The Vermont Community Foundation has announced a new funding opportunity for arts-based projects to foster community belonging, social cohesion, and collaboration across the state. Recognizing the critical role the arts play in enhancing mental and physical wellbeing, the Foundation offers grants to support events and initiatives in the visual, performing, musical, and literary arts that bring people together in positive and lasting ways.
Founded in 1986, the Vermont Community Foundation connects donors with the causes they care about and supports communities across the state. Each year, the Foundation and its partners invest more than $60 million in Vermont, working toward a vision where every resident can build a secure and fulfilling future.
In a time marked by polarization, isolation, and rapid change, the arts provide a powerful avenue for connection. When individuals come together to create, perform, and experience art, they build trust, empathy, and shared purpose. The Foundation’s latest grant program seeks to amplify this impact by supporting projects that strengthen Vermont’s communities through meaningful engagement.
Nonprofits, schools, libraries, and other cultural and community organizations are invited to submit Letters of Interest (LOI) for funding consideration. Proposed projects should emphasize social interaction, inclusion, and collaboration—core components that contribute to a strong sense of belonging.
Grants typically average $7,500, with awards of up to $12,000 available for projects of varying scale and scope. Funding is made possible through a Vermont Community Foundation fund-holder and is aligned with the organization’s broader mission to improve health and wellbeing while narrowing the opportunity gap that affects many Vermonters.
Letters of Interest will be accepted between April 3 and May 8, with a submission deadline of 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 8. Submissions must be made through the Foundation’s online grants platform at vermontcf.org/for-nonprofits. Organizations selected to advance to the next round will be invited to submit full applications and notified of their LOI status by May 22.
For complete details and to submit a “letter of interest”, visit: vermontcf.org/funds/arts-social-cohesion.
