Best Berks County Grants for Nonprofits in Pennsylvania

Berks County Community Foundation

Berks County Community Foundation was founded in 1994 to help individuals, families, organizations and businesses achieve their charitable objectives. Since that time, the foundation has grown to manage hundreds of charitable funds. Each year, the funds distribute millions of dollars in scholarships and grants to support local students and nonprofit organizations and causes.

Public Education Foundation Fund for Instructional Innovation

Grants support innovative teaching programs in Berks County public schools.

Quest for the Best® is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in Pennsylvania by providing project-based grants to 501(c)(3) organizations. The grant aims to support initiatives that focus on long-term sustainability, secured co-funding, and specific programs. Priorities include police and nurse training, education for underserved communities, and humanitarian efforts such as clean water access. The funder emphasizes local impact and requires matching contributions for grant requests.

The Presser Foundation, established in 1939, offers grants between $2,500 and $50,000 to support music organizations across diverse genres. Focused on fostering music education and philanthropy, the Foundation seeks to empower non-profit, 501(c)(3) organizations within a 75-mile radius of Philadelphia. However, it does not fund theater or dance productions. Proposals are evaluated based on organizational accomplishments, community value, stability, and overall contributions to the music community.

Nonprofit organizations with projects serving the LGBTQIA+ community in Berks County, Pennsylvania can seek up to US $2,300 to support or strengthen local programs and initiatives. With a mission to strengthen communities, Berks County Community Foundation provides Berks County nonprofits with funding through the Diversity Alliance Endowment Fund for efforts addressing issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender residents.

Graduating seniors from Berks County, Pennsylvania high schools pursuing studies in performing arts, entertainment, or sports management can receive scholarship support through the Albert Boscov Memorial Scholarship Fund. Grants from Berks County Community Foundation help local students continue their higher education in these fields, offering aid for academic advancement beyond high school.

High-achieving Berks County, Pennsylvania high school seniors planning to attend a four-year college or university can receive scholarships of US $5,000 per year from the Arrow International Scholarship Fund. With a mission to support local students, Berks County Community Foundation offers at least four awards, favoring descendants of eligible former or current Arrow employees.

Berks County K-12 public school employees seeking funding for classroom projects in Berks County, Pennsylvania can access support through Berks County Community Foundation. The Teacher Mini-Grant Program provides mini-grants for school-based projects, with preference for creative initiatives, and also supports an annual scholarship for a local public high school senior planning to major in education.

Nonprofit organizations and institutions serving residents of the Governor Mifflin School District in Berks County, Pennsylvania can apply for Berks County Community Foundation’s Russell L. Hiller Charitable Trust grants. Awards of US $5,000 support education-related needs, including designated grants for the Borough of Shillington, Shillington Borough Library, and Albright College, alongside scholarships for local high school seniors.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations serving women and girls in Berks County, Pennsylvania can apply for grants supporting programs that remove barriers to education and workforce entry or re-entry. Grants from Berks County Community Foundation may fund efforts addressing childcare, transportation, skills gaps, healthcare, or information access to help participants achieve self-sufficiency.

Graduating high school seniors in Berks County, Pennsylvania who are children of active, retired, or deceased police officers or firefighters from the City of Reading and plan postsecondary education may be eligible for this scholarship. Berks County Community Foundation supports higher education access for these students, with preference for children of active first responders.

The Berks County Transition Coordinating Council Mary Mazzoni Scholarship, established by the Berks County Community Foundation, provides essential support to graduating high school seniors with disabilities in Berks County. This scholarship aims to assist students as they transition to postsecondary education and training, recognizing their determination and commitment to pursuing career paths aligned with their skills. It exemplifies the foundation's dedication to fostering educational opportunities for all individuals.

Grants from Berks County Community Foundation help Berks County, Pennsylvania students pursue higher education in Professional Turfgrass Management or Professional Golf Management. High school seniors from any Berks County school district with at least a 3.0 GPA who are accepted into one of these programs may receive scholarship support through this memorial fund.

Berks County residents pursuing accredited healthcare education programs involving direct patient care can apply for scholarships covering educational expenses. The Community General Hospital Foundation/June A. Roedel Healthcare Scholarship Fund, managed by Berks County Community Foundation, may benefit students connected to local nonprofits or healthcare providers serving community needs in Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Members of Berks County, Pennsylvania United Church of Christ congregations pursuing education after high school can apply for scholarship support for college, graduate study, vocational training, or life enrichment programs. The Dj Wetzel Fund of First United Church of Christ at Berks County Community Foundation allows previous recipients to reapply without preference in future years.

