economic impact Archive

Call for Letters of Support from the Massachsuetts Broadband Institute

Published: March 5, 2010Posted in: FEATURES 1, LOCAL NEWS, NEWS BULLETIN, STATE NEWSTags: , , , , , , , ,
Call for Letters of Support from the Massachsuetts Broadband Institute

As you well know, areas in our community and throughout western Massachusetts are unserved by basic broadband services.  In 2008, the state legislature and Governor Patrick established the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) to take on this challenge and bring broadband access to all unserved citizens, starting in western Massachusetts.  To help achieve this goal, the MBI is in the process of applying for federal infrastructure funding to build an advanced fiber-optic network in the region.  This “middle mile” network will be open to all service providers who want to provide broadband services to unserved citizens.  To be successful, the MBI needs your assistance!

The MBI has asked WesternMA Connect to lead the effort to collect local letters and collaborate with existing broadband committees to assist in the effort.  In order to meet the submission deadline,  WesternMA Connect asks that supporters complete and return letters to them by Wednesday, March 10 in one of three ways:

1) email a word or pdf document with an electronic signature;
2) email a scanned version of a signed letter; or
3) mail the letter by regular mail to:
Sharon Ferry
WesternMA Connect, Inc.
75 South Church Street
Pittsfield, MA  01201
Click here for a sample letter.
PLEASE DO NOT MAIL LETTERS DIRECTLY TO ASSISTANT SECRETARY STRICKLING.


“Assets for Artists” Partners with Pittsfield Office of Community Development

Published: March 1, 2010Posted in: BERKSHIRE CREATIVE, FEATURES 1, LOCAL NEWS, NEWS BULLETIN, UPDATESTags: , , , , ,
“Assets for Artists” Partners with Pittsfield Office of Community Development

Mayor Ruberto and the Pittsfield Department of Community Development are pleased to announce a new partnership with Berkshire Creative’s “Assets for Artists” program.  This partnership will help two artists buy homes in Pittsfield and an additional eight artists start new or expand existing art businesses in the City.  “Assets for Artist is a valuable program with a proven track record of success. The City of Pittsfield is pleased to partner with this program to strengthen homeownership and business opportunities for Pittsfield artists.” said Mayor Ruberto.

Assets for Artists program provides business and financial training, technical assistance, homebuyer education and grant support through an innovative “matched savings account” model serving low- to moderate-income artists, designers, craftspeople and performers in the Berkshires, helping them grow their creative enterprises and achieve more financial security.  The City contribution of $26,600 in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds will provide match funds specifically for existing Pittsfield-based artists who enroll in the program, or artists who choose to move to Pittsfield from outside the City.

The Assets for Artist Program, a collaboration between Berkshire Creative, the City of Pittsfield, MCLA’s Berkshire Cultural Resource Center, and MASS MoCA, is directed by Blair Benjamin, MASS MoCA’s Director of Real Estate & Community Development and a board member of Berkshire Creative.  “With CDBG funds from the City of Pittsfield, we are able to give Pittsfield artists a greater likelihood of attaining their homeownership and small business investment goals and further enhance the solid reputation of Pittsfield as a community that provides exceptional opportunities for artists to thrive and contribute to the local economy” Benjamin said.

Once enrolled, participating artists save $2,000 of their own funds, which are deposited over a 6 to 30 month period into a restricted savings account.  After a minimum of six months, provided they have saved the required funds and completed the required financial and business education or homeownership classes, participants can draw down a $2,000 match from Assets for Artists for business-related investments, or a $4,000 match toward the purchase of a first home.

Helena Fruscio, the Director of Berkshire Creative, praised the City’s efforts and went on to say “The community as a whole will benefit from this partnership by increasing homeownership and creativity in its urban neighborhoods, and attracting new creative entrepreneurs to the City.”

Homeownership funds may be used for down payment assistance and closing costs.  Small business participants may use the funds to make a direct payment to vendors or service providers following the budget established as part of an approved business plan.

