portraits of generosity 2014

PORTRAITS OF GENEROSITY2014

Berkshire TaconicC O M M U N I T Y F O U N D A T I O N

In these pages, you will read about just a few of the people who activate

their generosity here in our communities. These are people whose gift

is leadership through good work—with nonprofits, with public institu-

tions or as donors. Each has an inspiring story and each has chosen

Berkshire Taconic as a partner to help fulfill a charitable vision.

One of the great privileges of being part of Berkshire Taconic is work-

ing with people who are generous. They have taken a stand: our world

here can be better and it can start now, with me. Every day, we can

see and feel the transformations taking place in the lives of people all

around us. It is utterly inspiring.

Each of us can make a difference, and Berkshire Taconic makes it easy

to be generous. We can help transform your ideas and gifts into effective

programs that create change, now and over the long term. Our vision

is to work with you to build strong, thriving communities in our region.

Read and enjoy these stories, and then join our circle of generosity.

We’re here for you.

J. Williar Dunlaevy

Chair, Board of Directors

1 DONOR PROFILE:

NICK BORASKI

3 IN THEIR OWN WORDS:

NORMA EDSALL

& ALICE CORBIN

4 DONOR PROFILE:

WENDY CURTIS

6 MAKING A DIFFERENCE

IN YOUR COMMUNITY

8 IN CONVERSATION:

NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP

11 IN HIS OWN WORDS:

MONROE “MOE” ENGLAND

12 SNAPSHOTS

Jennifer Dowley

President

Welcome Contents

On the cover: Grant recipients from four counties come together in Sheffield, Mass.

Read more on page 6.

Donor Profile

NICK BORASKI NICK BORASKI can easily summon a boyhood

memory of the Great Depression.

It is evening, and there is a knock at the door

of his Dalton, Mass. home. His mother opens it to

find a “fellow in bib overalls” with a young child

in tow. Strangers, they are looking for something

to eat.

Without thinking twice, Nick’s mother sits

the pair down at her table and feeds them. After-

ward, she says to the man, “I’m going to dress

your boy in something else.” She disappears up-

stairs, and returns with an armful of clothing. It is

an especially benevolent act for someone with

seven children of her own.

“We never had any money,” Nick says, recall-

ing the episode. “But that was my mother. We had

a huge vegetable garden and she was always giv-

ing food away. It was just natural to her.”

Now 87, Nick lived a “wonderful life as a team”

with his late wife, Ruth—by working hard, seizing

opportunities and benefiting from occasional runs

of good luck. And like his mother taught him, he

has given back to his community unreservedly.

An early graduate from high school, he attend-

ed Duke University for a semester before enlist-

ing in the Navy. After earning a degree from the

University of Massachusetts, he built a highly

successful career at General Electric, where his

training as an engineer and, more importantly, his

leadership skills propelled him to the top ranks.

Early on, he met and married Ruth, in a true

partnership of equals.

As Nick advanced at GE, Ruth raised three

children, fed and walked a succession of Labra-

dors, and graciously entertained Nick’s colleagues

and customers. Both were very involved in their

communities—churches and charities, hospitals

berkshiretaconic.org 1

at schools, colleges and universities, as well as mu-

seums and theatres, across Berkshire County. Today,

their generosity provides over 50 annual scholarships

of $1,000 to $10,000 each, as well as yearly funding

for six children’s programs.

At Berkshire Taconic,

two of Ruth’s favorite

programs, Girls Inc.

and Meals on Wheels,

receive support through

designated funds. In

addition, Nick has

honored his parents’

powerful example with

the Charles and Sadie

Boraski Scholarship

Fund for five Waconah

Regional High School

seniors each year.

Last year, in a nod

to his own remarkable

path, Nick created

the Nicholas Boraski

Scholarship for a col-

lege-bound Berkshire

County student—a

“hidden gem” whose potential may not be fully

realized, but who exhibits curiosity and drive none-

theless.

“I was the diamond in the rough,” Nick says. “But

after discharge from the Navy, I returned to the univer-

sity—wow! I received all high grades. This made me

realize that either I had gotten smarter or, more likely,

the ‘diamond had begun to sparkle.’”

He hopes that with the boost this scholarship pro-

vides, its recipients will have similar epiphanies and

find success in their chosen fields.

“Every student who has the ability should be given

a chance to pursue higher education,” Nick says.

