Miriam A. Wentzel Memorial Youth Activities Fund
Grants support church-related camperships for young people from St. Michael’s Church in Hamburg and the church’s youth activities.
Juniper Fund
The Juniper Fund of Berks County Community Foundation was established in 2010 by The Murray Clan Society of North America. The fund supports the education, promotion and preservation of the history, heritage and traditions of Scotland.
The fund provides financial support for the following purposes:
- To improve an individual’s basic skills in Scottish music/dance/cuisine/etc. (including your own skills).
- To promote enrichment experiences in Scottish culture, traditions and history.
- To enhance activities that benefit the Scottish community and the Murray Clan.
- To support other activities that educate people about, promote, or preserve the history, heritage, and traditions of Scotland.
- Preference for awarding grants may be given to those with the last name of Murray or to one of their allied families. Allied families include Balneaves, Dinsmore, Dunsmore, Fleming, Moray, Murrie, Murry, Neaves, Piper, Pyper, Smail, Smale, Small, Smeal, and Spalding. The maximum award will be $500. Funds will be paid directly to the organization that applies or to where the individual is engaging in an educational activity. As an example of a grant that was awarded, the Juniper Fund in 2020 gave $500 to preservation efforts at Castle Cluggy in Scotland.
- “Despite its ruined state, this hidden gem hides a thousand years of history,” according to the people who are striving to maintain the castle. At their blog, the Castle Cluggy crew gave thanks to those who established the Juniper Fund. “We are delighted to have the support of our transatlantic cousins…”
Berks County Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Fund for Education, Historic Preservation and Patriotic Service
Annual awards are presented to one or more Berks County students who best meet the criteria established annually by the fund committee for an annual academic contest in which students explore topics central to DAR’s mission.
The mission of the DAR Library shall be to support and enhance the National Society’s membership application process and to further the goals of the National Society by acquiring and preserving historical materials related to genealogical research, primarily American genealogical research, and by acquiring and preserving records related to the American Revolutionary War period.
No application is needed as recipients are selected by DAR committee.
Friends of the Berks County Public Libraries Fund
This fund awards grants for emergency needs or special projects.
SPECIAL PROJECTS
This fund distributes grants for special projects at Berks County’s public libraries. Public libraries are eligible for grants if they achieved state-aided status or qualified for affiliate membership in the Berks County Public Libraries federated system. Special projects should not be part of the library’s regular operating budget. Special projects should run for a predetermined period of time. Special consideration is given to projects that pilot an idea and can be shared with other libraries in the system after the initial grant period. Partnerships with other libraries or organizations are encouraged.
EMERGENCY NEEDS
This fund distributes grants for emergency needs at Berks County’s public libraries. Public libraries are eligible for grants if they achieved state-aided status or qualified for affiliate membership in the Berks County Public Libraries federated system.
An emergency grant will be considered if a library has exhausted all other sources of revenue and is in immediate danger of closing due to unforeseen circumstances or circumstances beyond its control. Applications for emergency grants must include information highlighting what steps have been taken to avoid a similar emergency in the future.
Questions? Reach out to Lifelong Learning Program officer, Kim Sheffer, at kims@bccf.org.
Berks County Chief of Police Fund
This fund supports education and training for officers of the police forces of the City of Reading and Berks County as well as members of the Berks County Sheriff’s Department.
Unending Promise Fund
Grants improve the quality of life for adults living with autism, primarily in Berks County. This fund also grants scholarships for adults living with autism, primarily in Berks County that are pursuing their education.
Arthur O. and Clara M. Schlegel Memorial Fund
The Arthur O. & Clara M. Schlegel Memorial Fund provides grants that support the medical costs for children who suffer from a diagnosed condition that creates a permanent structural or superficial deviation from the normal shape or size. The condition resulting in disfigurement (this condition may be congenital or acquired) in Berks County whose guardians cannot meet such expenses.
Expenses that may be covered include direct and indirect medical expenses, such as travel costs associated with treatment.
An example of a project that was funded were two lifts for Ethan Pyles, a Reading-area teenager, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which currently has no cure.
At a cost of $15,060, the Schlegel Fund paid for the lifts and installation to improve his quality of life.
Dental Treatment Fund
Grants support dental treatment for Berks or Schuylkill County residents who cannot pay for such dental treatment, in honor of the Berks Schuylkill Dental Hygienists Association.
Community General Hospital Healthcare Fund
Grants support a nonprofit hospital in Reading; educational activities related to rendering care to the sick and injured or to the promotion of health; scientific research related to the care of the sick in conjunction with a hospital operating in the City of Reading; and the general health of the Berks County community.
Conservation Equity Fund
The Conservation Equity Fund was created to support the preservation and/or conservation of open space, environmentally sensitive land. The fund also supports the preservation of historic properties in Berks County, including, but not limited to farmland.
