Search Through Grants for the Arts in Vermont in the U.S.

Our History

George Mergens, a resident of Palm Beach, Florida was a mechanical engineer, inventor and business entrepreneur. Mr. Mergens, a graduate from the Brooklyn New York Poly Technical Institute, made significant contributions in the field of color film analysis and processing during his career. The holder of numerous domestic and foreign patents, Mr. Mergens co-founded Photo Electronics Corporation in 1963 to offer advanced color analysis technology to the photographic and motion picture industries. The Video Color Negative Analyzer, which became the standard of the Professional Photography Industry, was designed by Mr. Mergens and sold world wide by the Eastman Kodak Company. Equipment and innovations developed at PEC earned a technology award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1971 and a place in the "Information Age: People, Information and Technology" collection of the Smithsonian Institute. In 1977 Mr. Mergens was recognized by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, being named Engineer of the Year by his local Florida chapter. In 1986, the year he passed away, Mr. Mergens was awarded the title of "Fellow" by the ASME.

In 1994, George's wife Ann, along with their two children, started the George W. Mergens Foundation as a tribute to his substantial legacy. A life long board member of the Boys Club and Science Museum in Palm Beach, Florida, Mr. Mergens demonstrated a sincere commitment to youth during his life. It seemed natural that the Foundation would honor his interests by focusing its efforts on supporting educational and experiential opportunities for youth. Since our founding, we have awarded over $12 million in support of area non-profits serving our youth. We are committed to continuing this effort into the future.

Our Mission

It is our guiding principal that we can affect the greatest impact on the future by supporting programs that seek to enrich the lives of youth. We use our resources to undergird the efforts of organizations that offer a wide variety of services and opportunities to children and adolescents. In doing so, we hope to promote knowledge, creativity, leadership and good health in the next generation of Vermonters.

Areas of Support

We seek to support organizations that offer opportunities for; improved health and welfare, education, job and skills training, creative instruction and experiences, leadership roles, exposure to the natural world and unique experiences that broaden perspectives. We prefer to partner with groups that have identified consequential needs or enrichment opportunities and have articulated a thoughtful and effective approach toward addressing them. Below are the four general categories that we fund along with some specific program types that fall within each category.

Education & Training

• STEM Programs
• Job Skills/Career Training
• Literacy Programs

Enrichment Activities

• Art/Theater/Music Programs
• After School Programs
• Camps

Recreation

• Sports Programs
• Outdoor Activities
• Wilderness Training

Health & Wellness

• Programs addressing food insecurity
• Programs promoting physical & emotional wellbeing

Our Mission

To protect our environment and help underserved people in our community.

About Us

We are a private family foundation established in 2011, with a focus on serving Vermont, its people, and their communities. The Foundation’s support includes investments in the environment, education and research, underserved communities, and arts and culture.

Our Purpose

To make New Hampshire a more just, sustainable and vibrant community where everyone can thrive. We achieve our purpose by:

• Supporting nonprofit organizations that advance health and well-being, environmental protection, education, housing and other basic needs, arts and culture, civic health and economic security.
• Helping New Hampshire students fund the education they need to fulfill their dreams and potential.
• Connecting generous people with pressing community needs and effective ways to give.
• Collaborating, building relationships and learning from all of our community partners.
• Advocating and using our voice on important public issues.
• Investing charitable assets in alignment with our purpose and values and to ensure a perpetual source of philanthropic capital.

The Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund

The Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund supports projects in Coös County, NH and bordering communities in the United States and Canada that focus on sustainable community and economic development.

Requests that support projects and activities focused on the people and places of Coös County and surrounding communities are invited to apply. Projects should not extend past a year in length, however extensions can be granted.

Examples of awards:

• to provide marketing materials for a one-time community event
• to sponsor a school field trip
• to hire a consultant to support a project or activity
• to purchase or replace equipment or furniture

If you already have an award from the Large, Local or Empower Coös Youth Grants Program, you are still eligible to apply to the Dash – Grants Program.  There is no limit to how many times you are eligible to apply, but if you apply more than twice for the same project you may want to consider a different funding source.

Dash-grants program provides rapid grant awards ranging from $250 up to $2,000 to eligible organizations

About the Vermont Community Foundation

We are a collective of more than 1,000 funds and foundations, created by Vermonters to fulfill their charitable aspirations.

Our Mission

Better Together: Inspiring giving and bringing together people and resources to make a difference in Vermont.

Special and Urgent Needs Grant (SUN)

The Special and Urgent Needs (SUN) grant program supports Vermont nonprofits with unexpected expenses that impact their ability to meet their mission.

