The Dobbins Foundation gives modest, locally focused support in western Massachusetts, concentrating on historic preservation/cultural programming and animal welfare. Most dollars have gone to a single historic site (Ventfort Hall) over multiple grants, with the remainder funding the regional humane society. Their giving appears targeted to a small number of community institutions rather than broad national causes.
The Dobbins Foundation Co Michele Dodge Director has built a tightly focused grant portfolio around Berkshire County institutions, with repeated support for Ventfort Hall Association Inc in Lenox and Berkshire Humane Society in Pittsfield. The pattern is not broad or experimental; it is concentrated, multi-year, and rooted in a small set of local organizations that appear again and again in the recent grants list. Historic preservation and cultural programming are central to the foundation’s giving. Ventfort Hall Association Inc received $18,100 in 2023, $18,000 in 2024, and $15,000 in 2025, showing sustained support across several years. Alongside that, the foundation has backed nearby cultural nonprofits such as Barrington Stage Company, Hancock Shaker Village, Berkshire Theatre Group, Trustees of Reservations, Mass Moca, and Berkshire Historical Society. Animal welfare is another clear thread, with Berkshire Humane Society appearing multiple times as a recipient. The overall picture is of a local funder that favors established institutions serving western Massachusetts communities, especially in the Berkshires. Its grants tend to be modest to mid-sized, but the cumulative effect is a steady stream of support for heritage, arts, and humane services rather than a dispersed statewide or national strategy.
Historic preservation is one of the foundation’s clearest priorities. Ventfort Hall Association Inc in Lenox received $18,100 in 2023, $18,000 in 2024, and $15,000 in 2025 for program support, indicating a sustained relationship with a single historic house museum. The foundation also supports the broader cultural sector in Berkshire County. Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield received $12,400 in 2023, $8,000 in 2024, and $8,000 in 2025, while Berkshire Theatre Group in Stockbridge received $5,000 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025. That pattern points to recurring operating or program-level support for local performing arts organizations. Animal welfare is another recurring theme. Berkshire Humane Society in Pittsfield was awarded $20,000 in 2023, then $10,000 in both 2024 and 2025, showing multi-year support for a regional humane society. The foundation’s grants also reach community-serving organizations such as Christian Center of Pittsfield and YMCA.
$106K
$440K
$177K
$171K
Most grants fall between $1K and $3K, with a median of $2K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$2K
75th Percentile
$3K
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Concentrated, local giving: a small number of mid-sized grants with repeat support to one flagship cultural institution (Ventfort Hall) plus one significant grant to a regional animal-welfare organization. Total giving is limited and targeted rather than broadly distributed.
Notable grantees: Ventfort Hall Association, Inc., Berkshire Humane Society, Other small local nonprofits in Berkshire County (unnamed)
Typical grants are modest and tightly clustered: the 25th percentile is $1,000, the median is $2,000, and the 75th percentile is $2,500. Even so, the recent grants list also shows repeated larger awards to a small set of organizations, suggesting a portfolio that combines many smaller gifts with sustained support for a few core recipients. The foundation is a local funder, not one that makes grants to individuals or program-related investments. Recipients appear across multiple years, especially in the Berkshire County cultural and humane-services space.
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly concentrated in Massachusetts, with 90% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Recent awards cluster in Berkshire County cities and towns such as Pittsfield, Lenox, Stockbridge, and North Adams. The top state by grant count is New York, but the recipient list still shows a Massachusetts-centered pattern overall. Outside Massachusetts, one recurring recipient is Michael J Fox Fdn in New York, NY, which appears in both 2024 and 2025.
Its recent grants center on historic preservation and cultural programming in Berkshire County, along with regional animal welfare. The recipient list includes historic and cultural organizations such as Ventfort Hall Association Inc, Barrington Stage Company, Hancock Shaker Village, Berkshire Theatre Group, Trustees of Reservations, Mass Moca, and Berkshire Historical Society, plus Berkshire Humane Society.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is modest: the 25th percentile is $1,000, the median is $2,000, and the 75th percentile is $2,500. The recent list also includes larger, repeated program grants to a few core organizations, but most awards fall near that smaller range.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Ventfort Hall Association Inc in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Berkshire Humane Society in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Berkshire Theatre Group in all three years. That points to recurring support rather than one-time giving.
