COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
The Wyomissing Foundation seeks to invest in place-based initiatives that produce long-term outcomes for our community. Currently, at least 50% of all annual grantmaking is invested in these initiatives and programs. Oftentimes, we serve as a catalyst for expanding new ways to impact our community. Our funds have been used to leverage additional funds from other agencies, philanthropists, corporate and government funding. Some examples of this work include our taskforce initiatives in West Reading, South of Penn, the Goggleworks Neighborhood, and formerly with the College Heights Taskforce, the Gateway Taskforce, and the Northeast Youth Development Taskforce.
Some examples of the impact of past and current grants:
The Wyomissing Foundation has played a meaningful role with Community First Fund by empowering it with initial start-up grants and a $1 million investment in capital dedicated to Berks County. This financial support enabled Community First Fund to establish a substantial $5 million Reading investment fund which has catalyzed economic and community development. The Wyomissing Foundation’s initial support set the stage for ongoing growth and prosperity in Reading and its surrounding areas, ensuring that these positive trends continue to benefit the residents for years to come.
The Wyomissing Foundation supports the South of Penn Taskforce (SOP), a grassroots community initiative a strategic partnership formed in collaboration with Barrio Alegría, residents of the area, city government, and many nonprofit organizations and institutions located in Southwest Reading. All are working together to enhance the quality of life for residents. Through initiatives such as clean-up campaigns, block parties, porch concerts, and diverse art events, SOP strives to cultivate a safer, more secure, and vibrant environment for the community. The long-term objective of the taskforce is to promote home ownership, financial stability, and nurture meaningful connections among residents.
The Wyomissing Foundation has funded the GoggleWorks Gardens at Lauer’s Park, a groundbreaking program initiated by the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts. The Gardens at Lauer’s Park offer valuable educational opportunities for students at Lauer’s Park Elementary School, as well as neighbors and community members, providing a unique and collaborative experience in urban farming, food culture, and sustainability. These gardens, along with a variety of outreach initiatives, are undertaken in partnership with Longwood Gardens and the Rodale Institute.
The Wyomissing Foundation took a leading role in founding the Berks Latino Workforce Development Corporation, known as Tec Centro Berks and replication of the original Tec Centro in Lancaster. This involved both technical and financial assistance in setting up the organization and establishing its board of directors. These efforts culminated in the creation of Tec Centro’s bilingual technology center at 450 S. 6th Street in Reading. Tec Centro employs a culturally sensitive approach to workforce development training, which aims to meet the diverse needs of the community. Though its primary focus is education and workforce development, the center has become a critical community resource center. Tec Centro collaborates extensively and is recognized as a trusted institution dedicated to assisting individuals and their families in breaking the cycle of poverty. https://blwdc.org/
For a more comprehensive summary of our Community & Economic Development Initiatives, see this report.
Generally, unsolicited applications for Community & Economic Development grants are not accepted, and are by invitation only, since these grants must align with the goals established by the Board of Directors and specific geographic task forces.
GENERAL GRANTMAKING
Both small and large grants are made to nonprofit organizations in the areas of health and human services, youth and education, the arts, the environment, and community development. This funding can be for: programs, projects, capacity building, and capital campaigns. On an exception basis, we provide operating support for highly effective organizations.
The Wyomissing Foundation provided pilot funding to Communities in Schools of Eastern PA (CIS) to expand their community integrated supports program to three middle schools in northern Berks in partnership with Kutztown Strong. CIS helps build community by bridging the gap between area resources and the students it serves through school-wide, small-group, and individualized support. CIS professionals empower students, support families, and elevate districts through public and private partnerships. The success of this pilot provided data to support expanding the program and enable CIS to obtain other funding.
The Wyomissing Foundation was a key supporter of a collective initiative to combat teen pregnancy in Reading. Co-County Wellness Services launched Berks Teens, aiming to reduce teen pregnancies by 40% by 2022. By that year, teen births had decreased by 49% in Reading, with city rates down 44%. Berks Teens has expanded its efforts, introducing a peer education group at Reading High School and a county-wide virtual group. The Youth Ambassador program was also initiated, focusing on consent, relationships, birth control, and sexual health. This successful initiative not only reduced teen pregnancies but also expanded to provide comprehensive support for adolescent wellness.