A SUN grant can help an organization manage an unbudgeted, unforeseen, and time-sensitive emergency or take advantage of an unanticipated opportunity that will enhance its work.

Grant Size

Grants of up to $5,000 are typically awarded from this fund.

New England States Touring (NEST) funds performances, readings, and screenings of work by regional, national, and international artists presented by New England-based nonprofit organizations.

Program Goals

• Expand direct access to high quality artists and aesthetic diversity for all New England communities by artists from New England, the nation, and across the globe.
• Stimulate opportunities for collaboration and partnerships among New England cultural organizations and between artists and organizations.
• Encourage projects that provide meaningful interaction between artists and communities, extending beyond the stage.

NEST Artists

NEST artists are professional artists from New England who meet the NEST artist requirements. They represent a wide range of disciplines, including dance, folk art, interdisciplinary work, media, music, musical theater, opera, poetry, storytelling, and theater. NEST artists must be available for public performances and must maintain a permanent residence in New England.

About the New England States Touring Grant Program

There are three distinct grant opportunities for New England nonprofit organizations: NEST 1, NEST 2, and NEST 3. Organizations serving rural communities and/or deeply engaging Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities are encouraged to apply.

NEST 1

Funds the public presentation and engagement of a New England artist presented by a New England nonprofit organization based in a different New England state from the artist’s home state. 

NEST 2

Funds the public presentation and community engagement activities of a New England artist presented by two New England nonprofit organizations. Tours must include one presenting organization based inside of the artist’s home state and one other organization from outside of the artist’s home state.

NEST 3

Funds tours, including public presentation and community engagement activities, of regional, national, or international artists presented by New England nonprofit organizations. Tours must include a minimum of three New England organizations in different communities presenting the same artist. The organizations applying must be from at least two different New England states. 

• Each organization is responsible for reviewing the program goals and criteria, negotiating the terms of the engagement with the artist, and completing a NEST 3 application.
• Organizations may submit up to three NEST 3 applications.
• The annual deadline is the first business day of March.
• Grants provide up to 60% of the artist fee to a maximum of $10,000.
  • Applications with artist fees under $2,000 may request the full artist fee.
• New England artists must be listed as NEST-eligible on CreativeGround.
• For non-New England artists, an artist work sample must be submitted by one of the touring partners.
• Grant period: Touring projects must occur between June 1, 2025 - August 31, 2026.

Deadlines

NEST 1 & 2 grant deadlines occur three times a year, as follows:

• First business day of August, for projects beginning on or after November 1.
• First business day of December, for projects beginning on or after March 1.
• First business day of March, for projects beginning on or after June 1.

The annual NEST 3 grant deadline is the first business day of March.   

The Lucy Downing Nisbet Charitable Fund was established in 2002 to support and promote educational, health & human services, and arts programming for underserved populations. The Foundation specifically serves organizations located in and serving the people of Vermont. 

Program type:

• Animal-Related;
• Arts, Culture, & Humanities;
• Education;
• Environment;
• Health;
• Human Services

About the Foundation

The mission of the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation is to improve the access to, and the quality of, oral health care and education for the public and the dental communities in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. This mission is in harmony with the mission of Northeast Delta Dental to increase access to oral health education and dental services.

Delta Dental Plans of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont jointly do business as Northeast Delta Dental. The Northeast Delta Dental Foundation is funded by each of these companies and many businesses and individuals who appreciate and support our oral health mission.

The Foundation holds a golf tournament annually to spotlight the Foundation’s oral health mission and raise funds. We appreciate sponsors and participants. Gifts to the Foundation are welcomed at any time.

Healthy Smiles

The Northeast Delta Dental Foundation is on a mission to improve the education, quality and access to oral health care throughout Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Foundation funds directly engage the people in our communities and create a powerful impact.

Award Objectives

Award objectives will concentrate on supporting the following types of oral health initiatives:

• Educational programs enhancing the awareness of good oral health, with particular focus on children, the elderly, the indigent, or other populations with identified oral health needs.
• Oral health care programs that are preventive in nature and are aimed at decreasing the incidence, prevalence, and severity of dental disease.
• Dental clinics or centers established as a 501(c)(3) or Federally Qualified Health Center working to make oral health care more accessible and affordable to people in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Most typically, this takes the form of helping with the costs of equipment and dental supplies.
• The education of dental health professionals through scholarships and the continuing education of dental health professionals through financial support, particularly to enhance the availability and retention of such dental health professionals in the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
• Research efforts that will improve oral health by enhancing the art and science of dentistry, address an oral health disease or issue impacting one or more of our states, or that will lay a sound groundwork for oral health initiatives.
• Improve dental health workforce through scholarship and loan repayment programs.