Additional support for the program is provided by the Berkshire Bank Foundation, Citizens Bank Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Council, and Massachusetts Department of Housing & Community Development.

For further information on the program, please contact the City’s Department of Community Development at 413-499-9368.

American for the Arts Comments on Obama’s 2010 Budget Recommendations

Published: February 17, 2010Posted in: FEATURES 1, NATIONAL NEWS, NEWS BULLETINTags: , , , , ,
American for the Arts Comments on Obama’s 2010 Budget Recommendations

On February 1, 2010 the White House released President Obama’s budget recommendations for FY 2011. Below is a statement from Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts on arts and arts education funding in the budget:

“At a time when the Americans for the Arts National Arts Index shows that because of the current economy support for the arts is at its lowest point in a decade, arts organizations have been relying on one area where funding has been on the increase—the leveraging power of federal funding for the arts and humanities. The Administration’s FY 2011 budget request of $161.3 million for the National Endowment for the Arts—while just a fraction of the $6.3 billion of direct expenditures for all arts nonprofits in the U.S.—is unfortunately a $6 million decrease from what Congress appropriated for FY 2010. We now turn to Congress to continue its investment trend in providing additional appropriations for the NEA. The FY 2011 NEA budget also includes an announcement of a new agency program called Our Town. We are excited to see that this important initiative is designed to strengthen communities through the arts. The backbone for the arts starts at the local level and having the federal government strategically invest in this kind community-based direction will spur further support for the arts. But why hamper the potential impact of this new initiative by reducing the NEA’s overall budget?

“The President’s budget also includes a number of new proposals to strengthen our education system and build a 21st workforce. However, the consolidation of the Arts in Education (AIE) program within the Department of Education’s new ‘Effective Teaching and Learning for Well-Rounded Education’ category puts us at unease and could lead to a diminished focus on arts education. This consolidation of the only identified arts-specific education program at the Department of Education seems to be in contradiction to the Administration’s previous strong vocal support of the arts. While the total available AIE grant funds are unknown at this time, it is an unbeneficial move at a time when arts education cuts are happening across the country. The arts are a proven integral part of every child’s development, preparing them for school, work, and life in the competitive 21st century global economy.

“The nation’s creative industries and arts workers are ready to continue to play their role in assisting with economic recovery, job training and creation, and the development of a well-rounded education that includes robust learning in the arts in order to provide workers of tomorrow with the creative and innovative skills they need today. The 5.7 million jobs and $166 billion in economic impact from the nonprofit arts sector alone hang in the balance. Further commitment from the federal government is needed to allow these groups to reach their full potential.”

Click here to visit Americans for the Arts online and learn more!

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Published: February 12, 2010Posted in: FEATURES 1, HAPPENINGS + EVENTS, UncategorizedTags: , , , , , , , , , ,
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Berkshire Visitors Bureau Upcoming Tourism Talkbacks

February 24, 2010
Tourism Talkback, Public Relations
Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA

March 17, 2010
Tourism Talkback, Groups
Comfort Inn & Suites, Great Barrington, MA
Free and open to the public!

NEXT: A Celebration of Massachusetts Emerging Entrepreneurs

Thursday, February 25, 2010, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
University of Massachusetts Boston Venture Development Center
100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125

Berkshire Community College Professional Development Non-Credit Courses

Financial Management Skills
Learn to understand the procedures and processes needed to accommodate and meet the growing demands of federal/state regulations. Explore the easy use of available computer accounting programs that accommodate nonprofit practices, as well as successful means for relating donor information to the accounting system.

4 Meetings, Weds., 2/24-3/24, 6:30-8:30pm (no class 3/17)
Location: Melville Hall, Room 116, $80
Instructor: Gene Wenner, Non-Profit Consultant

Strong Boards Make Non-Profits Work
Designed for board members and executive staff. Topics include the structure, purposes and duties of the board of directors/trustees, fundraising roles, fiscal oversight, strategic planning, hiring and dismissal of the chief executive and the role of volunteers and advisory boards.

