Vermont Business MagazineThe Northeast Kingdom Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation made $59,560 in grants to 24 organizations in Orleans, Essex, and Caledonia Counties this year. The Fund was established in 2011 by the Community Foundation and local partners as a permanent philanthropic resource to support the people and communities in the region.
This year’s grantmaking was supported in part by the Stony Point Foundation, Community National Bank, and the Passumpsic Savings Bank. The support of these organizations demonstrates the importance of philanthropic collaboration and partnership in advancing the work of communities in the Northeast Kingdom.
“The Northeast Kingdom Fund is supporting a broad range of projects this year,” says Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup, senior philanthropic advisor at the Community Foundation. “Over the past four years it has cemented itself as a resource for organizations across the Kingdom, and we’re excited to see it making an impact on the lives of those living in the area.”
The Vermont Community Foundation will celebrate this year’s grantees on December 9that an event in Craftsbury Common at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. The event will feature remarks from Katharine Ingram of Northeast Kingdom Kids on the Move. All are welcome to attend.
2015 Northeast Kingdom Fund Grants
AWARE, Inc.received $2,500 to support the Legal Assistance Project, which assists survivors of sexual and domestic violence with funds to obtain legal representation in family court proceedings.
Brighton Elementary Schoolreceived $1,000 to support a third year of “Cultural Buffet,” a series of fieldtrips that expose students to art and other cultures.
Catamount Film & Artsreceived $5,000 to support the KCP Presents Performing Arts Series, which aims to strengthen community through music, theater, and dance events in the Kingdom.
Coutts-Moriarty Campreceived $1,000 to support North Country Supervisory Union's efforts to provide project-based learning opportunities for students that both instill a sense of purpose and highlight local science careers.
Crystal Lake Falls Historical Associationreceived $1,000 to support the repair of two steel framed bridges spanning the Crystal Lake outlet.
Encore After School and Summer ProgramsandNorth Country Supervisory Unionreceived $2,500 to support Encore Arts and Community Initiative and Encore After School and Summer Programs, which will promote student participation and skill development in the arts while modeling the relationship between healthy individuals and healthy communities.
Everybody Wins! Vermontreceived $2,000 to support reading mentor recruitment and planning in Barton and St. Johnsbury for the 2015-2016 school year.
Get Thee to the Funneryreceived $1,000 to support “The Funnery and Beyond,” scholarships for their summer program and seed money for a fund to send several Funnery staffers to do arts residencies in local schools in the 2015-2016 school year.
Global Campuses Foundationreceived $3,000 to support “Expanding Educational Horizons through the Power of Music,” which will create opportunities for adults with intellectual disabilities to explore their academic year theme of music from around the world.
Grass Roots Art and Community Effort (GRACE)received $1,000 to support “Amazing GRACE: Celebrating 40 years of Grass Roots Art & Community Effort,” which includesa retrospective, traveling exhibition of artwork, along with biographical profiles, historical texts, and a brochure celebrating the work created over the past 40 years.
H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Everyday)received $1,000 to support “The Backpack Program,” which provides 60 backpacks of food each week to area children to help nourish them through the weekend.
Jeudevine Memorial Libraryreceived $1,960 to support “Stories, Music, and Movement for Tots,” a program of creative storytelling, music, and movement geared for toddlers but open to kids of all ages.
Lyndonville Village Improvement Societyreceived $1,000 to support the purchase and installation of an ADA-approved pool lift which will be used to help individuals with disabilities to enter and exit the community swimming pool.
NEK Kids on the Movereceived $5,000 to support outdoor recreation and nutrition programs for
students in Hardwick, Greensboro, Craftsbury, and Woodbury during the 2015-2016 school year.
North Country Union High School(NCUHS)received $2,300 to support a series of walking trails around Clyde Pond to be maintained by the North Country Academy, an alternative education program at NCUHS.
Northeast Kingdom Youth Servicesreceived $5,000 to support the JUMP Mentoring Program,
which aims to improve the well-being of at-risk youth by providing a caring, trained adult community member that can support youth academically, socially, and personally.
Orleans County Historical Societyreceived $2,500 to support the creation of bi-lingual tours, educational curriculum, signage and print collateral to make the museum accessible to both French and English speakers and promote the Kingdom’s richly diverse culture.
St. Johnsbury Athenaeumreceived $2,000 to support the creation of videos which will allow the community to view parts of the Athenaeum’s art and book collections online.
St. Johnsbury History & Heritage Centerreceived $3,050 to support “Explore & Discover What’s New at St. J History & Heritage,” which aims to showcase new aquisitions with interactive displays in a new exhibit.
Troy Schoolreceived $5,000 to build a greenhouse which will enhance the school’s dynamic farm-to-school program and expand opportunities for community engagement.
Vermont Foodbankreceived $2,500 to support the “Northeast Kingdom BackPack Program,”
which provides low-income Vermont schoolchildren in the Northeast Kingdom with healthy food to eat on the weekend when federal meal assistance is unavailable.
Vermont River Conservancyreceived $3,500 to support a collaborative effort to expand water-based recreational opportunities on the Passumpsic River, while fostering flood resiliency, conservation, and ecological restoration in the watershed.
Vermont Works for Womenreceived $3,750 to support the Dirt Divas mountain biking adventure program for girls in the Kingdom.
Wonder & Wisdom, Inc.received $1,000 to supportthree artist-educator residencies which will support children's learning during four weeks of the 2016 Summer Journeys Camp Program.
The Vermont Community Foundation is a family of hundreds of funds and foundations established by Vermonters to serve their charitable goals. It provides the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise to make giving easy and inspiring. The Foundation also provides leadership in giving by responding to community needs and keeping Vermont’s nonprofit sector vital. Together, its funds and programs provide more than $12 million a year in grants and other investments in Vermont. Visit www.vermontcf.org or call802-388-3355for more information.
To learn more about the Northeast Kingdom Fund, visitwww.vermontcf.org/NEKFund. To register for the Northeast Kingdom Fund Grants Celebration, visitwww.vermontcf.org/Dec9.