In other words, the knocks at Nick’s door—and

the unhesitating offers of help—will go on, now and

for years to come

2 berkshiretaconic.org

Donor Profile: NICK BORASKI

A RELATIONSHIP BEGINS Cam Powell, the inaugural recipient of the Nich-olas Boraski Scholarship, meets Nick for the first time on the soccer field at Monument Mountain Regional High School in Great Barrington, Mass.

and schools—and became interested in economic de-

velopment. “Totally supportive” of Nick’s career, his

beloved Ruth steadily exerted her influence. Whenever

Nick’s “talk” threatened to outpace his “walk,” she was

there to keep his ego in check.

But Nick has reason

to be proud of himself

and his family. His par-

ents, who left Ukraine

separately as teenagers,

saw all seven children

through to high school

graduation, and four of

them on to college, de-

spite his father’s mod-

est earnings as a beater

engineer at Crane & Co.

His children have

thrived, and his six grand-

children are spread out

across the country and in

Canada, stretching their

talents as a Ph.D. stu-

dent, a master furniture

craftsman and a cowgirl,

among other pursuits.

Nick attributes his professional success to an ex-

cellent education at UMass, GE’s training programs

and his native ability to “quickly separate the wheat

from the chaff.” The recipient of two honorary doctoral

degrees, he rose to vice president of operations at GE

and earned his reputation running “safe, quality, effi-

cient organizations.” At several points, he had thou-

sands of people working under him.

These days, the heads he’s counting are scholar-

ship recipients and program participants. Nick and

Ruth’s astonishing charitable activity began decades

ago, when Nick became a champion of public educa-

tion through school board service and, ultimately, an

appointment to the Massachusetts Board of Regents.

Without so much as a single request, Nick and

Ruth began establishing permanent endowments


ALICE: Growing up in Ohio, my family was pretty

involved in the church and community. My parents

owned a grocery store, so there was a fair amount of

community spirit in terms of donating food for this,

that and the other thing.

NORMA: My family participated in various fundrais-

ing activities in town and giving of their time and ener-

gy was a way of life. I am fortunate to have grown up in

such an environment.

ALICE: Both of us are pretty well organized, and in

different areas. As a result we’ve ended up taking on

a variety of projects and helped each other get things

put together.

NORMA: There’s something very pleasurable in

being in a position to help a group meet a particular

goal. I feel fortunate that I have been able to contribute

monetary support as well as active participation.

ALICE: Working through Berkshire Taconic makes for

a bigger bank than your own checkbook. It’s an op-

portunity to pool monies, and make them bigger than

individual contributions.

NORMA: If you make giving a habit, it really becomes

a part of your life. You find you can do far more than

you thought you could, if this becomes a part of your

thinking and what you do on a regular basis. You know,

whether that’s giving a little more to a fire company’s

breakfast or underwriting a specific aspect of an event

or supporting a scholarship drive, you can assist an

individual or group in moving toward a goal. It has

become, frankly, an integral part of how we live, what

we do and what we will continue to do.

NORMA EDSALL & ALICE CORBINResidents of Columbia County, NY since 1969, NORMA EDSALL and ALICE CORBIN established a donor advised fund in 1997. They count education, conservation and preservation among their chief interests, and keep alive their families’ long traditions of generosity with their giving.

In Their Own Words

WENDY CURTIS WENDY CURTIS was in transition, and so was her ad-

opted hometown of Millerton, NY.

It was 1991. Wendy had just retired from 16 years

in administrative roles at Vassar College. Her father had

recently died, her mother would soon require care and

before long her three children would be pursuing careers

in medicine and education. “I decided to stop working

and see what else I could do,” she says.

Meanwhile, in Millerton—where Wendy had settled

20 years earlier with her husband John, a physician—the

gap between the “newly arrived” from New York City and

the homegrown population was widening.

“The two traditional means of employment—farms

and the two large state institutions—were going out of

business,” she says. In fact, nearby Wingdale’s psychiat-

ric hospital, the Harlem Valley State Hospital, was shut-

tered three years later and the Wassaic Developmental

Center, once among the largest government employers

in Dutchess County, had been slated for closure by 2000.

At the urging of a friend, Sam Busselle, Wendy leapt

into local affairs feet first by running for public office.

“I thought, ‘I’m sure to lose,’ which I did, thank heav-

ens,” Wendy says, laughing at the memory. “But I knew

it would give me a better feeling for the community.”

What she learned shocked her. She met neighbors

living at “the most basic level.” Unemployment was

widespread. Young people had nowhere to go once

school let out. Drug abuse and domestic violence were

common.

