Reflecting on the First Half of 2026: Celebrating Progress, Strengthening Partnerships, and Looking Ahead
As July comes to a close, it's hard to believe we're already more than halfway through 2026. And yet, when we pause to consider all that has happened in the past seven months, it feels as though far more time should have passed.
As we reflect on the first half of the year, we're celebrating what we've accomplished, recognizing the partnerships that make this work possible, and looking ahead to what's next.
Responding to Growing Need
This spring, we awarded more than $400,000 to 43 nonprofit organizations across Vermont.
For the second consecutive year, we saw record demand, receiving $1.3 million in funding requests during the 2026 grant cycle. We know this
trend extends well beyond our state. Nationally, organizations serving women and girls are reporting increased demand for services while facing growing funding pressures and reductions in public support (as recently explored by Inside Philanthropy). We see that reality reflected in the requests we receive and in conversations with nonprofit partners across Vermont.
As these challenges grow, we remain focused on strengthening our community and deepening our impact. Behind every grant awarded is a shared commitment to ensuring Vermont women and girls have access to the opportunities, resources, and support they need to thrive.
Strengthening our Community & Deepening Our Impact
This year, we've welcomed two new members to the Women's Fund Council: Emma Spett and Heather Henyon.
Emma is a program manager at the University of Vermont’s Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships, where she supports community-university collaborations to address rural challenges. Much of her work centers around the way rural communities can better leverage data to guide planning and decision-making, which has led to the formation of the Vermont Data Collaborative. Emma is also an adjunct faculty member in UVM’s Master of Public Administration program and is completing her PhD in Community Development and Applied Economics.
She has a BA from New York University and a MS from the University of Vermont, and is the owner/operator of River & Rye, a restaurant and inn in Jamaica, Vermont.
Heather has more than 20 years of experience in venture finance, entrepreneurship, impact investing, and technology. She is the Founding Partner of Mindshift Capital, a global venture fund that invests exclusively in early-stage women-led technology companies and has backed female founders across six countries. Throughout her career, Heather has launched and led innovative investment initiatives focused on expanding opportunities for women entrepreneurs, including founding the Women’s Angel Investor Network, the Middle East’s first and largest women-led angel investing group.
Heather holds an MBA in Finance & Entrepreneurship from the Johnson School at Cornell University, and a BA in Economics & Political Science from Oberlin College.
A Vermont resident and passionate advocate for women’s sports, Heather is also the founder and owner of the Vermont Wild Football Club, an amateur women’s soccer club.
Together, they add valuable expertise and perspective to our growing Council, and we're grateful to have them on board.
We've also spent the first half of the year deepening relationships with partners across Vermont. From touring programs at King Street Center (a 2026 Women's Fund Grantee) in Burlington to joining community conversations at organizations like Merck Forest & Farmland Center, these visits continue to remind us that meaningful change happens through collaboration, listening, and shared purpose.
Investing in Partnerships
This year, we've joined forces with Gone Guys Films to create new mental health video resources for middle and high school athletes featuring members of Vermont Green FC. These resources are designed to spark conversations around mental health and provide young people with tools and support when they need it most.
On International Women's Day, we joined Lawson's Women and Non-Binary Association to celebrate the Power 
of Women in Agriculture, highlighting the leadership and contributions of women working across Vermont's agricultural sector. We're grateful for Lawson's Finest Liquids' continued partnership and support as a 2026 Vermont Women's Fund sponsor. To read more about our ongoing partnership, check out their 2025 Impact Report.
These partnerships reflect our belief in the power of community conversations and collaboration to support meaningful change.
Advancing Research and Economic Opportunity
July was a busy month for our organization and partners.
On July 14, the Vermont Women's Fund, Vermont Works for Women, and the Vermont Commission on Women, in partnership with Hula, welcomed more than 100 attendees to the launch of the Vermont Women, Work & Wages 2026 Report.
Building on the findings of the 2025 Spotlight Report, this new, more comprehensive report utilizes data from 2020 through 2025 to examine Vermont's persistent gender wage gap, including the impacts of occupational segregation, parenthood, and educational attainment.
The event featured a presentation, expert panel discussion, networking session, and a screening of No Country for Mothers.
Later in the month, we partnered with the Office of the Vermont State Treasurer to celebrate the First Steps Forward pilot program at Burke Mountain Resort. More than 60 guests gathered to discuss the importance of investing in Vermont families, recognize Maternal and Child Health Month, and celebrate the collective effort behind this important initiative.
Northeast Kingdom Community Action (NEKCA), which is serving as the program's local implementation partner, received a 2026 grant from us for their work on the pilot.
Looking Ahead to Our Annual Celebration
As we reflect on these achievements, we are also looking ahead to one of the most anticipated events of our year.
This September, the Vermont Women's Fund will welcome Shabana Basij-Rasikh, founder of the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA), to our 2026 Annual Celebration.
As women and girls around the world face growing challenges, stories of courage, resilience, and leadership matter more than ever. Raised in Kabul under Taliban rule, Shabana attended school in secret before going on to found Afghanistan's first girls' boarding school. When the Taliban returned to power in 2021, she evacuated the school community and rebuilt in Rwanda, ensuring girls could continue pursuing an education.
Her remarkable journey is a powerful reminder that every girl, everywhere, deserves the opportunity to reach her full potential.
We look forward to gathering with supporters, partners, and community members to honor the progress we've made, share stories of impact, and renew our collective commitment to advancing gender equity in Vermont. We hope you'll join us.
With Gratitude
These milestones represent some of the defining moments of our year so far, but they capture only part of the work happening across our network. Behind every grant awarded, partnership formed, report released, and program advanced are countless hours of collaboration, dedication, and support.
As we reflect on these achievements, we are especially grateful to everyone who helps make them possible: our nonprofit partners, who work tirelessly to deliver critical services and programs to Vermonters; our annual sponsors, whose generosity powers so much of this work; our dedicated Council members, who contribute their time, expertise, and passion; and our growing community of supporters who believe that feminist philanthropy can, and will, create lasting change in Vermont.
Thank you for your support and partnership throughout the year so far. We are excited about what lies ahead, and we hope you'll continue to walk alongside us as we build on this momentum in the months to come.
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