Community Action Team Program (Vermont)

Community Action Team Program (Vermont) is sponsored by Ben & Jerry's Foundation. Through their Community Action Team Program, Ben & Jerry's Foundation funds organizations in Vermont that address basic human needs (such as food, housing, health, elder and childcare) within Vermont's under-served populations, including elders, youth, low-income and communities…

Vermont Grants: Community Action Team - Ben & Jerry's Foundation Hands off the Foundation! Our independence and funding is at risk. The Vermont Community Action Teams (CATs) are groups of employees at each of Ben & Jerry’s three Vermont manufacturing and office facilities.

They offer general or project support within the broad guidelines and funding provided by the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation. Every month, the CATs make small grants, generally under $2,000, to various local, community-based Vermont non-profit programs. In addition to making small grants, the CATs plan community service projects for all employees at their sites.

DEADLINE: Applications reviewed monthly.

To be considered for funding, each applicant organization must be: A local, community-based, non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, OR An organization that has a fiscal agent with 501(c)(3) status, OR A municipal school, or a municipality Funding preference will be given to organizations that: Focus on under-served populations including seniors, youth, low-income and communities of color Address basic human needs and the needs of underserved areas of the state Improve access to housing, food, health care, elder and child care Have a strong volunteer base Can demonstrate the support of their community Don’t rely exclusively on funding from the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation Might not have access to more mainstream sources of support Unfortunately, we cannot consider requests for: Individuals or scholarship programs Organizations or programs that are focused or based outside the state of Vermont Statewide programs or organizations (local affiliates are fine) Businesses or business association Other foundations or regranting organizations Religious organizations (unless they provide outreach programs that benefit the broad community) Discretionary or emergency requests Programs or purposes that may be perceived as directly benefitting a Ben & Jerry’s employee or their family members ELIGIBILITY QUESTIONnAIRE APPLICATION SYSTEM LOGIN ▸ Applications may be submitted online through our grants management system at any time and are reviewed on a monthly basis.

Frequently asked Questions Before submitting a funding request, may we discuss our work with your staff to see if we are a fit for your grant programs? Due to staff limitations we are not able to meet with potential applicants. We encourage all potential applicants to review our grant partners page to better understand the type of organizations we fund and our typical giving amounts.

If, after thoroughly reading all of the information detailed on this website, organizations have additional questions, they are welcome to email or call the Foundation directly. We don’t have a limit on the number of times an organization may apply, but we do recommend moderation. An organization may only be funded once each calendar year.

Can I apply for more than one grant program at a time? No. We will only consider one application at a time across our grant program options, and thus recommend researching each program to ensure your organization applies to the most targeted program for your needs. Who decides which groups receive funding from the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation?

All of our CAT grant decisions are recommended by teams of Ben & Jerry’s employees based at three separate sites: Waterbury, St. Albans and South Burlington. Each team reviews requests from a region of the state, depending on where the applying organization is based.

If this grant program is an open process with rolling monthly reviews, does it matter when I submit my request? You may submit your Vermont Community Action Team grant request at any time during the year, however, we cannot guarantee that the application will be reviewed within a month of being submitted.

The teams meet almost every month of the year, and each team has their own timeframe for when they complete their grantmaking meeting, which means we would not be able to give a specific deadline to ensure it is reviewed that month. Typically, if an application is submitted within the final weeks of any given month, it has a greater chance of being reviewed in the following month. Will we be notified if our application is NOT approved?

Yes, we will be in touch with every organization to share our decision, funded or not funded. Can our organization mail a request for support? We do not accept mailed requests for support.

All applications must be submitted online through our grants management system. You will need to first register your organization before applying online through the grant program. I completed the Eligibility Questionnaire and I was told I am ineligible for the grant program I am interested in.

Can I take the questionaire again? The questionnaire may only be completed once per year. We encourage an organization to have assessed their own eligibility by reading the details regarding each grant programs’ funding priorities prior to taking the Eligibility Questionnaire.

Questions may steer you to a program that has different eligibility criteria than that of the program you are intending to apply to, and therefore it is best to be mindful about which program you are wishing to get support from, as you complete the questionnaire. Can I see my Eligibility Questionnaire that I submitted, because I am sure I made a mistake and would like to fix it?

If you completed the Eligibility Questionnaire , you can look at your Applicant Dashboard within the grant portal to view your submission. On the Active Requests tab, the top of the list shows your Eligibility Questionnaire, and by clicking on View Eligibility Questionnaire, you will see the responses you selected.

If you do see that you answered something incorrectly, you will not be able to edit this questionnaire, but you may reach out to the Foundation to discuss your options. I am having difficulty signing in / saving / submitting my application. How can I get some help?

Free program welcomes all kids Global Campuses Foundation Adults with disabilities pursue Year-round support: A safe haven for Vermonters experiencing homelessness. The documents below feature lists, by year, of the organizations and programs we’ve funded in the past.

Not only is it inspiring to see all of the impactful work happening around Vermont, reading through these brief descriptions is a great way to better understand the types of projects that qualify for Vermont Economic Justice Program funding.

2024 VT Community Action Team Grants 2023 VT Community Action Team Grants 2022 VT Community Action Team Grants 2021 VT Community Action Team Grants 2020 VT Community Action Team Grants grant partners are from ▸