The Vermont Community Foundation Grants $380,500 in Fourth Round of Funding from VT COVID-19 Response Fund

On Monday, the Vermont Community Foundation announced $380,500 in grants in the fourth round of grantmaking from the VT COVID-19 Response Fund. As Governor Phil Scott continues to “turn the spigot” to re-open the state’s economy, Foundation staff focused this round on expanding access to housing, medical care, support services, and other essential items people need to stay safe as social distancing relaxes. Grants went towards providing care for vulnerable populations like the uninsured, New Americans, and people transitioning out of corrections, supporting many of the state’s LGBTQIA-support organizations and substance use disorder recovery centers, as well as helping childcare centers and farmers markets adapt to health standards.

Since the VT COVID-19 Response Fund was initiated in March of this year, the Community Foundation, its fundholders, and charitable partners have granted over $5.47 million to organizations that have used the funding to respond to impacts stemming from the pandemic. Through direct grants as well as subgrants to network partners, the funding has supported over 600 nonprofits touching every county in the state.

“From health care, to food insecurity, to rental assistance, and inadequate technology to connect, Vermonters are suffering—with impacts disproportionately distributed across our state,” says Vice President of Grants & Community Investments Sarah Waring. “We’re thrilled with the response from donors who have contributed to the VT COVID-19 Response Fund and enabled the Community Foundation to support such a wide range of needs among a very diverse cohort of nonprofits. Yet Vermont’s recovery will be long term—we will continue to respond to today’s needs, and look forward to taking on the critical challenges that will change Vermont’s future and allow access to more opportunity for all of us.”

While the Community Foundation is still seeing a great deal of humanitarian need and will remain nimble, it will also begin to strategize about philanthropic investments that build economic and social resilience over the long term. As impacts of the pandemic become more visible, the Foundation will continue to raise funds to support response while at the same time deploying grants that put Vermont on a path towards recovery.

The full list of grant recipients from the latest round is below. 

• AIDS Project of Southern Vermont
• Association of Africans Living in Vermont
• Bennington Free Clinic
• Black Lives Matter of Greater Burlington Inc
• Black Lives Matter VT, LTD
• Burlington Housing Authority
• Cancer Patient Support Foundation, Inc.
• Clemmons Family Farm
• Community Health Services of Addison County
• Dismas of Vermont, Inc.
• Downtown Brattleboro Alliance
• Good Neighbor Health Clinic
• Green Mountain Recovery Foundation
• Health Assistance Program at the University of Vermont Medical Center
• Health Connections at Gifford
• HIV/HCV Resource Center
• Janet S. Munt Family Room
• Journey to Recovery Community Center
• Kingdom Recovery Center, Inc.
• Mercy Connections, Inc.
• NAACP of Rutland County
• North Central Vermont Recovery Center
• Northeast Kingdom Community Action, Inc.
• Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT)
• Open Door Clinic
• Out in the Open
• Outright Vermont
• Pathways Vermont
• People's Health & Wellness Clinic
• Pride Center of Vermont
• Rutland County Free Clinic
• Second Wind Foundation
• Springfield Medical Care Systems, Inc.
• Turning Point Center of Addison County, Inc.
• Turning Point Center of Bennington
• Turning Point Center of Central Vermont
• Turning Point Center of Chittenden County
• Turning Point of Franklin County
• Turning Point of Windham County, Inc.
• Turning Point Recovery Center of Springfield
• Upper Valley Community Nursing
• Valley Health Connections
• Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children
• Vermont CARES
• Vermont Partnership for Fairness & Diversity
• Vermont Principals' Association, Inc.
• Vermont PWA Coalition
• Windham County Vermont NAACP
• Windsor Central Supervisory Union
• Windsor Community Health Clinic at Mt. Ascutney Hospital