Want To Join a giving circle?
Some Giving Circles are open to new members. If you are interested in joining a GC check out our Directory of Vermont Giving Circles. If you’d like more information about joining a GC, please contact us - we’ll help you find a GC that is a good fit for you.
Mission Murals Giving Circle PC: Lennon Mapes
Vermont Giving Circle Directory
If you are interested in joining a giving circle that is open to new members, please email the contact listed. If you’d like help finding the right giving circle for you or if your Vermont-based giving circle would like to be included in our Directory, please contact us.
We also encourage you to check out The Global Directory of Giving Circles hosted by our friends at Grapevine and Philanthropy Together.
Giving Circles at-a-glance*. Scroll down for details.
Athena Giving Circle
BTV Giving Collaborative
Central Vermont Women’s Giving Circle*
Dadvocates*
Defend Democracy*
Good Trouble Giving Circle
Karaoke Stars
Kinship Giving Circle
LASH Family Giving Circle
LeanLeft Vermont Giving Circle*
L.I.F.T Locally Impacting The Future Together*
Mission Murals*
Racial Justice Giving Circle*
Si Se Puede!
Slow Food Vermont
Sunny Day Giving Circle
Vermont Family Network
Vermont Women’s Giving Circle
Women in Fundraising
100+ Women Who Give - Chittenden County, VT*
*Open indicates that this group is open to new members.
Athena Giving Circle
Giving Focus: Women & Girls
Geographic Focus: Southern Vermont, Brattleboro Area
Giving Level: $500
Launch Date: April 2020
About: The members of Athena Giving Circle make collective decisions regarding who to support based on members' interests. From these agreed upon "sectors of need" we perform research, report back, discuss and decide. We anticipate rotating through the sectors, making donations over the years to different organizations. This year we supported a women's crisis shelter in response to the state's stay-at-home order during the pandemic.
This is a closed giving circle.
Organizations we support: Women’s Freedom Center (2020)
Contact: Gail Nunziata
BTV Giving Collaborative
Giving Focus: Equity and Inclusion
Geographic Focus: Vermont
Giving Level: $1,000
Launch Date: 2017
About: We are a grassroots, volunteer led group of people who want to support and encourage philanthropy, become better philanthropists, and recognize the power our collective philanthropy can have in making positive change in our community. We gather to learn about the issues affecting people in our community. We make collective donations to support organizations working to make positive change and improve people’s lives. We are especially interested in supporting organizations that address issues of equity and inclusion.
Organizations we support: Outright VT (2018), Pathways Vermont (2019) and Vermont Access to Reproductive Freedom (2020)
This is a closed giving circle.
Central Vermont Women’s Giving Circle
Giving Focus: Community organizations serving people in need in central Vermont
Geographic Focus: Central Vermont
Giving Level: A minimum of $365 annually
About: The Central Vermont Women’s Giving Circle is a group of women dedicated to giving back to the communities of Central Vermont. Each year, Circle Members come together, pool our dollars in a shared fund, and decide together where to give that money. In the process, we learn about our community’s needs, nonprofit organizations and their efforts, and philanthropy. Our grants range from $100 to $2,000.
Organizations we support: Vermont Works for Women, People’s Health and Wellness Clinic, Vermont River Consvancy, Little Belllas. For a full list of organizations we’ve supported, click here.
This is an open giving circle. Click here for more information about joining.
Dadvocates
Giving Focus: Social and Racial Justice
Geographic Focus: Statewide
Giving Level: No required giving level, no additional membership fees. Members give what they can.
Launch Date: January 2020
About: Dad Guild's Dadvocate Giving Circle is a fun, low barrier way for fathers to get involved in collective philanthropy, while learning about issues impacting BIPOC in our surrounding communities, and how we can align our efforts and support organizations doing the work to dismantle systemic racism.
We are open and welcome new members.
Organizations we support: Coming soon!
Contact: Keegan Albaugh, Founder and President, Dad Guild and the Dadvocate Giving Circle
Defend Democracy
Giving Focus: We support democratic political candidates and voter registration groups.
Geographic Focus: We mostly fund outside of Vermont.
Giving Level: Members commit a minimum of $20 per month.
Launch Date: January 2020
About: We are a group of mostly Mad River Valley women that are passionate about politics and want to support Democratic candidates with progressive values. With support from our parent organization, Lean Left, we promote meaningful, sustained actions that support our mission of flipping seats from red to blue, or keeping seats blue, at the state and federal levels.
Our group vets candidates and then pools our funds to support them. We also support nonprofits that advocate for voting rights.
We are open to new members.
Organizations we support: We support political candidates and politically engaged organizations working to get democratic candidates with progressive values elected.
Contact: Dana Donaldson
Good Trouble Giving Circle
Giving Focus: Gender equity, women & girls, racial equity
Geographic Focus: Vermont
Giving Level: Members contribute between $25 and $50 annually and are expected to participate in group fundraising activities to increase the impact of our collective gift.
