NorthWoods was proud to be a recipient of a Vermont Community Foundation grant this spring. Check out the other great work that is being done throughout the state through VCF funding:

The Vermont Community Foundation, in partnership with some of its fundholders, awarded a total of $57,435 in Small and Inspiring grants to 29 organizations for local projects in communities across the state this spring. One of a number of competitive grant rounds at the Community Foundation, the Small and Inspiring grants program funds work that helps connect people to their neighbors, their land, and their history in ways that strengthen community.

“Sometimes a small project that doesn’t require a lot of funding can make a really big difference in bringing a community together,” says Jen Peterson, vice president for program and grants. “The stories we hear back from the organizations working on these small projects never fail to remind us of the tremendous potential of our communities and the ripple of connections and wellbeing that one project can have.”

Nonprofits interested in applying for a Small and Inspiring grant are encouraged to visit vermontcf.org/SmallandInspiring for more information. There are two remaining rounds in 2015, with deadlines at 5:00 p.m. on October 1 and December 1.

Small & Inspiring Grants Spring 2015

ADDISON

The Bristol Hub Teen Center received $2,500 to support their Hub Garden Project, which aims to teach local youth to grow their own food, provide fresh produce to their nutrition program, and build life skills.

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum received $2,000 to support Abenaki Heritage Weekend, an event which provides an opportunity for members of Vermont’s recognized Abenaki Tribes and unaffiliated people of Abenaki descent to share their living arts and traditions with the public.

New Haven Conservation Commission received $1,000 for the PLACE Program, a community landscape and wildlife conservation program that involves the New Haven Planning Board; New Haven schoolchildren, teachers, and administrators; and the town’s residents.

Orwell Free Library received $2,000 to support an Introduction to Cartoon and Illustrating program and an author/illustrator discussion about young adult novel writing. The program is open to all ages and intends to provide the community with an intergenerational experience that will strengthen community bonds.

Vergennes Partnership received $1,500 for The Vergennes Arts Walk, which promotes community spirit and provides area artists the opportunity to showcase their work in easily accessible downtown business settings.

BENNINGTON

Dorset Theatre Festival received $2,500 to support a theater program for youth that encourages literacy and creativity through a new play development residency and playwriting competition at the local middle and high school.

CALEDONIA

Pope Memorial Library received $1,500 to support Community Conversations, a series of four conversations per year with experts in the areas of music, food, volunteerism, and language.

CHITTENDEN

Abenaki Helping Abenaki (AHA) received $2,000 for the Wabanaki Confederacy Conference, an event which brings communities together to build social relationships, connect to the environment, educate about food sustainability projects, and help to preserve Native American culture.

Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center received $2,500 for the Adaptive Watersports Program, a service that provides people with diverse needs access to adapted teaching methods and specialized sailing equipment.

Peace & Justice Center received $2,500 to support their Racial and Economic Awareness Initiative which aims to develop, market, and pilot five workshops to be offered to schools, other institutions, and the public.

Vermont Congolese Community received $1,500 to support Congo Luzingu, a cultural festival that aims to strengthen mutual understanding between the Congolese community and their neighbors in the greater Burlington area.

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom received $2,500 to commemorate its 100th anniversary by putting on a Jan Maher play that chronicles the work of women peacemakers throughout the last century, enlivening their history for students and the community.

Young Writers Project received $2,000 for the Vermont Slam Poetry Project, which helps youths across Vermont find their voices through slam poetry and use those voices to advocate for change.

LAMOILLE

Stowe Performing Arts received $2,000 to support a concert, public lecture, and school performance by musician, dancer, and lecturer Karim Nagi in an effort to create greater understanding of Arab culture.

Sundog Poetry Center received $775 for its Nature Poetry Camp for Kids, which provides kids with opportunities to explore poetry through hands-on nature activities, read and discuss a diverse selection of poems, and create their own poems with the guidance of a teacher.

ORANGE

Town of Randolph received $2,500 for Arts on Wheels, which provides children with professionally taught arts education classes, delivered by the Arts Bus, a mobile arts studio, music space, and free library.

Vermont Technical College received $2,000 to support Randolph Area Table Scrappers! (RATS!), which provides Randolph with residential food scrap disposal services at one convenient drop-off location in Randolph Center for delivery to the Vermont Tech anaerobic digester for the generation of electricity and conversion into bedding and crop fertilizer.

ORLEANS

Albany Community School received $2,345 to support the Albany Community Bowl Project, a program in which students work with a local potter to create and glaze bowls and invite families and community members to share a spring feast made by students with ingredients from local farms.

Greensboro Arts Alliance & Residency received $1,000 to support the 2015 Greensboro Writers’ Forum, an event where community members work on and share their writing.

NorthWoods Stewardship Center received $2,065 for a herptile citizen science training that intends to build understanding of the conservation needs of reptile and amphibian populations in northeastern Vermont and create a team of capable citizen scientists through volunteer training and support.

Town of Craftsbury received $1,000 for the 44th Annual Antiques and Uniques Festival. The event brings community together in the appreciation of antiques, art, and locally grown foods.

United Church of Newport received $2,500 for iMentor, the church’s Out of School Program which pairs children with trusting senior citizens to strengthen connections in the Newport community.

WASHINGTON

Vermont Granite Museum of Barre received $2,500 to support the RockFire Granite Heritage Fire Walk, a multi-use pathway that begins the transformation of a 12-acre field adjoining the Museum from a granite waste site into an outdoor recreational area.

WINDHAM

Next Stage Arts Project received $2,250 for Shepherd Sleeps, a community pageant set in the hills of Putney that engages schools, organizations, and community members. Using movement and large-scale puppetry, the pageant reinvigorates early histories of the area.

Strolling of the Heifers received $1,500 for its fifth annual Slow Living Summit, an event which seeks to bring food in focus through a mindful exploration of the journey of food—from farming and food entrepreneurship to food justice and policy.

WINDSOR

Black River Action Team received $2,500 to support Neighborhood Stormwater Runoff Outreach and Mitigation, a program that educates homeowners about the benefits of capturing and slowing storm water runoff through targeted outreach and technical assistance.

Muckross Environmental Education and Outdoor Recreation Day Camp received $2,500 to support a day camp providing a safe, natural environment where any child, regardless of economic or social circumstance, can experience hands-on environmental education and outdoor recreation.

Norwich Historical Society received $1,500 to support a series of educational programs exploring personal, family, and town history to facilitate deeper connections to community among a population that has a high degree of transiency.

Zack’s Place Enrichment Center received $2,500 to support a collaboration with the Thomson Senior Center to write, choreograph, and perform a community musical production at the local high school auditorium.

Visit www.vermontcf.org or call 802-388-3355 for more information.