Northern Berkshire United Way Inc
Northern Berkshire United Way Inc is a public charity based in North Adams, Massachusetts. It raises and distributes funds for local health, education, financial stability, and safety-net programs, supporting member agencies and other community projects in the Northern Berkshire region.
Northern Berkshire United Way Inc at a glance
In short: Northern Berkshire United Way Inc gave $261K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $15K), mostly in Massachusetts. 11% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $261,150
- +0.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $14,508
- +0.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,125
- Total assets
- $659,868
- +2.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 11% first-time grantees (2 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Northern Berkshire United Way Inc
- How to Apply
-
The organization’s website describes an annual application process for Community Needs and Special Grants. Applicants must be IRS-designated charitable organizations; requests are limited to $1,500 and must be for qualifying one-time, short-term projects.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 955, North Adams, MA 01247
Phone: (413) 663-9062
Website: https://nbunitedway.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Northern Berkshire United Way Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Child Care of the Berkshires ($23K). Together the top 10 received $183K.
Grant Size Distribution
88 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 88 grants of 88 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization identifies its service communities as Adams, North Adams, Williamstown, Clarksburg, Cheshire, Savoy, and Florida in Massachusetts, and Stamford, Vermont. Its Community Needs and Special Grants program identifies its geographic scope as the Northern Berkshire region in Massachusetts. All grant dollars reported for filing year 2025 went to Massachusetts recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Northern Berkshire United Way Inc open to new grantees?
11%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 18 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $16K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $16K repeat.
- 89% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−5%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $259K (2024) to $273K (2022). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $261K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Child Care of the Berkshires North Adams, MA | Support | $23,000 |
| Elizabeth Freeman Center Pittsfield, MA | Support | $21,000 |
| Elder Services of the Berkshires Pittsfield, MA | Support | $20,000 |
| Bfair North Adams, MA | Support | $19,500 |
| ECU Healthcare North Adams, MA | Support | $19,000 |
| Louison House North Adams, MA | Support | $17,000 |
| United Cerebral Palsy Pittsfield, MA | Support | $17,000 |
| Youth Center Inc Adams, MA | Support | $16,500 |
| Berkshire Food Project North Adams, MA | Support | $16,000 |
| Northern Berkshire Community Coalit North Adams, MA | Support | $14,250 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $659,868 | $425,123 | $432,126 | $261,150 | 18 | $22,236 |
| 2024 | $642,808 | $397,122 | $404,155 | $259,343 | 18 | $11,134 |
| 2023 | $612,554 | $525,857 | $439,275 | $265,746 | 17 | $7,400 |
| 2022 | $520,943 | $430,968 | $469,219 | $273,498 | 18 | $9,140 |
| 2021 | $587,596 | $456,079 | $445,740 | $265,746 | 17 | $10,142 |
| 2020 | $574,856 | $426,691 | $450,961 | $272,333 | 18 | $6,207 |
| 2019 | $583,845 | $430,828 | $442,915 | $265,747 | 17 | $5,640 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to unite the community in support of human-service programs and serve as a central fundraising body for the region. Its website describes funding for member agencies providing health, education, and financial stability programs, along with safety-net services. It also offers annual Community Needs and Special Grants for one-time, short-term projects addressing current community issues.
Its 2025 grants included organizations serving a range of needs. For example, Child Care of the Berkshires describes its work as providing child care and family support services, while the Elizabeth Freeman Center offers services for people affected by domestic and sexual violence. Louison House serves neighbors experiencing homelessness or housing instability, and the Berkshire Food Project works to alleviate hunger and food insecurity. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not descriptions of the funder’s own programs.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Northern Berkshire United Way reported 18 grants totaling $261,150. Grant amounts ranged from $6,000 to $23,000, with a median of $15,125. All reported grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts.
Among its largest 2025 grants were $23,000 to Child Care of the Berkshires, $21,000 to the Elizabeth Freeman Center, $20,000 to Elder Services of the Berkshires, $19,500 to BFAIR, and $19,000 to ECU Healthcare. Other recipients included Louison House ($17,000), United Cerebral Palsy ($17,000), Youth Center Inc ($16,500), Berkshire Food Project ($16,000), and Berkshire Nursing Families ($13,500).
Its Community Needs and Special Grants program is offered once a year for eligible charitable organizations, which do not need to be member agencies. It supports one-time, short-term projects providing safety-net services for low- to moderate-income populations and serving diverse, inclusive populations. Applications may request up to $1,500; projects not previously funded receive priority, and applications are evaluated in light of available funding. The stated 2026 deadline was March 31, 2026, which has passed.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Patti Messina as Executive Director; Kelly McCarthy as President; Tyler Bissaillon as Vice President; Jake Dabrowski as VP Campaign; Randy Kinnas as VP Board Development; and Marissa Main as Clerk. It also lists Laura Baran, Peter Mirante, Iris Moresi, and Celia Norcross as directors.
