The Samara Fund, a component fund of the Vermont Community Foundation, announced awards of $66,700 in grants and scholarships in its third annual competitive grant round at the Foundation. The fund awarded $56,700 to 14 nonprofits, including support for the PRIDE Vermont Festival on Sunday, September 14th, and $10,000 in scholarships to five high school seniors.
This year’s grantmaking was made possible in part by contributions from Vermont Community Foundation fundholders as well as dozens of gifts to the Samara Fund from supporters of Vermont’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community.
The awards support a variety of programs that address LGBTQ needs, including the Area Agency on Aging for Northeastern Vermont’s LGBT Elders Advisory Council, Common Ground Center’s Camp Outright, and Vermont CARES and other HIV/AIDS service organizations.
The Samara Fund’s vision is to be Vermont’s leading source of permanent support dedicated to nurturing the vitality, success, and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities through dynamic and sustained philanthropy.
For more information about the Samara Fund and this year's grants visitvermontcf.org/samara.
2014 PROGRAM SUPPORT GRANTS
- Area Agency on Aging for NortheasternVermontin St. Johnsbury received $1,500 to support the LGBT Elders Advisory Committee in the Northeast Kingdom.
- Chandler Center for the Artsin Randolph received $4,000 to support the Chandler Pride Theater Festival.
- Champlain Old Lesbians Organizing for Changein Burlington received a $2,900 challenge grant to support a conference on positive aging for lesbian women.
- Common Ground Centerin Starksboro received $6,000 to support Camp Outright, a week-long summer camp for queer and allied youth.
- Cutler Memorial Libraryin Plainfield received $500 to improve their collection of LGBTQ-themed books.
- Lund Family Centerin Burlington received $2,500 to support adoption programs for LGBTQ families.
- Vermont Performance Labin Guilford received $4,000 to support an artist residency with queer artist Carmelita Tropicana.
2014 OPERATING GRANTS FOR LGBTQ ORGANIZATIONS
- Green Mountain Crossroadsreceived $5,000 for programs in Windham County.
- Outright Vermontreceived $6,250 for programs statewide.
- RU12? Community Center/Pride Center of Vermontreceived $7,550 for programs statewide, including the annual PRIDE Vermont Festival.
2014 OPERATING GRANTS FOR HIV/AIDS ORGANIZATIONS
- AIDS Project of Southern Vermontreceived $5,000 to support their work in Windham and Bennington Counties.
- HIV/HCV Resources Centerreceived $2,500 for services in Orange and Windsor Counties.
- Vermont CARESreceived $5,000 to provide services to ten counties in Northern and Central Vermont.
- Vermont PWA Coalitionreceived $4,000 for statewide programming.
2014 SAMARA FUND SCHOLARSHIPS WERE AWARDED TO SENIORS AT THE FOLLOWING SCHOOLS
• Burlington High School
• Green Mountain Union High School
• Mill River Union High School
• Missisquoi Valley Union School
• Richford Junior-Senior High School
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 effective. The Foundation also provides leadership in giving by responding to community needs, mobilizing and connecting philanthropists to multiply their impact, and by keeping Vermont’s nonprofit sector vital with grants and other investments in the community. Visitwww.vermontcf.orgor call802-388-3355for more information.