The Vermont Community Foundation shared this news with us today.

The Samara Fund, a new component fund of the Vermont Community Foundation, announces awards of $32,000 in grants in its first annual competitive grant round. The Samara Fund is the successor organization to the Samara Foundation of Vermont. Founded by Bill Lippert and David Curtis in the early 1990s, the Samara Foundation has a long history of serving nonprofit organizations that support lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Vermonters.

“Through our partnership with the Community Foundation, we expected to be able to make more and larger grants to the community. We are pleased our annual grant awards have nearly doubled in this first year,” said Samara Fund grants committee chair, Carol Maloney of Middlesex.

The increase in this year’s grantmaking was made possible by a significant grant from the Johnson Family Foundation, as well as dozens of gifts to the Samara Fund by Vermonters and others who support Vermont’s LGBT community.

Of the twenty organizations that applied for funding, fifteen were selected to receive grants. The awards support a variety of programs that address LGBT needs, ranging from Randolph Union High School’s Queer/Straight Alliance and the Lund Family Center’s LGBT adoptive and foster families services, to Vermont CARES and other HIV/AIDS service organizations. The largest grant—$5,000—was awarded to Outright Vermont, the statewide organization serving LGBT youth.

“Another added benefit of the partnership with the Community Foundation is a broader reach to nonprofits—many organizations receiving grants were new applicants to Samara,” said Maloney. “Making these grants is one important way the Samara Fund furthers its mission to ensure that LGBT Vermonters are connected, healthy, appreciated, safe and empowered.”

Additional information about the Samara Fund and this year’s grants is available at www.vermontcf.org.

LGBT Organization Grant Awards

• Outright Vermont was awarded $5,000 to support their mission to build safe, healthy, and supportive environments for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth ages 13-22.
• Pride Vermont was awarded $2,000 to support the annual Pride Festival and Parade on the Burlington waterfront.
• RU12? Community Center was awarded $1,500 to improve statewide communication platforms for LGBT organizations and events and build a stronger social network for LGBT Vermonters.
• SafeART Queer/Straight Alliance at Randolph Union High School was awarded $400 to support the leadership work of LGBT youth in Randolph and surrounding communities.

HIV/AIDS Service Organization Grant Awards

• AIDS Project of Southern Vermont was awarded $3,000 to support the Young Men’s Initiative working to prevent HIV/AIDS.
• Vermont People with AIDS Coalition was awarded $1,500 to support the vitamins/supplements buyers’ cooperative for people living with HIV/AIDS.
• Vermont CARES was awarded $2,600 for general operating support to provide prevention and services to those at risk of infection or living with HIV/AIDS.

Allied Organization Grant Awards

• Brattleboro Retreat was awarded $2,000 to support dedicated, culturally competent substance abuse and mental health treatment for LGBT patients.
• Chandler Arts Center was awarded $2,000 to support the Chandler Summer Pride Festival.
• The John Graham Shelter was awarded $2,000 to provide shelter for homeless LGBT youth and families.
• Lund Family Center was awarded $1,500 to help finish the requirements for national certification as an LGBT inclusive adoption and foster care agency.
• Snelling Center for Government was awarded $1,000 to support the Vermont Leadership Institute and its associates who are members and allies of the LGBT community.
• Vermont Folklife Center was awarded $3,000 to develop a statewide tour for the “Ladies of the Rainbow Cattle Company” exhibition, about drag queens in southern Vermont.
• Vermont Network Against Sexual and Domestic Violence was awarded $1,500 to provide professional development for anti-violence advocates concerned with violence in the LGBT community.
• YWCA Vermont was awarded $3,000 to support Camp Outright, a popular summer camp program for queer youth hosted by the YWCA’s Camp Hochelega.

The Vermont Community Foundation is a family of hundreds of funds and foundations established by Vermonters to serve their charitable goals. It provides the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise to make giving easy and inspiring. The Foundation also provides leadership in giving by responding to community needs and keeping Vermont’s nonprofit sector vital. Together, its funds and programs provide more than $12 million a year in grants and other investments in Vermont. Visit www.vermontcf.org or call 802-388-3355 for more information.