The Buffum Family Foundation Announces Two New Endowments at the VCF to Support Vermont Nonprofit Organizations

The Courtney and Victoria Buffum Family Foundation has established two new permanent endowments at the Vermont Community Foundation totaling $1 million. The funds will provide lasting support for the Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center in Burlington and Elevate Youth Services in Barre, helping ensure their work continues to make a difference in the lives of Vermonters for generations to come.

Since its founding by the late Victoria Buffum in 1997, the Courtney and Victoria Buffum Family Foundation has long invested in organizations that support the arts, children and families at risk, single mothers pursuing their education, children with disabilities, and others facing barriers to opportunity. These two new $500,000 endowments continue that legacy by creating lasting resources for organizations expanding access to recreation, connection, housing, and essential services across Vermont.

By establishing these endowments at the Vermont Community Foundation, the Buffum Family Foundation is providing a reliable source of annual funding, while entrusting VCF to steward and invest for long-term growth, preserving the charitable resources over time.

The endowment for the Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center will strengthen the organization’s Adaptive Sailing Program and Diversity Access Initiative, helping fund scholarships, adaptive equipment, instructor training, and expanded outreach so more people of all abilities and backgrounds can experience the joy of sailing on Lake Champlain.

The endowment for Elevate Youth Services will help sustain services for young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, including emergency shelter, housing case management, street outreach, drop-in spaces, counseling, substance use support, and access to food, clothing, transportation, and hygiene supplies.

Both organizations are dedicated to ensuring more Vermonters, especially young people and those facing barriers to opportunity, have the chance to belong, grow, and thrive.

“The Sailing Center and Elevate Youth Services represent the kind of community organizations that align with our mission,” shared Tom Gauntlett, president of the board of the Courtney and Victoria Buffum Family Foundation. “We love that they are expanding access in underserved communities, and they are doing great work. They deserve support from the private sector, and these endowments will ensure lasting help in their success. Our partnership with VCF is a key part of making that possible, providing the structure for these grants and the certainty that they will endure.”

With these gifts, the Buffum Family Foundation now holds 11 endowed funds at the Vermont Community Foundation, reflecting a long-term commitment to strengthening Vermont communities through philanthropy that endures across generations.