OVERVIEW: The Vermont Community Foundation is a community funder that supports nonprofits throughout the state of Vermont in a variety of areas, including youth, education, arts, and the environment.
FUNDING AREAS: Youth, education, literacy, arts, women and girls, environment, capacity building, opportunity gaps, college and career
IP TAKE: There are many funds and ways to get involved with VCF. The foundation emphasizes closing education and economic achievement gaps.
PROFILE: Established in 1986, the Vermont Community Foundation (VCF) is located in Middlebury, Vermont and supports nonprofits in the state. VCF awards over $12 million per year in grants through its funds and programs. There are around 772 funds at VCF, with a reported $251.5 million in total assets. Grantmaking includes youth, education, literacy, arts, women and girls, environment, capacity building, opportunity gaps, and college and career.
VCF offers competitive grant rounds for Vermont nonprofits. It also posts current opportunities on its website. For example, Opportunity Gap grant programs support early care and learning, youth and families, college and career training, and community and economic vitality. There are also statewide grant programs housed at VCF, including the Con Hogan Community Leadership Award for Vermont leaders, the Paul Post Fund for Libraries for public school and libraries’ young adult programs, and the Samara Fund for LGBTQ Communities. There is also the Vermont Arts Endowment Fund for statewide arts groups and the Vermont Women’s Fund for groups that support career pathways and prospects for women and girls in Vermont. Long-term grantmaking is made through the High Meadows Fund (climate resilience and working farms and forests), the J. Warren & Lois McClure Foundation (post-secondary education and training), and the Permanent Fund for Vermont's Children. However, these grants are available mainly on an invitation-only basis.
VCF place-based programs focus on issues in their home regions and include the following:
Addison County, Brandon & Beyond: The Walter Cerf Community Fund
Chittenden County: The Concert Artists Fund
Deerfield River Enhancement Fund
Brattleboro: Crosby-Gannett Fund
Brattleboro: Dunham-Mason Fund
Lake Champlain Basin: Kelsey Trust
Lake Champlain & Tributaries Restoration Fund
South Lake Champlain Fund
Lamoille County & Beyond: The Green Mountain Fund
The Northeast Kingdom Fund
Rutland County: Hills and Hollows Fund
Upper Connecticut River Mitigation & Enhancement Fund
Grassroots grants are between $500 and $3,000, nonprofit capacity-building grants are up to $2,500, and special and urgent needs grants are between $500 and $5,000 in this category. View past grant information on the stories page of the funder’s website. Various communities in the state of Vermont receive these grants. Each of the grant opportunities mentioned here have their own sets of application guidelines and deadlines.
VCF accepts grant applications for certain programs.The foundation staff can be reached with general questions at info@vermontcf.org or (802) 388-3355. Get to know the various staff members by following the VCF staff blog. Keep up with foundation news and events here.
PEOPLE:
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