Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation marks quarter century

SHEFFIELD — The Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation (BTCF) is celebrating its 25th anniversary, which might surprise some people. There are those who will be amazed that the influential nonprofit hasn’t been around for a century. And there are those who will not be completely sure what the foundation is.It’s unlikely, though, that anyone who lives in the Tri-state area doesn’t know of one or more of the many projects and funds that the foundation created and/or manages.There are fun and photogenic programs, such as the annual Arts Day for fourth-grade students at Region One School District elementary schools. The youngsters are invited to the private Hotchkiss boarding school in Lakeville one day a year, and are given a chance to try out all the music, dance and art facilities there, with instruction from Hotchkiss School staff and artists from the area. There is lunch. There are musical presentations by local bands. All the students come to Lakeville on school buses. It all costs money. That money comes from the Arts Fund for Region One, which is managed by BTCF.Another very visible program of BTCF is HousingUS, which is seeking, finding and sharing information about innovative ways to create affordable housing in the area. One of the best known funds, one that is close to the hearts of many Northwest Corner residents, is the Jane Lloyd Fund, set up by family members in memory of a beloved sister who died at a young age of breast cancer. The fund helps cancer patients cover their daily living costs, such as rent and food and transportation, while they are fighting their way back to health.Lower-profile but equally important are programs such as Neighbor-to-Neighbor that help residents pay their bills in emergencies, that provide care for people who can’t care for themselves, that help cover child care costs so parents can work, that offer area students funds so they can study a special area of interest or broaden their horizons by traveling around the world. Began in 1987The Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation was started in 1987, when Salisbury resident and philanthropist Robert Blum decided to introduce the idea of a community foundation here. He had started similar programs in Maine and in the Bahamas (where he also had lived) and he was on the board of the New York Community Trust. The grandson of the founder of the Abraham and Straus department store in New York City, he was a generous benefactor to many causes. But he felt that it was inefficient to give donations on an as needed or occasional basis. It made more sense, he felt, to have an organization that could oversee charitable giving. Berkshire Taconic also manages funds for its donors and acts as a sort of clearinghouse for philanthropy. Donors can choose to work with BTCF in a number of ways. Of course, money can be given to individual programs or funds. Donors can work with BTCF to create a fund of their own, supporting anything from the arts to education to emergency relief to medical care. They can also put aside money with BTCF, which will invest and manage it, and they can get advice on causes they can donate to. BTCF started with an anonymous donation of $100,000; a quarter century later, the name of that donor remains a mystery. It wasn’t just Blum who was there at the creation of the foundation. He worked with active area residents Bill Olsen, Dana Creel and Donald Warner. Creel was the first chairman of the board, from 1990 to 1992; Warner was chairman from 1992 to 1994. All four of the founders remained active until their deaths. Blum died in 1999 at the age of 100; his children, Alice Yoakum and John “Jack” Blum are carrying on his legacy. The day to day operation of the foundation has benefited from stability in its staff. Maeve O’Dea, who started out as assistant to the president in 1992, is still there, and is now the senior program director. Jennifer Dowley joined as president in 1999 and has brought creativity, heart and intelligence to the foundation’s operations. $100 million in fundsIn time for its quarter-century anniversary, BTCF has hit the $100 million mark for funds granted to its programs. One of the newest: the $1 million bequest from Martha Boschen Porter to help local artists.Dowley said the organization is working hard to “build an even stronger culture of compassion so that our communities can grow stronger and all of our residents can thrive — in good health, with a fine education, in their own homes, in a clean environment and with decent jobs.”Abundant information on BTCF can be found on its website, at www.berkshiretaconic.org. But Dowley and her team are also welcoming the community to come in for a visit and learn about funds that they can benefit from or donate to. They are hosting an open house at their Sheffield headquarters at 800 North Main St. (Route 7) all day Friday, Dec.14, with a reception from 4 to 6 p.m.Directions are on the website or call 413-229-0370.