Award Frequency and Amount

Typically, grants are awarded for one year, and an organization receives no more than one grant a year. Applications for additional years must be submitted annually, accompanied with an annual outcomes report.

Grants of more than $5,000 are less typical than those most often awarded by the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation. Especially as the amount of the grant for which the applicant is applying increases, the expectation is that the information required during the application process will be well documented and detailed, with particular attention to how the Foundation will be recognized for its financial support.

Our Funding Focus

The Turrell Fund supports:

• Increasingly strong focus on early childhood, prenatal-3.
• Within prenatal-3, we have increased our funding to policy and advocacy initiatives.
• Additional focus areas include:
  • Arts and music education
  • K-12 education
  • Direct social services for children and families

Early Childhood (0-3)

Early investments open up a lifetime of potential and opportunity

Healthy development for children ages 0-3 provides the building blocks for strong communities, lifelong health, and educational and career success. This period represents a time of incredible growth and potential for young children and families. Early relationships with caregivers can promote healthy development and encourage early literacy for infants and toddlers.

In addition, early experiences, positive and negative, impact the developing brain and make it vital that we address issues societal and racial disparities, support the whole family, and treat caregivers and early educators as equal partners in widespread social change.

K-12 Education

A solid, high-quality K-12 education is essential for long-term college and career success, as well as for general well-being and personal growth.

We know that students succeed when teachers have real-time support; schools are well-resourced; and schools take a compassionate, strengths-based approach to engaging kids. We want all students to gain entry to college or career training programs, and to be treated with dignity and respect throughout their entire educational experience. To create upward mobility for children, we need to improve and align the institutions that serve them.

Music & Arts

At the Turrell Fund, we believe that music and the arts change lives

Learning an instrument, developing artistic skills, and being part of a community of practice instills self-esteem and new pathways for connecting with others. We believe the potent benefits of arts education extend past the early years for children and families across the age range. All children, regardless of socioeconomic background or zip code, deserve access to high-quality arts education opportunities.

Social Services

Direct services are essential to providing support to children and families who need them.

From shelters, to food banks, to mental health services, these programs improve the well-being of individuals in their communities and respond to all types of need.

Every family is entitled to nutritious food, high-quality early care, compassionate healthcare, diapers, and every resource necessary to give their children a strong start. Ultimately, these services promote equity and opportunity in communities, providing a safe space for individuals to garner expert support and overcome hardship.

Systems Change

Systemic racism, entrenched poverty, and flawed policy decisions punish BIPOC (black, Indigenous and people of color) families, stifle social mobility, and hold our communities back.

We fight alongside our partners to ensure access to high-quality, affordable child care, enhanced pediatric care, and trauma-informed service delivery. We also work to ensure equity and compassion in the child welfare system.

Vermont Humanities Council

A statewide nonprofit organization founded in 1974, the Vermont Humanities Council seeks to engage all Vermonters in the world of ideas, foster a culture of thoughtfulness, and inspire a lifelong love of reading and learning.

A state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Vermont Humanities believes that engagement with the world of ideas, in interaction with others, contributes uniquely to richer lives, stronger communities, a more humane society, and a better world.

Vermont Humanities has developed a broad range of programs that serves Vermonters of all ages and backgrounds. In 2019 we sponsored 882 talks, book discussions, literacy programs, and other humanities events in 149 Vermont towns, including communities in every county.

Programs include book discussions, speaker events, conferences, a statewide one-book community reading program, and a grants program that supports humanities projects of other nonprofit organizations.

These programs and events strengthen Vermont’s communities not only by their character and design, but also by happening in the facilities of key town organizations such as libraries, museums, community centers, and schools. And humanities-based literacy programs reach childcare providers, middle school students, teen and underserved parents, incarcerated adults, and adult basic education students.

The humanities are those subjects that help us understand the human experience. They are the tools of self-reflection. The humanities include history, literature, ethics, philosophy, archaeology, linguistics, comparative religion, jurisprudence, and the history, criticism and theory of the arts.

Project Grants

Vermont Humanities’ traditional Project Grants support nonprofit organizations offering Vermont audiences an opportunity to engage with the humanities in their communities. This grant funds community projects and curriculum development. 

Fundable projects include:

• Community programming that invites participation in humanities discourse
• Curriculum development with plans to share the work to increase access to the humanities
• Humanities experiences designed to support a specific affinity group or to encourage interaction among more than one affinity groups

Review Criteria

While reviewing grant proposals, a small committee consisting of Vermont Humanities staff and community reviewers will consider:

• Are the humanities central to the project?
• Who is the intended audience and how will the project benefit them?
• Has the organization created a plan to include diversity, equity, and inclusion principles?
• Is the project ADA accessible?
• How will the project evaluate its success?
• Does the organization have the capacity to implement the proposed project successfully?

