Berks County Community Foundation

Applications for three new programs aimed at guiding nonprofits in our region into a post-pandemic period are due March 31. These programs will fund: * Planning initiatives for nonprofit organizations seeking to better map their futures. * Arts and culture programs, exhibits, or events to be held in the fourth quarter of 2021 or in 2022. Events and activities must take place between October 1 and December 31, 2021, or anytime in 2022.... * Projects aimed at connecting community members to each other in ways that help Berks County residents get to know their neighbors, whether in the same town or across the county. Organizations can apply for one, two, or all three opportunities. Up to $100,000 in grants may be awarded through each of these programs. Because of the range in size and scope of nonprofit organizations in our community, there is neither a minimum nor a maximum request amount. The opportunities are for nonprofit organizations (including schools, government, etc.). Individuals and for-profit companies are not eligible to apply. The deadline to apply is March 31. The grants will be awarded by May 31. Further details are available here: https://bccf.org/post-pandemic-programs-2021/

"The findings of a study commissioned by the Berks County COVID-19 Response Task Force will serve as both a contemporary planning tool and a historical document, according to Kevin Murphy, president of Berks County Community Foundation, which partnered with the United Way of Berks County and the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance in August to form the task force." Read more in Lehigh Valley Business: https://www.lvb.com/berks-covid-study-finds-need-better-in/

The Law Foundation of Berks County is accepting grant applications for the 2021 funding cycle. Nonprofit organizations working on issues related to equal access to justice, providing legal services to low-income or vulnerable members of our community, improving the Court system in Berks County, or engaging in other law-related activities, especially those benefitting local children, are encouraged to apply. Grant awards typically do not exceed $15,000 per year. The applicatio...n deadline is Thursday, April 1, 2021. The Law Foundation is a nonprofit corporation established by Berks County’s legal community to support charitable work and improve access to justice. NOTE: This grant is being offered by the Law Foundation, not Berks County Community Foundation. Contact the Law Foundation directly with any questions: Kori A. Walter, Executive Director of the Law Foundation of Berks County, [email protected] or 610.375.4591. https://bccf.org/law-foundation-grants-2021/

The Berks County Public Libraries Mobile Job Lab has scheduled stops at three libraries to help job seekers. Funds to support this project come from the Hawley and Myrtle Quier Fund of Berks County Community Foundation. The lab will be at the following locations: * Kutztown Community Library, March 25, 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. * Boyertown Community Library, March 31, 2 to 6 p.m.... * Boone Area Library, Birdsboro, April 6, 2 to 6 p.m. Read more at bctv.org: https://www.bctv.org//three-stops-added-to-berks-county-p/

A community task force has released its report on the response in Berks County to the pandemic. "It’s important to address community issues that were highlighted as a result of the pandemic so that we are better prepared for other crises in the future," writes Monica Reyes, the Community Foundation's Health and Human Services Program Officer: https://bccf.org/pandemic-task-force-report/

Since the Community Foundation’s inception in 1994, we have awarded more than $10 million in scholarships to local students. Applications for most scholarships are accepted January 1 to March 15. Learn about our new application process in this message from Heidi Williamson, Senior Vice President for Programs and Initiatives: https://bccf.org/apply-for-scholarships-2021/

There is a fantastic story on the 75-year history of Burkey Construction in this month's Berks County Living. We're blessed to have Burkey in Berks, and the Community Foundation has been fortunate to count Eric Burkey as one of our board members since 2013. Here's an excerpt from the article about Burkey's involvement in constructing the Community Foundation's headquarters in 2009: It is the first LEED-certified commercial building in Berks, and the Community Foundation and B...urkey have garnered numerous accolades for it. LEED, the acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely used green building rating system globally. Those ratings offer a framework for environmentally healthy, efficient and cost-saving green structures. The building boasts a green roof, radiant heating, cooling floors, and rainwater collection for internal and external use, among other nature-friendly elements. Eric noted even 90 percent of the construction waste on that project was directed for reuse or recycling rather than being dumped in landfills, a process that is both environmentally friendly and cost-effective. We were very proud to have our company be a part of the Berks County Community Foundation building at that time, he says. It’s state-of-the-art, and we played a major part in figuring it out. There’s nothing normal or ordinary about that building. We used our creativity and ingenuity. Find more photos of our building on our Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/berksfoundation/) and read the entire article about Burkey here: https://berkscountyliving.com//burkey-construction-75-yea/

