Reading, May 26, 2023 – The Power of the Purse in Berks County Fund of Berks County Community Foundation recently awarded $56,000 in grants to seven organizations. The Power of the Purse Fund supports organizations and projects that focus on women’s education, economic empowerment, safety, rights, and health.
The following grants were awarded:
“These grant recipients exemplify the spirit of the Power of the Purse initiative, which aims to uplift and empower women in our community,” said Cindy Milian, health and human services program officer. “The Power of the Purse Fund was established with the belief that women play a pivotal role in driving positive change and shaping the future of our society.”
Power of the Purse Fund was created in 2012 as a women’s giving circle. For more information, visit https://bccf.org/funds/power-of-the-purse-in-berks-county-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.
More than $995,000 has been donated or pledged to the West Reading Disaster Recovery Fund since it was established on Saturday, March 25. Donations and pledges have been made by thousands of individuals, families, and businesses across Berks County and the country.
To assist with urgent, immediate needs, more than $450,000 has already been distributed to the families of those who died and to those displaced from their homes.
“Out of respect for the families, we will not be providing specific details regarding those distributions,” said Kevin K. Murphy, president of Berks County Community Foundation, which created the fund in partnership with the United Way of Berks County at the request of West Reading Borough Council. “Our hope is that the funding will ease their burden as they cope with their loss.”
The West Reading Disaster Relief Fund will continue to accept donations until May 31, 2023, at which time it will sunset, with all remaining funding to be held for immediate and future needs related to the following priorities:
“We are grateful to everyone who has given to the fund, including so many of our local businesses,” said Tammy White, president of the United Way of Berks County. “The outpouring of support of neighbor helping neighbor has been inspiring. We continue to thank everyone for the kind generosity.”
Intergenerational dialogue is a great way for individuals to learn and understand each other. Besides, with our families, there aren’t many opportunities for young and older adults to talk to each other about life. Twin Valley Community Education wanted to create a space where children can practice this at school and teach the importance of these connections through hands-on experience. With funding from Berks County Community Foundation, they implemented a new educational project entitled Bridging Generations.
The main purpose of this project is to bridge the gap between generations to promote better communication from different walks of life. Twin Valley Community Education Foundation wanted students to learn about handwritten communication, while simultaneously connecting them with a generation outside of their own. The funding for this program came from the Hawley and Myrtle Quier Fund. This fund makes distributions to improve the quality of life for Berks County residents, with emphasis on the arts, education, women’s issues, children’s issues, and animal welfare. This program was created to foster human connections in our community.
A group of second-grade students at Robeson Elementary Center who were not behind on their schoolwork, and who had an interest, were paired with a participating older adult whom they could become local pen pals with. This program was intended to fill a gap and provide students with an older adult and vice versa. According to Lynn Weller, the program coordinator, “This program was successful in bringing Berk’s older individuals and elementary students together to learn from each other and form friendships in a safe and meaningful way.”
Not only did this program succeed in connecting two different generations, but it also succeeded in teaching children the importance of letter writing and written communication. Weller reported that “before this program, 32% of participants reported that they were unsure how to write a letter, and 79% were unsure how to address a letter.” The program proved to be a positive experience for the older adults who participated as well. Many participants were elated to teach children about the importance of writing. Additionally, it gave them an outlet to share stories and life advice, which they really enjoyed.
Weller mentions that more students will be encouraged to participate in the future, not just those who are ahead with their studies. In addition to this, there is a hope that an event will be hosted at the end of the program where the participating children and their families can meet the senior citizens in person.
While this grant opportunity is no longer available, you can still donate to the Hawley and Myrtle Quier Fund for new future programs by visiting www.bccf.org. If you are looking for funding for your next project, check out other funds that are available at www.bccf.org.
