Vermont Capacity Building Grants

This grant provides funding for Vermont nonprofit organizations and municipalities to engage consultants for capacity-building initiatives that enhance their strategic planning, financial sustainability, and leadership development.

This funding opportunity supports grassroots organizations in New England that are dedicated to anti-racist initiatives and social justice, helping them build movements and drive systemic change in their communities.

This funding opportunity is designed to strengthen research capabilities in eligible jurisdictions by supporting collaborations among academic institutions, government agencies, and private industry to develop sustainable research infrastructure.

The Windham Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the economic, cultural, and civic life in Vermont through its grant-making activities. The foundation's mission is deeply rooted in supporting organizations that address the needs and improve the quality of life for Vermonters, recognizing that the social and economic vitality of small towns is maintained through a diverse range of activities. This alignment ensures that grant-funded projects contribute directly to the foundation's overarching goal of fostering well-being in the state's communities. The target beneficiaries of these grants are Vermonters, with a focus on local organizations involved in social, cultural, and educational work within the state. The impact goals are broad, aiming to support educational programs, local food initiatives, land conservation for public use, environmental protection, social services, cultural resources, and historic preservation. By partnering with these organizations, the foundation seeks to empower local efforts that contribute to the overall health and prosperity of Vermont's towns and residents. The foundation's priorities and focuses are diverse, encompassing agricultural preservation and food systems, environmental enhancement, education in its broadest sense, promotion of arts, crafts, and Vermont traditions, meeting basic human needs, and historic preservation that serves a broad community purpose. In evaluating proposals, the foundation assesses an organization's competence, track record, financial stability, fundraising strategies, leadership strength, and the long-term viability of the proposed program. This strategic approach ensures that funding is directed towards capable organizations with sustainable initiatives. Expected outcomes and measurable results, particularly for grants of $5,000 or more, include a requirement for recipients to report back on the success of project implementation. While specific metrics are not detailed, the foundation's emphasis on competence, track record, and long-term viability suggests an expectation of tangible positive change within the community. The foundation awards approximately $65,000 in grants each quarter, with individual grants rarely exceeding $10,000 and an average of $2,500-$5,000, demonstrating a commitment to supporting numerous smaller-scale, impactful projects across the state. The Windham Foundation's strategic priorities are to strengthen organizational capacity, support special initiatives, engage in capacity building, and offer matching and challenge grants. Their theory of change appears to be that by investing in a wide range of community-focused activities and fostering collaboration among non-profit organizations, they can collectively enhance the quality of life and ensure the enduring vitality of Vermont's communities. They will not fund more than 50% of a project, encouraging diverse funding sources and collaborative efforts.

The Jonathan and Barbara Silver Foundation (JBSF) grant program aims to foster and support both emerging and established sculptors, as well as writers who engage with sculpture. The foundation's mission is directly aligned with encouraging fresh perspectives and critical thinking on the history, aesthetics, purposes, imagination, or situation of sculpture. This commitment is reflected in its alternating grant cycle, supporting writing in even years and sculpture in odd years, demonstrating a holistic approach to the art form and its intellectual discourse. The primary beneficiaries of this grant program are individual writers who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States, or hold an O-1 Visa, and have had at least one piece of writing published for the first time within the last five years. The program specifically targets those generating new writing and thinking on sculpture, with supported categories including magazine, catalogue, and book essays, as well as research or manuscripts for books currently in process or nearing completion. The impact goals are to cultivate new scholarly and creative works that enrich the understanding and appreciation of sculpture. The program prioritizes writing that demonstrates strength and relevance to project proposals, accepting up to three published writing samples, with a maximum length of 2,500 words per sample. Emphasis is placed on original, independently produced work, excluding pre-publication material, collaborative writing, news reporting, social media posts, essays on one's own art, and student publications. This focus ensures that the grant supports independent thought and high-quality, impactful scholarship and criticism. The expected outcomes include the completion and publication of insightful essays and books on sculpture, contributing to the broader academic and artistic discourse. Measurable results would be the successful publication of works funded by the grant and the continued development of the grantees' careers. The JBSF offers one $20,000 grant per year, enabling writers to dedicate time to their projects by covering eligible expenses such as writer’s fees, research travel, living expenses (including childcare), image permission fees, reproduction costs, and editing, transcription, or translation expenses. The foundation's strategic priorities are to provide direct financial support that enables deep engagement with sculptural themes, fostering an environment where critical and creative exploration can thrive. Their theory of change posits that by investing in individual writers, they can stimulate intellectual growth and contribute to a richer public understanding of sculpture's multifaceted roles and meanings. This direct support for individuals, coupled with clear guidelines on eligible and ineligible expenses, ensures that the funding directly facilitates the creation of new works that align with the foundation's mission.

