Give as much as you can

This is the season when thoughts turn to end-of-year giving, not just the festive presents to loved ones, but also gifts of cash to benefit those in need with whom our only connection is the human one. The not-for-profit organizations in the region have all been dropping their annual appeals in the mail, or hosting fundraisers, trying to reach out for support at a time when many more need their help, yet most who have supported them in the past have less to give.

So which are most deserving, which really need the help to survive? Because it’s just not possible for those who are struggling themselves to donate to all those asking, the amounts they have given them in past, more profitable, years.

One way to solve the problem is simply to give fewer dollars to each nonprofit group or agency. All are finding ways to make do with less, so even if a donation is cut in half from previous years, it’s better to do that and encourage those trying to keep their organizations going. A little support goes a long way, and it really does mean more than an amount: It means real belief in what an organization is doing, and all of them need the boost right now.

Jennifer Dowley, president of the Great Barrington-based Berkshire/Taconic Community Foundation (BTCF), said recently that while the economy did hit them hard at the end of 2008, and they were forced to make layoffs, donors have remained dedicated to supporting their causes and have kept funds relatively healthy throughout this recession economy. The foundation administrates funds that benefit the communities of the entire Tri-state region, Litchfield, Berkshire, Columbia and Dutchess counties.

In economic downturns, BTCF’s Emergency Relief Fund has historically been especially important. It is now called the Neighbor-to-Neighbor fund, and it has grants available to those in need in all three states they serve. This fund helps in situations such as a family suddenly needing a new furnace, or a person trying to recover after a house fire. Emergencies happen all the time, but can be especially devastating when households are already on the brink, suffering hardship as a result of an unemployed family member or cuts in hours at an existing job.

“Donations to the Neighbor-to-Neighbor fund are truly helpful, whether they are $5, or $500,†Dowley said. “And donors can target the town they wish to support.†The funds go through town social workers, in order to reach those who are eligible and most in need. December is a time, at the beginning of the winter and the end of the year, she said, when more families need help to make it through hard times. For more information on BTCF and the Neighbor-to-Neighbor fund, go to berkshiretaconic.org.

Let’s all make an effort to contribute to the area nonprofit organizations we’ve supported in the past, and purposefully continue the philanthropic spirit that has helped make this region a good place in which to live.