About the Vermont Community Foundation
The Vermont Community Foundation was established in 1986 as a permanent source of support for the state. We are a family of hundreds of funds and foundations created by Vermonters to serve their charitable goals. We provide the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise to make your giving easy and inspiring. Together, our funds and programs put more than $60 million a year to work in Vermont and beyond, through grants and investments.
Our Mission
Better Together: Inspiring giving and bringing together people and resources to make a difference in Vermont.
Our Vision
Vermont at its best; Vermonters at their best.
What do we mean by best?
- Vermonters look out for each other.
- Vermonters have equal access to opportunity.
- Vermonters understand and respect each other.
- Vermonters live in balance with the environment.
- Vermonters engage in civic life.
- Vermonters are healthy, inspired, and feel a sense of potential.
Our Core Values
We are a nimble organization. We approach our work with curiosity, respect, and integrity. We believe in collaboration, equity, and diversity. We reflect the joy of giving.
RIPPLE: Vermont Community Foundation Values & Belief Statement
Race, Inequity, Power, Privilege, Learning and Engagement
The Vermont Community Foundation believes that systemic racism and institutionalized oppression exist in Vermont and drive economic inequity, erode community, and perpetuate social injustice. This looks like... <click to read the full statement>
What is a Community Foundation?
Community foundations in the United States are public charities serving people who share a common interest—improving the quality of life in their area. Individuals, families, businesses, and organizations create permanent charitable funds that help their region meet the challenges of changing times. Community foundations invest and administer these funds.
All community foundations are overseen by a volunteer board of citizens that works toward the greater good of the community. The first community foundation was established in 1914 by a Cleveland banker and today nearly 700 community foundations in the United States administer more than $31 billion in charitable funds and address the core concerns of the communities they serve. And worldwide, there are more than 1,800 place-based foundations are empowering people to address local challenges and opportunities.
Community foundations are designated "tax-exempt public charities" rather than "private foundations" because they raise a significant portion of their resources from a broad cross-section of the public each year. To learn more about the community foundation field, please visit the Council on Foundations website.