Grantmaking is local and heavily Massachusetts-centered: 90% of grants go to recipients in MA. Recent recipient cities include Pittsfield, Lenox, Stockbridge, and North Adams, while New York is the top state by grant count among recipients.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VENTFORT HALL ASSOCIATION INC | LENOX, MA | $15,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| CHRISTIAN CENTER OF PITTSFIELD | PITTSFIELD, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| BERKSHIRE HUMANE SOCIETY | PITTSFIELD, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| BARRINGTON STAGE COMPANY | PITTSFIELD, MA | $8,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| HANCOCK SHAKER VILLAGE | PITTSFIELD, MA | $7,500 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| YMCA | PITTSFIELD, MA | $7,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| BERKSHIRE THEATRE GROUP | STOCKBRIDGE, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| MASS MOCA | NORTH ADAMS, MA | $3,500 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| MICHAEL J FOX FDN | NEW YORK, NY | $3,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS | STOCKBRIDGE, MA | $2,500 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| THE MOUNT | LENOX, MA | $2,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| GUTHRIE CENTER | GREAT BARRINGTON, MA | $2,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| COMMUNITY ACCESS TO THE ARTS CATA | GREAT BARRINGTON, MA | $2,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| NEW ENGLAND NORDIC SKIING ASSOCIATION | LYME, NH | $2,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| CLARK ART INSTITUTE | WILLIAMSTOWN, MA | $2,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| JACOBS PILLOW | BECKET, MA | $2,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM | STOCKBRIDGE, MA | $2,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| CHESTER THEATRE COMPANY | CHESTER, MA | $2,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| BERKSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY | PITTSFIELD, MA | $2,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| MASS AUDUBON SOCIETY | LINCOLN, MA | $1,500 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| ELIZABETH FREEMAN CENTER | PITTSFIELD, MA | $1,500 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| LENOX LIBRARY | LENOX, MA | $1,500 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| HILLTOWN LAND TRUST | ASHFIELD, MA | $1,500 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN | STOCKBRIDGE, MA | $1,500 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| 18 DEGREES | PITTSFIELD, MA | $1,500 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH WORTHINGTON | CHESTERFIELD, MA | $1,500 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| WORTHINGTON LIBRARY | WORTHINGTON, MA | $1,500 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| WAMC | ALBANY, NY | $1,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| FRIENDS OF TANGLEWOOD | LENOX, MA | $1,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| UTD CEREBRAL PALSY WM | PITTSFIELD, MA | $1,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| THE MAPLES | WORTHINGTON, MA | $500 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| NUTSHELL PLAYHOUSE INC | LENOX, MA | $500 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| ST LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY | CANTON, NY | $200 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| VENTFORT HALL ASSOCIATION INC | LENOX, MA | $18,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM |
| CHRISTIAN CENTER OF PITTSFIELD | PITTSFIELD, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM |
| BERKSHIRE HUMANE SOCIETY | PITTSFIELD, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM |
| YMCA | PITTSFIELD, MA | $8,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM |
| BARRINGTON STAGE COMPANY | PITTSFIELD, MA | $8,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM |
| BERKSHIRE THEATRE GROUP | STOCKBRIDGE, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM |
| HANCOCK SHAKER VILLAGE | PITTSFIELD, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM |
| MICHAEL J FOX FDN | NEW YORK, NY | $3,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM |
| TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS | STOCKBRIDGE, MA | $2,500 | 2024 | PROGRAM |
| BERKSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY | PITTSFIELD, MA | $2,300 | 2024 | PROGRAM |
| JACOBS PILLOW | BECKET, MA | $2,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM |
| MISS HALL S SCHOOL | PITTSFIELD, MA | $2,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM |
| CLARK ART INSTITUTE | WILLIAMSTOWN, MA | $2,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM |
| MASS MOCA | NORTH ADAMS, MA | $2,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM |
| CHESTER THEATRE COMPANY | CHESTER, MA | $2,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM |
| COMMUNITY ACCESS TO THE ARTS CATA | GREAT BARRINGTON, MA | $2,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM |
| NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM | STOCKBRIDGE, MA | $2,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM |
VENTFORT HALL ASSOCIATION INC
$15,000PROGRAM
CHRISTIAN CENTER OF PITTSFIELD
$10,000PROGRAM
HANCOCK SHAKER VILLAGE
$7,500PROGRAM
YMCA
$7,000PROGRAM
BERKSHIRE THEATRE GROUP
$5,000PROGRAM
MASS MOCA
$3,500PROGRAM
MICHAEL J FOX FDN
$3,000PROGRAM
THE MOUNT
$2,000PROGRAM
GUTHRIE CENTER
$2,000PROGRAM
NEW ENGLAND NORDIC SKIING ASSOCIATION
$2,000PROGRAM
CLARK ART INSTITUTE
$2,000PROGRAM
NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM
$2,000PROGRAM
CHESTER THEATRE COMPANY
$2,000PROGRAM
BERKSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$2,000PROGRAM
LENOX LIBRARY
$1,500PROGRAM
HILLTOWN LAND TRUST
$1,500PROGRAM
BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN
$1,500PROGRAM
18 DEGREES
$1,500PROGRAM
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH WORTHINGTON
$1,500PROGRAM
WORTHINGTON LIBRARY
$1,500PROGRAM
FRIENDS OF TANGLEWOOD
$1,000PROGRAM
UTD CEREBRAL PALSY WM
$1,000PROGRAM
THE MAPLES
$500PROGRAM
NUTSHELL PLAYHOUSE INC
$500PROGRAM
VENTFORT HALL ASSOCIATION INC
$18,000PROGRAM
CHRISTIAN CENTER OF PITTSFIELD
$10,000PROGRAM
YMCA
$8,000PROGRAM
BERKSHIRE THEATRE GROUP
$5,000PROGRAM
HANCOCK SHAKER VILLAGE
$5,000PROGRAM
BERKSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$2,300PROGRAM
JACOBS PILLOW
$2,000PROGRAM
MISS HALL S SCHOOL
$2,000PROGRAM
MASS MOCA
$2,000PROGRAM
CHESTER THEATRE COMPANY
$2,000PROGRAM
COMMUNITY ACCESS TO THE ARTS CATA
$2,000PROGRAM
NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM
$2,000PROGRAM