2 Meetings, Mon. & Thurs., 3/8 &3/11, 9-11am
Location: Intermodal Education Center, Room 3, $75
Instructor: Gene Wenner, Non-Profit Consultant

Programming and Marketing Skills
Explore a strategic planning process to develop, implement and evaluate programs that meet a nonprofit organization’s mission. Learn to develop materials for marketing to specific audiences for fundraising or program purposes. Study public relations procedures and the means of communicating with the general public.

4 Meetings, Weds., 3/31-4/21, 6:30-8:30pm (no class 3/17)
Location: Melville Hall, Room 116, $80
Instructor: Gene Wenner, Non-Profit Consultant

Issues In  Management Careers
Explores the requirements for professional positions in non-profit management, resume and application guidelines, and the importance of understanding leadership responsibilities and team building.

5 Meetings, Mon., 5/24 -  Weds. 5/26 and Tues., 6/1 and Weds. 6/2, 2010
Location: TBD
Instructor: Gene Wenner, Non-Profit Consultant

To register, contact the Office of LifeLong Learning/Workforce Development  at 413-499-4660 or 800-816-1233 ext. 2123 or 2122. Registration open until Feb. 19th

Bi-annual Taste of Philanthropy Conference

Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Mass Mutual Center in Springfield, MA
Click here  to register for the conference!

The Taste of Philanthropy 2010 conference is expected to bring together over 300 nonprofit leaders, consultants and foundations. Morning workshops on all aspects of fundraising –from planned giving/major gifts, to corporate/foundation giving, marketing and stewardship — will be available. In the afternoon, after hearing Sheryl WuDunn’s inspirational talk, we’ll all come together to focus on building our skills for making the all important ASK!

BBB Charity Effectiveness Symposium IV: Transforming ourselves-Building Effective Leaders, Organizations, and Communities

February 23, 2010, 8:00 am – Noon
Baruch College, 55 Lexington Avenue at 24th Street, 14th Floor, NYC
Advance registration is required.
Fee: $25
Click here to learn more and register!
Presented by The Education and Research Foundation of the Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan New York

CONNECTING CREATIVE COMMUNITIES: A summit to ignite New England’s creative potential

March 9-11, 2010
Biltmore Hotel, Providence, RI
Registration fee: $60
Click here to learn more and  register!

New England is at the forefront of the creative community building movement. Leaders from across New England will meet in Providence to share strategies for engaging the creative sector and to begin to develop a regional network of creative communities. Participants will discuss a regional approach for collectively promoting our creative communities through policy, research, programming, and resource development.

Come participate in this shared conversation about how cities, towns, and regions are leveraging creative community development to enhance their prosperity and quality of life.

Free Training offered at Berkshire Community College in Partnership with Employers Association of the Northeast

Lean Manufacturing
Half day seminar focusing on the philosophies of the seven wastes, reliable methods and some techniques for combating waste. Includes hands-on classroom simulations that show a factory in transition from batch production to piece flow. The class provides an excellent foundation for companies just starting out and contains specific improvement ideas that attendees can take away and implement immediately.

Date: March 24, 2010
Location: BCC Main Campus, classroom H207 (directions available upon request).
Time: 1:00PM – 4:30PM

Introduction to Quality Management
Full day seminar in Quality Management. This course will provide an introduction and working knowledge of key Quality Management principles, techniques, tools, and skills for on-the-job application, useful in a wide range of business and organizations.

Date: April 2, 2010
Location: BCC, Main Campus, classroom H219 (directions avaialble upon request).
Time: 8:30AM-4:30PM

Statistical Process Control
Full day program focusing on Statistical Process Control.
A study of industrial applications for probability and statistics, with particular attention to process control, quality control, and mathematical methods to improve productivity.

