Berkshire Funding Focus is supported by partner organizations that provide coordination and technical assistance to the key sectors that they serve: cities and towns, non-profits, schools and colleges, and small businesses and entrepreneurs.
- 1Berkshire will focus on private sector businesses and larger economic development projects.
- BERK12 (formerly Berkshire Education Task Force) will focus on schools, from early childhood to K-12.
- Berkshire Regional Planning Commission will provide assistance to municipalities in Berkshire County.
- The Nonprofit Center for the Berkshires, in partnership with the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and Berkshire United Way, will focus on the nonprofit sector.
See below for more details on how these and other community partners can help you:
Businesses
1Berkshire is a county-wide organization focused on economic development and promotion of the region as a preferred place to visit, live, and grow a business. It provides programs that connect businesses with each other and potential customers and works to develop future leaders and support entrepreneurs.
Business Directory: Use the Business Directory to find 1Berkshire member organizations and businesses across the region.
Promotion of Tourism & Relocation: Berkshires.org is the premier travel planning tool used by 4 out of 5 Berkshire visitors.
Find A Job: Use the jobs thing, a high-touch tool to post jobs and attract talent. The jobs thing features full and part-time positions located in the Berkshires that pay the equivalent of $40K+.
Our Programs: 1Berkshire offers a number of programs designed to prepare and sustain leaders, assist entrepreneurs, provide resources for business owners, and work with local and state officials to enact positive change and community development across the region.
Cities and Towns
Berkshire Regional Planning Commission is the official region-wide planning agency in Berkshire County providing comprehensive planning services to municipalities. BRPC promotes regional collaboration among communities and works to increase coordination between all levels of government.
About Us – read the most recent BRPC Annual Report to learn about the projects impacting Berkshire County municipalities and residents through our land use, housing, economic development, transportation, environmental, and public health programs.
Programs – explore program areas at BRPC to understand the multi-year initiatives we’re involved in, as well as individual projects, both municipal-specific and regional.
Planning Toolkit – access resources compiled by BRPC to assist municipal leaders in learning more about various planning, zoning, and programs which may be appropriate for their community.
Participate – check our calendar for upcoming meetings of BRPC’s standing committees, including the Regional Issues Committee and Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) committee to log in and hear more about efforts to improve our region.
Common Ground – subscribe to our e-newsletter and receive monthly updates on grant opportunities, work of BRPC staff, and invitations to events and training opportunities to help your community.
Non-Profits
Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires is a support and capacity-building organization for Berkshire nonprofits.
Virtual Resource Directory: This guide is made up of local and regional businesses that offer products and services to nonprofits. Submit a listing at this link.
Giving Back Guide: Designed to connect nonprofits to people who want to “give back,” this guide lists 1,000+ Berkshire nonprofits by category.
GiveBackBerkshires.org: Website created to present nonprofit data and stories. Prospective volunteers and donors can use the information to take action to help our community.
Gala Calendar: View and list upcoming fundraising events for Berkshire nonprofits.
Join the NPC list serve, send a blank email to: Berkshires-subscribe@missionbasedmassachusetts.net
Berkshire United Way is committed to supporting individuals and strengthening families in Berkshire County. We ignite the collective power of our community and magnify your contributions to make lasting, positive change where we live, work, and play. https://www.berkshireunitedway.org
Our Impact – We invest in programs that support early childhood development, positive youth development, and economic prosperity.
Ready4K – Supported in partnership with Northern Berkshire United Way, this research-based text messaging program is offered forfreeto families with children from birth to grade 8.
Volunteer and Advocate – Join us in the community during Volunteer Month, attend a Volunteer Fair to learn about volunteer opportunities, lend us your voice to help make change.
Berkshire United Way Volunteer Center – A free portal for any nonprofit in Berkshire County to share their volunteer needs and for community members to find opportunities to donate their time and talent.
Mass211/Call2Talk – This free service connects callers across the Commonwealth to information about critical health and human services available in their community. Mass211 also serves as the official hotline for Disaster and Emergency Information. Call2Talk is the mental health helpline of Mass211.
Stay connected – Sign up for Berkshire United Way news and updates.
Schools
BERK12 Founded in 2015, BERK12 (formerly the Berkshire County Education Task Force) is a group of local educators, business and nonprofit leaders, school leaders, and community members dedicated to strengthening PK-12 education in Berkshire County, MA. BERK12 came together to address challenges such as long-term enrollment declines, strained school finances, and disparities in educational opportunities. Through collaborative efforts, we are addressing the challenges of being a largely rural region and are creating a model that can be replicated.
BERK12’s mission is to support Berkshire County school districts and educators by collaboratively offering solutions to short and long-term issues, in order to promote high quality public education, which all children deserve, regardless of background or circumstance. Our major work includes:
1. Research/Modeling/Advising. (Feasibility and Facilitation for regionalization and consolidations studies).
- A set of Berkshire reports is available here.
- A set of reports related to the 8 Town Regional School District Planning Board is available here.
2. Collaborative Projects. BERK12 leads a variety of cross districts efforts including study-action teams, County-wide professional development, Professional Learning Groups, Berkshire Resources for Learning and Innovation, and Rural Innovations grant that focuses on college and career readiness. More can be found at www.berk12.com
3. Public Outreach/Engagement/Advocacy. Presentations, surveys, press releases, videos, and view books. Soon to be released will be a comprehensive education-related Berkshire Dashboard, created in partnership with Open Architect. Additionally, BERK12 regularly advocates via the Berkshire Legislative Delegation, MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Executive Office of Education (EOE), and professional groups such as the Massachusetts Association of School Committees.