Walter Cerf Community Fund Large Grant

Walter Cerf Community Fund Large Grant is sponsored by Vermont Community Foundation. Supports charitable needs in Vermont, focusing on arts, education, historic preservation, and social services, with a preference for organizations serving Addison County or Brandon.

Walter Cerf Community Fund - Vermont Community Foundation Walter Cerf Community Fund The Walter Cerf Community Fund awards grants focused on education, historic preservation, and social services in Addison County, the Town of Brandon, and to organizations serving a statewide constituency.

courtesy of Brandon Public Library At his death in 2001, a permanent endowment, the Walter Cerf Community Fund, was established at the Vermont Community Foundation. The Fund makes grants annually in Walter’s name and will continue the generosity of this remarkable man in perpetuity. Walter Cerf was born in Leipzig, Germany in 1907.

The son of a successful businessman, he spent most of his youth in Berlin. He attended university in Freiburg, Heidelburg, and elsewhere before being awarded his Ph. D.

in philosophy at Princeton University. After becoming a United States citizen, he served in military intelligence with the 35th Infantry Division in Europe during World War II. For his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star.

In 1947, he began a twenty-five year career as a Professor of Philosophy at Brooklyn College. He retired to his summer home in Leicester, Vermont, in 1972. Although his father’s business, Gesellschaft für Eigentumsschutz, a night security agency, was expropriated by the Nazis in 1938, one-half of the company was returned to the family after World War II.

In 1987, Mr. Cerf sold his interest in the company. During the last twenty years of his life, Walter Cerf made gifts exceeding $10 million to more than 100 different organizations in Vermont. At his death in 2001, a permanent endowment, the Walter Cerf Community Fund , was established at the Vermont Community Foundation.

The Fund makes grants annually in Walter’s name and will continue the generosity of this remarkable man in perpetuity. 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. Within these issue areas, there is a strong desire to support work that addresses the needs of underserved populations. The WCCF prefers proposals that encourage cooperation, collaboration, and community building.

We highly value the input of the Preservation Trust and strongly encourage grantseekers for historic preservation projects to consult with the Trust before submitting an application. The WCCF will rarely fund an entire project, but favors projects which have support from a variety of sources. What does the WCCF Fund not support?

In general, the WCCF will not make grants for endowments, religious purposes, individuals, or debt reduction. The fund cannot make grants for activities that have already taken place. Please see “What is the grant term timeline?

” below for more details. How will the funds be allocated? 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.

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. For those grants to programs or projects serving a statewide constituency, priority will be given to those that include services to Addison County and Brandon.

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 (large grants will not be awarded to general operating support requests) and must be from organizations serving Addison County or Brandon. Who is eligible to apply? All applicants to programs at the Vermont Community Foundation must meet the guidelines outlined in the General Applicant Guidelines and Requirements found on our For Nonprofits page.

What size are the grants? The fund will consider both small ($500-$5,000) and large (up to $25,000) grant requests. If you apply for and are not awarded a large grant, your request will still be considered for a small grant.

From organizations in or serving the Addison County/Brandon area From organizations serving a statewide constituency From organizations in or serving the Addison County/Brandon area What is the grant term timeline? Grant activities must take place between September 2026 and September 2027 to be eligible for funding.

Deadline and Notification Timeline Walter Cerf Community Fund 2026 Deadline: Applications will be accepted between April 21 and June 9, 2026. We anticipate notifying applicants of grant decisions in September 2026 . Grant funds cannot cover activities that have already taken place; please keep the notification timeline and grant term in mind as you prepare your application.

Grants can be used to cover activities beginning in September 2026 and extending through September 2027. Notifications on approved and denied applications will be made by email to the email address used to submit the application. Notification timelines are approximate.

If you have not received an email, you can check your organization’s email history in your Online Grants Manager account. All applications must be submitted electronically. Visit the Resources for Grantseekers section on our For Nonprofits page to learn how and to register for a new account.

Or, access your existing account . To help you prepare, preview a sample of the application . Please note that this is a PDF sample and not the actual application.

To view and begin working on the application, login to the Online Grants Manager (OGM). With questions about the Walter Cerf Community Fund, please contact Emma Marks. Email: emarks@vermontcf.

org Phone: 802-388-3355 ext. 269 With questions about the Walter Cerf Community Fund and its grant program, please contact Emma Marks. Email: emarks@vermontcf.

org Phone: 802-388-3355 ext. 269