Berkshire Life Charitable Foundation
Accepts applications
Berkshire Life Charitable Foundation is a private foundation in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. In tax year 2024 it gave $147,000 in 12 grants; the typical grant was $13,500 and the largest $15,000. It accepts applications; its filing gives the instructions below.
From its IRS Form 990-PF for tax year 2024.
- Grants paid, 2024$147,000
- Number of grants12
- Typical grant$13,500
- Largest grant$15,000
- Assets$3.2 million
- New grantees42%
Giving in 2024 was up from $138,850 the year before.
42% of its 2024 grantees had not received a grant from it the year before, a sign it is open to new organizations.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants paid | Number of grants | Assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $138,850 | 13 | $3.1 million |
| 2024 | $147,000 | 12 | $3.2 million |
How to apply
| Contact | Alycia Sacco Duquette President Ber 700 South Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201 |
|---|---|
| Phone or email | (413) 395-4819 |
| What to submit, deadlines | Details available on request |
| Restrictions | Charitable, educational and scientic activites qualifying under sec 501(c)3 to aid individuals with disabilities |
What Berkshire Life Charitable Foundation funds
Where it gives
All of its grants went to recipients in Massachusetts.
| State | Grants | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 12 | $147,000 |
Grants paid in 2024
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Berkshire County Arc | Berkshire county arc has four day-habilitation programs that serve more than 150 people. Three of these programs have sensory rooms that individuals can access (alone or in small groups) to decompress, escape from over-stimulating social environments, enjoy a quiet, safe space, and engage in controlled sensory exploration. After all, everyone needs a "reset" from time to time. However, at this time all of the sensory rooms are inadequate, lacking well-designed tools and equipment to support the individual's effort to regulate their stress levels. The rooms require updates to structure and design to meet the needs of the individuals that they accommodate. For example, some individuals may be able to engage in actions that can result in injury when they are upset or over-stimulated, such as hitting their head against an un-protected wall. | $15,000 |
| Berkshire South Regional Community Center | We respectfully request support from the berkshire life charitable foundation in the amount of $15,000 for our swim with us adaptive swim lessons and aqua thrills classes, aquatics programs serving those who might have difficulties participating in traditional lessons and aquatics experiences. | $15,000 |
| Blue Rider Stables | Blue rider stables' adaptive riding programs serve individuals and organizations throughout berkshire county and the tri-state area. Programs such as ours have proven to be extremely effective in reaching those with disabilities who are otherwise unable to participate in sports or many other physical activities. A german study (barolin, g.s., & samborski r. (1991). The horse as an aid in therapy. Wiener medizinische wochenschrift,) states "physiotherapy on the back of the moved horse has two important dimensions: 1) the somatotropic effect regards mainly spasticity, ataxia, the vertebral column, the basis of the pelvis and the skin. 2) a general psychotherapeutic and psycho hygienic effect is created by joy, change and new impetus in rehabilitation and by the emotional contact with the "comrade animal". | $15,000 |
| Community Access to the Arts | Community access to the arts (cata) requests funding from berkshire life charitable foundation to underwrite 125 cata visual arts workshops between september 2024 and may 2025 with a grant of $15,000. This is an increase of 25% over recent years' workshops underwritten by berkshire life charitable foundation. In acknowledgment of your support, cata will recognize berkshire life as a lead underwriter of i am a part of art, cata's annual art exhibits at the clark art institute in williamstown and the lichtenstein center for the arts in pittsfield during the summer of 2025. These public exhibits showcase artwork created by cata artists with disabilities during the previous program year. All work in the exhibits is professionally matted, framed, and offered for sale, with proceeds providing commissions to individual artists. | $15,000 |
| Ucp of Western Ma | Ucp of western massachusetts was founded in 1961 by parents in berkshire county who had children with cerebral palsy and were finding it difficult to obtain services. In the early years, services were focused on wheelchair repair and information and referral for these children. Today, ucp celebrates our 63rd anniversary of service and has expanded our $8 million operation to include supported living, assistive technology regional center, family support services, and early intervention. While services have expanded, the focus has always remained the same: helping children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities achieve "lives without limits." while the name ucp often gives the sense that we serve only persons with cerebral palsy, in fact, ucp has grown to support a variety of disabilities in children and adults. These disabilities include physical impairments, visual and hearing impairments, impairments of cognition. | $15,000 |
