Reading, PA (June 14, 2024) – The Innovation Fund of Berks County Community Foundation supports collaborative projects focused on improving environmental health and climate resiliency in Berks County. Projects that include collaboration across sectors and opportunities for partnership building were prioritized.
The first grants have been awarded from The Innovation Fund, which was established in 2023 with support from the Conservation Equity Fund and the Hawley and Myrtle Quier Fund of Berks County Community Foundation:
- $15,000 to Alvernia University’s Bog Turtle Creek Farm for expanding food access in the City of Reading
- $15,000 to PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center for promoting renewable energy in Berks County
- $8,000 to the Berks Agricultural Resource Network (B.A.R.N.) for the Greater Reading urban agriculture bus tour
- $5,000 to the Berks County Earth Day Committee for the annual Earth Day event
- $2,900 to Brandywine Heights Middle School for the Toad Creek restoration and stream study
- $15,000 to Berks Nature for planting trees in the City of Reading
- $15,000 to Northwest Middle School to create an outdoor educational area
- $12,500 to Berks Nature for the Return on the Environment study
- $5,000 to the S.P.A.R.K.S. Foundation for aquaponics and hydroponics classroom programming
“The grants awarded will provide essential resources to support local projects that address critical environmental challenges, promote sustainable practices, and enhance the overall resilience of our communities to the impacts of climate change,” said Emily Smedley, environment and energy program officer at Berks County Community Foundation. “The Innovation Fund was the result of group meetings and one-on-one interviews with community members, and review of several trusted local reports. Those conversations and research determined where grant funding should be focused to maximize community impact.”
To learn more about The Innovation Fund, please visit https://bccf.org/funds/the-innovation-fund/.
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Berks County Community Foundation is a nonprofit corporation serving as a civic leader for our region by developing, managing, and distributing charitable funds to improve the quality of life in Berks County, PA. More information is available at www.bccf.org.
Media contact: Erica Caceres, Communication Manager, ericac@bccf.org / 610-685-2231
