In Fiscal Year 2024, Berks County Community Foundation distributed $5.4 million in grants and scholarships to support the community. The year was filled with innovative projects, impactful programs and a strong commitment to our mission.
Berks County Community Foundation helps donors fulfill their charitable desires. The Foundation was established in 1994 as a non-profit, public charity to provide a locally managed resource for establishing endowments. We have program officers on staff who are experts in their focus areas – energy & environment, lifelong learning, health & human services, the arts, and neighborhood & economic development. They steward these charitable funds to ensure that the grants and scholarships awarded from them are making an impact and fulfilling our donors’ wishes.
“The work we do isn’t only about working with donors to establish funds. Nor is it just about awarding grants and scholarships. The team at the Community Foundation convenes local leaders, research national and local trends, and chooses initiatives on which to focus so community conversations get moving and big ideas are discussed”, Kevin Murphy, president says.
The Annual Report highlights our mission of promoting philanthropy and improving the quality of life for the residents of Berks County. The team works hard to bring organizations and individuals together for collaboration to spark change in the community. This year’s Annual Report provides detailed stories and data behind these achievements, underscoring the powerful impact of donor support in the community.
To read the full report, take a look below.
Here at the Community Foundation, we believe that every student deserves to participate in fun activities that also improve their lives. By making a grant to Muhlenberg School District’s Weightlifting Club, also referred to as the “Swole Club”, the foundation was able to provide funding to do just that.
The Weightlifting Club, in collaboration with the Aevidum Club, was started to provide students with access to a new sport, a positive school culture of sportsmanship, and healthy habits. Engaging in weightlifting provides more than just physical benefits. Students learn to set goals, persevere through challenges, and celebrate their progress individually and as a team. The Aevidum club helps students to adopt cultures of care and advocacy, encouraging all members to have their friends’ backs.
“We are very excited and grateful for these funds and look forward to supporting our students in our Aevidum Club and Weightlifting Club,” says Zachariah Milch M Ed., Licensed Behavior Specialist at Muhlenberg School District.
The grant specifically provided funding for lifting equipment, tournament fees, and culture-building trips.
By providing funds for weightlifting equipment, this grant lifts the weight off the shoulders of students who lack access due to financial constraints to weightlifting. The funding was made possible by the First United Church of Christ Mission Fund of Berks County Community Foundation. This fund supports organizations and causes that were important to the mission of the First United Church of Christ in Reading, PA. One of the church’s causes that was important to them was to support programs and initiatives that help children from Berks County participate in activities that their families would not otherwise be able to afford. To learn more about the First United Church of Christ Mission Fund what other causes are important to this fund, click here.
Six-year-old Timothy begged his mother to let him take skating lessons after seeing one of the Reading Royals ice hockey games. Observing the players skate so quickly excited him. Timothy’s mother requested help paying for the skating lessons from the Royals Youth Hockey Fund of Berks County Community Foundation. Timothy started participating in the Royal’s Learn to Skate program not long after.
The Royals Youth Hockey Fund of Berks County Community Foundation was started in 2023 by the Reading Royals Hockey Club to provide financial support to youth who want to participate in hockey lessons, camps, or leagues.
“Hockey is a special kind of sport in which success depends on every single player pulling in the same direction and supporting one another,” says Dakota Procyk, Vice President of Operations at the Reading Royals Hockey Club. “This fund is a great opportunity to invest in the Berks County community and offers a chance for our local youth to get involved with hockey.”
Young people’s development and well-being are greatly impacted by youth sports. Their physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development is aided by them, and they provide a number of positive aspects, such as health and wellness, confidence, teamwork, and skill development.
Recipients of the fund explained how the fund made a difference and gave them a spark of hope.
“Receiving this grant has shown me we can still help each other. Cutting ice hockey out of our budget would have left a void in my son’s winter.”
“This fund helped allow my son to continue to play the game he loves so much while allowing me a little breathing room with inflation.”
Since the fund opened in July 2023, the Community Foundation has granted $12,535 to 18 children. The grants assisted with registration fees for several of the Royals’ youth programs, including Learn to Skate, Learn to Play, Youth League, and Selects Team programs.
Funding can cover registration fees and equipment. Applicants can request a Slapshot Starter Kit, which includes hockey skates, pads, and a stick. Applications are open year-round.
To learn more, click: Learn More
To give to the Royals Youth Hockey Fund, visit: bccf.org/fund
