William Stanley Scholarship Fund Grant

William Stanley Scholarship Fund Grant

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

Summary

The William Stanley Scholarship Fund, established in 1991 by the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, assists Berkshire County residents seeking to attend two- or four-year colleges. Named after inventor William Stanley, the fund honors his legacy in pioneering alternating current technology. The foundation, founded in 1987, focuses on strengthening communities through philanthropy, with a vision of enhancing economic mobility and quality of life for all residents.

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 William Stanley Scholarship Fund The William Stanley Scholarship Fund was created in 1991 following the dissolution of the Stanley Club, a social club for the General Electric Company for over 50 years in Berkshire County. The Club was named after William Stanley, an inventor and a pioneer in the early development of the advantages of alternating electrical current (AC) over Thomas A. Edison’s direct current (DC) system and demonstrated the practicality of AC generation and transmission by his historical lighting of stores and hotels on Main Street in Great Barrington, Mass., on March 20, 1886. William Stanley was originally associated with Westinghouse, but formed the Stanley Manufacturing Company in Pittsfield in 1992. The company was bought by General Electric Company in 1903. The scholarship fund is named in his honor. The purpose of the fund is to offer assistance to Berkshire County residents planning to attend a two- or four-year college.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Berkshire County residents planning to attend a two- or four-year college.