SAMARA FUND GRANTS
Since its founding, Samara has granted over $500,000 to organizations to support LGBT communities in Vermont. The Fund seeks proposals for new or existing projects, programs, and organizations that serve the LGBT community in Vermont and help the Fund achieve its mission. Grants typically range from $1,000 to $4,000.
Please note: The Samara Fund will award grants only to projects or organizations that serve a critical need within the LGBT community at the grass roots level. Non LGBT-identified organizations are still encouraged to apply, but only if their project directly serves a critical need within Vermont’s LGBT community.
Samara grants DO NOT fund:
• Religious organizations for religious purposes
• Political campaigns or organizations
• For-profit corporations
• Individuals
Application Deadline:
The Samara Fund grant application deadline for 2012 is April 16.
How to apply:
Applications are accepted via email. Please write the application narrative in Microsoft Word or a similar word processing program. Submit the narrative and your program and/or organizational budgets as email attachments. Send your complete application to:
Samara Grants Advisory Committee – samaragrants@vermontcf.org
Your application narrative should address the following in no more than three pages:
1) Your Organization
Provide a brief background of your organization and its support for Vermont's gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender population.
2) The Need
Describe the problem or challenge you are trying to address. If you are seeking funding for general operating needs, describe why you need Samara funds at this time.
3) The Plan
Tell us how you plan to address the need. Include details regarding the goals you hope to achieve with the project, the activities you will implement to meet these goals, the numbers to be served, and the projected timetable with an anticipated completion date. If you are seeking funding for general operating expenses, tell us about your services and numbers served.
4) Outcomes
Tell us how you will know if your program is successful. What will be different and better as a result of your efforts?
5) The Program/Organization Budget
For funding requests for a specific project, please use the budget narrative form to provide the full program budget and details about other sources of revenue. If the funding request is to support general operating expenses, complete the budget form and provide a budget narrative description for each line item in the budget. Attach additional sheets if needed. Download the budget form.
6) Overall Funding
What is the long term plan for sustaining the project (or organization)?
Proposals are welcome from both 501(c)(3) organizations or groups which have a 501(c)(3) fiscal agent. Groups using a fiscal sponsor must fill out and submit the Vermont Community Foundation’s fiscal sponsor agreement.
Members of the Grants Advisory Committee are:
- Carol Maloney, Chair
- Greg Voorheis
- Peter Eley
- Natalie Brennan
- Shelley Vermilya
- Tin Barton-Caplin
If you are interested in participating on the Samara Grants Advisory Committee, please contact Carol Maloney, grants chair for the Samara Fund, at samaragrants@vermontcf.org.
