Reasons to Believe

Our board of directors consists of community leaders from around the state with diverse talents and experience. Visit vermontcf.org/board to see the latest information about our board and governance.

Kathy Austin, Morgan

Laurie Beyranevand, Woodstock

Tim Briglin, Thetford

Kristin Carlson (Secretary), Montpelier

Cindy Char, Montpelier

Nicole Curvin, Middlebury

Lindsay DesLauriers, Richmond

Carolyn Dwyer, Burlington

Mark Foley, Jr. (Vice Chair), Rutland

Dimitri Garder, Bennington

Spencer Knapp (Chair), Shelburne

Allyson Laackman (Treasurer), Out of State

Tammy Newmark, New Haven

John Vogel, Norwich

For a complete list of the Community Foundation staff, please visit: vermontcf.org/staff

Early this spring, on one of those April days when you can feel the sun, I loaded my three boys into the car, picked up my mom, and took everyone for a walk at North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier. The afternoon was warm and bright, and the boys reveled in the freedom of shedding their winter jackets and throwing sticks in the river.

As we walked along the riverbank, I overheard a young woman behind us telling her friend that she was completing her first year of Early College at the Community College of Vermont (CCV). She was optimistic that, with another free year at CCV guaranteed through the McClure Free Degree Promise, she would be able to continue on and afford a bachelor’s degree.

And it struck me, despite what sometimes seem to be overwhelming challenges, there are still great reasons to believe that we can make progress —public trails where a family can be in nature on a spring day; a young woman finding her path to a college degree.

The work of philanthropy requires us to deeply understand the challenges Vermont communities face—the housing crisis, the erosion of civil discourse and community, economic inequality, systemic racism. These are complex issues that intersect across Vermont communities and will take time, energy, and intention to unravel. But when we at the Community Foundation pause to look around, we see plenty of reasons to believe in our collective ability to solve those big problems.

The stories in this report provide a glimpse into the work we’ve accomplished together in 2022—a recovery house in Barre that keeps mothers with their children while working toward sobriety, a land purchase in Brattleboro that preserves an ancient Abenaki site, an arts organization in White River Junction that celebrates Black creatives, a group of teens organizing Middlebury’s first Pride Day, and yes, the young woman whose future is meaningfully different because of the McClure Promise.

Vermont is not immune to the problems we see around the country, but I’ll wager that there are few places with such a strong sense of community, of shared values, of neighbors willing to help neighbors. Keeping that alive is not up to someone else. It is up to all of us. Let’s continue to step in and step up for each other. Let’s stay committed to the idea that philanthropy can change lives and build strong communities—the reasons to believe that it does are all around us.

Dan Smith President & CEO

In 2022, thanks to the generosity of our donors and fundholders, we made a substantial and purposeful impact on the lives of Vermonters. As we continue to close the opportunity gap, let us remain fiercely engaged and insatiably curious about the role of philanthropy. Together, we can forge a brighter future for Vermont.

Spencer Knapp, Board Chair