Launch Date: June 2020
About: This giving circle, named in honor of Congressman, Freedom Rider and civil rights leader, John Lewis, is lead by and is for high school students that are passionate about a variety of social justice issues. Their mission is to improve the wellbeing of women and girls in Vermont, through a lens of intersectional feminism that focuses not only on the experience of white, middle-class women, but also on the experiences of women of color , immigrant women and women of all socioeconomic levels. Although not currently open to new members, but be in touch if you’d like to learn more about our work and perhaps join in the future. Also, feel free to reach out if you are thinking about starting a youth-led giving circle, we’d love to help you get started.
Organizations we support: The Vermont Racial Justice Alliance (2020)
Contact: Lena Kerest
Karaoke Stars
Giving Focus: We support a wide variety of causes and issues focusing on basic human needs.
Geographic Focus: Vermont/NY and Nationally
Giving Level: $15 per donation cycle
Launch Date: March 2021
About: The purpose of this giving circle is to bring friends together during holidays and birthdays to support organizations in need during these exceptional times.
This is a closed group.
LASH Family Giving Circle
Giving Focus: Social and Racial Justice
Geographic Focus: Atlanta, GA and Chittenden County, VT and Nationally
Giving Level: Minimum of $25 annually
Launch Date: March 2021
About: We are LASH-ing out to make the world a better place. We are cousins, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews and aunts coming together to donate once or twice a year to support organizations we care about.
This is a closed group.
Lean Left Vermont Giving Circle
Giving Focus: Voting rights and combating voter suppression, and key Democratic races in state legislatures in swing states.
Geographic Focus: Nationally.
Giving Level: $5 per month. No fees.
Launch Date: 2019
About: Every month Lean Left Vermont chooses a slate of candidates or an organization as the beneficiary of the month. We select organizations that are working against voter suppression. Based on available national research, we evaluate and select candidates who have a strong chance of flipping key seats and/or organizations that effect voter mobilization. LeanLeft Vt now has 8 or 9 circles set up, each with captains. Captains recruit members and do monthly emails to them with giving links focusing on Democratic and progressive candidates and voting rights in key swing states.
Organizations we support: We give to political candidates and organizations in key Swing States, which included GA, NC, PA, WI in 2019 and 2020.
Contact: www.leanleftvt.org
L.I.F.T Locally Impacting the Future Together
Giving Focus: We fund a variety of issues. Our mission is to give in order to strengthen the greater Burlington community.
Geographic Focus: Chittenden County
Giving Level: $500 for women 35 and over (except if working for a community non-profit or out of the work force); and $250 for women under 35, those out of the work force or working for a community non-profit). All money goes directly to awardees. We have no fees.
Launch Date: 2017
About: L.I.F.T is a public giving circle that was founded to strengthening the Greater Burlington, Vermont community through the power of collective giving. We fund a variety of issues and our grants are guided my the interests on the member of the giving circle. Members can nominate beneficiaries and each member gets one vote. We give annually.
It is very important that each member has an equal say and equal opportunities. We do not want to be guided by too many rules, because we want to remain flexible to evolve each year based on our membership and the world around us. We come from different towns with different backgrounds and are enjoying getting to know one another through collective giving and learning.
This is an open giving circle and we welcome new members any time of the year. We hope that new members will bring an interest in learning about and meeting the representatives of the organizations we recognize through our awards. Again, we are informal, so those who are looking for a process more akin to grant-writing, rather than our one-page nominating form, may not be comfortable with how we operate. We choose 5 members each year to serve as the nominating committee. This committee reviews the nominated organizations and selects a handful to present to the membership to choose the annual awardee(s). We love when members want to be on this committee, but it is never required.
Organizations we support: KidSafe Collaborative, The Janet S. Munt Family Room, Outright Vermont, and the Children's Program at Steps to End Domestic Violence.
Contact: Shirin Hart and Alexanadra Clauss, Co-Leaders
Mission Murals
Giving Focus: Public art & Vermont artists
Geographic Focus: Statewide
Giving Level: Minimum $20.
Launch Date: July 2020
About: We work with nonprofit organizations and local artist to support the installation of murals. We believe all people should have access to beautiful spaces and that art has the power to tell important stories and to transform lives. This is an open group and anyone can join and support our work. We have two levels of membership: 1) Steering Committee Members and 2) Supporting Members. Members of the Steering Committee play an active role in identifying new project, fundraising and moving mural projects forward. Supporting Members participate in our crowdfunding efforts and support mural projects with financial contributions of any size.
https://www.instagram.com/missionmuralsvt/
Contact: Jill Badolato
Racial Justice Giving Circle
Giving Focus: Social and racial justice
Geographic Focus: Countywide focus: Chittenden County
Giving Level: Minimum $250
Launch Date: August 2020
About: The Racial Justice Giving Circle’s goal is to help dismantle racism by educating ourselves about white supremacy culture and by supporting and raising up black-led and black benefiting organizations. As a group we share and explore our personal histories as white people and how we’ve benefitted from being white. We are not white saviors. We are givers, activists, and do-ers. We will do our best to learn, feel uncomfortable, grow, and engage as a part of this giving circle that will work towards breaking down the scaffolding of systemic racism by our collective learning, giving and actions.
