MONTHLY NEWS   /   SEPTEMBER 2019

Rolling Grocer 19, funded by BTCF's Fresh and Healthy Food for All initiative, marks its one-year anniversary of providing wholesome, local food with a price point for all incomes. Read more in The Hill Country Observer.
Program, Philanthropy & Leadership Highlights 
 
Community Engagement: We are thrilled to announce that the Arts Build Community initiative has received a $1 million investment from the Barr Foundation to more actively involve our changing communities in arts and culture. Over the next three years, we will deploy over $600,000 in flexible grant support. The funding will also be used to provide group trainings and leadership development, and actively involve year-round residents in making and experiencing art in their neighborhoods, in their schools, and through Berkshire County's celebrated arts and culture institutions.  
    
Educational Attainment: Berkshire Taconic awarded more than $540,000 in scholarships this year to students in Berkshire, Columbia, northwest Litchfield and northeast Dutchess counties. These scholarships from nearly 60 funds are made possible through the generosity of donors and the commitment of volunteer grantmaking committees.
 
Economic Opportunity: Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll) Berkshire County, a public-private partnership aimed at driving inclusive economic growth through support for diverse entrepreneurs, kicks off with two events next month. BTCF President Peter Taylor will share the story behind this innovative program on Oct. 7 in Great Barrington as part of a three-town informational caravan. A pitch contest will be held on Oct. 22 at the Berkshire Museum for budding entrepreneurs to share ideas, receive feedback and compete for seed funding.  
Board, Staff & Committee News 
 
New Committee Members: We are pleased to welcome new members to several of our grantmaking committees. For our scholarship funds, the new committee members are Kate Beatty (Margaret Derwin Scholarship Fund) and Julian Mueller (Ferris Burtis Scholarship Fund). For our area funds, Ira Smith has joined the Northwest Corner Fund and Darlene Rodowicz is now chair of the William J. & Margery S. Barrett Fund for Adams, Cheshire and Savoy. We thank BTCF board member Ellen Kennedy for her service as chair of the Barrett Fund.
 
BTCF at Berkshire Startup Weekend: President Peter Taylor will be a speaker at Startup Weekend: Berkshire Economy, a 54-hour program to help community members launch their business ideas. The event, which is hosted by startup accelerator Techstars, will be held at Berkshire Community College over three days from Nov. 1 to 3. 
Grants in the News
 
Addressing Racism: Thanks to an Arts Build Community grant, WAM Theatre is partnering with Multicultural BRIDGE to provide cultural competency training and workshops for actors and staff of the upcoming production of "Pipeline," as well as the audiences who will see it. Read about their collaboration in Berkshire Magazine.     
 
Affordable Housing: Hudson River Housing and the North East Community Center are continuing a series of discussions on affordable housing in northeast Dutchess County through a coalition that launched with support from our Community Development Collaborations initiative. The Millerton News reported on the group's recent walking tour and meeting in Amenia, which was followed by a gathering this month in Pine Plains with Congressman Antonio Delgado.
 
Raising Awareness of Borders: Jacob Borden, a 25-year-old photojournalist, recently returned from an 18-month stay in Beirut to document its borders and refugee settlements -- a trip that was made possible through a Martha Boschen Porter Fund grant. This month, he's headed to the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, as he explains to the Berkshire Eagle.   
Coming Up
 
Register Now for DEI Seminar: Board members around the region are invited to join our Board Leadership Seminar on Oct. 11 led by Kenya Rutland, an organizational development consultant who will address the topics of socioeconomic status, race, age and gender in relation to board development. Tickets are $35. Register now. Seating is limited.
 
Fund Anniversary: The 21st Century Fund, an endowed fund of Berkshire Taconic, is celebrating 25 years of supporting educational opportunities for Housatonic Valley Regional High School students on Oct. 2 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Interlaken Inn in Lakeville.
 
Shadow Play: Students from Mount Everett Regional School will apply the ancient storytelling technique of shadow play during a performance by the group Cave Dogs at Bard College at Simon's Rock on Oct. 11. The students were introduced to this unique visual arts approach through an Eagle Fund grant.
 
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