Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Parks Forever (VPF), the foundation for Vermont State Parks, is excited to announce the 2026 Park Access Fund grantees. Since 2016, VPF’s Park Access Fund has granted thousands of free days in Vermont’s state parks to community partners helping to create a more equitable outdoor experience throughout the state.
The Park Access Fund grantees work with a wide range of Vermonters who otherwise might not experience all that Vermont State Parks have to offer, including foster families, youth programs, those with developmental disabilities, BIPOC communities, new Americans, mental health clients, and those with limited mobility, among others.
The time people spend in nature because of these programs can be truly transformative.
One participant from last year said of their time in the parks, “These past few weeks of learning to paddle with my new diagnosis of Parkinson's disease have most definitely been a highlight of my summer, and it gives me hope that I will be able to continue enjoying the outdoors and nature, even as my condition progresses. Thank you.”
The 2026 Park Access Fund grantees serve Vermonters in all 14 counties and have collectively received more than 12,000 day passes to distribute to their constituents.
The full list of 2026 Park Access Fund Grantees:
• Age Well
• Bennington County Court Diversion Program, Inc. (Center for Restorative Justice)
• Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro
• Boys & Girls Club of Rutland County
• Champlain Community Services
• Clara Martin Center
• Come Alive Outside
• Counseling Service of Addison County, Inc.
• Divided Sky Foundation
• East Meadow School
• Health Care & Rehabilitation Services
• Howard Center
• Interaction
• Kindle Farm School
• Lamoille County Mental Health Services
• Laraway Youth and Family Services
• Mary Johnson Children’s Center
• MENTOR Vermont
• Milton Family Community Center
• NCSS Academy of Learning
• Neighborhood Connections
• NFI Turning Points
• NFI Vermont
• Northeast Disabled Athletic Association
• Northeast Kingdom Learning Services
• Northwest Counseling and Support Services, Inc.
• Orange County Restorative Justice Center
• River Valley Therapeutic Residence
• Riverflow Community
• Rutland County Parent Child Center
• Rutland Mental Health Services - Community Care Network
• Spectrum Youth and Family Services
• Springfield Area Parent Child Services
• Sunrise Family Resource Center
• The Collaborative
• The DREAM Program, Inc.
• The Family Place
• The Janet S Munt Family Room
• Turning Point of Franklin County
• Unlikely Riders
• Upper Valley Services
• Vermont Achievement Center, Sheldon Academy
• Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports
• Vermont Adult Learning
• Vermont Center for Independent Living
• Vermont Department for Children and Families
• Vermont Kin as Parents
• Vermont Mountain Bike Association
• Vermont Works for Women
• VNA and Hospice of the Southwest Region
• Vermont Cardiac Kids Inc
• Windsor County Mentors
• Windsor County Youth Services
• Working Bridges, United Way of Northwest VT and Green Mountain United Way
To read about the impact the 2025 Park Access Fund had on Vermonters, visit the Park Access Report 2025.
Vermont Parks Forever extends a special thank you to the following donors for their recent commitment to this important program in 2026:
• Alma Gibbs Donchian Foundation
• BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont
• Bronco Wild Fund
• Cashdan/Stein Great Grandmother Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation
• Couch Family Foundation
• Family Forest Carbon Fund
• Hills and Hollows Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation
• NorthCountry Federal Credit Union
• Northfield Savings Bank
• SCHIP, Inc.
• The Alchemist
• The Charles P. Ferro Foundation
• The Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation
• The Jim and Judy Brown Family Growth Fund
• VELCO
• Vermont Green Football Club
• Vermont Mutual Insurance
• Vermont-NEA
• Vermont Parks Forever Supporters
• Vermont Parks Forever Board and Staff Members
• Windham Foundation
To see a list of the Park Access Fund’s past grantees and generous donors, or to contribute to this important work, visit: www.vermontparksforever.org/park-access-fund.
The Park Access Fund launched a new Pilot Program in 2025 serving Vermonters with low-income that will continue in 2026. Information for individuals interested in eligibility can be found at www.vermontparksforever.org/paf-pilot.
Vermont Parks Forever, the only nonprofit foundation for Vermont’s 55 state parks, believes the outdoors are for everyone! VPF focuses on nature education, park access, youth internships, and equity in the outdoors.
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Vermont Business Magazine