Berks County Community Foundation is a public benefit organization located in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Foundation's mission is to promote

philanthropy Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

and improve the quality of life for the residents of Berks County, Pennsylvania. BCCF building

Berks County Community Foundation is a member of the

Council on Foundations The Council on Foundations, founded in 1949, is a nonprofit leadership association of grantmaking foundations and corporations. The Council's mission is to provide the opportunity, leadership, and tools needed by philanthropic organizations to exp ...

History

The foundation was started in 1994 with grants from the

Wyomissing Foundation Wyomissing Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) organization, 501(c)(3) Foundation (United States law), foundation in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, United States. It was established in 1928 by three local businesspeople who had f ...

, a local private foundation. Like other community foundations, it works with people, businesses and organizations to set up charitable funds that make

grants Grant or Grants may refer to: Places *Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom *Castle Grant United States * Grant, Alabama *Grant, Inyo County, C ...

to causes they care about. It manages hundreds of charitable funds, Some people create funds while they are alive, others in their will. The foundation's articles of incorporation were filed June 7, 1994. The Wyomissing Foundation gave the fledgling Community Foundation $1 million in initial operating funds. The United Way of Berks County housed the Community Foundation for more than two years until the Community Foundation could afford its own space. Kevin Murphy was hired as the Foundation's first employee in 1994 and has remained president ever since. In 2015, a $100,000 grant from the Community Foundation's Hawley and Myrtle Quier Fund to the Reading Downtown Improvement District started the free Downtown Alive outdoor concert series . n. In 2021, Berks County Community Foundation received a gift of $25 million to establish the Berks Nature Endowment Fund. It is the largest designated fund administered by Berks County Community Foundation.

References

External links

Berks County Community Foundation
Official site. {{Authority control Berks County, Pennsylvania 1994 establishments in Pennsylvania Community foundations based in the United States Reading, Pennsylvania Non-profit organizations based in Pennsylvania