Vermont Community Foundation Doubles Impact for Adaptive Sports

Good neighbors naturally help neighbors. At the Vermont Community Foundation, we’re proud to represent over 1,000 individuals, families, and businesses who are dedicated to making their communities stronger through giving. By supporting events like the Heady Trotter, which benefits Green Mountain Adaptive Sports, we hope to inspire more  Vermonters to give locally. GMAS’s work is about much more than sports—it’s about building confidence, emotional well-being, and connection for all Vermonters, regardless of ability. Everyone deserves to experience the joys of our beautiful state, whether that’s exploring a recreation path on a crisp autumn day or navigating a ski slope as the fresh snow piles up.         

“We’re excited to offer a $20,000 gift match for Green Mountain Adaptive Sports at this year’s Heady Trotter race,” said Dan Smith, President and CEO of the Vermont Community Foundation. “What they’re doing—helping people through adaptive sports—makes such a difference, not just for physical health but for building real community connections. Here in Vermont, where being outside is such a big part of life, it’s important to make sure everyone gets to be part of that.”

“We are thrilled with the support from Vermont Community Foundation to help us meet our fundraising goal from the Heady Trotter. Their matching funds will help us carry out our mission to improve the quality of life for Vermonters living with a disability through access to inclusive sports and recreational activities. Green Mountain Adaptive Sports (GMAS) is committed to help build a world where nobody gets left on the sidelines,” said Cynthia Needham, President of the Board at Green Mountain Adaptive Sports.

Our Broader Mission at VCF

Supporting Green Mountain Adaptive Sports is just one of the ways the Vermont Community Foundation is working to build stronger communities across the state. Each year, we invest over $60 million in grants and programs that tackle Vermont’s most pressing issues, from affordable housing and mental health services to supporting local businesses through $20 million in mission investing.

Our donors understand that philanthropy isn’t one-size-fits-all. Whether responding to the 2023 and 2024 floods or supporting nonprofits like GMAS, they give to a wide range of causes—preserving farms and forests, expanding arts and culture, ensuring access to healthy food, advancing women’s economic security, promoting affordable housing,  supporting LGBTQ+ rights, and addressing climate and environmental challenges. Their generosity touches every corner of Vermont, improving lives and strengthening our communities in countless ways.

VCF staff participating in the 21st annual Fire Truck Pull in support of Outright Vermont, held on September 28, 2024.

“We live in a small state where charitable giving can have a very visible impact, especially when people literally lace up their shoes and race together to support organizations like GMAS through the Heady Trotter,” said Emilye Pelow Corbett, a senior philanthropic and planned giving advisor at the Vermont Community Foundation. “It’s just this type of energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to great causes that we often see among the families and individuals who open giving accounts with us. Part of my job is serving almost as a matchmaker to help people align their giving with the things they care about whether they are at the starting line of their philanthropic journey or well along the way. “      

Thinking about giving in Vermont but unsure where to start? Our Giving Quiz is a simple and fun way to explore causes that resonate with you. It can help guide you toward meaningful ways to make an impact.