The Power of the Purse in Berks County (POP) in Berks County held its 2022-2023 kickoff meeting at Berks County Community Foundation. POP is a women’s giving circle where donations are pooled to create an impact in the Berks County community. In the meeting, there was a discussion on how to improve the lives of women and girls that included explaining The University of Pennsylvania’s Center for High Impact Philanthropy’s XX Factor Framework. Based on this framework, there are five dimensions that women look to thrive in their community: health, education, economic empowerment, personal safety, and legal rights.
“Collectively, if there is not an impact on all five, women cannot thrive. Progress in one will create a domino effect with the other dimensions,” explains Katherina M. Rosqueta, Founding Executive Director for the Center for High Impact Philanthropy, School of Social Policy & Practice, University of Pennsylvania.
The Power of the Purse in Berks County Fund of Berks County Community Foundation awards grants to programs that break the cycle of poverty by eliminating or addressing barriers for Berks County girls and/or women who want to enter or re-enter the workforce or seek education they need to do so.
The deadline to apply is January 24, 2023.
This funding is made possible by the generous women who are members of the Power of the Purse in Berks County, which was started in 2012 to improve the lives of local women and children.
You can learn more about POP, how to apply for a grant, how to donate to the group, and what grants have been previously awarded at https://bccf.org/pop/.
Apply for a grant directly at http://bccf.link/grants. The deadline to apply for funding is January 24, 2023.
READING, PA (June 13, 2022) — A program that encourages teens to develop an interest in philanthropy and volunteering has awarded grants totaling $15,000 to four Berks County organizations that address mental health issues among youth.
For the 2021-2022 school year, the volunteers of the Youth Advisory Board (YAB) identified mental health as a major concern for students in Berks County.
This year’s Youth and Philanthropy Fund grants:
YAB annually awards grants from the Youth and Philanthropy Fund of Berks County Community Foundation. From 1998 to 2022, the Youth and Philanthropy Fund of Berks County Community Foundation distributed 117 grants totaling $368,258. Learn more here: https://bccf.org/youth/
YAB is a program of Berks County Community Foundation and the Youth Volunteer Corps of Reading. The program combines lessons about philanthropy and awarding grants from the Community Foundation with opportunities for service-learning and volunteering provided by the Youth Volunteer Corps of Reading. This year’s YAB had 39 members from schools across Berks County.
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Berks County Community Foundation is a nonprofit corporation that serves as a civic leader for our region by developing, managing, and distributing charitable funds aimed at improving the quality of life in Berks County. More information is available at www.bccf.org.
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Jason Brudereck, Director of Communication, jasonb@bccf.org, 610.685.2223
READING, PA (December 22, 2021) – Nine organizations have been awarded grants totaling $227,300 for programs that address health-related issues among residents of Berks and nearby counties.
The Home Health Care Foundation Fund of Berks County Community Foundation awarded the grants. This fund will again accept applications for another round of funding from January 1 until March 15, 2022.
The Home Health Care Foundation Fund provides grants to organizations and programs that do one or more of the following:
Grants are awarded to organizations and programs that serve Berks County and/or those counties that are contiguous to it. Preference is given to Berks County organizations.
The maximum amount available per organization is $40,000.
To apply, visit bccf.org and click on “Apply for a grant” under “Scholarships + Grants” in the website menu or go to http://bccf.link/grants. You must create an account to access the application system.
The Home Health Care Foundation Fund has distributed more than $500,000 since it was established at the Community Foundation in 2020.
The grants for this round of funding:
Below, Alvernia University’s Physical Therapy Center at Oakbrook provides pro bono, high-quality service to hundreds of patients.
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Berks County Community Foundation is a nonprofit corporation that serves as a civic leader for our region by developing, managing and distributing charitable funds aimed at improving the quality of life in Berks County. More information is available at www.bccf.org.
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Jason Brudereck, Director of Communication, jasonb@bccf.org, 610.685.2223
READING, PA (November 23, 2021) – Two grant programs that address issues affecting local youth, women, and girls will accept applications from Berks County organizations until January 24, 2022.
