The Vermont Community Foundation Announces its 14th Round of Grants from the VT COVID-19 Response Fund

From VCF –

The Vermont Community Foundation has announced $315,000 in grants to support people experiencing homelessness, marking the fourteenth round of grantmaking from the VT COVID-19 Response Fund. Since it was created in March 2020 to support a coordinated response to the pandemic, the VT COVID-19 Response Fund has distributed nearly $9.5 million in grants, seeking to assist with basic and urgent needs for Vermont’s most vulnerable, and jumpstarting longer term recovery and resilience through five initiatives.

“Our fellow Vermonters experiencing homelessness have been particularly vulnerable throughout the pandemic and especially now as some public support services wind down,” says Dan Smith, president and CEO of the Vermont Community Foundation. “As philanthropy has done throughout the last eighteen months, we continue to see donors fill the gaps to support those who need it most—and that is exactly why we created the VT COVID-19 Response Fund.”

The organizations funded through this grant round, some of which are past grantees of the VT COVID-19 Response Fund whose work has remained steady throughout the pandemic, provide shelter services, help support people’s basic needs, provide navigation to find permanent housing options, support survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and more. This funding comes at a time when a sharp decrease in public dollars available for emergency housing has led to greater need by people experiencing homelessness.

“Vermont decision-makers and nonprofit organizations did heroic and necessary work to keep our neighbors safely housed during COVID-19, especially those who were experiencing homelessness or in tenuous situations,” says Sarah Waring, vice president of grants and community investments at the Vermont Community Foundation. “With the end of the state of emergency and the accompanying decrease in public funds available for this purpose, we heard a real and urgent need to support the individuals and families who are in need of housing—and the many organizations providing support, who are in it for the long haul.”

The full list of grant recipients for the 14th round of grants from the VT COVID-19 Response Fund is below. For a historical overview of the Fund, visit vermontcf.org/COVIDReportMay2021 to view the May 2021 progress report, as well as Vermont Community Foundation President and CEO Dan Smith’s reflections on the fund and the opportunities ahead.

  • Addison County Community Action Group (HOPE)
  • ANEW Place
  • Another Way
  • Bennington Coalition for the Homeless
  • Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO)
  • Charter House Coalition
  • Committee on Temporary Shelter
  • Community Health Centers of Burlington
  • Good Samaritan Haven
  • Groundworks Collaborative, Inc.
  • Homeless Prevention Center
  • Howard Center
  • John W. Graham Emergency Shelter
  • Lamoille Community House
  • Northeast Kingdom Community Action, Inc.
  • Pathways Vermont
  • Pride Center of Vermont
  • Rutland City Rescue Mission, Inc. (d.b.a. Open Door Mission)
  • Samaritan House, Inc.
  • Spectrum Youth and Family Services
  • Springfield Supported Housing Program
  • Upper Valley Haven
  • Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness
  • Vermont Network Against Domestic & Sexual Violence
  • Windsor County Youth Services

The Vermont Community Foundation inspires giving and brings people and resources together to make a difference in Vermont. A family of hundreds of funds and foundations, we provide the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise that make it easy for the people who care about Vermont to find and fund the causes they love.

The heart of the Community Foundation’s work is closing the opportunity gap—the divide that leaves too many Vermonters struggling to get ahead, no matter how hard they work. We are aligning our time, energy, and discretionary resources on efforts that provide access to early care and learning, pathways to college and career training, support for youth and families, and community and economic vitality. We envision Vermont at its best—where everyone has the opportunity to build a bright, secure future. Visit vermontcf.org or call 802-388-3355 for more information. For information on our COVID-19 response, visit vtcovid19response.org.