Sweet Brook Scholarship Fund Grant

Sweet Brook Scholarship Fund Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: The Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation
Amount: More than
Last Updated: October 14, 2025

Summary

The Sweet Brook Scholarship Fund, established in 1972 by residents of Sweet Brook, supports healthcare education for Northern Berkshire County residents. Initially aimed at staff members of Sweet Brook, the fund transitioned in 2020 to assist local residents pursuing health-related qualifications. The Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation now manages the fund, which has provided essential scholarships that empower individuals to enhance their careers in healthcare, fostering community growth and economic mobility.

Overview

The Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation was established in 1987 in Salisbury, Conn., with an anonymous donation of $100,000. Originally an affiliate of the New York Community Trust, the foundation became an independent public charity in 1990. Today, BTCF manages more than 550 funds that put over $14 million into action each year. Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation serves Berkshire, Columbia, northeast Dutchess and northwest Litchfield counties. This unique area where New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts meet contains 2,200 square miles of natural beauty and small-town charm that is home to nearly 230,000 people. Mission: Strengthening communities through philanthropy and leadership. Vision:  All residents have opportunity for economic mobility and a high quality of life. Values: Impact: Striving to make a measurable difference in all of our workInnovation: Valuing experimentation and risk-taking to achieve impactInspiring generosity: Motivating people to give back to their communitiesEquity: Being inclusive and working toward fundamental fairness in communitiesExcellence: Holding ourselves accountable for high-quality work Sweet Brook Scholarship Fund This scholarship began in 1972, when the residents of Sweet Brook voted to give a nurse’s aide $100.00, from the money they had collected from selling handmade craft items. The grant provided text books needed to allow the aide to continue in her LPN program. Every year thereafter scholarships were given to staff members to pursue their careers in health care. Residents raised money through their annual crafts fair and families donated funds in memory of loved ones. Most donations were designated for one-time grants but some families donated large amounts of money to establish annual scholarships: Dorothy LeFebreve, a long time Activities Director at Sweet Brook Judge Ernest H. Rosasco, a founding member of Sweet Brook and a long time treasurer Ray Norcorss a longtime volunteer Dagmar Dudley, a resident whose husband willed Sweet Brook a bequest to support the scholarship program The scholarship fund was brought to Berkshire Taconic in 1997. The original purpose of the scholarship was to provide scholarships and career development to Sweet Brook staff members who planned to further their education in a health care field. Subsequent to the closure of the Sweet Brook of Nursing and Rehabilitation Center of Williamstown in 2020, the purpose of the scholarship was changed to support residents of Northern Berkshire County to further their health care education/qualifications.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Residents of Northern Berkshire County who want to further their health care education/qualifications.