Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Community Foundation has announced $447,500 in grants from its VT COVID-19 Response Fund to support activities and events that re-engage Vermonters, particularly youth, in community events during summer 2021. Since it was created in March 2020 to support a coordinated response to the pandemic, the VT COVID-19 Response Fund has distributed more than $9 million in grants to over 800 organizations, beginning with basic needs and adapting to ensure nonprofit partners have the resources they need to meet the challenges at hand, particularly when federal aid is not yet available.
“The story of Vermont’s response to the pandemic is incredibly inspiring,” says Vermont Community Foundation President and CEO Dan Smith. “At the Community Foundation, we witnessed the generosity of hundreds of Vermonters giving through the VT COVID-19 Response Fund to support their neighbors in need, as well as the resilience of their communities looking forward. The grants announced today have been made possible by friends, neighbors, businesses, and countless others. Vermonters look out for one another.”
Sarah Waring, vice president for grants and community investments, adds, “This summer provides an opportunity for Vermonters, especially young Vermonters, to return to doing the activities they love, whether that’s sports, music, theater, or volunteering, and to begin healing from the trauma of the last sixteen months. It’s also a critical time to reboot our local economies and downtowns, which means supporting gatherings that bring consumers back to restaurants, venues, and stores that have been missing patrons.”
The organizations and initiatives that will receive funding in this round include:
· $100,000 to Vermont Afterschool for the Summer Matters program, a set of supports for young people through community-based nonprofits and youth-serving organizations designed to expand access to summer learning programs. The VT COVID-19 Response Fund grant will be used to compliment the state investment in summer 2021, with a specific focus on diversity, inclusion, and affordability.
· $90,000 to NOFA VT for its Farmers Market mini-grant program to help vendors with costs for additional marketing, safety signage, digital pads, or other resources that promote the safety of customers and the success of businesses.
· $50,000 to MENTOR VT to support its Vermont Mentoring Grants program that focuses on sustainably increasing the quality and quantity of mentoring matches statewide.
· $25,000 to the Vermont Arts Council for its Stages in the Sun mini-grant program for art organizations and community-based groups to put on events that bring community members together through arts and culture.
· An additional $182,500 will support other community programs around the state that are designed to engage youth in outdoor recreation and summer learning opportunities.
The VT COVID-19 Response Fund will continue to make grants throughout summer 2021. For a historical overview of the Fund, visit vermontcf.org/COVIDReportMay2021 to view the May 2021 progress report, as well as Vermont Community Foundation President and CEO Dan Smith’s reflections on the fund and the opportunities ahead.
The Vermont Community Foundation inspires giving and brings people and resources together to make a difference in Vermont. A family of hundreds of funds and foundations, we provide the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise that make it easy for the people who care about Vermont to find and fund the causes they love.
The heart of the Community Foundation’s work is closing the opportunity gap—the divide that leaves too many Vermonters struggling to get ahead, no matter how hard they work. We are aligning our time, energy, and discretionary resources on efforts that provide access to early care and learning, pathways to college and career training, support for youth and families, and community and economic vitality. We envision Vermont at its best—where everyone has the opportunity to build a bright, secure future. Visit vermontcf.org or call 802-388-3355 for more information. For information on our COVID-19 response, visit vtcovid19response.org.
Source: Vermont Community Foundation 6.10.2021