Best Professional Development Grants for Nonprofits in Vermont

Washington County Community Foundation

The Washington County Community Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life in Washington County by promoting and facilitating philanthropy. We accomplish this by assuming four philanthropic roles of Grantmaker, Donor Service Organization, Fundraiser, and Community Leader. Fostering philanthropy by offering charitable gifting opportunities to donors on an individualized basis and at reasonable fees, we make charitable giving easier, more satisfying, and more effective. 

The Foundation is a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation organized under the laws of Pennsylvania, which is registered with the Pennsylvania Charities Bureau and annually files the Federal Form 990.

Scholarships for Post-Secondary (Undergraduate) School

The Foundation provides both need-based and merit-based scholarships to students in Washington County, with a few scholarships also available to students in Greene County. All scholarships are made payable to the educational institution the student is attending. 

Chapman Family Scholarship Fund

For current year graduating seniors of any Washington County or Greene County high school who demonstrate financial need. Preference will be given to certificate, trade, or technical school applicants. Awardees may be eligible for up to three subsequent-year scholarships, provided they maintain eligibility.

The Junior Faculty Development Award, funded by the American College of Gastroenterology, offers $450,000 over three years to support junior researchers in gastroenterology or hepatology. Aimed at ACG members, this award allows recipients to dedicate 50% of their time to clinical research, enhancing their skills and advancing their careers. Eligible candidates include those within seven years post-fellowship who can guarantee protected research time. The initiative fosters novel research that directly impacts gastrointestinal health.

The Established Investigator Bridge Funding Award, supported by the ACG Institute for Clinical Research and Education and the American College of Gastroenterology, offers $300,000 in funding over two years for established researchers facing funding gaps. Designed for clinical gastroenterology and hepatology, this grant aims to sustain impactful research programs during federal funding lapses. Eligible applicants must be ACG members and have at least eight years of experience post-training, along with a proven track record of federal funding in relevant fields.

The Leonidas Berry Health Equity Research Award, presented by the ACG Institute, honors Dr. Leonidas H. Berry and supports innovative research aimed at reducing health disparities among underrepresented groups in gastrointestinal health. With a funding opportunity of $75,000 over two years, this award encourages eligible U.S. or Canadian physicians to develop impactful research careers that enhance our understanding of health equity in gastrointestinal practice. Applications are open until June 30, 2028.

The ACG/ASGE Epidemiologic Research Award in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy supports research projects that study the use and outcomes of gastrointestinal endoscopy through the GI Quality Improvement Consortium (GIQuIC). Co-sponsored by the American College of Gastroenterology and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, this award is aimed at enhancing the quality and outcomes of GI endoscopic procedures, benefiting both practitioners and patients.

Vitamin Angels offers grants to US-based organizations dedicated to improving nutrition for pregnant women, infants, and young children. By providing prenatal multivitamins and technical support, the initiative aims to reach underserved communities facing nutritional barriers. Eligible organizations must serve at least 500 children or 100 pregnant women annually and distribute the vitamins without financial support from Vitamin Angels. This collaborative effort enhances health outcomes for vulnerable populations across the nation.

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program

Program Overview:

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian (LB21) projects build a library and archival workforce that can meet the information needs of communities and increase the institutional capacity of libraries, archives, and library and information science graduate programs across the country.  

The program supports projects that:  

• provide training and professional development to library and archives professionals;  
• develop faculty and information leaders; and 
• recruit, educate, and retain the next generation of library and archives professionals. 

Projects can support the recruitment, education, training, and retention of pre-professionals, students, faculty, and the current library and archives workforce. 

Project Type

Applied Research

The Hillman Innovations in Care Grant seeks innovative, nursing-driven proposals to address the impact of racism on health equity for marginalized communities. This includes addressing health disparities faced by BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and economically disadvantaged populations. The program encourages bold, evidence-based interventions that enhance healthcare delivery and outcomes. Grants of up to $600,000 will support projects that demonstrate potential for broad replicability and sustainability over a 36-month period.

