Mount Penn Preserve Partnership Fund
Distributions from the Mount Penn Preserve Partnership Fund are for capital improvements that protect, promote and enhance the natural beauty, heritage and attractions of the Mount Penn Preserve.
The Mount Penn Preserve is a partnership of the governments of Berks County, the City of Reading, and the Borough of Mount Penn, and the townships of Alsace and Lower Alsace.
Explore the Mount Penn Preserve through an interactive map of points of interest and eateries. The map will be enhanced periodically, so check back! Once the page loads, use the arrow at the bottom of the screen to navigate through the points of interest.
Friends of the Berks County Emergency Response Team Fund
The Friends of the Berks County Emergency Response Team Fund was established in 2022 to support the mission of the team through the purchasing of specialized equipment and the funding of additional training for team members.
The Berks County Emergency Response Team (BCERT) was formed in 2007 and is comprised of highly-trained and skilled officers from throughout Berks County. BCERT has a tactical unit and a crisis negotiation unit. The team serves as a resource for local, state, and federal agencies in the management and resolution of special threats and high-risk incidents, including hostage situations, barricaded subjects, sniper situations, high-risk warrant service and apprehensions, special assignments, and active shooters.
Cystic Fibrosis Fund of Berks County
The Cystic Fibrosis Fund of Berks County provides grants to support the needs of individuals who have been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.
To qualify, an individual must:
- Be a Berks County resident.
- Be diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.
- Be unable to pay for the costs of required treatment/equipment/expenses.
- Obtain confirmation of diagnosis from a medical provider.
- Obtain confirmation of need of requested item/service from social worker or specialist.
- Provide explanation of how the requested item/service will enhance or improve the quality of life.
Expenses that may be covered include both direct and indirect medical expenses and necessary, but ancillary, expenses related to cystic fibrosis treatment.
Gilmore | Henne Community Fund
The Gilmore | Henne Community Fund supports recreational park programs, improvements and maintenance in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Pools are not eligible. Wilson High graduates and NFL players John Gilmore and Chad Henne established the fund in 2010 to improve the community and the lives of children through the revitalization of parks and recreational facilities.
The Gilmore | Henne Community Fund was incubated at Berks County Community Foundation in 2010 and then became a full-fledged nonprofit with its own programs.
During its time as an independent nonprofit, Gilmore | Henne provided funding for programs at area parks and also renovated eight park facilities.
In 2017, the organization dissolved back into a fund of the Community Foundation. Becoming an endowed fund at the Community Foundation ensures the stability of the Gilmore | Henne Community Fund for generations to come. Only a portion of the endowment is drawn every year to fund programs at local parks. The rest of the endowment is invested to grow indefinitely as a community resource.
First United Church of Christ Mission Fund
This fund supports organizations and causes that were important to the mission of the First United Church of Christ in Reading, PA.
Distributions from the fund will be made to support one or more of the following:
- Programs and initiatives that help children from Berks County participate in activities that their families would not otherwise be able to afford. Activities include, but are not limited to, piano or organ lessons, summer camps, choral programs, and language classes.
- Programs and initiatives that benefit senior citizens from Berks County.
- Programs and initiatives that reduce hunger in Berks County.
- Ministry and outreach and/or the establishment of new churches for United Church of Christ congregations in Berks County.
- Reading City Church for organ and piano tuning, building maintenance, and/or ministry and outreach.
This opportunity will award multiple grants with total awards totaling up to approximately $50,000. Typical grant awards are under $10,000.
See below for media coverage from the Reading Eagle of grants that were awarded from this fund in 2020.
Teacher Mini-Grants Fund
This funding opportunity accepts applications by invitation only.
The Teacher Mini-Grant Program provides grants up to $500 for Berks County K-12 school employees to support a classroom activity or project. The activity or project must improve student learning and enhance the existing curriculum. Creative projects are given preference. This program is supported by the Berks County Association of School Retirees Scholarship and Grant Fund, the Public Education Foundation Fund for Instructional Innovation, the Ben Franklin Trust Fund, and the Teacher Mini-Grants Fund.
Friends of Berks County Sheriff K9 Fund
Grants support the Berks County Sheriff K9 Unit.
William H. Krause Memorial Fund
Grants support the surviving spouses or dependents of first responders which include firefighters, police, or paramedics killed in the line of duty within the counties of Berks, Schuylkill, Lancaster, Chester, Montgomery and Bucks in Pennsylvania.
Richard Groff and Meda Kern K9 Corps Endowment Fund
Grants support law enforcement agencies in Berks County and contiguous counties to help them acquire and maintain protective equipment, training, and education for any municipal law enforcement K9 Corps.
Richard L. Henry Memorial Fund
Grants support the Jewish Federation of Reading; Safe Berks; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; and Ronald McDonald House locations in Philadelphia and Hershey. In addition, the fund addresses issues related to breast cancer and visual impairment among residents of Berks County.
