Nonprofit Center Announces Retirement of Founder
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.— Liana Toscanini, founder of the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires (NPC), is stepping down from her role as Executive Director in the spring of 2026.
NPC was founded in 2016 with a mission to help nonprofits connect, learn and grow. Toscanini turns 65 as NPC celebrates its tenth anniversary next year.
"It seems like an opportune moment to introduce new leadership to guide the organization to the next level," said Toscanini.
The idea for a nonprofit support center evolved from Toscanini's decades of involvement in numerous small civic and nonprofit groups, including a nine-year tenure at Community Access to the Arts (CATA). Toscanini pursued her vision of an infrastructure organization to help support the large and growing Berkshire nonprofit sector. She funded the start-up nonprofit herself and tirelessly developed multiple revenue streams to keep programs and services free or low-cost for nonprofits. Similar to a Chamber of Commerce, NPC serves as the trusted clearinghouse for practical information for Berkshire nonprofits, and is now a vital resource for the community.
"NPC has been a steady, genuine force for good. They meet you where you are and create a true sense of community among nonprofits," said Natale Monroe, founder of Embrace & Empower, a nonprofit focused on health equity and cancer survivor support.
Today, NPC serves over 200 nonprofit members thanks to strong support from the business community, individuals, foundations, and the Commonwealth in the form of an earmark. Seventy percent of the organization's annual budget of $400,000 comes from contributions. "Anticipating continued growth, we recently added the positions of Associate Director and Operations Manager," said NPC Board Chair Emily Schiavoni.
An award-winning organization, NPC currently offers two dozen programs and services. Its signature offerings include The Giving Back guide, the Berkshire Nonprofit Awards, and a philanthropy curriculum for 8th graders. Over ten years, NPC has presented nearly 200 workshops and facilitated thousands of referrals and requests for advice. NPC's programs are seen as a model by other nonprofit support centers around the country.
Hari Kumar, NPC Board Vice-Chair and Chair of the Search Committee, said NPC has engaged a search consultant (Catherine Bradshaw of Eos Transition Partners) and the Executive Director job opening is posted on their website.
Kumar remarked on the transition.
"Liana has served Berkshire nonprofits selflessly, graciously, and generously in building NPC as a true labor of love over 10 years. It is genuinely awe-inspiring to see how Liana pours herself into responding to every nonprofit, from fledgling to established," Kumar said. "And she finds time amidst it all to warmly welcome newcomers to the community as well, such as myself when I arrived here three years ago. We, as a board, are deeply thankful for the hard work that Liana and the NPC team put into serving nonprofits. Knowing her love for gardening, I can attest that she has carefully cultivated a vibrant and thriving garden for the next Executive Director, and we are looking forward to hiring the right person to nourish and grow the organization even further."
Tags: nonprofits,
