What We Do
Berks County Community Foundation was founded in 1994 to help individuals, families, organizations and businesses achieve their charitable objectives and improve the quality of life for the residents of Berks County. Many of those objectives have been met by establishing funds at the Community Foundation that have specific purposes. Since that time, the Community Foundation has grown to manage hundreds of charitable funds. Each year, those funds distribute scholarships and grants to support local students and assist a variety of nonprofit organizations and causes.
Our Mission
The mission of Berks County Community Foundation is to promote philanthropy and improve the quality of life for the residents of Berks County, Pennsylvania.
Our History
Berks County Community Foundation was founded in 1994 by a group of caring residents who recognized the need for a community foundation to improve the quality of life in Berks County by administering charitable funds.
In 2019, we’re celebrating our 25th anniversary.
Download this PDF that details the history of Berks County Community Foundation.
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WHO WE ARE
Berks County Community Foundation is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Board Members represent a cross-section of community leadership. The Board directs the investment of funds, distribution of grants and sets strategic goals of the Community Foundation.
THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HELPS IN FOUR WAYS
HOW IT WORKS
The foundation helps people structure their charitable giving.
Individuals and families often approach the foundation with an idea of a way they’d like to honor the memory of a loved one or support a cause they care about now or after they pass away. Businesses and organizations often approach the foundation to help them manage an existing scholarship or corporate charity.
In either case, a member of the foundation’s senior staff works with the people involved to determine the best way to meet their charitable objectives. Many times, but not always, it makes sense to create an endowed charitable fund at the Community Foundation.
The foundation manages the money in the charitable funds.
Funds are created after a simple fund agreement is completed and an initial donation is received. The money is then pooled with the foundation’s other funds and professionally invested for the long term. The foundation’s investment strategy is designed to ensure money is available for grants and scholarships in perpetuity.
The foundation gives money away.
The Community Foundation’s grant staff ensures that grants or scholarships from each fund are awarded as stipulated in the fund agreement. One of the advantages of working with the Community Foundation is the knowledge that grants and scholarships are tracked and watched to ensure the money is distributed the way the donor intended, even after the original donor is no longer involved with the fund.
The foundation measures the results of its grants and scholarships.
The foundation requires grantees to complete a grant agreement and submit a follow-up report at the end of the grant period. Scholarship recipients must confirm that they are attending school and plan to use the funding for educational purposes. In the majority of cases, scholarships checks are co-written to the school and student, providing another layer of oversight.
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