The Vermont Women’s Fund Pivots to Address COVID-19: Gives $292,000 to Nonprofits Supporting Vermont Women and Girls

During the week of April 20th, the Vermont Women’s Fund distributed $292,000 to nonprofits and initiatives delivering invaluable services that safeguard Vermont’s women and girls during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.

The Vermont Women’s Fund Council made the decision to pivot its grantmaking strategy to support urgent needs brought on by the pandemic. “We had to change direction quickly,” says Meg Smith, Director of the Vermont Women’s Fund. “As each day progressed in March, it was obvious we had to switch our thinking from funding programs to supporting organizational survival. These nonprofits are the frontline organizations providing critical resources for Vermont’s women and girls and the wider community.”

The Vermont Women’s Fund is the largest philanthropic fund dedicated to women and girls in the state. Its mission is to fund programs that support women’s economic self-sufficiency and advance gender equity. Since its founding in 1994, the Women’s Fund has distributed over $3 million to nonprofits throughout Vermont that provide programs in pursuit of those goals. Smith has headed up the Women’s Fund for seven years.

“It is not lost on us that an estimated 66 percent of Vermont’s frontline workers are women, holding essential positions in healthcare, childcare, social services, grocery, and cleaning services,” comments Smith. “The disparity that we are seeing play out in this crisis is indicative of a much larger problem, one we are committed to solving. But for now, we are proud to provide some immediate funds to these great Vermont organizations that work for the long-term benefit of women and girls.”

The following is the list of recipients of funding from the Vermont Women’s Fund for 2020. All grants given were unrestricted funding in this special COVID-19 grant cycle:

• Boys and Girls Club of Burlington provides services in Chittenden county: $5,000
•  Capstone Community Action in Barre provides services for Washington, Lamoille, and Orange counties: $10,000
•  Castleton University in Castleton educates both Vermont and out-of-state students: $5,000
•  Center for Women & Enterprise in Burlington provides statewide services: $10,000
•  Change The Story in Burlington provides statewide services: $125,000
•  Early Care and Learning Partnership in Vergennes provides services in Addison County: $5,000
•  Green Mountain United Way in Montpelier provides services for Caledonia, Essex, Orange, Orleans, and Washington counties: $10,000
•  Governor’s Institutes of Vermont in Winooski provides statewide services: $5,000
•  Howard Center in Burlington provides statewide services, with some focused in Chittenden county: $10,000
•  John Graham Shelter in Vergennes provides services in Addison county: $10,000
•  Let's Grow Kids in Burlington provides statewide services: $10,000
•  Mercy Connections in Burlington provides services in Chittenden county: $10,000
•  NewStory Center in Rutland provides services in Rutland county: $10,000
•  Northeast Kingdom Collaborative in Craftsbury provides services for Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties: $2,500
•  Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA) in Westminster provides services for Windham and Windsor counties: $5,000
•  The Family Place in Norwich provides services for Windsor county: $10,000
•  The Umbrella of St. Johnsbury provides services in Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties: $10,000
•  United Way of Lamoille County in Morrisville provides services in Lamoille county: $10,000
•  VT Area Health Education Centers (Southern & Northern) in Springfield and St. Johnsbury provide statewide services: $5,000
•  Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance provides statewide services: $3,500
•  Vermont Technical College in Randolph educates Vermont and out-of-state students: $5,000
•  Vermont Works for Women in Winooski provides services for Chittenden and Franklin counties: $10,000
•  Vermont Youth Conservation Corps in Richmond provides statewide services: $3,000
•  WonderArts Vermont in Greensboro provides services in Orleans county: $3,000