Northern Berkshire United Way Inc is led by Kelly McCarthy, President since 2023 (on filings since 2021); 1 of 15 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kelly McCarthy
President
Vice President Board Development → President, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter Mirante
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Celia Norcross
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Erik Ray
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Iris Moresi
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Baran
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Daniel Sadtler
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patti Messina
Executive Di
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$55K (2024) → $61K (2025)
Leah Thompson
Vice President Community
Vice President → President, 2021
President → Vice President Community, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Rumbolt
Esquire
Director → Esquire, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tyler Bissaillon
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jake Dabrowski
Vice President Campaign
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Randy Kinnas
Vice President Board Development
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tracy Sheerin
Vice President Finance
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marissa Main
Clerk
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (30)
- Former: Marissa Kirchner (2022–2024) — Clerk
- Former: Stacy Parsons (2023–2024) — Vice President Allocatio
- Former: Doreen Meczywor (2024) — Director
- Former: Kimma Stark (2024) — Director
- Former: Ellen Sutherland (2019–2023) — Vice President Board Development
- Former: Rich Weisenflue (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Yvette Stoddard (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Bonnie Howland (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Christopher Barbarotta (2023) — Director
- Former: Colleen Taylor (2023) — Director
- Former: Jennifer Meehan (2023) — Director
- Former: Sharon Demyer-Nemser (2023) — Vice President Campaign
- Former: Tracy Robert-Sheerin (2023) — Vice President Finance
- Former: Candace Wall (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Christine Demasi Naughton (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Theresa O'Bryant (2019–2022) — Esquire
- Former: Tim Burdick (2019–2022) — Vice President Allocatio
- Former: William Blackmer (2019–2022) — President
- Former: Sharon Burke (2020–2022) — Vice President Campaign
- Former: Sharon Demyer Nemser (2020–2022) — Clerk
- Former: Gerald Desmarais (2022) — Ad Int Executive
- Former: Christa Collier (2019–2021) — Executive Director
- Former: Duffy Judge (2021) — Executive Director
- Former: Emily Stanford (2021) — Director
- Former: Aaron Gordon (2019–2020) — Vice President Finance
- Former: Amy Giroux (2019–2020) — Clerk
- Former: Jason Dohaney (2019–2020) — President
- Former: Leon Parrot (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Jessica Russo (2020) — Director
- Former: William Robinson Jr. (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $61K, to Patti Messina (Executive Di).
Frequently asked questions about Northern Berkshire United Way Inc
How much does Northern Berkshire United Way Inc give each year?
Northern Berkshire United Way Inc gave $261K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $259K across 18 grants.
What is Northern Berkshire United Way Inc's typical grant size?
Northern Berkshire United Way Inc's median grant in 2025 was $15,125, and its average grant was $14,508, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Northern Berkshire United Way Inc that year got $6K on average.
Where does Northern Berkshire United Way Inc give grants?
Northern Berkshire United Way Inc gives mostly in Massachusetts: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were North Adams, MA (9 grants), Pittsfield, MA (7 grants) and Adams, MA (2 grants).
Does Northern Berkshire United Way Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Northern Berkshire United Way Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support" (17 grants).
Who are Northern Berkshire United Way Inc's largest grantees?
Northern Berkshire United Way Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Child Care of the Berkshires ($23,000), Elizabeth Freeman Center ($21,000) and Elder Services of the Berkshires ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Northern Berkshire United Way Inc?
Northern Berkshire United Way Inc reported $660K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $425K.
What does Northern Berkshire United Way Inc fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to unite the community in support of human-service programs and serve as a central fundraising body for the region. Its website describes funding for member agencies providing health, education, and financial stability programs, along with safety-net services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Northern Berkshire United Way Inc?
The organization’s website describes an annual application process for Community Needs and Special Grants. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Northern Berkshire United Way Inc's EIN?
Northern Berkshire United Way Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-2104785. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 28, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 25, 2025)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Northern Berkshire United Way Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/northern-berkshire-united-way-inc-morg_1b9cc7abe8114d4293a352973b891cef
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_042104785_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Northern Berkshire United Way Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/northern-berkshire-united-way-inc-morg_1b9cc7abe8114d4293a352973b891cef},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-24. 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 Northern Berkshire United Way Inc'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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