When Leslie Setterholm Curtis thinks about the importance of supporting education, she thinks about her father. A child of the Depression, her dad believed in both vocational education and higher academic studies. Those strongly held beliefs helped shape Leslie's passion for philanthropic giving, along with practical considerations.

"College tuition is getting obscene, but community colleges like BCC are free," she says. "I support BCC because it's a doorway to academics and hands-on experience."

Leslie was a driving force behind the creation of the Berkshire Community Impact Fund, an endowment for which money is professionally invested and managed for perpetuity. Leslie matched funds of the first $100,000 of other donations, helping to get the fund off the ground. She says she is grateful to be in a position to have been able to make such a commitment.

Give to the Impact Fund

I imagine my father would be pleased with all of the organizations I give financial support to here in my new home in Berkshire County, but I think he would be especially pleased about the fine collaboration with BCC's then-President Ellen Kennedy to create and encourage others to contribute to its endowment. This helps to ensure long-lasting viability and flexibility in meeting the evolving needs of the Berkshires community.

She has also provided meaningful financial support to the Elizabeth Freeman Center, The First housing resource center, Roots Rising, Inc., Berkshire Agricultural Ventures, and the Berkshire Immigrant Center. In addition, she supports The Mount, Shakespeare and Co., and the Lenox Library, all what she calls "important cultural and civic organizations in my new hometown of Lenox."

I'd rather give my money away than have the government tax it. It's a no-brainer.

Born in 1944, Leslie is a transplant from eastern Connecticut who now lives at Kimball Farms in Lenox. She had a long and successful career with Travelers Insurance, retiring after reaching the position of senior programmer analyst. Now, she is committed to giving to institutions that support their communities, like BCC.

"BCC is in my backyard, and it just feels right to support them," she says. She also notes the importance of giving even when tuition is free, because there are so many other costs associated with running a college.

"This way, it gives the administration the ability to respond to students' needs spontaneously, or they can target funds for specific initiatives," she says. "It just feels good to support the community in a way that so many people can benefit from."

Indeed, she says, it is a privilege for her to have the resources available for such giving, and she encourages others with similar resources to invest in their communities.

"There's a lot worth preserving here in the Berkshires. BCC is a great way for students to get the start they need to transfer to four-year schools or get jobs immediately," Leslie says, adding that graduates of BCC's job and career training programs qualify for good-paying jobs because they have completed the training programs that prepare them with the necessary skill sets to do the work of their choosing.

"BCC is the gateway to build a solid life here, and it's my honor and privilege to support it. I think my dad would be proud."