About the Foundation

It was fitting — and only natural — that, upon her death in 1974, Marian Woodward Ottley would establish by Will, the David, Helen, and Marian Woodward Fund in loving memory of her parents, and in her words, “In order to carry out their wishes and mine in attempting to make this a better world for those who come after us.”Her Will created a distribution committee to direct the trustee to distribute income and principal exclusively to or for the benefit of non-profit institutions, corporations, and associations that are located in New York and in the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont that are organized and operated exclusively for religious, educational, charitable, or scientific purposes. The Fund also awards grants to governmental agencies.

The distribution committee has attempted to carry out Mrs. Ottley’s wishes. It will continue to do so in an effort to make this a better world for those who come after her generous family.

David, Helen and Marian Woodward Fund (Watertown) Grant

The David, Helen and Marian Woodward Fund (Watertown) makes grants to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations in New York and in the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Mission

As stated in the Will of Marian Woodward Ottley, the fund’s mission is “to make this a better world for those who come after us.”

Program Areas

• Arts, culture, and humanities
• Education
• Environment, animals
• Health
• Human services
• Public/society benefit
• Religion

The Vermont Arts Council is offering a funding opportunity to communities poised to integrate works of public art into upcoming infrastructure projects. The Council seeks proposals for projects that provide opportunities for artists to engage with the community in the design and/or fabrication of permanent or temporary public art for an interior or exterior site that is accessible and open to the public.

The Animating Infrastructure program is designed to foster partnerships between communities and artists. The intent is to enhance a sense of community pride and identity, foster social connections, and improve the livability and vibrancy of Vermont communities, downtowns, villages, and neighborhoods. Through the development and installation of site-specific works of public art, Vermont communities can reflect their vision, values, and creative spirit.

For this program’s purpose, the Arts Council’s definition of infrastructure is broad and includes community facilities and services such as buildings, trails, water or sewer systems, roads, power systems, parks, and more. Functional components of infrastructure such as sidewalks, railings, benches, walls, signs, stairs, tree grates, fences, water fountains, and more in the built and/or natural environment have the potential for artistic enhancement that creates unique places where people want to live, work, visit, and play.

A panel will review the project pitches and select a small number of applicants to invite to submit full proposals. The Arts Council will award funds to four to six projects that demonstrate a collaborative process that sparks a creative, lively integration of public art into existing or proposed community infrastructure projects. For the funded projects, the Council will provide guidance to the grantee in the artist selection process and assist in outreach to Vermont artists. The community will be responsible for implementation. Grantees will be asked to document their process and product through stories, photos, videos, models, etc.

Funds will be awarded for:

Public Art Design($5,000 maximum): Grant funds may be used to conduct a process to select an artist(s) or to work with an already identified artist for your public art project. The grant should support the artist(s) fees to design the artwork and to engage the community.

Public Arts Implementation ($15,000 maximum): Grant funds may be used to support an artist in the fabrication and installation of public art for a previously designed project.

About the Vermont Community Foundation

The Vermont Community Foundation was established in 1986 as a permanent source of support for the state. We are a family of hundreds of funds and foundations created by Vermonters to serve their charitable goals. We provide the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise to make your giving easy and inspiring. Together, our funds and programs put more than $60 million a year to work in Vermont and beyond, through grants and investments.

Our Mission

Better Together: Inspiring giving and bringing together people and resources to make a difference in Vermont.

Spark Connecting Community

Spark Connecting Community grants put building and nurturing community front and center. We aim to support emerging grassroots projects with the potential to build social capital—the connective tissue of our communities. Social capital can be described as the value developed from working together, connecting across differences, and sharing common place-based experiences. Higher levels of social capital are correlated with better health outcomes, higher educational achievement, increased civic engagement, and greater resilience—all of which help build community vitality.

This is a grant round for local champions who are collaborating with others; we want to help you turn your idea into a reality! This grassroots grantmaking model focuses on strengthening community connections that lead to action and impact. While we are looking to fund projects throughout Vermont, this year we will prioritize projects from under-represented counties in grantmaking. Spark applications from Essex, Grand Isle, and Franklin counties will receive priority consideration.

We are looking for projects where a small grant can make a big difference.

We want to collect stories and share them widely, to help create even more sparks that inspire more philanthropy. 

Grant Size

Grants will be in the range of $500-$5,000.

