Vermont Food and Nutrition Grants

This funding opportunity provides financial support to Vermont municipalities, nonprofits, and government entities for the development, restoration, and maintenance of public recreational trails, including projects for both motorized and non-motorized activities.

This program provides funding to support educational initiatives, local food projects, land conservation, environmental protection, social services, and cultural resources in Vermont communities, particularly benefiting small towns like Grafton.

This grant provides financial support to Vermont nonprofits facing unexpected expenses that hinder their ability to deliver essential services related to basic human needs, such as food, shelter, and health.

This grant provides funding to Vermont early childhood education providers and nonprofits to purchase shares from local farms, enhancing access to fresh, locally grown foods for young children.

This grant provides financial support to Vermont-based produce farms and meat processing operations to improve their infrastructure and equipment for better food safety compliance.

This grant provides financial support to Vermont-based farms and forest businesses to improve their infrastructure, expand market reach, and enhance workforce development, fostering a sustainable working landscape economy.

This grant provides financial assistance to nonprofit organizations that support cancer patients in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont who are facing urgent financial and food insecurity during their treatment or transition to hospice care.

This program provides $25 grocery and gas gift cards to cancer patients in Northern New England who are currently undergoing treatment or receiving palliative care, helping to alleviate financial burdens and food insecurity.

This grant provides funding for projects that engage Vermonters in addressing social and environmental issues within their communities.

This program provides funding to four designated initiatives to support dairy businesses in developing, marketing, and distributing innovative dairy products while enhancing regional resilience and farmer income.

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.

This program provides financial support to Vermont's agricultural fairs and field days, helping them with infrastructure projects and operational costs to promote local agriculture and community engagement.

Farm Credit East recognizes the significance of farmers’ markets for both producers and consumers. In support of this vital marketing channel, we are offering Farmers' Market Grants of up to $500 to eligible applicants. These grants can be utilized to support participating farmers, enhance markets, improve marketing efforts, and implement programs aimed at aiding disadvantaged communities or enhancing access to fresh, local food. Please note that these grants are intended for public markets where multiple farms sell products, not for individual farm markets. Eligibility: Farmers' markets must be located within Farm Credit East’s eight-state territory: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Preference will be given to first-time applicants and markets serving underserved communities with limited access to fresh, local food. Awards will be granted at the sole discretion of Farm Credit East. How to Apply/Application Requirements: The 2024 application cycle is currently open. Please submit the Farmers' Market Grant Application by 4:00 PM on May 31. Recipients will be notified by late June.

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets is offering the Trade Show Assistance Grants program to support Vermont-based agricultural and forestry businesses in expanding their market reach. These grants are designed to offset the costs of participating in trade shows that connect businesses with wholesale buyers and open new domestic and international markets. The program provides matching grants for up to five trade shows within the eligible period, allowing businesses to request between $2,000 and $5,000 in reimbursements for shows held between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026. However, businesses cannot apply for funding to support attendance at trade shows they have participated in five or more times previously. Eligibility requirements include being registered with the Vermont Secretary of State and operational for at least one year, having headquarters or principal operations within Vermont, maintaining at least three wholesale accounts, and ensuring products meet the Vermont Local Definition as outlined in Act 129. Trade shows must target out-of-state buyers and operate in a business-to-business format. Shows that are direct-to-consumer are not eligible, although exceptions are made for regional or international trade shows held in Vermont. Applicants must also demonstrate a 1:1 cash match for their budget, as the grant will reimburse up to 50% of eligible costs. Approved expenses for reimbursement include travel and accommodation costs, booth design and fees, marketing materials, shipping, and other associated costs. The application process is open until January 20, 2025, at 11:59 PM, with notifications of awards expected by mid-February 2025. Applicants can include up to five trade shows in their marketing plans and are encouraged to carefully align their proposals with the program's requirements. To apply, businesses must register in WebGrants if they have not done so previously, review the WebGrants Application Guide, and submit their applications through the platform. The submission period runs from December 6, 2024, to January 20, 2025. Detailed instructions are provided in the Request for Applications, available on the program’s website. Businesses are encouraged to prepare their applications early to ensure timely submission and maximize their chances of securing support for their trade show activities.

This track of the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program provides approximately $1 million for grants aimed at purchasing equipment necessary for the middle of the food supply chain activities in Vermont. The grants range from $30,000 to $100,000 with no match requirement. Applications for this track are set to open in late August 2024 and close in early October 2024, with grant activities beginning in early 2025.

The Connection, Health, & Equity through Food (CHEF) Grant Program is a collaborative initiative across Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Eastern Massachusetts, and Upstate New York, administered by the Maine Council on Aging. The program's core mission is to increase older adults’ equitable access to healthy food and social connection, aligning with a broader goal of addressing systemic issues like food insecurity and social isolation. This grant program seeks to support older adults by fostering programmatic infrastructure, expanding existing programs, and launching innovative new initiatives that cater to their food and social connection needs. The target beneficiaries of the CHEF Grant Program are primarily older adults, with a specific focus on underserved and marginalized populations. These include BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), LGBTQ+, women, veterans, people living with disabilities, and individuals residing in rural communities. The program's impact goals are centered on enhancing the quality of life for these older adults by improving their access to nutritious food and opportunities for social engagement. Projects that serve diverse older people, veterans, and older people living with disabilities are given priority. The CHEF program prioritizes finding solutions to the root causes of food insecurity and social isolation. These root causes include poverty, transportation barriers, rurality, and language barriers. While the grant does not explicitly detail the foundation's strategic priorities or a formal theory of change, the emphasis on equitable access, addressing systemic issues, and supporting vulnerable populations suggests a strategy focused on community-based interventions and empowerment. The program's design indicates a theory that by investing in local organizations and initiatives, significant improvements can be made in the well-being of older adults. Expected outcomes include increased access to healthy food for older adults, enhanced social connections within communities, and a reduction in the prevalence of food insecurity and social isolation among the target populations. While specific measurable results are not explicitly outlined, the program's focus on data for older people served (50.1% of the overall population served) suggests an intent to track the reach and impact on the primary beneficiary group. The grant duration is not mentioned, but the anticipated grant size of $2,000 – $10,000 for most grants indicates support for projects with tangible, localized impacts.

The Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation is inviting applications for the Hardman Fund, aimed at enriching the lives of residents in North Adams, Florida, Clarksburg, MA, and Stamford, VT, by supporting nonprofit organizations that focus on arts, culture, historic preservation, health, human and social services, education, and the environment, with a special interest in initiatives that assist people in difficult economic circumstances and enrich the cultural and natural environment.

The Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program, funded by the USDA, allocates approximately $2 million for infrastructure grants to Vermont businesses and organizations aiming to strengthen local and regional food systems. The grants support projects that improve the aggregation, distribution, manufacturing, processing, storing, transporting, and wholesaling of Vermont food products. This track encourages development of Vermont value-added products and promotes fair wages and job creation. A 50% match is required, which can be reduced to 25% for historically underserved farmers. Grants range from $100,000 to $500,000 and are available from fall 2024 through February 2027.

This funding opportunity is designed to support businesses, organizations, and individuals in Vermont working to improve the competitiveness of specialty crops through various projects that benefit multiple stakeholders in the agricultural community.

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.