This program provides funding to organizations in New England for projects that preserve and share the diverse histories of their communities through the conservation of buildings, landscapes, and collections.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is soliciting proposals for the Northeast Forests and Rivers Fund (NEFRF), a program dedicated to restoring and sustaining healthy rivers, forests, and grasslands to provide habitat for diverse fish and wildlife populations. This initiative aligns with NFWF's broader mission to protect and restore native wildlife species and their habitats, leveraging public and private funding to achieve significant conservation outcomes. The NEFRF, formerly known as the New England Forests and Rivers Fund, represents a strategic investment in the ecological health of the Northeast region, fostering biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. The program's target beneficiaries include various fish and wildlife populations such as river herring, Atlantic salmon, brook trout, wood turtles, golden-winged warblers, New England cottontails, and bobolinks. Beyond wildlife, the program also aims to benefit agricultural producers, particularly those in Historically Underserved and Special Emphasis categories, by helping them design and implement conservation practices. The impact goals are centered on improving habitat quality and connectivity, enhancing forest conditions, and promoting hayfield management conducive to successful grassland bird breeding. NEFRF's priorities and focuses are outlined in NFWF’s Northeast Watersheds Business Plan (March 2023), specifically targeting strategies for Stream and Riparian Habitat, and Upland Forests and Grasslands. Key implementation strategies for 2024 include restoring stream and riparian habitats, improving forest management for age and structural diversity, and promoting hayfield management. A significant portion of funding, approximately $625,000, is set aside for projects that assist agricultural producers in adopting conservation practices beneficial to target species like northeast turtles and golden-winged warblers, while also increasing Farm Bill program participation. Additionally, the program encourages projects that involve community outreach, engagement, collaborative management, and the incorporation of traditional knowledge and community input. Expected outcomes and measurable results include improved habitat for specific fish and wildlife species, enhanced age and structural diversity in forest blocks, successful grassland bird breeding, and increased participation of agricultural producers in conservation programs. Projects are expected to contribute to measurable conservation benefits through community input, co-design processes, and engagement with community-level partners (e.g., municipalities, NGOs, community organizations, community leaders) to ensure project design, implementation, maintenance, and long-term sustainability post-grant award. The grant duration is three years, with projects expected to start no later than six months after the award date. The NFWF's strategic priorities for the NEFRF reflect a theory of change that posits by investing in targeted habitat restoration, improved land management, and community engagement, ecological health will be restored and sustained, benefiting both wildlife and human communities. Funding is provided by a consortium of partners including the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Zoetis Foundation, and Sylvamo, underscoring a collaborative approach to conservation. The program encourages a holistic view of conservation, integrating scientific best practices with local community needs and traditional knowledge to achieve robust and lasting environmental improvements across Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and parts of New York.

The 2024-25 Physical and Digital Infrastructure Security Grant (DF) Program for Health Care Facilities, offered by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), aims to enhance physical and digital security for healthcare facilities in California. This program aligns with the foundational mission of protecting vital health services and ensuring the safety of facilities that provide abortion-related and reproductive healthcare, which are often targets of violence and vandalism. The grant seeks to mitigate these threats, thereby supporting the continuity and accessibility of critical healthcare services across the state. The target beneficiaries of this grant are currently licensed community health centers, tribal health programs, non-profit hospitals not part of large health systems, and non-profit organizations whose membership includes such licensed facilities. All eligible applicants must be located in California and provide abortion-related services (or referrals) and reproductive healthcare services. The impact goal is to strengthen the security infrastructure of these facilities, creating safer environments for both patients and staff, and ensuring uninterrupted access to essential healthcare. The program's priorities and focuses include providing funding for physical facility enhancements, such as improved security measures for buildings, and digital security enhancements to protect against cyber threats and data breaches. The grant specifically targets facilities that may be vulnerable to violence and vandalism due to the nature of the services they provide. The funding aims to directly address these vulnerabilities, thereby safeguarding the operational capacity of these crucial healthcare providers. Expected outcomes and measurable results include a demonstrable improvement in the physical and digital security posture of funded facilities. This could involve a reduction in incidents of vandalism or violence, enhanced data protection, and increased patient and staff safety. The grant period is from September 1, 2024, through December 31, 2026, during which time facilities are expected to implement and integrate these security upgrades. Applicants can request up to $750,000 from the total available funding of $7,798,822. While specific "Foundation's strategic priorities and theory of change" are not explicitly detailed for Cal OES in the provided text, the underlying theory of change for this grant program appears to be that by providing targeted funding for security enhancements, the state can directly reduce risks to essential healthcare infrastructure. This proactive investment is expected to lead to greater resilience for healthcare facilities, particularly those offering sensitive services, thereby upholding public health and safety and ensuring that all Californians have access to necessary medical care without fear or disruption.

This grant provides financial support to non-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) status that foster collaboration and partnerships to create a significant impact in their communities.

This grant provides funding for Vermont schools and nonprofit arts organizations to create high-quality, multi-day arts experiences for preK–12 students, fostering collaboration with teaching artists to enhance creative learning and address educational disparities.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations focused on improving their services for low- to moderate-income and historically underserved communities through strategic investments in planning, staff development, and technology.

This funding opportunity is designed to strengthen clean water organizations in Vermont by enhancing their capacity for community engagement, administrative efficiency, and workforce development.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations and public entities in implementing programs that benefit low- to moderate-income individuals and historically underserved communities.

This grant provides funding to government entities and nonprofit organizations for projects that protect land, enhance community resilience, and support conservation planning in the Appalachian Trail region.