Vermont Community Foundation
The Vermont Community Foundation
Contact information:
P.O. Box 30
Three Court Street
Middlebury, VT 05753
Phone: 802-388-3355
Fax: 802-388-3398
Website: http://www.vermontcf.org/
Type of foundation: Community
Types of grants: General operating, project, donor-advised.
Description: The Foundation's most significant competitive grantmaking program is its Community Fund which emphasizes providing general operating support to organizations with annual budgets of $1.5 million or below. Community Fund grants support a broad range of issues including hunger, housing, arts, cultural heritage, social justice, animal welfare and environmental sustainability.
The Foundation also offers several other small competitive grant opportunities:
- Arts Endowment Fund, offering grants of up to $10,000 for Vermont artists and arts organizations for creation, production of new work and technical assistance.
- Deerfield River Enhancement Fund, offering up to $15,000 for environmental protection of the Deerfield River Watershed.
- Green Mountain Fund, up to $5,000 for projects supporting education, children and families in Lamoille County.
- Hills and Hollows Fund for education, children and families in Poultney and area.
- South Lake Champlain Fund, up to $10,000 for research and education concerning the south shore of Lake Champlain.
- Upper Connecticut River Mitigation and Education Fund, offering grants for river and wetland restoration and protection.
- Vermont Women's Fund, offering grants of up to $10,000 for projects supporting Vermont women and girls.
- Walter Cerf Community Fund, offering grants for arts and other issues in Addison County, Brandon area and statewide.
In partnership with the Foundation Center, the Foundation developed an online directory of Vermont grantmakers.
Sample grants:
- $10,000 to Upper Valley Arts for a documentary film collaboration, Freedom and Unity (2009).
- $10,000 to Vermont Independent Media to expand The Commons, a monthly publication to a weekly print and daily online publication, and to expand the Media Mentoring Project to serve more youth (2009; same amount in 2008).
- $10,000 to Chittenden Community Television for the Center for Media & Democracy's skill-building workshops for non-profits (2008).
- $6,000 to Vtdigger.org, a news website, including investigative reporting (2009).
Fit for public broadcasting: Potentially a good fit for public media. Only smaller media organizations (budgets below $1.5 million) are currently eligible for Community Fund grants. Many grants also flow to major Vermont public media organizations through the Foundation's donor-advised funds.
Eligibility: Eligibility for competitive grants is limited to organizations working in Vermont. Organizations that are not 501(c)(3) public charities or municipalities should contact a philanthropic advisor before applying to see if they are eligible to receive a grant. Grants may not be used to pay down debt or for expenses that have already been incurred.
Deadline: The Foundation has two deadlines per year for the Community Fund (February and September). Other competitive grant opportunities have their own deadlines; click the links provided above for further information.
How to apply: By online application; see the full list of competitive grant opportunities. Click on the specific link to be led to the application form. A video presentation for grantseekers can be viewed online.
Giving range: Up to $10,000 through the Community Fund.
Assets: $117.2 million (2008)
Total giving: In 2009, the Foundation awarded over $8.5 million, including almost $950,000 through Community Fund grants.
View 2008 Annual Report [PDF].