York County Community Foundation

York County Community Foundation was founded in 1961 by generous visionaries who saw an opportunity to perpetually support their community by pooling charitable giving, investing it to grow over time and make grants to charity from the earnings on the pooled fund. It wasn’t until 1991 that the Community Foundation made a real push to build its assets so that it could become the kind of leading organization it is today. Donors are the crux of our existence; they are the reason we have been so successful over the years. Today, thanks to encouragement from many community leaders, we have enhanced our mission to include being a community leader and changemaker by working with community stakeholders to leverage our grantmaking and expertise for powerful community improvement.

Field of Study Scholarships

Through the Community Foundation, our donors have established scholarship funds focused on a specific field of study. Each scholarship expresses our donors' deep commitment to helping York County students achieve their educational goals.

Tom Adams, Jo Hunger, George Lamotte Scholarship Fund

This scholarship was created for York County students studying to become a dentist, a dental specialist, or a dental hygienist.

The Skip Thavenet Scholarship, established by the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, honors Louis "Skip" Thavenet and supports students from 42 towns in Connecticut and Rhode Island. This scholarship, which awards approximately $500, aims to assist those pursuing education in technical fields, particularly in welding, manufacturing, and construction management. Since 1983, the foundation has awarded over $11.9 million, demonstrating its commitment to fostering local talent and providing educational opportunities.

The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation's Psychosocial Research Postdoctoral Fellowship supports early-career researchers in spinal cord injury (SCI) psychosocial studies. It aims to enhance professional interest and training in this vital field, focusing on areas such as caregiving, employment, and technology access. The fellowship offers mentored training, covering salary and up to $35,000 for non-personnel costs over two years, ensuring comprehensive support for fellows to advance their careers.

The Founders Concept Development Grants, offered by the Children's Theatre Foundation of America (CTFA), support US non-profit theatres in developing innovative concepts and strategies for engaging young audiences. This initiative emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion, aiming to enhance the quality of theatre for youth. CTFA encourages artists to explore new ideas while ensuring that all children have access to impactful theatrical experiences. This grant embodies a commitment to fostering creativity and excellence in youth theatre.

Scholarship Opportunities

The Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation manages one of the state's largest scholarship programs, awarding more than $500,000 in scholarships to local students each year. If you’re interested in pursuing higher education, it's likely we have a scholarship that can help you achieve your dream.

Trent Area Scholarship

Organizers have defined the Trent community as the area bounded on the south by the Moody County line, on the north by SD Highway 34, on the east by the South Dakota state line, and on the west by the Colman Road, also known as 470th Avenue.

* Multiple scholarships are awarded

The Family Medicine Cares USA Free Health Clinics Grants support new and existing clinics in the U.S. that provide care to the uninsured. With applications accepted annually from March 15 to July 15, these grants assist clinics in purchasing essential medical equipment. The initiative aims to address the needs of over 50 million uninsured individuals, ensuring access to primary care and promoting volunteerism among AAFP members and medical students. Grants of up to $10,000 are available to eligible clinics.

Marshfield Area Community Foundation Scholarships

The mission of the Marshfield Area Community Foundation is “Connecting people who care with causes that matter to enrich the quality of life in the Marshfield area”. Education is a valuable tool and a cause that matters to all of us. Through assisting students with financial support to receive an education, not only do students and the families of those students benefit, but also our community benefits, which further allows us to achieve our mission of enriching the quality of life in the Marshfield area.

Geographical Area

The official geographic service area of Marshfield Area Community Foundation, Inc., beginning to our west and traveling clockwise, includes the following communities in addition to Marshfield (It also includes towns and rural areas between these communities.): Chili, Granton, Neillsville, Loyal, Greenwood, Withee, Owen, Spencer, Unity, Colby, Curtiss, Pittsville, Abbotsford, Dorchester, Stetsonville, Medford, Stratford, Rozellville, Hewitt, Auburndale, Blenker, Milladore, Sherry, Arpin.

