Vermont Business Magazine For the first time, the state of Vermont has partnered with local philanthropists to provide financial support to news outlets that bolster civic engagement.
The state legislature directed $50,000 in this year’s budget to establish the Local Civic Journalism Awards. The Vermont Community Foundation’s Press Forward Vermont initiative announced Monday that it would match the state funding with an additional $50,000.
The inaugural awards this fall will provide up to $10,000 apiece to selected news outlets that inform and engage the communities they serve, leading to increased civic participation.
The awards are open to all professional news organizations that cover Vermont — regardless of medium, business model or ownership — and provide factual information that might not otherwise be available.
The awards are not intended to fund a specific project, but rather to support the continued operation of essential institutions. Potential recipients should have a demonstrated track record of serving Vermonters and upholding rigorous journalistic standards.
Anyone can nominate a news outlet for the Local Civic Journalism Awards, including but not limited to the entity’s leaders, employees, contributors, audience or other community members.
The nominating periods open Sept. 22, 2025, and closes Oct. 29, 2025, at noon.
The Vermont Secretary of State’s Office oversees the Local Civic Journalism Awards, but recipients will be selected by an independent panel of journalists, academics and industry veterans convened by the University of Vermont’s Center for Community News. The awards will be distributed in November 2025.
To nominate a news outlet for the Local Civic Journalism Awards, click here. For more information, contact Center for Community News senior adviser Paul Heintz.
UVM's Center for Community News, Burlington. 9.22.2025.
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