While the challenges were multiplying, most social

services were operating out of faraway Poughkeepsie,

and many skeptics in the community regarded public

assistance for anyone but the elderly as a handout. This

was especially troubling to Wendy, who was enrolled at

Columbia University’s social work school when she met

her husband.

By her own account, Wendy was raised in privilege

Donor Profile



in suburban Cleveland. (While she jokes that her father, also a physician,

came from a “poor but proud Southern family,” a maternal ancestor of

Wendy’s co-founded Western Union). Her campaign had brought her face

to face with poverty and isolation, but also to the start of her next chapter—

as a community leader.

When that persuasive friend Sam hatched a plan to form a council to

address Millerton’s problems, Wendy had a bold suggestion. This new

cause would need a face. “Not just people, but a place. A community cen-

ter,” she says.

Thus began the formidable effort to open the North East Community

Center. Established by Sam and other co-founders to help combat some of

Millerton’s social and economic ills, today it is the bustling home of dozens

of services for everyone from toddlers to seniors. Wendy devoted time and

energy to the center for much of the decade, serving as board chair from

1997 to 2000.

As Berkshire Taconic lent support to a capital campaign for the center,

Wendy’s talents—for judging character, understanding motivation and con-

sensus-building—were recognized further afield. She was recruited for the

BTCF board as well, and chaired it from 2000-2002.

During that time, Wendy helped make the case for the foundation’s

area funds, which support cherished towns or regions and help donors give

locally. A donor advisor herself, she set in motion a mobile social services

unit, NED Corps, by connecting part-time Millbrook residents Russ and

Judy Carson with Berkshire Taconic to help meet the growing need for bilin-

gual caseworkers serving Dutchess towns.

“We’re enormously grateful for their leadership here,” Wendy says of

the Carsons.

Hers, too. Twenty-plus years after Wendy first toured Millerton in ear-

nest, a beloved community center she helped conceive is serving hundreds

of families every year. Through the NED Fund she helped launch, Dutchess

residents can support what Wendy describes as “land use, social services,

education and arts—all of the things that make for a community.” What’s

more, farming and conservation have taken hold once again. Wendy keeps

tabs on this progress as an advisor to Dutchess Land Conservancy.

That period of transition would turn out to be just the first of many for

Wendy and her town.

But all along, she’s been guided by, and acted on, her core beliefs. “We

all live in communities in which there are very real strata of ability to func-

tion,” she says. “Some of that is just plain luck, bad or good. And some of it

has to do with the institutions that shape us, our families and our schools.

“If we’re to live together successfully,” she concludes, “we must under-

stand that you must give as much as you take.”

Donor Profile: WENDY CURTIS


Our donors partner with us to strengthen communities through grants to nonprofits and individuals

MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY

TELLING STORIES

The Columbia County Arts & Human-ities Project brings together local stu-dents and professional filmmakers from CHATHAM FILM CLUB to pro-duce and screen original films.

GETTING OUTDOORS

Hillsdale’s ROELIFF JANSEN COM-MUNITY LIBRARY receives support from the Fund for Columbia County to host a summer recreational program at Roeliff Jansen Park, where kids take advantage of trails, streams and fields.

MAKING MUSIC

The Northeast Dutchess Fund sup-ports a thriving and diverse arts scene in the Mid-Hudson Valley, including DUTCHESS COUNTY ARTS COUN-CIL’s new jazz program in the Webutuck Central School District.

FIGHTING HUNGER

The FOOD OF LIFE pantry, which be-gan in the aisles of St. Thomas Epis-copal Church, Amenia, now serves 70,000 meals annually with support from the Northeast Dutchess Fund.

SUPPORTING SENIORS

Elder Services of Berkshire County gets support for MEALS ON WHEELS to serve hot, nutritious meals to home-bound seniors during the week and to deliver frozen meals on weekends.

PROTECTING WETLANDS

With help from the Berkshire Environ-mental Endowment, THE BERKSHIRE REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION is training local conservation commis-sioners in best practices for wetland protection and land conservation.

UNITING FAMILIES

The annual Kids’ Day event at SHA-RON AUDUBON SOCIETY receives a grant to help bring families together for fun and games on Audubon’s beau-tiful 1,100 acres.

CONSERVING LAND

Two BTCF funds are helping HOUSA-TONIC VALLEY ASSOCIATION restore the lands and waters of the Housaton-ic watershed and conserve the natural character and environmental health of Litchfield County.

