Lee Bank Foundation Awards $55K In First Grant Cycle of 2026

Print Story | Email Story

LEE, Mass. — The Lee Bank Foundation has awarded $55,000 in its first grant cycle of 2026 to support thirteen Berkshire-based nonprofit organizations.

Grant awards in this cycle ranged from $500 to $10,000 and will support initiatives aligned with the Foundation's core focus areas, including education, food security, economic development, health and human services, and workforce development.

"The strength of our community comes from the organizations doing the work every day to support Berkshire County residents," said Chuck Leach, President and CEO of Lee Bank. "Through the Foundation, we are proud to invest in programs that create opportunity, address critical needs, and make a meaningful difference across the region."

The recipients in this grant cycle are:

  • AdLib
  • Berkshire Community Diaper Project
  • Berkshire Film & Media Collaborative
  • Berkshire Humane Society
  • Berkshire Innovation Center
  • Hilltown Village
  • Lee Youth Association
  • Literacy Network of South Berkshire
  • Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
  • Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts
  • Momentum Ag
  • Railroad Street Youth Project
  • The Mount

Nonprofit organizations interested in applying for the next round of funding, due by June 1, 2026, can find application details in the Community Impact section of leebank.com.

To be considered, applicants must have 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. The Foundation prioritizes program-based grants aligned with one or more of the following focus areas:

  • Education and literacy
  • Food security and nutrition
  • Economic growth and development
  • Health and human services
  • Mentorship, internship, and school-to-work initiatives

Organizations are eligible to receive funding once during a 12-month period.

 

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Lanesborough OKs Open Space Plan, Short-Term Rental Forms

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Select Board on Monday set fees for short-term rentals and adopted an Open Space and Recreation Plan.
 
Town Administrator Gina Dario discussed the draft for STR registration and certificate of inspection since the new bylaws were passed at the annual town meeting.
 
The draft shows the process to file for inspection through Permit Eyes, the town's online permitting system that includes the state building code and safety requirements. Dario said members of the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals and the building commissioner looked at other town models to come up with the best process for registration.
 
Inspections will be annually for non-owner occupied units and five years for owner-occupied. The inspection fee is a flat $50. The last suggestion discussed was the posting requirements for key information.
 
Dario said they looked at about four other communities on how they used non-sensitive information on owner contacts. Chair Deborah Maynard motioned to have the information posted both inside and out to help with law enforcement if needed.
 
"I'm going to make a motion that we put that relevant information not only on the inside of the short-term rental but on the outside, so if the police need to respond, ambulance needs to respond, fire especially needs to respond, all that information is there, nobody has to go searching for it," she said. "If push comes to shove, and it's a matter of minutes, that's going to make a big, a big difference in the outcome of the incident."
 
The board then heard a presentation from Berkshire Regional Planning Commission's community planner Andrew McKeever and Open Space and Recreation Committee Vice Chair Mark Hawthorne.
 
View Full Story

More Lee Stories