Norbert H. and Joan LaSee Scholarship

This scholarship is for graduating seniors at Marshfield, Columbus, Spencer, or Stratford High School attending an accredited college, university, or tech school intending to study a career in the trades. Student financial need must be considered. Renewable for 2 additional years.

The Player Foundation Grant, offered by the NFL Foundation, supports the charitable initiatives of current and former NFL players through their nonprofit organizations. Eligible applicants must be vested under the Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle NFL Retirement Plan and operate a tax-exempt organization. This grant does not guarantee funding and should not be relied upon in annual budgeting. Organizations must have been established for at least three years and be capable of functioning without NFL Foundation support.

The Link Foundation offers a one-year renewable fellowship of $35,000 for PhD students focusing on Modeling, Simulation, and Training. This funding aims to support advanced research and allow students to work full-time on their projects. Eligibility includes being enrolled in a PhD program at a U.S. or Canadian university, with no citizenship restrictions. Preference is given to candidates who are in candidacy and have a well-defined thesis, ensuring impactful research outcomes.

CultureSource

CultureSource is a member association for non-profit arts and cultural organizations in Southeast Michigan serving Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Livingston, Monroe and St. Clair counties. As a regional service organization, we do this work through hosting professional development workshops that grow creative and leadership capacities, presenting programs that provide space for exchanging ideas about arts and culture, and leading initiatives that bring together stakeholders interested in the public accessing creative expression.

Our MISSION is to advance and cultivate creative and cultural expression in Southeast Michigan.

The Spector Craft Prize for Emerging Artists

The Spector Craft Prize (the “Prize”) is an annual initiative launched in 2025 to champion excellence in American craft. Founded by Abigail Klem Spector and Warren Spector through the Spector Family Foundation, the program supports craft artists at pivotal moments in their careers through awards, mentorship, and community-building.

In an era dominated by rapid technological advancement, the Spector Craft Prize stands as a vital counterbalance by preserving material connections in an increasingly virtual world, supporting creative expression amid declining public funding for arts education, and reconnecting makers and the public to our shared heritage of craft. By championing craft artists at pivotal moments in their careers, the Spector Family Foundation aims to strengthen the role of craft in contemporary American culture.

Aim of the Prize

The Spector Craft Prize for Emerging Artists seeks to identify and support exceptional emerging craft artists whose work demonstrates technical mastery, innovative vision, and deep engagement with American culture. The Prize aims to recognize artists who show significant potential for contributing to the field and who would benefit from the comprehensive support provided by the program.

Selected artists represent the future of American craft and demonstrate a commitment to strengthening craft's role in contemporary American culture through their practice, community engagement, and artistic vision. 

The Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards Program supports early-career faculty in the chemical sciences at undergraduate institutions. Through institutional nominations, it provides $75,000 unrestricted research grants to enhance scholarly research and teaching. Eligible nominees must hold full-time tenure-line positions and be within their fourth to twelfth independent academic years, demonstrating a strong commitment to undergraduate education. This funding opportunity fosters the development of promising educators and researchers in the chemical sciences.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is collaborating with other NIH institutes to enhance rigor and replicability in biomedical and behavioral research. This initiative aims to support projects focused on assessing the impact of improved research practices, developing frameworks for study selection, and measuring the generalizability of findings. Currently, applications are not being solicited, allowing researchers time to prepare collaborative proposals.

DeKalb County Farm Bureau Foundation

Mission – The Foundation’s mission is to broaden awareness and understanding of agriculture through outreach and education.

Scholarships

The DeKalb County Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is proud to offer numerous scholarships for high school seniors and college students. Preference will be given to applicants of Farm Bureau members or their children with certain eligibility requirements.

College Students Scholarships 

The DeKalb County Farm Bureau Foundation endeavors to recognize students for their academic, school and community performance while in college. The recognition is in the form of a scholarship to the student’s school of choice. The scholarship award will be sent directly to the recipient’s school to be applied toward college costs. 

