STRATEGIC GRANTS PROGRAM
The VCF created the Strategic Grants Program to achieve two things:
1) financially support the development and implementation of broad-based strategies that address the root causes of regional or statewide problems in one of our grantmaking areas, and 2) help develop the necessary leadership skills for an organization, or a coalition of organizations, to be successful in their efforts. Grantees in this area will receive leadership skills development training in addition to a monetary grant to implement their projects.

Our grantmaking areas:

  • arts, humanities, and cultural heritage
  • children, elderly and family services
  • civic engagement
  • diversity and tolerance
  • economic development
  • education
  • environment
  • health
  • housing, food and shelter

The VCF seeks to support strategies that achieve the broad outcomes in our Ends statement: that people’s basic human needs are met, and that communities are sustainable and successful. What prevents Vermont communities from meeting basic human needs? What barriers prevent communities from being successful or sustainable over time? We invite proposals that articulate strategies to address these issues through any the following:

  • Advocacy
  • Broad-based infrastructure- and capacity-building
  • Community organizing
  • Public awareness
  • Public policy

In particular, we’re looking for organizations that demonstrate effective leadership (creativity, openness to learning, skilled passion) and that would benefit from – and could contribute to – leadership development with other organizations. Grantees will be expected to participate in periodic leadership development forums during the two-year award period. The learning objectives of these forums will be determined in partnership with the grantees early in the award period.

Thanks to a partnership with the J. Warren and Lois McClure Foundation, a supporting organization established at the VCF, we are able to offer through this grant round a few multi-year grants that are significantly larger than our usual Community Fund grants.


Deadline
The Strategic Grants Program is on hold for the rest of 2007. We will post the 2008 guidelines and deadline by the beginning of 2008. Please check our website for updated information.

Total amount available:
$150,000 total (up to $75,000 per year, for two years)

Grant size:
Up to $50,000 (up to $25,000 per year, for two years). Second-year grant is contingent on progress made in the first year.
Non-monetary support:
Participation in leadership development forums focused on leadership skills development and peer-based learning.

Who is eligible:
Grant applications will be accepted from organizations that are located in or serve the people of Vermont. Applicants must be tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations or be a public agency or municipality in the state of Vermont. Nonprofit organizations or community groups who do not have 501(c)(3) status may apply for grant awards if another tax-exempt organization acts as a fiscal sponsor. Applicants must employ staff and provide services without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation.

What we fund:
We are looking for proposals that have all of the following characteristics:

  • propose a creative, innovative and systemic approach to having an impact on a regional or statewide problem
  • utilize leadership skills (creativity, openness to learning, skilled passion) to mobilize social and financial capital around a significant issue
  • have a high likelihood of achieving short-term objectives (within the two-year period of the grant award) and long-term outcomes

Since this is a new grants program, we have intentionally taken a broad approach to soliciting proposals. We have no pre-conceived ideas of strategies that we do - or do not - wish to fund. We will consider strengthening ongoing initiatives with demonstrated effectiveness, but new initiatives will take precedence. As with all of our grant rounds, we favor proposals that bring people, funding and organizations together around a common goal.

We will award two-year grants of up to $50,000 each (up to $25,000 per year, for two years). Second year funding is contingent upon progress made during the first year.

These grants also offer a leadership development component. All grantees will have the opportunity to participate in occasional learning exchanges during the grant period, where they can learn from one another’s work and develop their leadership capacity to achieve their goals. See a list of 2005 Strategic Grants awarded.

What we don't fund:
We do not generally make grants for: endowments; capital campaigns (except for initial planning expenses); religious purposes; individuals; debts; or equipment (unless it is an integral part of an otherwise eligible project); we do not fund work that has already been completed.

How to submit your application:
In the interest of allowing you to best describe your strategy for social change, we don't want to be overly restrictive in our requirements. However, we do a have a few guidelines that enable us to efficiently and fairly process the many applications we receive for each grant round. We ask that you provide us with five collated copies of the following:

1. A completed cover sheet.

2. A narrative (five pages maximum, single- or double-space) that describes your work and includes descriptions of the following:

Organization: Provide a brief description of your organization’s history, mission, current services and relation to similar groups in Vermont. Describe your organization’s values and workplace culture. Which other organizations are your closest allies in your work?

Your proposed strategy: Be sure to include the following:

  • The challenge you are trying to address.
  • Documentation of need, including relevant research on the issue you are addressing.
  • The process you engaged in to learn about the issue and develop the proposed strategy.
  • People who will benefit from your process and strategy.
  • A thorough description of your strategy, including data on its effectiveness in addressing the issue, activities you will undertake, and how you will engage in ongoing learning. Be sure to include the objectives to be reached within the two year grant award period.
  • Outcomes you expect as a result of this strategy.
  • Methods for measuring success.
  • A brief description of what you would like to learn from others, and what others could learn from you, in a learning exchange with other grantees focused on leadership. Also, how would your organization benefit from your learning?

Personnel : Please describe the people involved in the strategy and their leadership qualities. You may attach resumes as well. Please describe:

  • How they exhibit creativity, openness to learning and skilled passion for their work
  • Their ability to think conceptually and deal with ambiguity
  • Their spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation
  • List two people, besides yourself, who you think of as your leadership team and with whom you would like to participate in the learning exchange. These can be members of your Board, community leaders, collaborating partners, other staff people within your own organization, key volunteers or others. Please include your reasoning for choosing them.

Timetable : What are your milestones over the next two years? When will they be achieved? What are the process and outcome measures you will track?

3. The budget for your strategy. Include income sources (proposed and secured) and expenses. Click here for a sample budget. Note your plans for sustaining your strategy in the future.

4. Organization Budget and Financial Statements, including profit/loss statement and balance sheet. Also include income sources (proposed and secured) and expenses.

5. Letters of support, pictures from your events, fliers, promotional materials - all are optional, but can help give us a sense of the culture and flavor of your organization.

6. List of Board of Directors.


In addition, one copy of the following must accompany the application:

  • Tax-exempt letter from the IRS verifying your organization has 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.
  • Current audited financial statement or copy of the most recent IRS 990 tax return.

Please note: By submitting your application to the VCF, you give the VCF permission to share your application with other interested funders (if any), both individuals and foundations.

How we evaluate your application:
In evaluating applications, the VCF will consider the following criteria:

1. Compatibility with the VCF’s Community Fund guidelines

2. Well-documented regional or statewide need for the strategy

3. A clear articulation of the relationship between the proposed intervention and the desired outcomes

4. A clear articulation of how you would benefit from the exchange of ideas with other grantees on leadership development, and how others would benefit from your participation

5. The feasibility of achieving your short-term objectives and long-term outcomes

6. The feasibility of completing the project within the grant period; or the feasibility of a sustainability plan for the strategy beyond the grant period

7. The extent to which the strategy will help the VCF reach geographic areas and/or affinity groups throughout the state

8. Evidence of support from other organizations, community leaders and potential partners for the proposed strategy

9. Financial health and stability of the organization

10. Availability of VCF funds


Mail your application to:
Community Grantmaking Department
The Vermont Community Foundation
P.O. Box 30
Middlebury, VT 05753
Our Grantseeker Frequently Asked Questions is a great resource for information, and we are always here to help you. Feel free to contact
us directly.

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