The Wyomissing Foundation provided funding to support the completion of Berks Area Mountain Biking Association (BAMBA)’s multi-phase/multi-year Blue Marsh Trails Restoration Project. This initiative has significantly increased visitor activity in the Berks County Blue Marsh Lake and Recreation Area, attracting a greater number of hikers, bikers, and outdoor enthusiasts. The project’s completion has allowed BAMBA to enhance its educational and recreational offerings. For their outstanding work, BAMBA received a national award from the US Army Corps of Engineers, which was among 462 submitted community projects nationwide.
SPECIAL GRANTS & PROGRAMS
Beginning in 2021, The Wyomissing Foundation established a community-directed grant program in partnership with Barrio Alegria. FARO grants (meaning “lighthouse” in Spanish) are designed to “shine a light” on small, grass roots organizations or individuals, working to build community in Reading. The application process is managed by Barrio Alegria, usually opening in November each year. A group of volunteers from Barrio Alegria are given the responsibility to review and recommend five grants, up to $5,000 each, to be awarded annually in April by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
The grant pool for the Thun Family Grants Program was established for direct descendants of Ferdinand and Anna Thun to sponsor grant requests to support issues or organizations that are meaningful to them. These special grants, up to $15,000 each, are awarded by a committee of family members and the Board of Trustees using grant guidelines specific to the Family Grants Program. All applications for Family Grants must be facilitated and presented to the Foundation by a member of the Thun family. The Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals for Thun Family Grants. Thun descendants can learn more on the homepage under “Thun Family Access” which is password protected. Please contact the foundation office at 610-376-7494 to obtain the password.
In 2021, The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation conducted a series of community listening sessions that resulted in the report, Reading Thriving Together, containing an agenda for how Reading could improve various aspects of education in Reading.
In 2022, The Wyomissing Foundation, United Way of Berks County, Centro Hispano and Berks Alliance all joined together to provide leadership and funding to engage the Harwood Institute to help the community collectively take action on several of those education issues. Three teams were formed around those issues English as a Second Language (ESL), Early Childhood Education (ECE) and After school/Out-of-School Activities (ASA). The Wyomissing Foundation provides leadership for the ESL team, with United Way leading the ECE team, and Centro Hispano the ASA team.
Since then, hundreds of community members have received training, guidance and support from Harwood Institute staff and coaches, to “turn outward”, to engage and listen to people in the community, to understand people’s aspirations for our community and what matters most to them. From this public knowledge, each team has worked to develop small action steps, create a ripple effect of change, and engage more people along the way. All of this is intended not just to change the trajectory of each of these issues but result in people’s restored civic faith that our community can come together to create positive change.
https://theharwoodinstitute.org/community-projects#reading
https://theharwoodinstitute.org/report-catalog/reading-thriving-together-a-new-agenda-for-education-and-the-community
The Wyomissing Foundation has organized and provides ongoing support to the Coalition, formed in Fall 2020, that consists of representatives from a cross-section of prominent community organizations, with a wide-range of expertise, including technology, health care, education, nonprofits, public sector, and more. Its goals are:
(1) expanding the infrastructure that delivers affordable and reliable high-speed broadband Internet access, including fiber, cable, and 5G throughout Berks County,
(2) increasing the number of individuals connected to reliable, high-speed, affordable internet services, and having the appropriate devices and training to utilize them to improve the quality of their lives in all respects.
The Coalition partnered with the County of Berks to engage a consultant to identify where there are gaps in high-speed broadband services in the county and develop a plan for addressing those gaps. As a result, the Berks County Commissioners committed $5.6 million of funding to address both infrastructure and digital literacy needs, while the City of Reading committed funding for a Digital Navigator position at the Reading Public Library for two years.
The federal government has also committed to provide an unprecedented amount of funding to the states, and local communities, to also address those needs. While the plans and the process for distributing those funds are in development, the local coalition has put three pilot digital literacy projects in place with the County and City funding. The goal is to be able to have demonstrated results from these projects in place to be able to successfully attract additional federal/state funding when it becomes available in the coming years to expand those efforts and make meaningful progress on achieving digital equity.
Additional information can be found here:
https://bcdigitalequity.org/