Dates: April 7, 2010
Location: BCC, Main Campus, Classroom TBD
Time: 8:30AM-4:30PM

Problem Solving and Decision Making
Full day seminar focusing on Problem Solving and Decision Making.
This program introduces a six-step problem solving method to identify and define problems that are not reading apparent to promote a proactive approach to solving problems in the workplace.

Date: April 9, 2010
Location: BCC Main Campus, classroom H219 (directions available upon request).
Time: 8:30AM – 4:30 PM

To register, contact: Kathleen Dion at (413) 236-5252 or kdion@berkshirecc.edu or Shannon Miller Pignatelli at (413) 236-2126 or spignate@berkshirecc.edu

Inaugural Artists in Transition Conference

Sunday April 11th, 2010
12:00pm-5:00pm
Westside Campus Center Building, Western Connecticut State University
Danbury, CT.
Click here to learn more and register!

A conference on health and disability issues for visual and performing artists with featured performers Taro Alexander and Our Time Theatre and featured speaker Tom Luckey. Artists in Transition conference is co-sponsored by  over 100 other local, state and national arts, health and advocacy organizations, including Berkshire Creaitve .

Three Berkshire Programs Awarded Adams Grants!

Published: February 12, 2010Posted in: FEATURES 1, LOCAL NEWS, NEWS BULLETIN, STATE NEWSTags: , , , , , , ,
Three Berkshire Programs Awarded Adams Grants!

The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) announces release of more than $700,000 in grants to stimulate new economic activity, job creation, and  community revitalization through arts and cultural projects across the state.

The MCC’s Adams Arts Program for the Creative Economy will invest in 27 projects in every region of Massachusetts, including the Berkshires’:

Assets for Artists, North Adams*
The project provides an innovative set of tools to enable artists of all disciplines to advance entrepreneurially and financially through financial education, microenterprise training, home ownership assistance, and access to capital.

Berkshire Cultural Resource Center, North Adams
The Berkshire Cultural Resource Center provides resources, training, and support that: bring a creative class of people to the Berkshires; provide work opportunities in the creative sector for young adults currently living in the region; and support the existing creative class of artists and arts organizations in the county.

Cultural Pittsfield
Cultural Pittsfield is a campaign to support and grow the creative economy in Pittsfield through collaborative marketing and technical assistance, with a focus on seed funding and support for new entrepreneurial initiatives and events; and to provide networking and professional development opportunities for artists and creative workers.

Adams is the oldest and most-far reaching program of its kind in the nation, supporting projects that harness the unique assets of the Commonwealth and the creativity of its residents. Adams grants fuel a creative sector that has a $4.2 billion total impact on the state’s economy and provides more than 109,000 jobs.

“I am delighted to see the results of our ongoing investments,” said Senate President Therese Murray of Plymouth at a State House announcement this morning. She cited Adams-funded projects such as Harbor Your Arts! in Hyannis, which “helped local artists generate $121,000 in sales in one year.”

“The creative sector is a proven engine for economic development and revitalization,” said Anita Walker, the MCC’s executive director. “This year’s Adams grants will generate real dollars for these communities at a time when innovative strategies to produce wealth and create jobs are sorely needed.”

MCC’s Adams grants will:

  • Promote cultural tourism in the Pioneer Valley through Museums 10, a cross-promotional effort by seven college museums and galleries and three independent museums in the region. The partners are collaborating on a joint themed exhibition, Table for 10: The Art, Science and History of Food, which will bring together several sectors of the local economy: artists and artisans, small farmers, restaurants and inns, food writers, and food aficionados.
  • Invest in the Gateway Cities: New Bedford, Pittsfield, Fitchburg, Worcester, and Leominster through a range of strategies to generate new, arts-based commercial activity in downtown districts.
  • Create opportunities for Massachusetts artists to compete in the global arena with Transcultural Exchange, which includes a biennial conference that has resulted in hundreds of local artists finding jobs and residencies worldwide, and draws visitors from as far away as Mongolia and Nigeria.
  • Reinvest in the Cambridge Science Festival, a project of the MIT Museum that attracts 30,000 annually to the Greater Boston area, and estimates annual visitor spending at $652,000.