Medical Scholarship

The Medical Scholarship program provides funds for students pursuing medical degrees. The scholarship is available to students studying to become physicians, veterinarians, optometrists, nurses, dentists, and other medical professions. To be eligible a student must currently be in medical school, accepted to medical school or a four-year nursing program. Two, $2,000 scholarships will be awarded annually.

The Bolick Foundation Grant, established in 1967, supports nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations that promote the Christian faith. Located in Conover, NC, the foundation emphasizes grant-making to strengthen religious, charitable, and educational initiatives. Applicants must be registered in the USA and possess a tax identification number. Importantly, the foundation does not provide grants to individuals, ensuring that funds are directed towards collective community impact. For further details, please refer to the FAQs on their official website.

The William Webermeier Scholarship, administered by the Center for Scholarship Administration, offers financial support to full-time students from Milford High School in Nebraska. Eligible applicants must demonstrate academic achievement and good behavior, maintain a minimum GPA of 3.5, and show financial need. Additionally, recipients are required to honor the memory of the scholarship's namesake by placing flowers on his grave annually. This scholarship aims to assist students in achieving their educational goals.

American Cancer Society

The mission of the American Cancer Society is to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.

ACS Research Priority Areas

The American Cancer Society (ACS) has identified these 6 areas to categorize and track the research we fund to help advance our mission. Applicants (except Institutional Research Grants and Professor grants) are asked to select at least 1 of these research areas that aligns with their proposal:

• Etiology (causes of cancer)
• Obesity/Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL)
• Screening and Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Survivorship
• Health Equity Across the Cancer Continuum

Research Scholar Grants

Research Scholar Grants (RSG) provide support for independent, self-directed researchers.

Applicants' institutions must provide space and other resources customary for independent investigators.

Grant proposals are investigator-initiated and may pursue questions across the cancer research continuum, as long as they fit within an American Cancer Society (ACS) priority research area.

These grants typically contribute to the cost of salaries, consumable supplies, and other miscellaneous items required in the research. 

Research Scholar Grants are funded up to $215,000 per year (direct costs), plus 10% allowable indirect costs, with a project period up to four years.

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program

Program Overview:

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian (LB21) projects build a library and archival workforce that can meet the information needs of communities and increase the institutional capacity of libraries, archives, and library and information science graduate programs across the country.  

The program supports projects that:  

• provide training and professional development to library and archives professionals;  
• develop faculty and information leaders; and 
• recruit, educate, and retain the next generation of library and archives professionals. 

Projects can support the recruitment, education, training, and retention of pre-professionals, students, faculty, and the current library and archives workforce. 

Project Type

Early Career Research

About Us

Overview

The Alaska Community Foundation connects people who care to the causes that make a difference and matter most to them. We encourage and nurture philanthropy through building and managing permanent endowments, convening stakeholders, working with partners to strengthen Alaskan communities, and providing donors with flexible giving options that are strategic to their philanthropic objectives. ACF also manages the Pick.Click.Give. program.

Mission

Inspiring the spirit of giving and connecting people, organizations, and causes to strengthen Alaska’s communities now and forever.

Vision

ACF envisions an Alaska where communities come together and have resources to thrive.

Greater Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce Endowed Scholarship Fund

The mission of the Greater Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce is to advocate and educate on behalf of members to promote a healthy business climate that recognizes both Ketchikan’s quality of life and its economic potential.

Our vision for Ketchikan is a community with a strong and diversified economy, a year-round, stable employment base, and a quality of life which is both attractive to prospective residents and conducive to business expansion and sustainable new development.

For more information about the Greater Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce, please visit their website at https://www.ketchikanchamber.com/

The Fredric Rosemore Low Vision Educational Grant, awarded by the American Academy of Optometry Foundation since 2012, aims to foster excellence in low vision education at North American optometry institutions. Each grant provides $1,000 to support various needs such as personnel, equipment, or care, aligning with the mission of the AAOF. Eligible applicants include members of the AAO, whether they are students, candidates, or Fellows.