The Berkshire Charitable Foundation focuses on supporting local safety-net organizations and community institutions, with repeated grants to health care clinics and hospital programs, hunger-relief food banks, faith-based recovery/ministry operations, and youth-serving organizations. Their giving favors unrestricted or general support and capital campaign gifts that strengthen community infrastructure (libraries, schools, camps, and rescue missions). Geographically they concentrate support in specific regional communities (notably Berks County/Reading, Roanoke, Charlotte and parts of Florida) and favor organizations that provide direct services to vulnerable populations.
Berkshire Charitable Foundation repeatedly directs larger recent grants to community safety-net organizations and service providers in Reading, Roanoke, and related regional hubs. Its recent giving includes multi-year support for Bradley Free Clinic of Roanoke Valley, where the foundation backed both general operations and a behavioral health expansion, and for Reading-area organizations that provide shelter, food assistance, counseling, and rescue-mission services. The pattern points to a funder that favors practical operating support for groups serving people facing housing instability, food insecurity, health access gaps, and recovery needs. The foundation’s portfolio also shows interest in community infrastructure tied to direct services. Recent awards supported health system capacity at Reading Hospital Foundation, student mental health through Pennsylvania State University - Penn State Berks, and food distribution through Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank. Faith-based social service organizations and youth-facing institutions appear as well, alongside grants for recreation, science education, and capital or campaign purposes. Across these examples, Berkshire Charitable Foundation consistently funds organizations that deliver services directly to local residents rather than broad, abstract initiatives.
In community health, Berkshire Charitable Foundation supported Bradley Free Clinic of Roanoke Valley with $25,000 for Behavioral Health Expansion in 2023, then $30,000 in 2024 and $35,000 in 2025 for general and unrestricted support. It also backed Reading Hospital Foundation with $20,000 for Cardiac Catheterization Lab and $20,000 for Electrophysiology Laboratory. For food security, the foundation gave $25,000 to Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank in both 2024 and 2025 for general and unrestricted support. In housing and emergency services, it made repeated gifts to Opportunity House and Safe Berks in Reading, both of which appear more than once in the recent-grants record. Education and student well-being also appear in the portfolio. Pennsylvania State University - Penn State Berks received $25,000 for The Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), while Reading Science Center received multiple general-support grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
$554K
$9.5M
$653K
$650K
Most grants fall between $10K and $15K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$15K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in PA.
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Distributed portfolio of many small-to-mid sized grants with frequent repeat funding to a core set of regional grantees; predominately general/unrestricted support and periodic capital/campaign gifts rather than solely program-restricted funding.
Notable grantees: Bradley Free Clinic of Roanoke Valley, Reading Hospital Foundation, Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank, Charlotte Rescue Mission, The Salvation Army
Typical grants cluster tightly around $10,000 to $15,000, with a median grant of $10,000 and a p75 of $15,000. The recent-grants list also shows several larger awards at $20,000 to $35,000, suggesting a core pattern of modest operating support with occasional step-up gifts for specific projects or expanding programs. Recurrence is a clear feature of the foundation’s giving: multiple recipients appear across 2023 through 2025, including repeated support for the same organizations and purposes. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
Berkshire Charitable Foundation gives nationally, but the largest concentration of grants by count is in Pennsylvania. Recent awards also land in Virginia, Florida, and Idaho. Within Pennsylvania, Reading appears repeatedly across organizations such as Reading Science Center, Reading Hospital Foundation, and several human-services providers, while Roanoke shows up through Bradley Free Clinic of Roanoke Valley. Outside Pennsylvania, the record includes Winter Park and Orlando in Florida, plus Hailey in Idaho. All recorded grants in the dataset go to U.S. recipients.
The foundation backs community health clinics, hospital programs, food banks, rescue missions, housing and shelter providers, student counseling services, and community institutions such as libraries, science centers, and schools. Recent grants also include support for recreation and youth-serving groups.
The grant-size distribution is tightly centered on smaller awards: p25 is $10,000, the median is $10,000, and p75 is $15,000. The recent list also includes larger awards, ranging up to $37,500.
Yes. The foundation gives nationally, and recent grants in the dataset include recipients in Virginia, Florida, and Idaho, alongside a larger concentration in Pennsylvania.