IMPACT AT A GLANCE


Fifth-graders from Pittsfield receive hands-on education about environ-mental science through a grant to the Berkshire Museum, which is led by VAN SHIELDS.

RACHEL SCHNEIDER runs “Kids Can Cook!” at Hawthorne Valley Farm, teaching kids where food comes from, helping them prepare delicious, nutri-tious meals and opening the door to healthier lifestyles.

Our donors partner with us to strengthen communities through grants to nonprofits and individuals

A bilingual NED Corps client advocate, MARIELLA RIBBECK helps low-income Dutchess residents become self-suffi-cient by connecting them with resourc-es—from emergency food assistance to mental health care.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY

The 2014 Margaret Derwin Blue Sky Scholarship recipient, EMILY SULLI-VAN will receive $100,000 for tuition at the college of her choice and $5,000 for an overseas enrichment program.



Let’s start by describing the community we live in, es-

pecially the issues that might not be on everyone’s ra-

dar but that are also a defining part of the region.

LORI: Our community is rural, with a large range of

socio-economic levels. Because we don’t have public

transportation—that impacts the people we serve.

Another issue is affordable housing; that’s something

our clients certainly struggle with. And mental health

outpatient services are diminishing in the area.

JANET: The low population density drives things in a

way that sometimes we’re unconscious of, especially

if we come from another part of the country where re-

sources are easier to access. If you’re somebody who

knows how to maneuver, you can solve a problem. You

can get help if you get hooked into the right system,

whereas here it’s a little more challenging.

MARIA: Yes, the rural nature of the area affects the re-

sources, and it also has a tendency to make problems

invisible because we are so spread out. And while rural

communities support one another, they do it in a very

quiet, sort of ‘off the grid’ way.

So what role do nonprofits play here?

MARIA: Nonprofits are playing an incredibly import-

ant role in a difficult economy where government re-

sources are drying up. They are the conduit for philan-

thropy, which increasingly funds social services. A

small nonprofit like Women’s Support Services knows

its demographic and its region very well. We can look

at the real grit of the area, understand where the need

is and funnel resources appropriately. likeppropriately.

JANET: I think that nonprofits are also a kind of so-

cial glue, because many people here are in some way

involved in one. We’re a community-building force for

In Conversation

We asked a trio of experts—(left to right) Lori Rivenburgh, executive director of Women’s Support Ser-vices, a domestic violence prevention agency in Sharon, Conn.; Maria Horn, the organization’s board chair; and consultant Janet Andre Block—to sit down for a conversation about leadership in the nonprofit sector. Lori has participated in two professional development programs run by Berkshire Taconic’s Center for Nonprofit Excellence.



good—all the nonprofits. The other thing I feel strong-

ly about is the assumption that because we’re in a rural

area, we don’t need to operate at the highest possible

level. I feel that we can and we do, and that nonprofits

and leaders here are up to the same challenges as any-

body I’ve met anywhere.

Describe some of those challenges you face. What

worries you, and what excites you?

LORI: One challenge for an executive director is to

utilize the skill sets of the board members to the best

of the agency, as well as making them feel fulfilled in

their roles, because that’s ultimately what I want. And

it’s super-challenging in a small agency. I have five

staff and 15 board members, programs to run, all of

the strategic work. And though we’re small, the things

we face are no different than those of many larger orga-

nizations, but we have to do it all with fewer resources.

But the great part about being in a small commu-

nity, what I tell my staff is that everybody who comes

into the office—you should consider them all to be a

donor, a volunteer and a client. Because nine times out

of 10, the people who come to us have interacted with

us on some level. They’ve probably volunteered, or a

friend or family member has volunteered, or they’ve

been on the board, donated or received services from

us as a client. They’re somehow connected to us—ev-

erybody who walks in—and I just find that amazing.

Janet, talk about the Nonprofit Leadership Institute

that you run through BTCF and what it aims to achieve.

JANET: The institute emerged because we found that

executive directors were feeling isolated and overbur-

dened. They wanted more support, more training for

doing their jobs better and also a way to get to know

other executive directors. We use a lot of resources,

like [Peter Senge’s] The Fifth Discipline, as a curricu-

lum, and we build out from there. I think we have a

bias in the program that when you are a leader, you

start with yourself. You learn about your personal vi-

sion and how that is impacting your life, your board’s

life and your organization’s life, and ultimately the

people that you serve. So we are creating a peer group,

number one, and number two, helping each partici-

pant learn how to maximize their own performance

and their relationships with other people in order to

leverage themselves even more.