“These grants will help connect our region’s natural beauty with local businesses and tourist services,” said Senator Stephen Brewer (D-Barre), whose district is home to the North Quabbin Woods Arts and Culture Portal, which uses the work of local artisans to drive ecotourism in the North Quabbin Woods region. “I am proud to support these important cultural grants that will help increase economic sustainability for our district and promote the connection between ecotourism, arts, and culture.”

Click here to see the full list of Adams grants!

*Berkshire Creative Partner Initiative

Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!

Advocacy Resource: John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Soul of the Community (SOTC) Study

Published: January 26, 2010Posted in: FEATURES 1, FOR PROFIT RESOURCES, NATIONAL NEWS, NEWS BULLETIN, NON PROFIT RESOURCES, RESOURCESTags: , , , ,
Advocacy Resource: John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Soul of the Community (SOTC) Study

Soul of the Community (SOTC) is a three-year study conducted by Gallup of the 26 John S. and James L. Knight Foundation communities across the United States employing a fresh approach to determine the factors that attach residents to their communities and the role of community attachment in an area’s economic growth and well-being. The study focuses on the emotional side of the connection between residents and their communities.

In its first year, the study compared residents’ attachment level to the GDP growth in the 26 communities over the past five years. The findings showed a significant correlation between community attachment and economic growth. The second year reinforced these findings, and found that nationwide economic troubles did not have a notable impact on attachment locally. In the final year of the study, researchers will analyze the connection between community attachment and economic growth, exploring whether attachment drives growth or vice-versa.

The results of the SOTC study identify new approaches to help create transformation and new possibilities for continued progress in Knight communities. Community leaders can use the study’s findings to maximize community strengths and address challenge areas to improve community attachment and increase economic growth. The relationship of community attachment to economic development has particular relevance beyond the current economic crisis as the study’s findings can help leaders make long-term and strategic choices about investing in areas that have the greatest impact on engaging the community.

Gallup interviewed a random, representative sample of 400 adults (age 18+) in each of the 26 Knight communities – nearly 14,000 people each year. The surveys were conducted in English and Spanish. Data were weighted to reflect the known adult population by age, gender, race and ethnicity based on U.S. Census data. From the surveys, researchers identified 10 domains that were found to have varying levels of impact in driving community attachment:

  • Basic services – infrastructure supports (highways, housing and healthcare)
  • Economy
  • Safety
  • Leadership and elected officials
  • Aesthetics – physical beauty and green spaces
  • Education
  • Social offerings – opportunities for social interaction and citizen caring
  • Openness/welcomeness – how welcoming the community is to different people
  • Civic involvement – residents’ commitment to their community through voting or voluntarism
  • Social capital – social networks between residents
  • Social offerings is the most important driver of community-citizen attachment overall. Aesthetics and openness/welcomeness to others also have major influence on community-citizen attachment.

Click here to learn more about the Soul of the Community report!

Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!

Local Creatives Rise to Meet First Berkshire Creative Challenge!

Published: January 6, 2010Posted in: BERKSHIRE CREATIVE, FEATURES 1, FEATURES 2, LOCAL NEWS, NEWS BULLETIN, OPPORTUNITIES, PRESS, UPDATESTags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Local Creatives Rise to Meet First Berkshire Creative Challenge!

In 2009, Berkshire Creative launched the Creative Challenge to connect Berkshire manufacturers and businesses with local designers, engineers and creative workers. Last week, Interprint and Berkshire Creative announced that the inaugural Challenge, had done just that.

When Berkshire Creative and Interprint, Inc., released the call for applications for the inaugural challenge, there was no way to know what the response would be to the new intitiative. By the September 28th deadline, the response was clear- 39 local creatives, of various disciplines and backgrounds had applied. From those 39 applicants, 21 were chosen to participate, and 18 those 21 participants submitted solutions to the challenge.







