Vermont Energy Grants

This funding opportunity provides up to $250 for individuals or small groups in Burlington's Old North End to complete neighborhood projects or events that foster community engagement.

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.

The Laurance & Mary Rockefeller Fund, managed by the Vermont Community Foundation, is offering grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to organizations in selected Vermont cities, aiming to enhance the community's physical, cultural, spiritual, and wellness environment, with applications open until October 8, 2024.

The Northeast SARE Professional Development Grant program aims to advance sustainable agriculture practices by enhancing the knowledge, awareness, skills, and attitudes of agricultural and other service providers. This directly aligns with the foundation's mission to support sustainable agriculture through education and professional development. The grant focuses on empowering professionals who work with farmers, enabling them to teach, advise, or assist in the adoption of sustainable methods. The program seeks to create a ripple effect, where trained service providers then apply their learned expertise to help farmers improve their agricultural practices, fostering a more sustainable food system within the Northeast region. The primary beneficiaries of this program are agricultural service providers, including those in non-profit organizations, colleges, universities, Cooperative Extension, and other entities that serve the farming community. Additionally, the program extends its reach to other service providers such as real estate agents, bankers, and attorneys, who can indirectly influence farmers. The overarching impact goal is to cultivate a more resilient and sustainable agricultural landscape in the Northeast by equipping these professionals with the necessary tools and knowledge. Expected outcomes include increased adoption of sustainable and climate-smart agricultural practices by farmers, improved ecological and economic resilience to climate change, and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The program prioritizes a wide array of topics, encompassing marketing and business, crop production, raising livestock, aquaculture, social sustainability, urban and Indigenous agriculture, and traditional ecological knowledge. A significant focus is placed on climate-smart agriculture practices, which are intended to improve ecological, social, and economic resilience to climate change. This includes practices such as reduced and no-till farming, cover cropping, prescribed grazing, ruminant feed management, manure management, fertilizer management, and on-farm energy efficiency. The program's strategic priorities are clearly aligned with addressing contemporary agricultural challenges through education and practical application. Northeast SARE actively encourages projects from, or in collaboration with, women, the LGBTQIA+ community, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Furthermore, it encourages proposals from Minority Serving Institutions and other organizations in the Northeast that work with historically underserved communities, demonstrating a commitment to equity and inclusivity in agricultural development. The theory of change behind these priorities is that by supporting a diverse range of voices and institutions, the program can foster more innovative and equitable solutions for sustainable agriculture, leading to broader and more effective adoption of sustainable practices across the region. The expected measurable results include an increase in the number of service providers trained in sustainable agriculture, a documented increase in farmers adopting climate-smart practices, and the successful implementation of projects that demonstrate improved ecological, social, and economic resilience. Awards typically range from $30,000 to $150,000, with project lengths usually spanning 2 to 3 years, and a maximum allowed duration of 3.5 years. The program's geographical focus is exclusively on the Northeast region, which includes Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Vermont, and Washington, D.C., ensuring targeted and localized impact within this specific area.

This program provides financial support to businesses and commercial property owners in Portsmouth for improving their properties' appearance and functionality, fostering economic growth and community appeal.

This grant provides matching funds to 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations in Vermont for various historic preservation projects, such as exterior restoration and structural repairs.

This program provides financial support to municipalities in Vermont to improve water quality and protect the scenic and natural resources of the Upper Missisquoi and Trout Rivers.