PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Funding Focus has established a priority to support BIPOC-owned or led businesses, organizations, and institutions, as well as those businesses, organizations, and institutions that provide significant services to Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities.

 

To address this priority, BFF, a regional initiative which launched earlier this fall to build capacity of grant seekers throughout the Berkshires, is conducting a multi-phase outreach and assessment process to better understand best practices around supporting access to and acquisition of government funding by BIPOC and BIPOC-serving entities.

 

Berkshire Funding Focus intends to listen to and learn from leaders of color to understand the local and regional needs that government funds might address and prepare recommendations as to how Berkshire Funding Focus staff and Advisory Committee members can help address those needs, according to a press release.

 

Outreach will be led by consultant Emily Williams of ERAC LLC assisted by a sub-committee reflective of the BIPOC communities in Berkshire County. 

 

The first phase of the assessment involves a brief survey to identify those interested in providing background on the needs and capacities of BIPOC entities in the region, followed by one-on-one discussions with leaders of BIPOC businesses, organizations, and institutions expressing interest in participating. Findings will be shared with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, host of Berkshire Funding Focus, and the partner agencies that form the BFF initiative.

 

The initial survey can be accessed at this link. Responses are requested by Dec. 1. Anyone requiring assistance in accessing the survey should contact Williams at consultant@berkshireplanning.org.

 

About Berkshire Funding Focus: www.berkshirefundingfocus.org