To apply for a grant, use Berks County Community Foundation’s online application system. You must create an account to access the system: http://bccf.link/grants
Details about the programs:
The Power of the Purse is a program of Berks County Community Foundation. Learn more here: https://bccf.org/pop/
Applications will be accepted from 11/23/21 until 1/24/2022 for both programs.
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Berks County Community Foundation is a nonprofit corporation that serves as a civic leader for our region by developing, managing and distributing funds to meet existing and emerging community needs. More information is available at www.bccf.org.
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Jason Brudereck, Director of Communication, 610.685.2223, jasonb@bccf.org
BOYERTOWN, PA (July 9, 2021) – Berks County Community Foundation has several funding opportunities available for nonprofits and families in the Boyertown area.
Two programs for nonprofits serving residents of the Boyertown area have an application deadline of August 16, 2021:
To apply for either of these opportunities (and organizations may apply to both), use the Community Foundation’s new online application system at http://bccf.link/grants. You must create an account to access the system.
For inquiries regarding these opportunities for nonprofits, contact Heidi Williamson, Senior Vice President for Programs and Initiatives, at heidiw@bccf.org or 610-685-2223.
Two programs for families caring for loved ones with medical needs also have funding available:
To apply for either of these opportunities, use the Community Foundation’s new online application system at http://bccf.link/grants. You must create an account to access the system.
For inquiries regarding these opportunities for families, contact Monica Reyes, Health and Human Services Program Officer, at monicar@bccf.org or 610-685-2223.
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Berks County Community Foundation is a nonprofit corporation that serves as a civic leader for our region by developing, managing and distributing charitable funds aimed at improving the quality of life in Berks County. More information is available at www.bccf.org.
NEWS RELEASE
READING, PA (July 8, 2021) – Berks County Community Foundation has awarded $3,600 from the Albany Township Tomorrow Fund to three organizations for programs that will benefit the entire Albany Township community.
The Albany Township Tomorrow Fund supports community organizations and initiatives that benefit the residents of Albany Township, Berks County. This fund was created in honor of Pauline Levan Hamm and Gloria Longenberger Hamm and their lifelong efforts to support and improve the Albany Township community. Since the fund was established in 2019, it has awarded $11,800 to local organizations.
This year’s grant recipients, award amounts, and programs supported:
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Berks County Community Foundation is a nonprofit corporation that serves as a civic leader for our region by developing, managing and distributing charitable funds aimed at improving the quality of life in Berks County. More information is available at www.bccf.org.
NEWS RELEASE
READING, PA (June 7, 2021) – Seven organizations have been awarded grants totaling $146,600 for programs that improve the health and well-being of residents in Berks and nearby counties.
The money was awarded from the Home Health Care Foundation Fund of Berks County Community Foundation.
The Home Health Care Foundation Fund has another round of funding available now for organizations and programs that benefit the health of residents of Berks County and the counties that are contiguous to it. Preference will be given to Berks County organizations.
Applications are due August 16. The maximum amount available per organization is $40,000.
To apply, visit bccf.org and click on “Apply for a grant” under “Scholarships + Grants” in the website menu or go to http://bccf.link/grants. You must create an account to access the application system.
This was the second round of grants that have been distributed from the Home Health Care Foundation Fund, which was established at the Community Foundation in 2020. The fund distributes money twice per year. The total amount distributed so far has been $287,900.
“This fund has two grant cycles per year, investing nearly $300,000 annually in local programs that will have a powerful impact on the health of residents in the region,” said Monica Reyes, Community Foundation Health and Human Services Program Officer.
The organizations, grant amounts, and programs that received funding in this round:
The Home Health Care Foundation Fund provides grants to organizations and programs that do one or more of the following:
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Berks County Community Foundation is a nonprofit corporation that serves as a civic leader for our region by developing, managing and distributing charitable funds aimed at improving the quality of life in Berks County. More information is available at www.bccf.org.
NEWS RELEASE