Creating and implementing community plans can be a daunting task. Regardless of the size of a community, municipal staff or volunteer planning commissions are usually in need of some assistance to get projects off the ground.

Obtaining grants is one important way to fund planning and implementation projects. Each grant, generally, has goals and minimum requirements and may take the form of technical assistance from a specialist or provide straight funding for a community to use on a specific project. They may be financed by private foundations or government entities. Some require matching funds while others do not.

Below is a short list of the more accessible grants available to communities in Vermont. It is by no means an exhaustive list.

General Community Grants

NEW!
· The Municipal Education Grant Program
A simple and easy grant program for securing up to $800 to bring education and training directly to your town! This is a state-funded program run by the Municipal Land Use Education and Training Collaborative.

· The Municipal Planning Grant Program
A state-funded program designed to support Vermont towns in their municipal planning efforts. The program funds technical assistance for town planning, implementation of plans and ordinances, encouragement of citizen participation and education, and innovative demonstration planning projects.

· VT Community Development Program Grants
Grants to municipalities that provide financial and technical assistance to identify and address local needs and priorities in the areas of housing, economic development, public facilities, and public services for persons of lower income.

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Water Quality Grants

· Vermont Water Quality Grants (DEC)
Funds are available for water-related projects that protect or restore fish and wildlife habitats; protect or restore river corridors and shorelines; control aquatic nuisance species; enhance recreational use and enjoyment; identify and protect historic and cultural resources; educate people about watershed resources; or monitor fish and wildlife populations and/or water quality.

· Lake Champlain Basin Program Grants
Annual grants for local watershed projects related to the implementation of the Opportunities for Action management plan for the Lake Champlain Basin. Who is Eligible: non-profit organizations, local municipalities, private or public schools. Projects must be in the Lake Champlain watershed.

· Connecticut River Joint Commissions Partnership Program Grants
In support of innovative, community-generated projects that address economic and conservation challenges in ways that are compatible with the Connecticut River valley's historic, scenic, and natural resources.

· Land & Water Conservation Fund
(Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation)

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Historic Preservation

· Barn Grants
The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation has had a 50/50 matching grants program to assist owners of historic agricultural buildings (barns, corn cribs, sheds, grist mills, etc.) since 1991. These can be in private ownership.

· Historic Preservation Grants
Historic buildings are important to Vermont communities and organizations. Since 1987 the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation has had a 50/50 matching grants program to assist municipalities and non-profit organizations in restoring important historic buildings across the state.

· Certified Local Governments (CLG) Grants
CLG matching grants can be used to fund a wide variety of local preservation projects.

· Additional Historic Preservation Grants [55 kb pdf file]
The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, in addition to running the grant programs listed above, also maintains a fairly comprehensive list of other grants available to communities and community organizations for historic preservation.

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Transportation / Recreation Grants

· VTrans Transportation Enhancement Program
This program enables 10% of the state's Surface Transportation Program (STP) highway funds to be used for enhancement activities along the highways. The program can be a funding source for such transportation-related activities as sidewalks, bike paths, historic preservation, environmental mitigation and more. Local authorities and non-profit organizations are eligible to apply.

· The Vermont Byways Program
The Byways program is a source of federal transportation funds to assist with improvements related to either tourism or resource conservation. The federal funds can be used for road safety improvements, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, rest areas, shoulder improvements, recreation area investments, protecting cultural and historic resources along roads, and providing tourist information and interpretive facilities.

· Historic Bridge Program. While not a grant program per se, this program provides assistance to communities that want to protect and preserve their historic bridges through easements, adaptive re-use, and the covered bridge preservation plan.

· VTrans Town Highway Grant Program
The Town Highway Aid Program was established by the Vermont Legislature in order to assist towns with maintenance of their class 1, 2, and 3 highways.

· VTrans Bicycle and Pedestrian Program
Note: There is currently a moratorium on funding for competitive projects under this program. If interested in this program's status, please contact the VTrans staff identified at the link address above. Originally the Federal Highway Administration and the State of Vermont provided funding for this program through the Agency of Transportation. Funding was available to communities for feasibility studies for potential bicycle and pedestrian projects or for bike/ped master planning for the community. Alternative years the agency provided funding for the construction of projects.

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Recreation Trails

· Vermont Recreation Trails Grants
The Recreation Trails Program provides communities and non-profit organizations with the opportunity to create and maintain trails and greenways in Vermont. Trails and greenways contribute to the vision of an interconnected network that provides access to outdoor recreational opportunities within 15 minutes of every person's home.

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Conservation

· Targeted Brownfield Assessment Grants
The VT DEC Sites Management Section (SMS) will be providing targeted site assessments of brownfield properties throughout Vermont. Recipients will receive a Site Investigation Report (SI), conducted by one of the state contracted environmental consultants, which will describe any potential environmental contamination on the property and put forth recommendations for the next phase of investigation, if necessary. Please click on the link above for availability and application cycle information.

· Trees For Local Communities Cost-Share Grant Progam
The Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program's TLC Grants provide funds to communities for the purpose of developing and implementing local urban and community forestry programs.

· Vermont Youth Conservation Corps
The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) is a non-profit service, conservation, and education organization that accomplishes their mission by forming small teams of young people who work with excellent adult leaders to complete conservation projects. They improve local resources, and construct and improve trails and wild life enhancements.

· Conservation Alliance Grants

· Kodak American Greenways Awards / Conservation Fund

· Lake Champlain Basin Program

· National Park Service Rivers & Trails Program

· New England Grassroots Environment Fund

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Other

· The Vermont Community Foundation

· Vermont Directory of Foundations
(published by CPG Enterprises)

· The Foundation Center

· Grants.gov
"one-stop" Federal grants shopping