Berkshire Charitable Foundation
Berkshire Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2024 filing lists grants to charitable organizations in several states, including Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Idaho, and Massachusetts.
Berkshire Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Berkshire Charitable Foundation gave $554K across 41 grants in 2025 (avg $14K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $554,000
- +8.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 41
- -4.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $13,512
- +13.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $9,489,710
- +0.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (3 of 38, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (52% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Berkshire Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Berkshire Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank ($65K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $300K.
Grant Size Distribution
217 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 217 grants of 217 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Pennsylvania received 49% of grant dollars, North Carolina 22%, Virginia 18%, Idaho 7%, and Massachusetts 3%. The filing lists recipients in those states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 41 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Berkshire Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 38 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 89% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 92% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $501K (2021) to $591K (2022). In 2025 it made 41 grants totaling $554K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank Reading, PA | Community Kitchen Capital Campaign | $40,000 |
| Bradley Free Clinic of Roanoke Valley Roanoke, VA | General & Unrestricted | $35,000 |
| Reading Hospital Foundation Reading, PA | McGlinn Cancer Institute | $30,000 |
| The Salvation Army Reading, PA | General & Unrestricted | $30,000 |
| Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank Reading, PA | General & Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Opportunity House Reading, PA | General & Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Pennsylvania State University Reading, PA | The President's Fund | $25,000 |
| Safe Berks Reading, PA | General & Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Mens Second Chance Living a Non- Profit Corporatio Hailey, ID | General & Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida Inc Orlando, FL | General & Unrestricted | $20,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $9,489,710 | $652,572 | $649,642 | $554,000 | 41 | $591,831 | $620,448 | $643,829 |
| 2024 | $9,481,780 | $1,000,102 | $576,945 | $510,000 | 43 | $547,179 | $977,506 | $595,077 |
| 2023 | $9,053,623 | $508,855 | $588,981 | $520,000 | 42 | $556,455 | $478,855 | $539,772 |
| 2022 | $9,133,749 | $414,212 | $666,700 | $590,500 | 47 | $626,310 | $383,192 | $554,326 |
| 2021 | $9,386,237 | $849,284 | $569,897 | $500,500 | 44 | $537,380 | $825,166 | $632,013 |
| 2020 | $9,106,850 | $401,586 | $564,302 | $503,000 | 48 | — | $379,897 | $544,745 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Berkshire Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $644K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees include organizations working in areas such as health care, food assistance, domestic violence and sexual assault support, housing, and STEM education. For example, Bradley Free Clinic of Roanoke says its mission is to provide health care to underserved residents of the Roanoke Valley and surrounding areas. Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank says it provides nutritious food to people facing hunger in its communities, while an individual recipient describes its work as supporting victims of domestic violence and sexual assault through education and advocacy.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $510,000 through 43 grants. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $35,000, with a median of $10,000. The largest grant was $35,000 to Bradley Free Clinic of Roanoke Valley. Other notable grants included $25,000 each to Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank, Opportunity House, an individual recipient, Pennsylvania State University, The Salvation Army, and Men’s Second Chance Living; and $20,000 each to Reading Hospital Foundation and Reading Science Center. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 41 grants totaling $554,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Laura E Bowman, Andrew Rothermel, Elizabeth B Rothermel, Helene B Shumate, and Jonathan Shumate as trustees. Andrew Rothermel is also listed as assistant treasurer; Elizabeth B Rothermel as president; Helene B Shumate as vice president; and Jonathan Shumate as secretary and treasurer.
Berkshire Charitable Foundation is led by Elizabeth B Rothermel, President & Trustee since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Elizabeth B Rothermel
President & Trustee
President, Trustee & Member → President & Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Rothermel
Trustee & Assistant Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Helene B Shumate
Trustee & Vice President
Trustee, Vice President & Member → Trustee & Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Shumate
Trustee, Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura E Bowman
Trustee
Trustee & Member → Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Berkshire Charitable Foundation
How much does Berkshire Charitable Foundation give each year?
Berkshire Charitable Foundation gave $554K across 41 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $510K across 43 grants.
What is Berkshire Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Berkshire Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $13,512, across 41 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Berkshire Charitable Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does Berkshire Charitable Foundation give grants?
Berkshire Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 52% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Virginia (17%) and North Carolina (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were Reading, PA (12 grants), Charlotte, NC (11 grants) and Roanoke, VA (6 grants).
Does Berkshire Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 83% of Berkshire Charitable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (34 of 41) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Berkshire Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Berkshire Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank ($65,000 across 2 grants), Reading Hospital Foundation ($40,000 across 2 grants) and Bradley Free Clinic of Roanoke Valley ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Berkshire Charitable Foundation?
Berkshire Charitable Foundation reported $9.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $592K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $644K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Berkshire Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees include organizations working in areas such as health care, food assistance, domestic violence and sexual assault support, housing, and STEM education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Berkshire Charitable Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Berkshire Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Berkshire Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1812559. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Berkshire Charitable Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS September 22, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Berkshire Charitable Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Berkshire Charitable Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Berkshire Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/berkshire-charitable-foundation-morg_152e2557852d4865a14daf7779dcd3f7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201812559_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Berkshire Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/berkshire-charitable-foundation-morg_152e2557852d4865a14daf7779dcd3f7},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-04. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Berkshire Charitable Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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