Thanks to bctv.org for helping us get the word out to local students that we have scholarships available! You can review all of our available scholarships at https://bccf.org/search-for-scholarships/ and apply for scholarships by clicking "Apply for Scholarships" at the top of https://bccf.org/ To apply, you will have to sign up for an account in our application system.

Berks County Community Foundation is glad to partner with FICO and local agencies such as the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance and YWCA Tri-County Area to help consumers improve their understanding of FICO Scores & their overall financial health. Join us on January 12th at noon from the comfort of your home for a free virtual community-focused event on credit. Prior to the event, you can schedule time with a credit counselor to get free access to your FICO Score, insights into the top factors that have impacted your score, and tips for building credit or improving your FICO Score going forward. Register for this free event here: http://bit.ly/2J4rh56

Attention entrepreneurs and small startup businesses: Our Jump Start Incubator program has space available. This program is located on the third floor of Berks County Community Foundation’s beautiful, environmentally-friendly building in the heart of downtown Reading. Competitively-priced, fully-furnished office suites can accommodate one to three people and offer free Wi-Fi and a shared printer/copier. Other amenities include use of classrooms and conference facilities at no... additional charge. Jump Start Incubator has partnered with Alvernia University's O'Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship to offer mentoring services to Jump Start Incubator clients. The O'Pake Institute is a catalyst in the development of entrepreneurial programs and economic growth in both the Reading community and in higher education. Fees for mentoring services range from free to affordable on a sliding scale based on the revenue of your business. For more information, inquire with Franki Aitken, Berks County Community Foundation Chief Operating Officer, at [email protected].

Applications are due tomorrow (December 15) for our annual classroom mini-grant program. Employees at Berks County public schools may apply for funds to support a classroom activity or project. The activity or project must improve student learning and enhance the existing curriculum. Creative projects will be given preference. Apply here: https://bccfgrants.academicworks.com/opportunities/705

There may be no more important resource to share this year than a website called the National Equity Atlas, writes Heidi Williamson, Community Foundation Senior Vice President for Programs and Initiatives. Read more from her blog, "On the Ground": https://bccf.org/local-equity/

Berks County Community Foundation is currently accepting applications for more than 80 scholarships through a new single online application. The deadline to complete the application is March 15. Thanks to Berks Weekly for the coverage: https://berksweekly.com//community-foundation-accepting-a/

This is a very thorough series on the state of the arts in Berks County, and we appreciate the shoutout that was included in it for our support of local arts organizations. Read more at bctv.org: https://www.bctv.org///04/state-of-the-arts-series-part-i/

In just 90 seconds, you can learn about starting a charitable giving fund at Berks County Community Foundation: https://youtu.be/vmds7lAbmY0

We are fairly certain that this is the Community Foundation's first ever appearance on Harrisburg's #1 country radio station: https://bob949.iheart.com//2020-12-08-top-headlines-berks/

AFP Berks Regional Chapter is presenting a tremendous opportunity for Berks County nonprofit leaders: a chance to Q&A with Dan Pallotta. The Q&A will happen after Dan's TED Talk. This will take place this Thursday (December 10), with Dan's TED Talk from Noon to 12:20 and with the Q&A from 12:25 to 1 p.m. Register here: https://community.afpglobal.org//even/simple-registration

We appreciate all the media coverage of our announcement this week regarding the annual distribution from our Governor Mifflin Area Charitable Program. You can read about it in the Reading Eagle, at WFMZ or at Berks Weekly: https://www.readingeagle.com//article_60bb7224-38be-11eb-8 https://www.wfmz.com//article_9dcfe85a-38b6-11eb-b9c4-cff3... https://berksweekly.com//community-foundation-awards-2396/