The Vermont Changemakers Table, with contributions from the Vermont Community Foundation and the Johnson Family Foundation, has distributed 22 grants totaling $60,260 to provide unrestricted operating support for organizations and initiatives led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) 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 cohort collaboratively designs a grant round to deploy a pool of funds aimed at addressing community-level challenges across the state.
This year, the 2021-2022 Changemakers cohort prioritized supporting BIPOC-led work focused on meeting individual and community needs. The grants were designed to convey trust in Vermont’s leaders of color, recognize their knowledge of the communities they serve, and provide operational support. “We are grateful to witness and participate in the adaptation of granting priorities and the processes that connect supporters to needs,” said Atowi Project Director Rich Holschuh. “It is an honor to be included among our community peers, comprising awardees who are drawn from a broad, diverse array of people and places. This is truly a grounding and affirming endeavor that recognizes a way forward towards resilience.”
Grant recipients represent a wide variety of BIPOC-led work, including anti-racist health care initiatives, celebration and preservation of Indigenous cultural practices, mutual aid for immigrant and new American communities, efforts to advance BIPOC land and food sovereignty, and much more. The full list of recipients can be found below.
The application to participate in the coming year’s cohort of the Vermont Changemakers Table will be released later this year.
Learn more about the Vermont Changemakers Table.
Full List of 2022 Grant Recipients
· Abenaki Helping Abenaki
· Alnôbaiwi
· Atowi
· Congolese Community of Vermont
· Conscious Homestead
· Education Justice Coalition of Vermont
· Free Access Health Clinic
· Hearts You Hold
· Koasek of the Koas
· Maquam Bay of Missisquoi
· Marigold House
· Milk with Dignity Standards Council
· Radical Imagination
· SafeArt
· ShiftMeals BIPOC GrowTeam
· Social Tinkering
· Technology for Tomorrow
· The Outpost Foundation
· The Root Social Justice Center
· Unlikely Riders
· Vermont Indigenous Heritage Center
· Wedding and Event Vendor Alliance
About The Vermont Community Foundation
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.
About Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility
VBSR is a statewide, non-profit business association with a mission to leverage the power of business for positive social and environmental impact. VBSR’s 700 member businesses and organizations strive toward a just, thriving, and transformative economy that works for all people and the planet through shared learning, building connections, and collective action. Learn more or join the cause at vbsr.org.