Both appear, but general and unrestricted support is common. The record also includes targeted gifts for purposes such as behavioral health expansion, counseling and psychological services, a cardiac catheterization lab, an electrophysiology laboratory, and a campaign.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Bradley Free Clinic of Roanoke Valley, Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank, Opportunity House, Safe Berks, Reading Science Center, Reading Hospital Foundation, The Salvation Army, Pennsylvania State University, and Mens Second Chance Living.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HELPING HARVEST FRESH FOOD BANK | READING, PA | $40,000 | 2026 | Community Kitchen Capital Campaign |
| BRADLEY FREE CLINIC OF ROANOKE VALLEY | ROANOKE, VA | $35,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| READING HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | READING, PA | $30,000 | 2026 | McGlinn Cancer Institute |
| THE SALVATION ARMY | READING, PA | $30,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| SAFE BERKS | READING, PA | $25,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| HELPING HARVEST FRESH FOOD BANK | READING, PA | $25,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY | READING, PA | $25,000 | 2026 | The President's Fund |
| OPPORTUNITY HOUSE | READING, PA | $25,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| MENS SECOND CHANCE LIVING A NON- PROFIT CORPORATIO | HAILEY, ID | $20,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF CENTRAL FLORIDA INC | ORLANDO, FL | $20,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| SUN VALLEY JUNIOR HOCKEY INC | SUN VALLEY, ID | $15,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| SALEM MINISTERS CONFERENCE COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY | SALEM, VA | $15,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| ONAWAY CAMP TRUST | GLENSIDE, PA | $14,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| CHARLOTTE RESCUE MISSION | CHARLOTTE, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | Miracle on Cedar Street Capital Campaign |
| OLIVET BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF READING AND BERKS CO | READING, PA | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL INC | READING, PA | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| READING PUBLIC LIBRARY | READING, PA | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| WYOMISSING PUBLIC LIBRARY | WYOMISSING, PA | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF VIRGINIAS BLUE | ROANOKE, VA | $10,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance Fund |
| MISS HALLS SCHOOL INC | PITTSFIELD, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA INC | ROANOKE, VA | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF METROLINA INC | CHARLOTTE, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| UNITED WAY OF BERKS COUNTY | READING, PA | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| RESCUE MISSION OF ROANOKE INC | ROANOKE, VA | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| BIGELOW LABORATORY FOR OCEAN SCIENCES | EAST BOOTHBAY, ME | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| DILWORTH CENTER FOR CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY INC | CHARLOTTE, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| ROANOKE VALLEY SPEECH AND HEARING CENTER INC | ROANOKE, VA | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| HOSPITALITY HOUSE OF CHARLOTTE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| HISTORIC PRESERVATION TRUST OF BERKS COUNTY PENNSY | DOUGLASSVILLE, PA | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| CRISIS ASSISTANCE MINISTRY | CHARLOTTE, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| READING HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | READING, PA | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| NOURISH UP | CHARLOTTE, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE OF CHARLOTTE INC | CHARLOTTE, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| ROOF ABOVE INC | CHARLOTTE, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| JEFFERSON CENTER FOUNDATION LTD | ROANOKE, VA | $5,000 | 2026 | Music Lab |
| CHARLOTTE RESCUE MISSION | CHARLOTTE, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| SUN CLUB INC | KETCHUM, ID | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE HARVEST CENTER OF CHARLOTTE INC | CHARLOTTE, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| BAPTIST CHILDRENS HOMES OF NORTH CAROLINA INC | THOMASVILLE, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| EASY DOES IT INC | LEESPORT, PA | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| MUSTANG CLUB | CHARLOTTE, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | Men's Basketball and Football Program |
| BRADLEY FREE CLINIC OF ROANOKE VALLEY | ROANOKE, VA | $35,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| OPPORTUNITY HOUSE | READING, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| HELPING HARVEST FRESH FOOD BANK | SINKING SPG, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE SALVATION ARMY | READING, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| SAFE BERKS | READING, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY | READING, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| MENS SECOND CHANCE LIVING A NON- PROFIT CORPORATIO | HAILEY, ID | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| READING HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | READING, PA | $20,000 | 2025 | Electrophysiology Laboratory |
| READING SCIENCE CENTER | READING, PA | $20,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
THE SALVATION ARMY
$30,000General & Unrestricted
General & Unrestricted
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
$25,000The President's Fund
MENS SECOND CHANCE LIVING A NON- PROFIT CORPORATIO
$20,000General & Unrestricted
SUN VALLEY JUNIOR HOCKEY INC
$15,000General & Unrestricted
SALEM MINISTERS CONFERENCE COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY
$15,000General & Unrestricted
ONAWAY CAMP TRUST
$14,000General & Unrestricted
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL INC
$10,000General & Unrestricted
READING PUBLIC LIBRARY
$10,000General & Unrestricted
WYOMISSING PUBLIC LIBRARY
$10,000General & Unrestricted
YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF VIRGINIAS BLUE
$10,000Financial Assistance Fund
MISS HALLS SCHOOL INC
$10,000General & Unrestricted
ROANOKE VALLEY SPEECH AND HEARING CENTER INC
$10,000General & Unrestricted
HISTORIC PRESERVATION TRUST OF BERKS COUNTY PENNSY
$10,000General & Unrestricted
NOURISH UP
$10,000General & Unrestricted
JEFFERSON CENTER FOUNDATION LTD
$5,000Music Lab
SUN CLUB INC
$5,000General & Unrestricted
EASY DOES IT INC
$5,000General & Unrestricted
MUSTANG CLUB
$5,000Men's Basketball and Football Program
THE SALVATION ARMY
$25,000General & Unrestricted
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
$25,000General & Unrestricted
MENS SECOND CHANCE LIVING A NON- PROFIT CORPORATIO
$25,000General & Unrestricted
READING SCIENCE CENTER
$20,000General & Unrestricted