Northwest Corner Fund

Berkshire Taconic established The Northwest Corner Fund in 2000 to improve the quality of life for the residents of northwest Litchfield County in Connecticut. The endowment began with gifts in honor of four individuals who were residents of northwest Litchfield County and founding board members of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation: Robert Blum, Dana Creel, William Olsen and Donald Warner.

What Does the Fund Support?

The Northwest Corner Fund for Substance Abuse Prevention

While communities across the country grapple with the growing opioid epidemic, a promising effort to prevent substance use and misuse in young people is taking shape in Northwest Connecticut. Berkshire Taconic’s Northwest Corner Fund and the Foundation for Community Health are together investing in an evidence-based approach to substance abuse prevention that has mobilized a local coalition of school staff, health and human service providers, and community members known as the Northwest Corner Prevention Network. The effort is being led by the McCall Center for Behavioral Health.

Together, they are pursuing a set of strategies designed to delay the first use of alcohol and marijuana among students. For example, the Botvin LifeSkills Training program provides students in the Region One School District with the confidence and knowledge to handle difficult situations. This fund supports their vital work.

Building Stronger Communities Through Stronger Nonprofits

Nonprofit organizations are vital to our communities, providing cultural offerings, elderly services, childcare centers, emergency rescue services, health services and environmental protection. To achieve long-term sustainability, their directors and board members must have knowledge and skills to manage their organizations effectively.

Each year, the Northwest Corner Fund awards grants to nonprofit groups to underwrite their participation in the Nonprofit Learning Program, in which a national expert works with board and staff members of local nonprofits to build more effective organizations.