Berks County high school seniors pursuing a bachelor’s degree and involved in competitive swimming can receive scholarship support for college in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Berks County Community Foundation’s Elizabeth Horvath Swimming Scholarship Fund assists students who swam on a high school or club team, plan to swim in college, and meet GPA and conduct requirements.

Nonprofit organizations preserving open space, environmentally sensitive land, farmland, or historic properties in Berks County, Pennsylvania can seek support for conservation and preservation projects. Focused on land and habitat conservation, Berks County Community Foundation invites local 501(c)(3)s to apply for funding that protects critical landscapes and historic sites countywide.

Nonprofit projects improving environmental health and climate resiliency in Berks County, Pennsylvania can seek funding for innovative, collaborative efforts. Berks County Community Foundation’s Innovation Fund supports new approaches, small-scale best management practice projects, education and outreach, planning, and efforts to secure state or federal funding, with priority for cross-sector partnerships.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, K–12 schools, and public partners serving residents in Berks County, Pennsylvania can apply for capacity building awards up to US $150,000 to strengthen infrastructure, leadership, and sustainability. Funding from Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation supports organizations advancing education, health, and economic opportunity within its 10-mile Pottstown-centered service area.

Nonprofits, schools, municipalities, and collaboratives serving residents in the Pottstown-area 10-mile radius, including Berks County, Pennsylvania, can seek up to US $150,000 for systems reform efforts. Focused on education, health, and economic opportunity, Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation supports collaborative policy work, capacity building, and advocacy that drive long-term structural change.

Governmental entities needing K9 units in Berks County, Pennsylvania can receive support for acquiring, training, and maintaining K9 corps. Berks County Community Foundation manages the Darrell and Gloria Rank K9 Corps Fund, which helps strengthen local community and public safety through sustained investment in service animal programs.

Nonprofits, government entities, and small businesses in Berks County, Pennsylvania can seek funding to improve energy efficiency in existing, owner-occupied buildings, with awards from US $25,000 - US $100,000. Berks County Community Foundation’s Met-Ed Sustainable Energy Fund supports lighting retrofits, high-efficiency HVAC, and commercial kitchen or refrigeration upgrades after a required preliminary energy assessment.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in Berks County, Pennsylvania can receive support for community-focused programs, projects, and limited general operations. Wyomissing Foundation provides funding for initiatives in health and human services, education, the arts, the environment, and community development, including new or expanded programs, capacity building, capital campaigns, and other charitable activities.

With a mission to strengthen rural communities, nonprofits in Berks County, Pennsylvania focused on hunger relief and food access can receive US $1,000 - US $20,000 for local programs. The Land O'Lakes Foundation supports 501(c)(3) food banks, pantries, meal programs, school meals, and community gardens serving eligible dairy member-owner communities.

Focused on helping students with disabilities move into employment, this award supports graduating high school seniors in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Eligible seniors with a documented disability are recognized for determination, resilience, and commitment to pursuing a career path that matches their skills and aspirations.

Berks County Community Foundation

Berks County Community Foundation was founded in 1994 to help individuals, families, organizations and businesses achieve their charitable objectives. Since that time, the foundation has grown to manage hundreds of charitable funds. Each year, the funds distribute millions of dollars in scholarships and grants to support local students and nonprofit organizations and causes.

Russell S. Bickel Fund

The Russell S. Bickel Family Fund of Berks County Community Foundation invites proposals from organizations, schools, nonprofits, and local businesses for innovative, community-based projects that create opportunities to open the conversation about death and dying. This funding opportunity seeks to support initiatives that foster dialogue, education, and reflection around this important topic in ways that are accessible, engaging, and culturally sensitive.

This grant opportunity is designed to encourage creative approaches to exploring death and dying in community settings. Projects may include, but are not limited to:

•  Speaker series or lecture events
•  Seminars or workshops
•  Community storytelling or oral history projects
•  Educational campaigns 

Preference will be given to innovative and community-based projects.

Focused on community quality of life, nonprofits in Berks County, Pennsylvania can seek grants for charitable programs that benefit residents of the Boyertown Area School District. Berks County Community Foundation supports health, human and social services, recreation, and community safety organizations serving this school district area.

Schools and nonprofit entities in Berks County, Pennsylvania can apply for Berks County Community Foundation’s Northern Berks Connects grant, with awards up to US $40,000 to run a one-year pilot improving access to basic human needs. Funding supports staff to create and maintain a local resource guide, host networking events, and coordinate community leadership collaboration.