Berkshire First Five

May 1, 2023

Be the first each week to receive news about state and federal grant opportunities, training, webinars, and options for advocacy from Berkshire Funding Focus! Please share and encourage others to subscribe!

Federal Grants

Tax Counseling for the Elderly: Nonprofits with experience coordinating volunteer income tax preparation programs can apply by May 31, 2023, to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for grant funds to support programs that provide free tax assistance to elderly taxpayers.

State Grants

Reduce, Reuse, Repair Micro-Grant: For-profits, nonprofits, regional authorities, and cities and towns can apply to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection on a rolling basis to implement source reduction, reuse, or repair projects - recycling and composting are not eligible.

Training

Increasing Sustainability by Breaking into New Revenue Streams

Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires

Thursday, May 4th from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. via Zoom.

Learn how to assess the feasibility of launching and growing new revenue streams such as an annual fund, foundation grants, government contracts, major gifts, planned giving, corporate sponsorships, earned income, and/or social enterprises.

Webinar

USDA Rural Development Grant Information Session

Friday, May 12 at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom.

Second in a series of workshops for municipalities co-organized by the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, Franklin Regional Council of Governments, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, and Congressman Jim McGovern, and co-sponsored by members of the western Massachusetts state legislative delegation.

Grants and Equity Advocacy

The President’s Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics will hold its inaugural meeting on May 10, 2023 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To attend the meeting virtually, register here or email WhiteHouseHispanicInitiative@ed.gov by 5:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

About Berkshire Funding Focus

Berkshire Funding Focus (BFF), a regional initiative housed at BRPC, supports Berkshire County towns, businesses, nonprofits, and schools seeking state and federal funds to aid with recovery and rebuilding efforts. Learn more here: www.berkshirefundingfocus.org.

Have questions? Contact Recovery Grant Specialist Karen Pelto. We look forward to helping you find opportunities and resources that are right for your municipality or school.

Berkshire Funding Focus