| UPSIDE413 | The tenancy preservation program continues to fill a critical gap in services for individuals and families with disabilities in the berkshire community who are at risk of eviction or are experiencing housing instability. Without the supports tpp provides, these vulnerable households might not otherwise be able to preserve their tenancies or access housing due to their mental illness, substance abuse, developmental disabilities, and/or aging related issues. Tpp allows tenants with disabilities to overcome what are often significant barriers to accessing mainstream homelessness prevention programs needed to reduce or eliminate the risk of homelessness for this vulnerable population. Since the inception of the program, berkshire tpp has provided assistance to over 1900 berkshire county households and preserved over 1250 these households' tenancies through tpp's. | $15,000 |
| Berkshire Music School | Berkshire music school believes in the healing benefits of both listening to music and making music. These documented benefits include increased cognitive activity, language retention, lowered blood pressure, reduced stress and pain levels, and increased spatial intelligence. Additionally, emotional benefits of participating in musical enrichment activities include lowered anxiety and improved mood. For these reasons, berkshire county arc, a non-profit human services organization, reached out to bms to create a special program to serve this special population. Since that time making music: creative collaborations has grown into an ongoing program, and a cornerstone of bms's outreach offerings. Providing meaningful musical experience to all populations is a top priority of the berkshire music school, and our making music: creative collaborations. | $12,000 |
| Life Needs Coop Inc DBA Stanton Home | Growing farm produce and farmer's market vocational training program. Stanton home continues to expand the gardens and growing organic produce to sell at farmer's market and in support of our growing community. We are seeking funds to support this important effort to achieve sustainability as organization and continue to teach vital life skills to our residents through the farmer's market vocational training program. If funded, our residents would benefit in the following ways: gaining independence and employment at and outside of stanton home; development of financial and skills related to selling retail products; social skills and essential interaction with the greater berkshire community; increased self confidence and self-esteem. | $12,000 |
| Pediatric Development Center | This request is to provide timely, local diagnosis for children who may have autism spectrum disorder (asd). A new collaboration between pdc clinicians and dr. Deb buccino, a local pediatrician with advanced training in asd, has the potential to eliminate lengthy waiting lists in boston for berkshire county families. This is a new program. | $12,000 |
| Community Legal Aid Inc | Cla seeks funding from the berkshire life charitable foundation to support our work with low-income disabled tenants in berkshire county who are facing termination of their rental subsidies or are facing eviction and homelessness. Cla lawyers are experts in fair housing law and are very effective both at identifying services to put in place to stabilize the tenant and therefore the tenancy, and at utilizing the law to preserve the tenancy and avoid eviction and homelessness.3 as challenging as these cases are, they are also very rewarding, as we are often able to both prevent eviction and homelessness, and also address the client's underlying mental health issues in a way that improves their overall quality of life. We are very excited to have recently hired an attorney who is working exclusively on fair housing issues. Many of his cases focus on disability discrimination in the context of eviction. | $10,000 |
| Gladys Allen Brigham Community Center Inc | We are seeking funding for an existing program. The brigham community center continues its program response to disabled youngsters. We offer programming monday through friday which we could not do without continued grant support. The aides allow children to fully participate in all facets of brigham community center abc school age enrichment program (abc), camp stevenson-witawentin (csw) and girls inc. Which all support school age children in the out of school time hours. We offer full inclusion of severely, moderately and mildly disabled youth, throughout the year including after school, summer, school vacations and snow days. The program is licensed by the massachusetts department of early education & care and accredited by the national association for the education of young children [naeyc]. | $6,000 |
| Camp Words Unspoken | The camp words unspoken recreation and fluency programs are existing programs that happen in august each year. With this funding cwu will be able to create a more enjoyable and impactful experience for youths and teens who stutter. We would be able to fund more low-income families to attend camp, reach more youths who stutter and interested professionals, create a balanced and efficient staff, and facilitate fun and creative activities for the campers. | $5,000 |
Officers and trustees
- Michael E Barbieri
- Robert Coco
- Adam Kirby
- David Klausmeyer
- Caitlin Pemble
- Alycia Sacco Duquette
- Kevin Sherman
Questions people ask
Does Berkshire Life Charitable Foundation accept grant applications?
Yes. Its latest IRS filing says it accepts applications, with this on deadlines: Details available on request.
How much does Berkshire Life Charitable Foundation give?
$147,000 in tax year 2024, across 12 grants, with a typical grant of $13,500.
Who runs Berkshire Life Charitable Foundation?
Its 2024 filing lists Michael E Barbieri (Trustee), Robert Coco (Treasurer), Adam Kirby (Trustee) and David Klausmeyer (Trustee) among 7 officers and trustees.
What does Berkshire Life Charitable Foundation fund?
Based on its grants, mainly disability, human services and health.