From those eighteen submissions, five were selected. Heather Rose’s popcorn inspired design was selected for development, three designs by Thomas Hoadley was put on retainer, and three other participants, Jennifer Clark, John Stritch, and Cate Hunter received small awards in recognition of their designs. All designers will be paid fair market price for any developed design.

“We are so elated that this, our first Creative Challenge, was such a resounding success,” says Berkshire Creative Director, Helena Fruscio. “The Creative Challenge has helped raise awareness that if you are a manufacturer looking for a top-notch designer or a designer looking for a contract with a world-class company, you can find it here in the Berkshires, where creativity lives!”

Companies interested in hosting a Creative Challenge should contact Helena Fruscio, Director of Berkshire Creative by phone or 413.822.8324 or email at helena.fruscio@berkshirecreative.org.

Click here to read iberkshires coverage of the Creative Challenge or here to listen to Charlie Dietz’s coverage on WAMC!

Click here to read past posts about the Creative Challenge!

Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!

Be part of the filmmaking industry in the Berkshires!-Berkshire Film and Media Commission Launch Party

Published: November 24, 2009Posted in: FEATURES 1, HAPPENINGS + EVENTS, LOCAL NEWS, NEWS BULLETIN, UncategorizedTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Be part of the filmmaking industry in the Berkshires!-Berkshire Film and Media Commission Launch Party

The aim of the Berkshire Film and Media Commission (BFMC) is to promote and facilitate filmmaking and new media opportunities in Berkshire County, western Massachusetts. In a state known great tax incentives, BFMC agregates area resources, locations and talent to:

  • attract film, television and new media productions;
  • maintain an online production guide and locations library;
  • network local industry professionals;
  • develop film-related educational programs.

The Berkshire Film and Media Commission serves as an economic and cultural engine for Berkshire County and surrounding areas.

To be a part of the Berkshire Film and Media Commission Launch Party RSVP  to: info@berkshirefilm.com!

Sunday, December 6, 4:00PM to 7:00PM
Elaine Bernstein Theater at Shakespeare & Company
70 Kemble Street
Lenox, MA 01240 US

View Map

  • Find out what BFMC has been up to and the films that have been scouting our area.
  • Network with local filmmakers and production support businesses.
  • Appetizers – Cash Bar

You must RSVP to gain FREE ADMISSION! Space is LIMITED so reply early!

For more information about BFMC visit www.berkshirefilm.com or email info@berkshirefilm.com

Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!

Berkshire Chamber of Commerce reports Non-Profits 30-40% of Local Economy

Published: October 28, 2009Posted in: FEATURES 1, LOCAL NEWS, NEWS BULLETINTags: , , , ,
Berkshire Chamber of Commerce reports Non-Profits 30-40% of Local Economy

The Berkshire Eagle reports today that “Berkshire County’s nonprofit sector generates $1.9 billion in local economic activity and accounts for 25,000 full- or part-time jobs, according to a study that was commissioned by the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce.”

The study, which was conducted by Williams College Economics Professor Stephen Sheppard, reveals the broad impact nonprofits have in terms of money and jobs in the Berkshire County economy. It is the first time that the economic scale of local nonprofits has been quantified.

The $1.9 billion represents a sizable chunk of the $5.2 billion in goods and services produced in the Berkshires in 2006, according to the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis.

“It’s fair to say that this sector is comfortably responsible for more than 35 to 40 percent of the entire economy of Berkshire County,” Sheppard said.

Click here to read the full Berkshire Eagle article!

Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!

From the Berkshire Eagle

Published: October 28, 2009Posted in: NEWS BULLETIN, News ArticleTags: , , , ,
From the Berkshire Eagle

Local Impact:$1.9B: Health, education had biggest job effect in 2006

By Tony Dobrowolski, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Wednesday, October 28, 2009

PITTSFIELD- Berkshire County’s nonprofit sector generates $1.9 billion in local economic activity and accounts for 25,000 full- or part-time jobs, according to a study that was commissioned by the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce.

