Berks County Community Foundation

Berks County Community Foundation [http://www.bccf.org] is a public benefit organization located in Reading, Pennsylvania [http://www.readingpa.gov/] . The Foundation's mission is to promote philanthropy and improve the quality of life for the residents of Berks County, Pennsylvania.

The Community Foundation, which was founded in 1994 with the help of the Wyomissing Foundation, lets people set up charitable funds that make grants to causes they care about. For example, someone who makes a donation to the Humane Society every year might want to continue to make that donation every year even after they pass away. By setting up a fund at the Community Foundation, that person can be assured that a grant will go to the Humane Society in his or her name every year.

The Community Foundation manages hundreds of charitable funds, each created to support a cause the donor cared about. Some people create funds while they are alive so they can see the benefits of the grants they make. Others set up a fund in their will by leaving a certain amount of money or a portion of their estate to the Community Foundation and stipulating what it should be used for. Creating a fund at the Community Foundation through your will allows you to put money that would otherwise be used for taxes to use in your community.