From the board perspective, Maria, what changes did

you see in the way Lori manages the organization after

she participated in the Nonprofit Leadership Institute?

MARIA: What’s immediately visible is Lori’s belief in

herself and confidence, and pleasure in taking charge.

I think we were already a success and were doing our

job very well. The whole board felt that all the little

pieces were going well, but we could get waylaid by

a little bump in the road. And I think the perception

since Lori did this program is that the way she pres-

ents herself to the board has changed. She is now

looking to the board this way: ‘This is what I need you

to help me with, and this is how.’ She is taking charge,


In Conversation: NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP

being happy and confident, and owning all the incred-

ible things she does every day.

And Lori, what interested you in the program and what

changes are you seeing for yourself?

LORI: I had a really great experience with [BTCF’s]

Nonprofit Learning Program, so I already knew the

benefits of doing a program over time and being with

my peers. And in the very first session, all of my fear—

the things that keep me up at night—just washed

away. We enjoyed the camaraderie, learning from each

other, looking at each other’s individual growth.

I think sometimes female leaders are socialized to

be very people-pleasing, and it took stepping back and

saying, ‘Listen, it’s okay for people to not like every

decision you make or maybe not be happy with you all

the time.’ It’s okay. You’ll survive it.

What’s come out of this is that we’ve built things

into the culture of the agency that have changed it, so

that it runs more successfully. For example, we do a

board self-assessment each year. They did a formalized

survey of my job description. It’s now part of the cul-

ture to re-examine ourselves. It’s part of what we do.

What qualities do you think are most important for

leaders, and how do those qualities contribute to per-

formance and capacity to meet your mission?

LORI: You tend to become an executive director be-

cause you’ve worked in a cause and you’re driven by

it. But an executive director has to educate others—

on governance, fiscal management, fund develop-

ment, all these areas. If you look at all of those as a

point where you can share information—what you’ve

learned, what the research shows—you really are able

to facilitate much better.

MARIA: From my perspective as a board chair, I’m

looking at what I’m good at and what the other peo-

ple are good at, then listening, bringing the room to-

gether. And watching Lori lead us—18 accomplished

people with strong opinions—for Lori to be able to

find the substance, put it into context and explain why

the agency does the things the way it does—that inner

strength and purpose really helps.

JANET: A leader gets other people to care enough and

invest enough so that if an individual sees something

that’s not in concert with the shared vision, they call

it. And a leader is in process all the time, and enjoying

the process. If we could get every executive director

and board in our area to get comfortable with ambigu-

ity, the ‘messy middle,’ and to believe in themselves,

each other and what we can create, there’s no end to

what we could do.

As the philanthropic community looks to strengthen

nonprofits that serve our region, what should they be

thinking about?

JANET: I would say to donors, find what’s interest-

ing for you and give to that passion. If you’re giving to

something that you care about, it will make so much

more of a difference—not just for you but also for the

organization. And the truth is whatever you give mon-

ey to really benefits more organizations than the one

you’re giving to. It has a ripple effect.

MARIA: I think if you have resources available to you,

no matter the size, you have the power to do some-

thing great. And in a small community, you’re going to

get relationships out of it, with people at agencies or

with other donors. There’s this wave of support flow-

ing underneath us all that is really powerful.

LORI: Something I find helpful is when donors ask

what we do if they’re not sure—they make that per-

sonal connection if they’re not sure they want to give. I

really love those calls. Because they may not know the

scope of each program or how we work together with

other agencies to provide services—and how their gift

may go on.

MARIA: On the more analytical side, I think an or-

ganization like Berkshire Taconic helps by looking at

all these different agencies and how they relate to one

another so that resources get allocated in an efficient

way. Because we’re all trying to do good and to move

forward, to make all of our lives a little bit more stable,

happy and fulfilled.


My grandfather was one of three brothers that started England Broth-

ers, the department store. After college, my father was involved with vari-

ous businesses. He ended up in the liquor business—beer, wine and liquor

wholesale. I got involved and did that for about 40 years. If I can immodest-

ly say, we probably started this craft brew trend.

After traveling pretty much all over the country and a lot of the world for

the beer business, when we got to retirement—where else? The Berkshires

are a unique place. And that’s why we stay here.

I’ve been involved on the boards of different parts of the cultural com-

munity: Berkshire Theatre Festival, the Shaker Village, Berkshire Music

School, Shakespeare & Company. At the same time, I’ve seen Berkshire

Taconic gain stature and reputation in the last ten years. They look out for

the community.

