money you’d pay if you liquidated the holding. A gift of closely held stock is also a giving option.

Benefits to You

  • Charitable deduction for fair market value, not original investment
  • No capital gains tax
  • Combine multiple gifts
  • Recognizable tax savings
  • Reduces size of your estate

How to Give Stock

A home. A farm. A business property. Undeveloped land. Real estate assets make wonderful charitable gifts and Berkshire Taconic can help ensure your generosity does the most good. We accept the gift outright or show you how a charitable trust can be used to convert your asset into a gift that also produces income. You can also give tangible personal property (e.g. art, antiques, rare books, jewelry, gems and collections).

Benefits to You

  • Charitable deduction for personal property based on original investment
  • No capital gains tax
  • Recognizable tax savings
  • Reduces your taxable estate
  • Relieves you and your heirs of the burden of selling property

Many families establish private foundations to create a charitable legacy without realizing the complexities and expense of administration. A number of private foundations have chosen to convert to a fund at Berkshire Taconic so that the advisors can focus solely on the work they love – grantmaking. Compare a private foundation to a fund at BTCF.

Benefits to You

  • Lower administrative costs
  • Greater tax benefits
  • No payout requirement
  • Greater privacy

 

Give Later

Including Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation in your estate plan is an easy way for you to make a significant impact on your community and create a legacy that lasts forever. You can use a variety of assets to make a planned gift and accomplish your charitable goals.

Build your legacy

 

Support BTCF’s Community Leadership Funds

Fairbanks

Jiminy Peak owners Brian Fairbank (right) and his son Tyler make gifts through a donor advised Brian established to support causes in their beloved Berkshire County. Photo by John Dolan. 

The Community Engagement Fund promotes BTCF’s strategic priority in community engagement, which fosters connections and harnesses the expertise people can bring to organizations and communities.

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The Economic Opportunity Fund promotes BTCF’s strategic priority in economic opportunity, which strengthens the conditions that allow the economy to grow and residents to prosper.

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The Educational Attainment Fund promotes BTCF’s strategic priority in education, which focuses on increasing educational attainment across the age continuum.

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You can help address urgent needs in your community.

  • BTCF identifies needs and opportunities in the region and targets dollars where they are most effective
  • Support long-term solutions to issues such as early childhood development, hunger, homelessness and child welfare

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The Taconic Fund is a designated fund that supports Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.

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You can support the leadership work of your community foundation.

  • Support BTCF’s research and development work in communities throughout the region
  • Provide support for BTCF staff to implement community leadership initiatives

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You can sustain the quality of life in a beloved town or geographic region.

  • Give to your local area through a permanently endowed fund with an advisory committee made up of local residents who understand the needs of your community and the nonprofits that address them
  • Support programs and services in the arts, education, health, human services and the environment

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You can improve the lives of our children

  • Support children from birth to five years in our region develop in a wholesome, healthy, learning-rich environment so that they are ready to learn when they enter kindergarten

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You can help turn a good education into a great one.

  • Give public school children access to hundreds of exceptional educational opportunities not included in school budgets such as field trips, nutrition programs, theater, music and more
  • Support a permanently endowed source of funding for remarkable learning experiences

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You can help local families in economic distress.

  • Provide emergency assistance through small grants to help with overdue utilities, medical bills, short-term housing costs and transportation problems
  • Direct your donation to specific towns or communities or allow funds to be used where they are most needed

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You can help strengthen local nonprofit organizations.

  • Help nonprofits think strategically, govern effectively and operate efficiently
  • Fund seminars in best practices in nonprofit management
  • Provide scholarships to top-flight academic programs and intensive training for board and staff leaders
  • Support  nonprofit access to an online national grants database and free use of BTCF’s three conference rooms

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