Funding Resources & FAQ

Click here to learn about all of our current grant opportunities. Applications for our universal scholarship application is open from December 1 to February 1 each year. We also have scholarships available year-round. Click here to learn about all of our scholarship opportunities. Our e-newsletter comes out once per month and alerts subscribers to the grant applications that have opened recently. The e-newsletter is the only place that consistently lists all of our current grant and scholarship opportunities. The e-newsletter also contains information about educational opportunities, our events, news, and more. The form to sign up is at the bottom of our homepage. Sign up here. The e-newsletter also contains information about educational opportunities, our events, news, and more. The form to sign up is at the bottom of our homepage. Sign up here.. You can unsubscribe at any time.

For Scholarship Applicants
We encourage you to watch this 4-minute video for an overview of the registration, application, and grant follow-up process. To begin a universal scholarship application, click on this link to register or log in with your personal existing account. After you register/log in, complete one (1) universal application. This application will match you to any scholarship funds for which you qualify. In the event that you match with scholarship fund(s), you may need to complete required follow-up questions.

For Grant Applicants
We encourage you to watch this 4-minute video for an overview of the registration and application process. To begin a grant application, click on this link to register your organization or log in with your existing account. After you register, you can apply for any grant opportunities that match your program and are listed as currently accepting applications.

All grant payments will be sent via ACH (Automated Clearing House) effective January 1, 2025. To read more about this transition, please read our latest news story about it by clicking here. Scholarship recipients must accept their scholarship(s) by logging in to our Scholarship Application Portal. Once the student accepts their scholarship(s), payment(s) will be sent to the student’s institution via ACH (Automated Clearing House).

If you are a student who submitted your scholarship acceptance form and have not yet received your payment, please direct your questions to your school’s office that is responsible for processing scholarship payments.

If a follow-up report is required for your grant or scholarship it will appear on your personalized dashboard in our online grant or scholarship application system. You will also receive an email from the system to let you know when it is due.

The Community Foundation manages about 400 charitable funds. The funds were created by local individuals, families and businesses to support causes and organizations they cared about. Many of the funds exist solely to provide annual grants to specific nonprofit organizations. Other funds were created to support organizations and projects that address certain quality of life issues or assist projects in specific geographic areas. We call these “field of interest” funds.

We recently sat down with Andrew Zach, Senior Vice President of Fund Evaluation Group (FEG), to have him answer some frequently asked questions regarding the community foundation’s investment strategy. Watch the full interview. where Zach explains who FEG is and how they help the community foundation, our investment philosophy, the definition of “hurdle rate”, as well as how and why investment for the community foundation looks different compared to one’s personal investment.

Effective January 1, 2026, Berks County Community Foundation will no longer sponsor fundraising events hosted by external organizations. While we recognize the important role that fundraising events play in supporting nonprofit operations, we believe our discretionary funds are better utilized by investing in grants and initiatives that align with our mission and demonstrate measurable outcomes for Berks County residents. Organizations seeking support are encouraged to apply for grants through our online portal. To learn more about grant opportunities that may be available for your organization, explore our website and subscribe to our e-newsletter.  Note that the Community Foundation may choose to advertise in certain publications from time to time as part of its own marketing efforts.  

From time to time, Berks County Community Foundation will open a fund to respond to an emerging, urgent community need. These extraordinary circumstances fall into one of four categories: 1. Natural Disaster (tornado, earthquake, etc.) 2. Mass Violence (shooting, terrorism, civic unrest, etc.) 3. Infrastructure Failure (building or bridge collapse, mass power outages, etc.) 4. Public Health/Climate Emergency (epidemic, extreme heat/cold, outbreak, etc.) Any disaster relief fund of Berks County Community Foundation will support long-term community recovery through grants to vetted nonprofits. These funds are not a direct payment program. The structure of our funding and grantmaking ensures every dollar reaches the people who need it most. In the event of a disaster, Berks County Community Foundation will collaborate with relevant organizations, experts, and legal professionals to ensure responsible and legal fund stewardship. This is not to create barriers but to protect donors and ensure accountability. When Berks County Community Foundation establishes a disaster relief fund, the process for applying and receiving payment is the same for all our funds. The fund language, featured on bccf.org as well as the application portal, will explain who qualifies for funding. Qualifying applicants will visit our grant application portal to create and log in to their applicant profile. If an applicant is approved to receive a grant, payments will be sent via ACH (Automated Clearing House).

Funding is provided by donations from community supporters who are inspired to give. Additional funding may be provided by the Community Foundation.

Contact us at grants@bccf.org or 610.685.2223.