So I’ve been trying to think: how do you leave an estate? With a bank?

The banks change. With a lawyer or an accountant? They die. Berkshire

Taconic is one heck of a good operation—to my way of thinking—for what

I’m using it for. I feel sufficiently secure they will be here for 100 years and

my estate will go for what I want it to go for.

I had been discussing with my brother the Hebrew phrase ‘tikkun

olam,’ or repairing the world—and that’s it. That’s what I’m trying to do.

In His Own Words

MOE ENGLAND recently opened three designated funds at Berkshire Taconic. With his daughter Elizabeth, he gives annual gifts to the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires and supports scholarships to the Berkshire Music School. Moe and his wife Elise also have a fund for religious education at his synagogue, Temple Anshe Amunim. A successful businessman whose family was among the first to settle in Pittsfield, Mass., Moe looks for ways to support his cherished institutions with steady annual income.

MONROE ‘MOE’ ENGLAND

Snapshots

Generosity in action around our region

PARTY WITH A PURPOSE The Northwest Corner community came together for the ninth an-nual Jane Lloyd Fund clambake, raising money to support families who—due to the impact of cancer and its treatment—cannot meet financial obligations. Left: Volun-teer Rich Halstead loads lobsters, potatoes and corn onto a tradi-tional seaweed and stone kiln.

THE GIFT OF SONG The Music in the Annex series at the Northeast-Millerton Library received NED Fund dollars to support far-ranging concerts in an in-timate setting. Left: Electronic-pop band Charcole Federation. Right: The Nimham Mountain Singers, who preserve and rediscover traditional Native song.

ARTS & HUMANITIES FOREVER Artist Ellsworth Kelly and photographer Jack Shear opened their Columbia County home and studio to share the story behind their arts and humanities funds, which are permanent sources of enrichment funding for all six school districts. Left: An Ellsworth Kelly “totem.” Group photo (L to R): BTCF President Jennifer Dowley, Ed Hoe, Jack Shear, Tony Cashen, Carl ‘Gif’ Whitbeck, Tinny Weintraub and Sheldon Evans.


Board of Directors

J. Williar Dunlaevy, ChairLenox, MA

Thomas Quinn, Vice ChairSalisbury, CT

Gloria G. Callen, TreasurerMillbrook, NY

Diane Monti-Catania, SecretarySalisbury, CT

Sheldon EvansGhent, NY

Ann M. GoodbodySharon, CT

Edward HoeChatham, NY

Christopher KennanMillerton, NY

Ellen L. KennedyWilliamstown, MA

David F. McCarthyStockbridge, MA

Kelly MorganPine Plains, NY

Holly J. NelsonMillerton, NY

Robert W. NorrisGreat Barrington, MA

Emilie M. PryorSalisbury, CT

Henry Putzel IIISharon, CT

David RichLakeville, CT

Sarah S. StackClinton Corners, NY

Vera V. J. WeintraubGermantown, NY

Carl G. Whitbeck, Jr.Hudson, NY

Staff

Jennifer DowleyPresident

A. J. PietrantoneVice President, Finance & Administration

Justin BurkeDirector, Marketing & Communications

Jill CancellieriDirector, Philanthropic Services

Carrie ColodnerPhilanthropic Services Associate

Cathy GlasnerOffice Manager

Margaret GearityController

Lisa MlynarczykFinance Associate

Kassel NighttAssistant to the President

Maeve O’DeaDirector, Programs

Hannah SchiffCommunications Associate

Michele WendlingProgram Coordinator

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When you give through Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, you join our family of generous donors who create permanent sources of support for the people, organizations and ideas that help our communities thrive. Our knowledge of the region and ability to bring together partners to ad-dress critical challenges will help transform your giving into powerful action.

GIVE NOW

Create a Fund: A convenient (and tax-advantaged) way to fulfill your philanthropic vision is to open a new fund. You can support your passions during your lifetime, and endow your fund to continue your vision in the future.

Make a Donation: Help us strengthen our communities by giving to an existing fund. You can sup-port a fund for the area where you live, or partner with us through our leadership funds to invest in promising ideas and proven solutions.

GIVE LATER

Many people choose to leave gifts to support their passions in their wills. Honor an organization, a family member or friend while receiving tax advantages on estate or retirement assets.

To learn more, visit www.berkshiretaconic.org or contact Jill Cancellieri at 413.429.8403 or [email protected].

portraits of generosity 2014

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