Blog

Jan 11, 2024

Changemakers Table at the VCF announces $40,000 in grants to support BIPOC

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Changemakers Table, with contributions

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Changemakers Table, with contributions from the Vermont Community Foundation, has distributed eight grants totaling $40,000 to provide unrestricted operating support for organizations led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) working with rural communities across Vermont.

The Vermont Changemakers Table, convened by the Vermont Community Foundation and Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR), hosts an annual cohort of approximately 20 leaders under the age of 35 from across Vermont. The group collaboratively designs a grant round to distribute a pool of funds aimed at addressing needs across the state.

"The cohort brings an invaluable perspective to grantmaking and how we can address community-level challenges. This year's diverse group of applicants and grantees demonstrates the thoughtfulness of the cohort's approach and the inspiring, grassroots work being done at a local level across the state of Vermont," said Holly Morehouse, vice president of Grants and Community Impact at the Vermont Community Foundation.

This year, the 2022-2023 Changemakers cohort prioritized supporting BIPOC-led work and small organizations focused on meeting the needs of rural communities in Vermont. The cohort utilized trust-based philanthropic practices to create a grant program that centers equity and transparency, reflects on grantmaking practices, and builds trusting and valued relationships between funders and donors.

Grant recipients represent a wide variety of BIPOC-led work, including celebration and preservation of Indigenous cultural practices, mutual aid for migrant worker communities, education and advocacy around issues of racial justice, equity, and discrimination, art therapy for LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC youth, and much more. The full list of recipients can be found below.

· Abenaki Circle of Courage

· Addison Allies Network

· Maquam Bay of Missisquoi

· Milk with Dignity Standards Council

· Rutland Area Branch NAACP

· SafeArt

· The Outpost Foundation

· Unlikely RidersThe Vermont Community Foundation was established in 1986 as an enduring source of philanthropic support for Vermont communities. A family of more than 900 funds, foundations, and supporting organizations, the Foundation makes it easy for the people who care about Vermont to find and fund the causes they love. The Community Foundation and its partners put more than $60 million annually to work in Vermont communities and beyond. The heart of its work is closing the opportunity gap—the divide that leaves too many Vermonters struggling to get ahead, no matter how hard they work. The Community Foundation envisions Vermont at its best—where everyone can build a bright, secure future. Visit vermontcf.org or call 802-388-3355 for more information.