National Life Group Foundation

At National Life, we believe strong connections are the ties of strong communities. We also believe being a good corporate citizen is about more than writing checks. It’s about listening to the needs of our community and offering to help however we can. 

We offer grants to nonprofits, but we also empower our employees to give their time by making it possible for them to volunteer for and donate even more to the organizations they care about. We are proud to support nonprofits where our employees live and work (Vermont and Texas), and also of our work empowering educators and students nationwide through our LifeChanger of the Year program and the National Coalition of Safe Schools. We make a difference in many other ways too, including our Do Good Fest and our corporate cause: to help end childhood hunger in Vermont.

What We Fund

The Foundation’s annual budget is $2 million. While this is substantial, there is a lot of need in our communities, so our giving is focused. Our grants vary in size and we rarely fund an entire program.

We look for proposals that have:

• a well-planned approach to underlying issues or needs
• a base of support
• metrics to support success

We do not fund new programs. We instead focus on proven programs. We favor programs that focus on childhood hunger and children and families, but we also consider those in the health and human services, the environment, education, and the arts and recreation.

The Marks Family Foundation supports organizations that provide programs in education, arts, environmental sustainability, or health for youth and under-represented populations.

New York business leader Randolph Marks founded the Marks Family Foundation in Buffalo in 1991 as a way to give back to the community that supported him and his family throughout his business career.

Although the Foundation gives preference to requests from western New York and Vermont, where members of the Marks family reside, the organization does occasionally make grant awards for causes that individual members are passionate about, regardless of location.

Our Mission

Our mission is to support organizations that provide access, opportunity, and education to under-represented, minority, and low-income populations. We provide funding for organizations that offer programs in education, arts, or health for youth and under-represented populations. Our primary focus is local to western New York, with secondary consideration given to Vermont.

Background

Through its grant making, the Windham Foundation seeks to support organizations concerned with the needs and quality of life of Vermonters. Those organizations include, but are not limited to, those dealing with:

• Agriculture, Food, Land, and the Natural World. Examples include: cultivation of food; food security; food processing and distribution; healthy forests and streams; conservation; climate change adaptation.
• Arts, Culture, and Education. Examples include: community arts; enhanced learning; mentoring; historic places and preservation.
• Preserving and Developing Resilient Communities. Examples include: economic development; workforce development; job readiness
• Healthy and Vibrant Communities. Examples include: wellness; housing; outdoor activities; health access; senior programs

In making decisions, the Foundation will look at an organization's competence in the proposal area and its track record, the stability of its financial base and fundraising strategies, the strength of its leadership and the long-term viability of the program in question.

• Approximately $65,000 in grants will be awarded each quarter.
• An organization should apply for no more than three consecutive years of funding. After three years, the organization should take at least one year off.
• Grant amounts rarely exceed $10,000 with an average of $2,500-$5,000
• Project collaboration with other non-profit organizations, where applicable, is strongly encouraged.
• A project budget, financial statement, and list of funding or anticipated funding of $1000 or more is required.
• The Windham Foundation reserves the right to request a recent audit of a grantee organization.
• Grant recipients of $5,000 or more will be expected to report back to The Windham Foundation on the success of project implementation.

The types of proposals the Foundation funds are wide ranging. They include operational support, special initiatives, capacity building, matching and challenge grants. Support for operations will be considered where it strengthens organizational capacity.

About the Vermont Community Foundation

The Vermont Community Foundation was established in 1986 as a permanent source of support for the state. We are a family of hundreds of funds and foundations created by Vermonters to serve their charitable goals. We provide the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise to make your giving easy and inspiring. Together, our funds and programs put more than $60 million a year to work in Vermont and beyond, through grants and investments.

Our Mission

Better Together: Inspiring giving and bringing together people and resources to make a difference in Vermont.

The Concert Artists Fund

Although many grant programs at the Vermont Community Foundation include support of the arts as part of its mission, the Concert Artists Fund is exclusively dedicated to supporting the arts. In 2005, the Concert Artists Fund was created from the estate of Charles Goetz to support performances of classical music in Chittenden County.

The Concert Artist Fund switched to a two year grant cycle in 2016. Grants awarded will be for two years of funding distributed in two equal annual payments, conditional on receipt of a successful first year report and confirmed plans to continue presenting qualified work in the coming year.

Grant Size

Up to $20,000 over two years, up to $10,000 per year. The average grant size is $5,500, for a one year grant cycle

Our Foundation

Since 2003, our annual Claremont Savings Bank Foundation has awarded grants totaling more than $2,700,000 to local non-profit organizations for a wide range of charitable initiatives. These grants, which typically range from $500 to $5,000 each, help to ensure the success of local programs and projects that benefit all of us as members of the community.

