Community Foundations are essential partners in the Center’s community revitalization work, providing support through grants and networking to philanthropists across the state. Recently, both the Maine Community Foundation and the Vermont Community Foundation highlighted their support for the Center’s programs.

In an article in Seven Days, Vermont Community Foundation featured the Center’s work as an example of how it uses mission investing to advance projects that are important to Vermonters. The foundation made a timely investment and a charitable grant to help the Center plan and execute the redevelopment of the historic building at 560 Railroad Street in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, to create new housing.

The new apartment development on Railroad Street is one part of the work the Center has done to support St. Johnsbury in the last 10-plus years, which has included providing grants to assist with mountain bike trails, partnering with downtown association Discover St. Johnsbury to promote tourism, and offering assistance and training to companies such as Lyndon Furniture.

The Maine Community Foundation showcased its support for the Center’s programs –which included investing in Center’s first housing initiative in Millinocket, Maine – in two ways. A video features Center President Rob Riley as well as footage of Millinocket, including the new apartments we’re building there as part of a multi-use building renovation. The foundation also is using the back cover of Downeast Magazine to highlight its work across Maine.

“Community foundations are powerful partners,” said Center Development Director Kristen Sharpless. “They bring mission-aligned capital and donor engagement together—helping us all move faster and farther on the issues that matter.”