This news item originally appeared as a press release at VTdigger.org here. Our thanks to VT Digger and a reminder to contact coordinator@commongoodvt.org with news items, funding announcements, job postings or other information to share with the Vermont Nonprofit Community. You can also call us directly at 802.862.1645 x21 or get in touch via twitter or facebook!
Grantmaking from the fund will support children, elderly, and family services; health care; education; economic development; environment; sustainability; and the arts. Any nonprofit organization that serves the Northeast Kingdom is eligible to apply; the fund especially encourages applications from smaller, grassroots organizations. Applications to the fund are now being accepted online and this year’s grant application deadline is Friday, September 7. Grants will typically be awarded in amounts between $500 and $5,000.
“The Vermont Community Foundation created the Northeast Kingdom Fund as a special commitment to put philanthropy to work in our corner of Vermont,” noted Charlie Browne, the executive director of the Fairbanks Museum and a member of the fund’s steering committee. “Here in the Kingdom, small nonprofit organizations often struggle with limited resources to advance the vibrancy of our communities, to enhance the welfare of our families, and to sustain our landscapes. I am excited to see the generous spirit of the Kingdom applied to our shared purpose of working and giving together.”
Community National Bank and the Passumpsic Savings Bank are among the founding corporate donors to the fund. “The Directors and employees of Community National Bank are excited to invest in the Northeast Kingdom Fund at the Community Foundation,” says Steve Marsh, president of Community National Bank. “These funds will be used for the greater good of all Kingdom residents, and we feel that the benefit will be felt for generations to come.”
The fund is currently hoping to raise one million dollars in permanently endowed charitable funds for the region. For more information on the fund, contact Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup at the Vermont Community Foundation at 802-388-3355 ext. 295.
