What does the Equitable & Inclusive Communities program support?
We recognize that Vermont communities are starting in different places in their work on equity, inclusion, and belonging, and that communities will need different things at different times. We welcome communities at all stages of learning. We also acknowledge that a single project will not address all of a community’s equity and inclusion challenges, and that this work is an ongoing process, so we seek to fund proposals that help a municipality make progress in its learning and actions.
Because of this, the program is open to a range of proposals that meet locally defined community needs. This may include:
- Requests for funding to support consultant-led work within a community
- introductory trainings on diversity, equity, and inclusion
- implicit bias trainings
- equity assessments
- planning efforts
- review of hiring practices
- Community-wide conversations
- Support for the creation and work of municipal equity committees
- Stipends for community members to be involved in the work (for example, so that people can take time off work, pay for child care or transportation, or otherwise have their time appropriately compensated)
- Or a combination of these activities
Communities interested in the different ways a city, town, or village can engage on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion can review the Vermont Local Solutions and Community Action Team’s “Municipal Engagement for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” for information and inspiration. Another resource showing how towns can undertake this work can be found in the Declaration of Inclusion Implementation Guide, part of the Declaration of Inclusion initiative. Funding is not limited to these activities.
