Northeast Kingdom Fund Awards $117,500 to Support Community-led Projects

From helping older adults remain in their homes to strengthening watershed resilience and expanding opportunities for children and families, 27 community-led projects across the Northeast Kingdom will receive a total of $117,500 through the 2026 Northeast Kingdom Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation.

In late August, Northeast Kingdom community leaders gathered in Island Pond to review more than 50 grant applications from organizations serving Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties. Together, the volunteer advisory committee selected projects that reflect the creativity, generosity, and resilience of the region. These projects span many of the Vermont Community Foundation’s priority areas, from climate and environment to economic equity, civic engagement, and health and wellbeing. Over the coming year, nonprofits from Gilman to Hardwick to Holland will bring these locally driven ideas to life.

One highlight from this year’s grant slate includes an award to Kingdom County Neighbors to support the Neighbor 2 Neighbor Lawn Care Program. Through this program, volunteers will provide no-cost lawn care services to at least 10 households, helping seniors age in place and supporting adults with disabilities in maintaining their homes. Beyond practical assistance, the weekly visits create opportunities for connection and help reduce social isolation. This model was inspired by the experiences of neighbors in Holland, VT, who began clearing snow for nearby families who were unable to clear their driveways and quickly discovered how small acts of kindness can strengthen community connections and improve quality of life.

“Projects like the Neighbor 2 Neighbor Lawn Care Program demonstrate how local solutions can make an impact on larger challenges, including the growing loneliness epidemic,” said Holly Moorehouse, vice president for Community Impact. “I’m excited to see how programs like this continue to grow and strengthen communities across the Northeast Kingdom.”

Several grants also focus on watershed health and flood resilience. Awards to the Caledonia County Natural Resource Conservation District and Town of Hardwick will support complementary community education events about local watersheds, while Vermont River Conservancy will lead a river cleanup in Bloomfield. Together, these projects reflect the region’s commitment to caring for the places that sustain its communities.

The next Northeast Kingdom Fund grant round will open in June 2027. To learn more, visit vermontcf.org/nekfund.

2026 Northeast Kingdom Fund Grantees

• AWARE received $5,000 to provide the Healthy Relationships Project, a comprehensive, evidence-based child sexual abuse prevention program, to children in Hardwick and the surrounding communities.
• Burke Mountain Club received $5,000 to host summer concerts, winter live music, and a village green tree illumination and solstice celebration at no cost to the community.
• Caledonia County Natural Resource Conservation District received $5,000 to provide hands-on outreach focused on basic river science principles using a portable stream table at events throughout the NEK.
• Catamount Film & Arts received $5,000 to host a monthly free community film series, including a pride film festival in June 2027.
• Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLIF) received $5,000 to lead CLIF Year of the Book, a literacy-building program for students at Waterford Elementary School.
• Children’s Museum of the NEK received $5,000 in support of Early Learners Discovery Days, which provides free, hands-on STEAM museum experiences for preschool, Pre-K, Head Start, and kindergarten students in the Northeast Kingdom.
• Cobleigh Public Library received $3,000 to host three accessible programs at the library: an ASL class for kids, a Chair Yoga class for seniors, and a support group for caregivers.
• Crystal Lake Falls Historical Association received $2,000 to host Barton Celebrates, an event that celebrates the people of Barton and surrounding communities with free music, free samples from local restaurants, and local arts and history.
• Green Mountain Farm to School received $5,000 to expand the Vermont Harvest of the Month program with a goal to onboard Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union into the program.
• Greensboro Nursing Home received $5,000 to support critical updates to a walk-in cooler used for over 11,250 Meals on Wheels meals each year.
• John Woodruff Simpson Memorial Library received $5,000 to provide year-round opportunities for people of all ages to create, play, and learn together through community arts programming.
• Joshua House Warming Shelter received $5,000 for programming that meets the immediate needs of community members who face challenges with safe or secure housing or who are currently unhoused in and around Newport.
• Kingdom County Neighbors received $2,350 to provide no-cost property maintenance services to senior community members and individuals who are disabled to help them remain safe, healthy, and independent in their homes.
• Leach Public Library received $3,650 to provide tables, chairs, and computer stations for the newly completed Howard and Phillis Mosher Community Room, a needed gathering space in Irasburg.
• North Country Supervisory Union received $5,000 to support the annual North Country science and engineering fair, a rigorous grade 5 through 8 STEM competition for ten schools.
• North Danville Community Club received $5,000 in support of a playground that will enrich the lives of local children and families and provide a vibrant community space for generations to come.
• Northeast Kingdom Organizing received $5,000 toward the development of the Lyndonville Resilience Hub and community meal program.
• Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital received $2,500 to provide sun safety education to Northeast Kingdom children and adults.
• Northern Rivers Land Trust received $5,000 to support community-driven recreation and conservation in the recently acquired 329-acre Buffalo Mountain Town Forest.
• NorthWoods Stewardship Center received $2,500 in support of the wildlife ambassador program, which engages students and community members through educational interactions with animals.
• Old Stone House Museum & Historic Village received $5,000 for Becoming Neighbors, a project that will use tiered volunteer research on local immigrant history, culture, and community to develop a shared narrative of 1920s diversity in the NEK that strengthens current-day connections.
• Orleans County Natural Resources Conservation District received $5,000 for the NEK Agricultural Workforce and Climate Adaptation Pilot, which will employ youth conservation crews to carry out farm climate and viability resilience projects on a NEK farm.
• RAMP received $5,000 for a VTrans Scoping Study for Route 5A, which will help launch efforts to make the Westmore community safer, more walkable, and more bike-friendly.
• Revernd George L. Fox Memorial Chapel received $5,000 to support installation of an ADA-compliant lift that will provide visitors of all abilities with full access to the historic Northeast Kingdom community resource.
• The Town of Hardwick received $1,500 for Anatomy of a Watershed, an interactive workshop and field experience for residents, municipal officials, volunteers, and community organizations to explore how watersheds function and how our shared landscapes shape flooding and resilience in the Northeast Kingdom.
• Vermont Legal Aid received $5,000 to expand in-person civil legal clinics across the Northeast Kingdom, connecting underserved communities with essential legal services and resources.
• Vermont River Conservancy received $5,000 in support of their efforts to transform an unmaintained lot along the Nulhegan River in Bloomfield into a riverfront park where people can access the river to fish, launch a canoe or kayak, or splash in the water.