Each year we award grants to help ensure the success of charitable programs and projects dedicated to the betterment of the communities we serve.

Claremont Savings Bank Foundation Grant

Claremont Savings Bank Foundation makes grants one time each year to local non-profits that significantly enhance the quality of life and economic vitality in the communities that we serve. These grants are in addition to the bank’s regular contributions and the extraordinary volunteer efforts by our employees.

The sizes of our grants generally range from $500 to $5,000. Applicants may apply for amounts outside of these guidelines if documentation supports the nature of the request.

Arts Operating Grants provide funds to arts organizations that offer year-round, high-quality arts programs and services that support the Council’s mission to “cultivate and advance the arts and creativity throughout Vermont.”

These grants directly advance the third goal of the Arts Council’s Strategic Plan (“Strengthening the Creative Economy”), which asserts that arts organizations are anchors of communities statewide, and supporting their operations is vital to the success of the creative economy. Grantees must demonstrate a strong and consistent presence in their community providing high quality arts programming, furthering the Council’s vision to make Vermont a place where artists thrive, where creativity is at the heart of our communities, and where everyone has access to the arts in their lives and education.     

We are offering one-year operating grants in FY2026. The three-year operating grant program will reopen in FY2027. Organizations may either apply for Arts Project OR Arts Operating grants in FY26, but not both. 

Cultural Facilities Grants

Cultural Facilities Grants help Vermont nonprofit organizations and municipalities enhance, create, or expand the capacity of an existing building to provide cultural activities for the public.

Applicants must own a facility that is at least 10 years old, and it must be physically located in Vermont. Cultural activities are defined broadly as activities that enhance artistic, creative, aesthetic, historic or scholarly appreciation by members of the public. This includes performances, exhibits, readings, film screenings, displays, workshops, etc.

Examples of projects eligible for funding include:

• improvements to wiring, heating, lighting, and plumbing
• accessibility features such as elevators, lifts, assistive listening systems, ramps, and bathrooms
• stage improvements such as curtains, lighting, sound, and rigging
• permanent display panels or exhibit cases affixed to the building
• fixed equipment
• improvements to environmental controls, storage, or lighting for collections
• hazard mitigation efforts such as flood gates, rain gutters, or sprinkler systems
• energy efficiency upgrades such as insulation, heat pumps, renewable energy systems, LED lighting

Funding

Awards range from $1,000 to $30,000 and must be matched on a 1:1 basis. At least 50% of the match must be in cash. Up to 50% can be in well-documented in-kind materials and/or labor. Funds will be issued only after the project work is completed and the required reports are submitted. Grant amounts are dependent upon state funding and are subject to change.

Arts Project Grants support nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and schools in their efforts to add vibrancy to Vermont communities by providing equal and abundant access to the arts.

What We Fund

Examples of fundable projects include, but are not limited to:

• performances, exhibits, screenings, readings, fairs, public art projects, and festivals that focus on including new audiences
• public art projects that commission an artist for the creation of new work where the community is engaged in the planning, presentation, and/or fabrication
• creative experiences that are designed to include a specific group of a certain age, income, gender, race, or ability, or to encourage interaction among these groups
• accessibility accommodations that enable people with disabilities to participate in arts programs

Priority Areas

We are especially interested in projects and organizations that respond creatively to the following:

Expanding access to the arts and cultural activities for all Vermonters

This might include, for example, projects that engage individuals with limited access to the arts due to age, ability, income, race, geography, or other factors. This can also include the removal of barriers to participation such as accessibility accommodations for your arts activities (e.g., sign language interpreters, audio describers, captioners, translators/interpreters, print materials in alternative formats, etc.)

Creative placemaking

We welcome projects with cross-sector partners that re-envision public spaces and strengthen community identity through the arts.

Addressing issues related to the impact of recent flooding

This might include, for example, projects that help communities to reflect on, heal, and/or recover from a disaster; or projects that help revitalize flood-impacted downtowns, villages, and neighborhoods.

About the Vermont Community Foundation

The Vermont Community Foundation was established in 1986 as a permanent source of support for the state. We are a family of hundreds of funds and foundations created by Vermonters to serve their charitable goals. We provide the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise to make your giving easy and inspiring. Together, our funds and programs put more than $60 million a year to work in Vermont and beyond, through grants and investments.

Our Mission

Better Together: Inspiring giving and bringing together people and resources to make a difference in Vermont.

