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Change starts with a spark. Your spark.

We’ll turn it into a shining light across Berks County.

Change starts with a spark. Your spark.

We’ll turn it into a shining light across Berks County.

Change starts with a spark. Your spark.

We’ll turn it into a shining light across Berks County.

Change starts with a spark. Your spark.

We’ll turn it into a shining light across Berks County.

The Universal Application for Scholarship Consideration is Now Closed! We are not accepting any more submissions. Currently, all applications are under review. Most scholarship decisions are announced no later than April. Email notifications will be sent to all students regarding final decisions. For general information about our scholarship opportunities, you can visit our frequently asked questions page by clicking to the right.

Scholarship FAQs

In the Spotlight

Spotlight PA Launches E-newsletter Focused on Berks County

Spotlight PA Launches E-newsletter Focused on Berks County

In November 2024, Kevin K. Murphy wrote a blog post about Spotlight PA and the importance of local news. He detailed the path taken by the Community Foundation to support the launch of a Berks County news bureau and highlighted the opportunity for in-depth reporting…

May 1, 2025

Molly McCullough Robbins, Vice President for Philanthropic Services
Scholarship notifications - check your spam folder!

Scholarship notifications – check your spam folder!

Scholarship season is a busy time for high school seniors, and it’s busy at the Community Foundation, too! We use an online application portal to receive and evaluate applications, and we send notifications through the portal to evaluators and applicants. Sometimes, those notifications go into…

April 28, 2025

Molly McCullough Robbins, Vice President for Philanthropic Services
How Berks County Community Foundation Does Grantmaking: A Closer Look | Part 3 in a 3-part Series Exploring...

How Berks County Community Foundation Does Grantmaking: A Closer Look | Part 3 in a 3-part Series Exploring…

Understanding Community Foundations  Community foundations pool resources from individuals, families, and businesses to support nonprofits within their communities. It all starts with a donor or donors working with us to establish a fund to support their charitable goals. We currently manage nearly 400 different funds…

April 15, 2025

Molly McCullough Robbins, Vice President for Philanthropic Services

Our mission is to promote philanthropy and improve the quality of life for the residents of Berks County.

We do this by distributing life-changing grants, scholarships, and other forms of support. Our work is made possible by generous people who created the funds to give back to the community.

About Us

Our Areas of Focus

Arts and Culture

Arts and Culture

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Environment and Energy

Environment and Energy

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Education

Education

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Health and Human Services

Health and Human Services

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Neighborhoods and Economic Development

Neighborhoods and Economic Development

Neighborhoods and Economic Development

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See how our community can help.

Whether you’re looking to give, or need funding to do great things, the outcome is the same – a better Berks County for us all. 

Plan Your Giving

For Current and Potential Donors and Professional Advisors

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Find Funding

For Nonprofits, Organizations & Students

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Shining a light on good work through funds local residents created.

We’re proud to help the local residents of our great community create and manage funds supporting many causes in need of assistance. If you can help any or all of these projects, we’re here to help you make that happen.

Learn About Creating a Fund

The Albany Township Tomorrow Fund

Walter Hamm created this fund in honor of Pauline Levan Hamm and Gloria Longenberger Hamm. Today, the fund provides grant to support community activities in the township they loved.

Give to this charitable fund

Berks County Association of School Retirees Scholarship and Mini-Grant Fund

Retired employees from local schools created this fund to ensure teachers in Berks County’s public schools have funding for special projects and programs that benefit the children in their classrooms.

Give to this charitable fund

Earl and Helen Poole Memorial Fund

The Poole family created this fund to provide ongoing, annual support to Berks Nature, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, the Reading Public Museum, and the Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University.

Give to this charitable fund

First United Church of Christ Mission Fund

Remaining members created this endowment when the church closed to continue their charitable work of helping children and seniors and reducing hunger in Berks County.

Give to this charitable fund