OVERVIEW: The Vermont Women’s Fund supports the economic self-sufficiency of women and girls throughout the state of Vermont.
FUNDING AREAS: Women and girls, economic self-sufficiency and security
IP TAKE: Pitch an idea targeted at teenage girls as they transition into adulthood. The fund has been focusing heavily on this demographic since 2011.
PROFILE: Established in 1994, the Vermont Women’s Fund is a component fund of the Vermont Community Foundation. It was the first fund in the state to focus on the needs of local women and girls, and a council of women from across the state advises its grantmaking. The fund is “committed to supporting the advancement, self-sufficiency, and economic and social equality of Vermont women and girls.” The foundation invests in women’s self-sufficiency and economic security.
The Vermont Women’s Fund supports organizations and programs that make a difference for women and girls. It also promotes the importance of women’s philanthropy. Today, the foundation focuses much of its giving on girls and young women between the ages of 12 and 25. Financial literacy, job training, and life skills training are at the heart of what this funder prioritizes. Many grants are awarded to organizations that work with teenage girls in order to create pathways for their successful careers. The fund also provides grants to groups that raise public awareness about the needs of women and girls.
Vermont Women’s Fund competitive grants typically range from $5,00 to $10,000. Past grantees include Capstone Community Action, the Center for Women & Enterprise, the Governor’s Institutes of Vermont, and the John Graham Shelter. Although the fund and community foundation are based in Middlebury, Vermont, this women’s fund makes grants all throughout the state of Vermont. The fund’s annual grant application deadline typically falls in February. Grant awards are typically announced in April or May of each year.
This women’s fund accepts unsolicited grant applications that are submitted electronically through the Vermont Community Foundation’s Online Grants Manager. Grantseekers can direct general questions to the fund’s director, Meg Smith, at msmith@vermontcf.org or 802-388-3355 ext. 301.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS: