VCF: Crosby-Gannett Fund Grant

The Crosby-Gannett Fund, established by the Vermont Community Foundation, offers a three-year grant of $22,500 to support innovative projects in the Brattleboro area. Prioritizing small community-based organizations, the Fund aims to enhance local impact by funding programs, capital projects, and operating expenses. Applicants must demonstrate how their initiatives address specific community challenges and contribute meaningfully to social and economic development, ensuring that grants are directed towards impactful, sustainable solutions.

About the Vermont Community Foundation
We are a family of hundreds of funds and foundations created by Vermonters to serve their charitable goals. Together, our funds and programs put more than $60 million a year to work in Vermont and beyond, through grants and investments.
The Crosby-Gannett Fund was established at the Vermont Community Foundation in 2009 with the assets of the Crosby Foundation, which was dissolved in December 2008.
Crosby, a native of Brattleboro, to help serve community needs in the broader Brattleboro area. The name Gannett was added to the Fund in 2012 by the Advisory Committee to honor Senator Robert T. Gannett who had guided the Crosby Foundation as Secretary-Treasurer for more than 50 years.What does the Crosby-Gannett Fund support?
The Crosby-Gannett Fund has evolved its giving strategy starting in 2023. Each year the Crosby-Gannett Fund will award one three-year grant in the amount of $7,500 per year, for a total of $22,500 over the three-year period to the selected organization. The goal is to provide meaningful capacity-building support to brilliant, creative ideas that would benefit from reliable funding and enable them to take off and make a difference in the betterment of the Brattleboro area.
Grant awards can be used to fund programs, capital projects, and operating expenses.
What does the Fund prioritize?
To maximize impact, the Fund will prioritize small community-based organizations or discrete projects within larger organizations. Organizations with budgets over $1 million must clearly describe how these funds will make a meaningful impact and why their proposal could not be supported by the existing budget.
Below are the key criteria that will be used in evaluating proposals, though not all proposals are expected to meet all the criteria:
Defines a specific community challenge and this effort’s role in addressing it.Gives a clear and concise picture of how this funding will be used, with clearly defined goals and expected outcomes that identify how that will result in the betterment of the community.Adds substantially and specifically to the social/cultural/economic fabric and vitality of the community, building social connection.
Has clear project leaders and champions.
Creates a more inclusive and welcoming environment for historically marginalized groups.
Directly supports environmental sustainability or is mindful of the environmental impact of the funded activity.
Expands and/or improves the organization’s scope of work and/or populations served.
Leverages other funds or partnerships.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants must be schools, municipal entities, or nonprofit organizations that serve the Brattleboro area.

Ineligibility

Support for endowments or operational deficits are not allowable.