The study, which was conducted by Williams College Economics Professor Stephen Sheppard, reveals the broad impact nonprofits have in terms of money and jobs in the Berkshire County economy. It is the first time that the economic scale of local nonprofits has been quantified.

The $1.9 billion represents a sizable chunk of the $5.2 billion in goods and services produced in the Berkshires in 2006, according to the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis.

“It’s fair to say that this sector is comfortably responsible for more than 35 to 40 percent of the entire economy of Berkshire County,” Sheppard said.

The full report will be released to the public this morning at the chamber’s Good News Breakfast at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Sheppard is the event’s featured speaker.

The report analyzed 10 nonprofit sectors in five-year increments for the years 1996, 2001 and 2006.

The $1.9 billion impact and the 25,000 jobs was based off 2006, the latest year for which data on the area’s nonprofits was available through IRS filings. Because the latest tax returns used in the study are 3 years old, the data does not take into account the current economic recession, the recent financial struggles by such high-profile nonprofits as The Mount in 2008, and Shakespeare & Co. this year, or a $500 million drop in the Williams College endowment since 2007.”We don’t directly address in this report the troubled nonprofits,” Sheppard said in a recent interview with The Eagle’s editorial board. “Any changes that have happened over the last 12 to 14 months are not reflected in these numbers.”

Despite the absence of those figures, Sheppard said the report still presents an accurate portrayal of the county’s nonprofit sector.

Berkshire Health Systems, the county’s largest employer, is included in the health sector.

“It covers, with a couple of exceptions, all of the big nonprofits that are still active,” he said. “It covers the [private] colleges and universities, the health systems and hospitals. It covers the same set of organizations that are active today and important players in the local economy.”

The study also found that Berkshire County had 25 nonprofits for every 10,000 people in 2006, compared to 16 for every 10,000 in Massachusetts, and 11 for every 10,000 in the United States.

The chamber commissioned the study to determine the parameters of the county’s nonprofit industry, including its size and scope, said President and CEO Michael Supranowicz.

Hillcrest Educational Centers’ President Gerard Burke helped the chamber form a task force to study the matter.

“We’ve been talking about this for a number of years,” Burke said. “We wanted to demonstrate what we as a nonprofit industry represent to the economy. I think it’s very clear [that] nonprofits are a business. Sometimes people outside the nonprofit world don’t look at it that way.”

Supranowicz said the chamber was surprised that the nonprofit sector generated such a high level of economic activity.

“That $1.9 billion as part of a $5 billion economy is a huge impact,” Supranowicz said. “When you think about the sector, what happens is that many times people look at the numbers, especially on the tourism side, and say those jobs aren’t any good.

“But when you look at this and look at the education and health care jobs, and a lot of the human service jobs, those are well-paying jobs,” he said. “It’s not 25,000 minimum wage or $10-an-hour jobs. It’s some big paying positions.”

Berkshire County had 1,026 certified nonprofit organizations in 2006, but the 327 whose annual revenue exceeded the tax filing threshold of $25,000 represent 98 percent of the assets in the local nonprofit sector, Sheppard said.

The 327 nonprofits also generated a total of $1.1 billion in expenditures in 2006, a significant increase over the $817.2 million provided by the 258 nonprofits that met the filing threshold in 2001, and the $740 million generated by 226 organizations in 1996. The $1.1 billion in expenditures represented 21 percent of the goods and services purchased in the county three years ago.

The human services sector had the highest number of reporting nonprofits with 86 in 2006, but the arts, culture and humanities sector experienced the largest amount of growth. The number of reporting nonprofits in arts, culture and humanities increased to 68 in the decade that ended in 2006, a rise of 80 percent. The health sector had 59 reporting nonprofits, the third highest among the 10 sectors, but it had the highest number of total revenues with $638.4 million in 2006.

“Around half of the total impact is coming from the health care sector,” Sheppard said.

Click here to visit the Berkshire Eagle online and learn more about what is happening in Berkshires and beyond!

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