VCF: Walter Cerf Community Fund Large Grant

The Walter Cerf Community Fund provides large grants of up to $25,000 to support charitable needs in Vermont, with a focus on arts, education, historic preservation, and social services. Organizations serving Addison County or Brandon are eligible, promoting collaboration and support for underserved populations. Established in 2001 in memory of Walter Cerf, the fund aims to inspire giving and address community needs. Applications are welcomed from tax-exempt organizations, with specific project requirements for funding consideration.

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.
He attended university in Freiburg, Heidelburg, and elsewhere before being awarded his Ph.D. from the University of Bonn in 1933. For his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star.
During the last twenty years of his life, Walter Cerf made gifts exceeding $10 million to more than 100 different organizations in Vermont. The Fund will make grants annually in Walter’s name and will continue the generosity of this remarkable man in perpetuity.
Grant Size
Large Grant Eligibility:

• Project/program specific
• From organizations in or serving the Addison County/Brandon areaUp to $25,000
• What does the WCCF Fund support?
• The Walter Cerf Community Fund (WCCF) makes grants to address charitable needs in the state of Vermont.
• Priority interests are the:

arts, education, historic preservation, and social services, reflecting the pattern of giving established by Mr. Cerf over many years.
We highly value the input of the Preservation Trust and strongly encourage grant seekers for historic preservation projects to consult with the Trust before submitting an application.  Approximately 70% of funds available will be awarded to programs and projects in and/or serving the Addison County/Brandon area; the remaining 30% of available funds will support programs and projects serving a statewide constituency. The Fund will consider both small ($500-$5,000) and large (up to $25,000) grant requests, but will only award one to two large (up to $25,000) grants.
Organizations applying for a small grant are invited to request program/project support or general operating support. Requests for the large grant must be program/project-specific and must be from organizations serving Addison County or Brandon.

Eligibility

Grant applications will be accepted from organizations that are located in or serve the people of Vermont. Organizations must be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code 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.Grants are made to organizations that either have a statewide constituency and make a unique contribution to Vermont or are located in or serve the populations of Addison County or Brandon.
No person in the United States shall, on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity (as defined in paragraph 249(c)(4) of title 18, United States Code), sexual orientation, marital or parental status, political affiliation, military service, physical or mental ability be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity funded in whole or in part with funds made available (meaning any funds having a competitive application process) by the Vermont Community Foundation, and any other program or activity funded in whole or in part with funds appropriated for grants, cooperative agreements, and other assistance administered by the Foundation.If grant applicants employ staff or engage volunteers, they must do so and provide services without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity (as defined in paragraph 249(c)(4) of title 18, United States Code), sexual orientation, marital or parental status, political affiliation, military service, physical or mental ability.

Ineligibility

What We Don't Fund:In general, the WCCF will not make grants for endowments, religious purposes, individuals, or debt reduction. Large grants will not be awarded to general operating support requests.