History 

Walter Cerf was born in Leipzig, Germany in 1907. The son of a successful businessman, he spent most of his youth in Berlin. He attended university in Freiburg, Heidelburg, and elsewhere before being awarded his Ph.D. from the University of Bonn in 1933. In 1936, he relocated to the United States and in 1941, he earned a second Ph.D. in philosophy at Princeton University. After becoming a United States citizen, he served in military intelligence with the 35th Infantry Division in Europe during World War II. For his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star. In 1947, he began a twenty-five year career as a Professor of Philosophy at Brooklyn College. He retired to his summer home in Leicester, Vermont in 1972.

Although his father’s business, Gesellschaft für Eigentumsschutz, a night security agency, was expropriated by the Nazis in 1938, one-half of the company was returned to the family after World War II. In 1987, Mr. Cerf sold his interest in the company. During the last twenty years of his life, Walter Cerf made gifts exceeding $10 million to more than 100 different organizations in Vermont. At his death in 2001, a permanent endowment, the Walter Cerf Community Fund, was established at the Vermont Community Foundation. The Fund will make grants annually in Walter’s name and will continue the generosity of this remarkable man in perpetuity.

Grant Size

Large Grant Eligibility:

• Project/program specific
• From organizations in or serving the Addison County/Brandon area
• Up to $25,000

What does the WCCF Fund support?

The Walter Cerf Community Fund (WCCF) makes grants to address charitable needs in the state of Vermont.

Priority interests are the:

• arts,
• education,
• historic preservation, and
• social services, reflecting the pattern of giving established by Mr. Cerf over many years.

We highly value the input of the Preservation Trust and strongly encourage grant seekers for historic preservation projects to consult with the Trust before submitting an application.  Approximately 70% of funds available will be awarded to programs and projects in and/or serving the Addison County/Brandon area; the remaining 30% of available funds will support programs and projects serving a statewide constituency. The Fund will consider both small ($500-$5,000) and large (up to $25,000) grant requests, but will only award one to two large (up to $25,000) grants.

Organizations applying for a small grant are invited to request program/project support or general operating support. Requests for the large grant must be program/project-specific and must be from organizations serving Addison County or Brandon.

About the Vermont Community Foundation

The Vermont Community Foundation was established in 1986 as a permanent source of support for the state. We are a family of hundreds of funds and foundations created by Vermonters to serve their charitable goals. We provide the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise to make your giving easy and inspiring. Together, our funds and programs put more than $60 million a year to work in Vermont and beyond, through grants and investments.

Our Mission

Better Together: Inspiring giving and bringing together people and resources to make a difference in Vermont.

Walter Cerf Community Fund 

Walter Cerf was born in Leipzig, Germany in 1907. The son of a successful businessman, he spent most of his youth in Berlin. He attended university in Freiburg, Heidelburg, and elsewhere before being awarded his Ph.D. from the University of Bonn in 1933. In 1936, he relocated to the United States and in 1941, he earned a second Ph.D. in philosophy at Princeton University. After becoming a United States citizen, he served in military intelligence with the 35th Infantry Division in Europe during World War II. For his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star. In 1947, he began a twenty-five year career as a Professor of Philosophy at Brooklyn College. He retired to his summer home in Leicester, Vermont in 1972.

Although his father’s business, Gesellschaft für Eigentumsschutz, a night security agency, was expropriated by the Nazis in 1938, one-half of the company was returned to the family after World War II. In 1987, Mr. Cerf sold his interest in the company. During the last twenty years of his life, Walter Cerf made gifts exceeding $10 million to more than 100 different organizations in Vermont. At his death in 2001, a permanent endowment, the Walter Cerf Community Fund, was established at the Vermont Community Foundation. The Fund will make grants annually in Walter’s name and will continue the generosity of this remarkable man in perpetuity.

Grant Size

Small Grant Eligibility:

• Project/program specific
• General operating funds
• From organizations in or serving the Addison County/Brandon area
• From organizations serving a statewide constituency
• $500 - $5,000

Adelard A. and Valeda Lea Roy Foundation Grant

The AV Roy Foundation has historically supported a broad range of organizations working in the areas of arts and culture, churches, education, environmental education, food access, health, land trusts, museums, and social services. The Trustees prioritize grants serving greater Boston and underserved rural and urban communities in Massachusetts, with some additional grantmaking in other areas of Northern New England.

In an effort to ensure that applications to the Foundation closely match current giving priorities, the Trustees will give priority to Massachusetts and Northern New England applicants focused on the following:

• Environment: requests focused on land conservation, in particular projects close to completion and projects resulting in easements held by accredited land trusts; environmental education; and climate change
• Health and Welfare: basic human needs (with priority given to food security and housing); hospice and home health care
• Arts and Culture: in particular, arts access and education for disadvantaged, elderly, or youth populations, and historic preservation
• Education: schools serving youth from low income backgrounds, including independent schools
• Churches providing basic needs support and other social services programming, as well as capital needs for facilities or historic preservation

Funding

Grants typically range from $2,500 to $10,000. In 2023, the average grant was $3,800. The Trustees anticipate a slightly higher average grant size this year, and fewer grants in total.