Come join us!
Organizations we support: Vermont Racial Justice Alliance (2020)
Contact: Jessica Rauch, Leader
Si Se Puede!
Giving Focus: TBD by members of the group
Geographic Focus: TBD
Giving Level: Members contribute any amount.
Launch Date: September 2020
About: Coming Soon!
This is a closed giving circle.
Contact: Laura Latka
Slow Food Vermont
Giving Focus: BIPOC Farmers
Geographic Focus: Statewide
Giving Level: No required giving level, no additional membership fees. Members give what they can.
Launch Date: Winter 2021
About: The Slow Food Vermont Giving Circle was created to help support BIPOC Vermonters connected with farming and the food system -- by sharing seeds and/or seed money, providing scholarships to Slow Food events and other learning opportunities, and finding fun and meaningful ways to ensure that our commitment to "Good, Clean, and Fair" goes forward through an equitable, inclusive, and just lens.
We are open and welcome new members.
Organizations we support: SuSu CommUNITY Farm
Contact: Barrie Silver
Sunny Day Giving Circle
Giving Focus: TBD annually by members of the group
Geographic Focus: Vermont, New York and New Jersey
Giving Level: Members contribute any amount that feels right
Launch Date: December 2020
About: This family style giving circle started to honor the memory of the family matriarch - Sunny! Sunny’s children, their spouses and her grandchildren started a new tradition to honor her memory and her generous spirit. Each year around the holidays, the family comes together to nominate and vet causes Sunny would have cared about.
This is a closed giving circle.
Vermont Family Network
Giving Focus: To support the ongoing work of Vermont Family Network, whose mission is to empower and support all Vermont children, youth and families, especially those with disabilities or special health needs.
Geographic Focus: Statewide
Giving Level: A pledge for 5 years at a minimum of $1000 a year
About: The VFN Giving Circle is a group of individuals who want to support the financial sustainability of the Vermont Family Network and enhance our capacity to impact positive change through family to family support, information, and training, and powerful puppetry. Giving Circle members have monthly opportunities to participate in Coffee with the CEO, “inside scoop” conversations about VFN’s programs, services, and leadership opportunities for families. Staff share compelling stories of VFN’s successes and challenges, and seek feedback from Giving Circle members on what we are doing well and what we might improve upon. The Giving Circle members are valued investors and strategic partners for our nonprofit as we continue to grow and change.
Contact: Claire Giroux-Williams, claire.giroux-williams@vtfn.org, 802-876-5315
Vermont Women’s Giving Circle
Giving Focus: Women and Girls Internationally
Geographic Focus: Mostly internationally to developing nations
Giving Level: $50 per month
Launch Date: 2011
About: The Vermont Women’s Giving Circle is an intergenerational network of Vermont women, with the common goal of supporting sustainable change in the lives of women and children around the world. We are pooling our resources to leverage the power of our donations, to fund existing non-profits whose programs and services address the issues of human rights, safety, health and education for those in need.
We are a closed giving circle. If you are interested in learning more about how we work, please be in touch.
Contact: Jodi Breckenridge, Co-Leader
Women in Fundraising
Giving Focus: Vermont-based nonprofits
Geographic Focus: Statewide
Giving Level: No minimum contribution
Launch Date: July 2020
About: Our mission is to create organized culture of local giving and resource sharing among women fundraisers in Vermont. Our Giving Circle has six members, all who identify as women and work in fundraising in VT. Members must support at least one VT based non-profit that serves Vermonters. Members agree to join for a minimum of one calendar year / one giving cycle.
The Women in Fundraising Circle meets every other month. Each meeting begins with a short "show and tell" where one member shares about a VT non-profit they support, why they support it, and an update from the organization. This has to be a non-profit that no one in the group works for. The remainder of the meeting will be centered on specific topics of discussions, updates in the world of philanthropy, and resource sharing.
We are a closed giving circle. If you are interested in learning more about how we work, please be in touch.
Contact: Zoe Kaslow, Co- Leader
100+Women Who Give, Chittenden County
Giving Focus: We provide grants to a variety of non-profit organizations that have a strong presence and serve residents of Chittenden County, Vermont.
Geographic Focus: Chittenden County
Giving Level: $100 (or for a team of 2, $50) 4 times per year
Launch Date: January 2020
About: We are a diverse group of philanthropic women who come together to make a difference. We share a goal of creating a community network, empowering each other, and amplifyIng each other’s impact. We embrace a simple concept —- When women pool their donations, together we can have a big impact!
Organizations we support: Spectrum Youth and Family Services (2020)
This is an open giving circle. If you are interested in joining please visit our website and be in touch.
Contact: Barbara Keller, Co-Leader