The program will fund activities to increase the effectiveness and sustainability of nonprofit organizations so they can better serve their communities. Here are some examples of what the program will fund:

• Strategic planning initiatives to clarify mission, goals, and performance measures
• Financial sustainability planning, including diversification of revenue streams, and enhanced fundraising and development skills, plans, or activities
  • NPCB does not support marketing or communication work for specific fundraising efforts. For example, it will support a consultant that helps an organization create an outreach template that can be used and adapted over time, but it will not support a consultant who writes a web page, email, or flyer for a particular fundraising effort.
• Merger planning
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion policy development and implementation
• Board and leadership training intended to provide a focused learning opportunity that builds organizational capacity
  • NPCB does not support training for one leader or one person in the organization. It supports leadership training that will benefit the entire organization and its board over time.
• Support for organizational adjustments to address challenges caused by changes in federal funding or policies. Grant funding may be used for consultant-led planning for items such as: exploring new staffing models, reevaluating program offerings, and/or revisiting financial sustainability and/or revenue planning.

For projects other than those listed, include details on how this work will support your organization’s ability to execute your mission, why it is important at this time, and clear evidence of Board support.

**Please note that grant funds can only be used to cover consultant fees.

• Repeat funding of the same organization or initiative within a 3-year period
• Board recruitment efforts
• Capital campaign preparation including feasibility studies
• Grant writing fees
• Startup costs for organizations seeking nonprofit status
• Activities that have already taken place or costs already incurred
• Consultant costs to support marketing and outreach, web development, communications, construction or other structural design, and/or event planning
• Staff training, licensures, and/or (re)certification expenses
• Salary and benefits, and/or professional development
• Operational capacity building (e.g. training on new software)
• Implementation of a strategic or financial plan
• Organizations with yearly operating budgets over $1 million
• Organizations that do not primarily serve Vermonters

Grant applications will be accepted from organizations and municipalities that are located in or serve the people of Vermont and address the above purpose. Previous recipients are not prioritized but are encouraged to call to discuss new work that is aligned with the NPCB guidelines.

All applicants to programs at the Vermont Community Foundation must meet the guidelines outlined in the General Applicant Guidelines and Requirements found on our For Nonprofits page.

Grants of up to $5,000 are typically awarded from this fund.

Grant activities must take place within one year from when the grant is awarded to be eligible for funding.

The Nonprofit Capacity Building grant program will accept applications beginning on Monday, February 23, 2026. The program will close for the year on November 1, 2026.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Decisions are typically made within two months of receiving the application. 

Grant funds cannot cover activities that have already taken place; please keep the notification timeline in mind as you prepare your application. 

Notifications on approved and denied applications will be made by email to the email address used to submit the application. Notification timelines are approximate. If you have not received an email, you can check your organization’s email history in your Online Grants Manager account.

All applications must be submitted electronically. Visit the Resources for Grantseekers section on our For Nonprofits page to learn how and to register for a new account. Or, access your existing account.

To help you prepare, preview a sample of the application. Please note that this is a PDF sample and not the actual application. To view and begin working on the application, login to the Online Grants Manager (OGM).

With questions about the Nonprofit Capacity Building grant program, please contact Jane Mulcahy.

• Email: jmulcahy@vermontcf.org
• Phone: 802-388-3355 ext. 381