The Early Childhood Arts Partnership supports preschool-aged children and teachers in early education programs with direct opportunities to think, create, and learn through the arts; helping children gain an appreciation for the arts and be better prepared for school.

Grant funds support arts and arts-integrated instruction or activities through partnerships between early childhood education providers, arts organizations, and/or with highly qualified teaching artists in preschool classrooms. The program prioritizes proposals focused on addressing equity challenges, for example, projects and/or partnerships designed to serve English language learners, families with low incomes, or children who live in sparsely populated areas. This may include, for example, partnerships with Head Start or public school districts.

Organizations may request up to $6,000 to ensure access to arts-based and creative programming for children and families. Projects should increase creative and culturally relevant learning in and through the arts. Fundable project activities take place between January 1, 2025, and August 31, 2025.

Creative Aging Grants

Creative Aging grants support skill-based instruction alongside opportunities for social engagement and community building in and through the arts for older adults. Applicants to the Creative Aging grant program are non-profits with 501(c)(3) status, such as arts organizations, area agencies on aging, or social service organizations for example.

Organizations may apply for up to $6,000 to support activities designed for older adults aged 60+ led by experienced teaching artists.

Priority is given to projects facilitated by Vermont artists and to projects that link with the Council’s approach to creative aging in Vermont. On the Council’s Creative Aging Teaching Artist Roster, applicants may find a list of Vermont artists who have trained with Lifetime Arts to design creative aging programs that include skill-based instructional lessons and intentional social engagement opportunities. Other experienced teaching artists can be found on the Council’s general Teaching Artist Roster. Applicants may submit proposals for projects led by teaching artists not on the roster. Teaching artist fees vary from artist to artist.

Example projects may include:

• hiring a teaching artist to lead a series of photography workshops with a local senior center
• hiring a teaching artist to lead remote workshops for older adults in their homes, supplying materials, providing opportunities for social engagement, and giving support to caregivers
• hiring teaching artists or mentors to work with older adults to capture and/or create a series of stories or poems at a local library, arts organization, or community center

Vermont Creative Aging | FY2024 Guidelines

Creative Aging grants support organizations in providing skill-based activities that engage older adults in artistic creation and intentional social engagement for older adults. Organizations may apply for up to $6,000 to support activities designed for older adults aged 60+ led by experienced teaching artists. Fundable project activities take place between January 1, 2024, and August 31, 2024. 

Our Approach to Creative Aging:

Research points to the power of Creative Aging activities in improving emotional well-being, supporting both physical and cognitive health, strengthening social bonds, and bringing both purpose and joy to older adults.

Vermont’s vision for an age-friendly state highlights the critical importance of providing accessible and affordable opportunities for older adults to share their time, joy, wisdom, and talents through creative connections. It also centers partnerships to provide a coordinated system of support, which may include, for example, organizations such as local arts and culture organizations, libraries or other community organizations, Senior Centers, Area Agencies on Aging, or Adult Day Services.

This program is supported, in part, by the E.A. Michelson Foundation and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies which place emphasis on a learning model (rather than a health intervention model). This approach:

• respects the capabilities of older adults by challenging them to develop artistic skills
• offers sequential arts instruction in a sustained and organized fashion
• deepens social engagement for older adults, including caregivers
• employs teaching artists (including older adults) to design and deliver arts programs for older adults

Since 1986, the Vermont Community Foundation has been committed to building philanthropic resources that sustain healthy and vital Vermont communities. One part of that work involves making grants. The Foundation awards more than $12 million annually to nonprofit organizations in Vermont and beyond. These grants support a breadth of issues such as hunger, housing, arts, cultural heritage, social justice, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability.

Deerfield River Enhancement

The Deerfield River Enhancement Fund was established in 1999 by USGen New England, Inc., now known as Great River Hydro, LLC , for the environmental preservation of the Deerfield River Watershed. Grants are awarded for new initiatives, one-time special projects, or continuing funding for outstanding, existing programs. Examples include, but are not limited to, volunteer monitoring projects, events, trail work projects, field trips, educational workshops, media campaigns, and improving public access sites.

The Vermont Community Foundation and the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts are jointly managing grantmaking for the Deerfield River Enhancement Fund.

The Fund will make a grant or grants totaling approximately $14,000.