Samara Fund
The Samara Fund provides grants and scholarships to LGBTQ+ Vermonters.
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image courtesy of Pride Rides
The Samara Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation is a group of Queer and Trans Vermonters committed to a vision of transformational grants and scholarships to the people and groups throughout Vermont who demonstrate their dedication to the empowerment, health, and safety of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and HIV positive (LGBTQ+) people.
Program Guidelines
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What are the Samara Fund’s core values?
Core values guide our work. We are:
- Anti-racist and anti-oppressive by practicing intersectionality, power-shifting, and transformative justice both internally and externally. This includes being proudly trans-inclusive in every level of our work.
- Transparent with our community and funders about how we work.
- Queering fundraising and redistributing wealth for a bigger impact on the Vermont LGBTQ+ community.
- Prioritizing accessibility, gratitude, and accountability while queering our work to make it fun, connective, and sustainable.
What are the funding priorities?
- Queer and trans-led projects and organizations
- Projects that center, are led by, and/or prioritize BIPOC and/or trans Vermonters
- Elders and youth
- Queers with disabilities
- Work that is harm reduction (including HIV/AIDS prevention and advocacy)
- Projects meaningfully working beyond Chittenden County
- Smaller budget projects
- Long-term projects
What types of funding are offered?
- General organizational support
- Project-specific support to organizations
- Emergent (unplanned) needs for organizations
- Sponsorship of queer events
- Scholarships for LGBTQ+ high school students committed to positive change for LGBTQ+ people who seek to enroll at a four-year college or university, a career or technical college, or a vocational program
Who is on the Advisory Committee?
- Owen Daniel-McCarter, he/him, Bethel
- Najat Croll, she/her, Ripton
- Delanté Keys, they/he, Addison
- Skylar Maguire, they/them, Bristol
- Mo Reilly, she/they, Westford
- Indi Schoenherr, they/them, Burlington
What size are the grants?
The Samara Fund will award grants up to $5,000.
What is the grant term, deadline, and notification timeline?
Grant activities must take place within a year from when the grant is awarded to be eligible for funding.
Applications will be accepted between May 6 – July 1, 2025. Applications must be received by 5PM on Tuesday, July 1 in order to be considered.
Applicants will be notified of grant decisions by early September. Grant funds cannot cover activities that have already taken place; please keep the notification timeline in mind as you prepare your application.
Emergent needs, new projects taking place before October, and/or sponsorships requests may be applied for at any point on a rolling basis.
Samara Fund Scholarships
The Samara Scholarship was established in 2000 as an investment in the future of Vermont students who oppose discrimination and prejudice and who stand for the elimination of homophobia.
The Samara Scholarship is designed to recognize Vermont high school students who demonstrate, through personal experiences and/or public commitments, a dedication to the interests of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning community.
Who May Apply?
The applicant must:
- be a Vermont resident
- be a graduating high school senior or receiving a GED by the end of the current academic year
- plan to further formal education training in any area, be it academic, vocational, technical, or the arts, in the following academic year
- demonstrate, through personal experiences and/or public commitment, a dedication to the interests of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning community
How much are the awards?
The awards vary by year but typically range between $1,000 and $2,000.
Grant Application Process
All applications must be submitted electronically. Visit the Resources for Grantseekers section on our For Nonprofits page to learn how and to register for a new account. Or, access your existing account.
To help you prepare, preview a sample of the application. Please note that this is a PDF sample and not the actual application. To view and begin working on the application, login to the Online Grants Manager (OGM).
Scholarship Application Process
The application process is completed through VSAC Scholarship Program’s unified application. For a printed copy of VSAC’s scholarships booklet, visit your high school guidance office in late October or email publications@vsac.org to receive a copy through the mail. The VSAC application can be completed online:
VSAC Scholarship Programs
Champlain Mill
P.O. Box 2000
Winooski, Vermont 05404
Toll-free: 1-888-253-4819
Burlington area: 655-9602
website: vsac.org
email: info@vsac.org
Contact Us
For questions about the Samara Fund and grant program, please contact Elisabeth Marx
- Email: emarx@vermontcf.org
- Phone: 802-388-3355 ext. 241
Contact Us
With questions about the Samara Fund and grant program, please contact Elisabeth Marx.
- Email: emarx@vermontcf.org
- Phone: 802-388-3355 ext. 241
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