AREA TOWNS — The Vermont Community Foundation announced its Spark Connecting Community grant program has awarded $153,934 to 35 organizations across Vermont.
Recipients, which include municipalities, schools, nonprofits, and community groups, will host local projects that strengthen community connections. Vermonters will be brought together around climate resiliency work, art, gardening, and food.
Four area organizations each receiving a $5,000 award under the program are Central Vermont Community Radio, Plainfield; Hardwick Area Food Pantry, Hardwick; Riders in Plainfield and Marshfield, Plainfield and Rural ARTS Collaborative, Greensboro.
“Last year, VCF identified gaps in the geographic reach of Spark grants throughout the state. In 2024, we prioritized those areas, and the Spark Connecting Community grant program reached all but one county in Vermont this year,” says Holly Morehouse, vice president of Community Impact at the Vermont Community Foundation. “The grantees, which range from a community meals series to a radio station to a pollinator garden, represent ways that Vermonters are coming together to connect and enrich their communities across the entire state.”
Spark Connecting Community is a competitive grant program at the foundation that puts building and nurturing community front and center. The Community Foundation aims to support grassroots work happening throughout the state that builds social capital. These grants, where a small amount can make a big difference, are intended to encourage community vitality.
The Spark Connecting Community grant program will hold one competitive grant round in 2025. Visit vermontcf.org/spark for updates and more information.
