A thriving Berkshire County
Thriving begins with equity. Each person’s unique set of circumstances affects their experience living in the community. Building a community where everyone can thrive begins with acknowledging and understanding the barriers people face and then working with our neighbors to remove or mitigate those barriers.
We welcome immigrants and new arrivals, and support marginalized groups.
We fund navigation programs, convene regional navigators, and work to improve and promote the Mass211 system.
We are building nonprofit capacity by focusing on strength-based learning, centering on individual and family expertise and lived experience, and providing care to caregivers.
We are leading a coordinated response by engaging in legislative advocacy, identifying and communicating changing and emerging needs, raising awareness of regional services, and creating efficiencies and reducing or eliminating duplication of effort.
Our Strategic Priorities
As we move into a thriving future, we will focus on three strategic priorities: household stability, school and career readiness, and mental health. We will continue to work with and on behalf of our partners and neighbors, but this work will require more and deeper collaboration, a willingness to envision new ways of serving and supporting people in our community, and a commitment to a regional approach to our shared work.
» Learn more about our Strategic Priorities
Investing for equity and impact
General operating support is an emerging best practice in philanthropy. This approach provides flexible funding that enables nonprofits to direct dollars where they know it is needed most, and to be nimble and able to respond to emerging needs. This model also helps shift the power imbalance in philanthropy that traditionally made it more difficult for marginalized organizations to access funding. Our funded partners agree to meet specific outcomes in one or more of our priority areas and report critical impact data.