The Vermont Community Foundation is pleased to announce the addition of Stacie Fagan as a senior philanthropic advisor serving central and northwestern Vermont. Fagan joined the Foundation at the beginning of May. Fagan will work with new and existing clients to establish charitable funds, advise their grantmaking, track progress on outcomes, and achieve meaningful results with their giving. In addition to managing back office details for its clients, the staff at the Community Foundation researches trends in philanthropy, identifies opportunities for giving, evaluates grantees, and provides reports on charitable contributions and provides leadership to inspire charitable giving.
“Stacie brings a passion for strengthening Vermont communities, supporting nonprofits, and working with donors to help close the opportunity gap in Vermont,” says Vice President for Philanthropy Patrick Berry. “Her commitment to Vermont and her development experience make her an incredibly valuable fit for the Foundation.”
A resident of Shelburne, Stacie has extensive experience in the field of philanthropy, for educational, public service, and environmental causes, including Vermont PBS, Environmental Defense Fund, Naropa University, St. Lawrence University, Middlebury College, and the American Wind Wildlife Institute. Most recently, Fagan led the revenue strategy for Vermont PBS, working as a member of the senior executive team.
Stacie is a graduate of St. Lawrence University, the Snelling Leadership Institute, and the University of Vermont Leadership and Management certificate program. She serves on the Board of the King Street Center in Burlington.
“Now, more than ever, I see the opportunity to leverage philanthropy as an expression of leadership and commitment to the communities of Vermont,” said Fagan. “I am humbled and honored to join the Vermont Community Foundation and excited to bring my experience and love for Vermont to close the opportunity gap.”
The High Meadows Fund introduces Betsy Hands in a new role as program officer. In early May, Hands joined Will Lathrop, Nina McDonnell and Gaye Symington in High Meadows’ mission to promote vibrant communities and a healthy natural environment in Vermont. As Program Officer, Hands will manage collaboration and communications with grant partners, and work to share externally what the High Meadows Fund learns from the initiatives it supports.
“I am humbled to join such a phenomenal team at High Meadows and excited to collaborate with our grant partners to foster more durable solutions,” said Hands.
Hands spent parts of her childhood in Belgium, Australia, and Connecticut, but thought of Minnesota and Montana as her home states until now. She brings varied experiences that dovetail with High Meadows’ focus on land use and climate change resilience, rural economic and community development, and clean energy. She led Homeword, a community development organization that won accolades for their green building and sustainable urban development programs in Missoula and Billings, Montana. She worked for a year each for the Western Governors’ Association and then the Montana Smart Growth Coalition.
Hands served six years in the Montana House of Representatives, focusing on affordable housing, protection for family farmers, brownfield redevelopment, renewable energy and energy efficiency. And, she worked for almost four years in Chicago as Director of Outreach and Community Relations for the Friends of the Chicago River before moving to Vermont when her husband joined the marketing team at Seventh Generation.
Hands serves as Board Chair of Women’s Voices for the Earth, a national organization aiming to eliminate toxic chemicals that harm health and communities. She’s led courses and worked with at-risk teens for Voyageur Outward Bound in Minnesota, Texas and Montana. And, she served two years as a Rural Community Extension Agent in Togo, West Africa, through the Peace Corps. She has a B.A. in Social Science and Sustainable Development from the University of Michigan and a M.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Montana, Missoula.
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. Visit vermontcf.org or call 802-388-3355 for more information.
The mission of the High Meadows Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation is to promote vibrant communities and a healthy natural environment while encouraging long-term economic vitality in Vermont. Our communities, environment, and economy are threatened by the changing climate. High Meadows helps Vermonters mitigate that change and adapt to its consequences by supporting leadership and innovation in three overlapping areas of focus: energy, land use, and sustainable agriculture. Visit highmeadowsfund.org for more information.