NEK Impact Report

Report

The Northeast Kingdom Community

The Northeast Kingdom (Essex, Orleans, and Caledonia counties) spans more than 2,000 square miles of forests, farms, glacial lakes, and river valleys in Vermont’s remote northeastern corner.

Named by Senator George Aiken in 1949, the region wears the title with pride. Its wild character is defined by landmarks like Lake Willoughby’s glacial cliffs, the iconic summit of Jay Peak, and vast working forests that have shaped life and livelihoods for generations.

The region’s roots run deep in dairy farming and logging, and a strong French-Canadian heritage adds cultural richness—particularly in towns along the Canadian border. Hardwick is recognized as a model of local food system innovation, and that spirit of resourceful, community-driven problem-solving remains a defining trait of Kingdom residents.

Recreation is a vital economic engine deeply rooted in the region’s natural assets. In recent years, flooding has damaged not only homes, but also trails, businesses, and landscapes on which the economy depends. As the community rebuilds, it is also pursuing long-term solutions that

build environmental and community resilience to Vermont’s changing climate.

The Northeast Kingdom faces real challenges— housing availability, limited healthcare access, frequent flooding, and persistent economic pressures—yet its communities respond with characteristic resilience and fierce local pride.

In the Kingdom, remoteness is not a deficit but an identity, and the region’s future is being shaped by the same self-reliance that has always defined it.

Education & Learning

$1.6M Total 2025 Grantmaking | 270 Total 2025 Grants | $1.9M in Active Mission Investments (as of March 2026)

Several key organizations contribute to the Northeast Kingdom’s vitality, enhancing life for residents and welcoming visitors and new community members. Here are just a few of those organizations:

Northeast Kingdom

Organizing (NEKO) has received support from many donor advised and VCF-led funds, the NEK Fund, and the VCF Flood Fund to strengthen mutual aid and community connection through nine resilience hubs across the region.

kingdom united Resilience & Recovery effort (kuRRVE) has received support from donor advised funds and the VCF Flood Fund to coordinate long-term flood recovery and rebuilding efforts in collaboration with NEKO’s resilience hubs.

Northern Forest Center received an early VCF planning grant and later a mission investment to help renovate the historic Railroad Street building in St. Johnsbury, creating nine middle-market apartments and two commercial spaces.

For the Kingdom, by the Kingdom.

The Northeast Kingdom Fund

Founded on the guiding principle of “For the Kingdom, by the Kingdom,” the Northeast Kingdom Fund was established in 2011 by the VCF and local partners as a permanent philanthropic resource for the people and communities of Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties.

Since inception, the NEK Fund competitive grants program has awarded $1.25 million through 351 grants to 167 unique organizations, including nonprofits, schools, and municipalities. Support from donors and donor advised fundholders from the region and beyond, together with VCF-led funds, has helped make these grants possible.

What sets the NEK Fund apart is its grantmaking committee, composed entirely of local residents. This model keeps decision-making close to the community and ensures that funding reflects what neighbors actually need. Grants are intentionally modest—up to $5,000—because the committee believes that the right investment at the right moment can open doors, leverage other funding, and spark lasting change.

“We embody a small but mighty mindset that reflects the character and culture that the Kingdom is known for,” says Tabitha Bowling, NEK Fund committee member. “We know how to make the most of what we have. It doesn’t take a lot to make a big difference.”

Umbrella

For 50 years, Umbrella has supported survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence in the Northeast Kingdom, while preventing future harm through education and accountability. One example is the Spark Warmline, an innovative helpline for people who want to stop causing harm. Born in the Kingdom, the Warmline is now a statewide resource thanks in part to support from the VCF. Domestic violence exists in every community, and poverty, isolation, and housing insecurity can exacerbate challenges in rural areas like the Kingdom. Umbrella relies on support from philanthropic sources, including the NEK Fund and other VCF funds to meet growing demand for services.

Green Mountain Farm-to-School (GMFTS)

A leader in Vermont’s farm-to-school movement, GMFTS promotes healthy communities physically, environmentally, and economically. Its Lunchbox program— a food truck offering free summer lunches to school children and affordable meals for community members—helps expand food access in the region. Delivered to library story times and other public spaces, the meals are made with locally sourced ingredients. “The support we receive through the VCF has a very direct impact,” says executive director Catherine Cusack. “The money is literally going right into the community to purchase food, engage school-aged children, and bring people together in healthy, all-inclusive spaces.”

Fundholder Spotlights

GENERATIONS OF GIVING:

Craftsbury Community Fund

When an unexpected inheritance arrived, so did a question: What do we do when we have more than enough?

For one fundholder, the answer was a donor advised fund to support a place she loved. Over 13 years, the Craftsbury Community Fund has supported local initiatives, including funding for the library to purchase books from the local bookstore, scholarships to a Shakespeare camp, energy efficiency improvements for neighbors’ homes, and a modular classroom at a community childcare center. While the fund helps meet immediate needs, it is also a family legacy in the making. Two generations advise on the fund together today—the original fundholder and her daughter—with stewardship intended to reach a third generation in time.

“The Northeast Kingdom is a magical place, but there is need, just like there is everywhere else in the world. It’s a responsibility and a tremendous privilege to try and do our part.”

- Anonymous Fund Advisors

SUSTAINING AN AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE:

Peacham Farm Support Fund

GIVING WITH INTENTION: Elise & Phil Lawson

After years of responsive giving, Elise and Phil Lawson were ready to take a more intentional, rooted approach. They grew a fund at VCF over time with steady contributions and investment returns. Today, they support forest conservation, outdoor recreation and education, the agricultural economy, and local journalism. A donor advised fund at VCF has brought a sense of order to their giving, and helps them multiply their impact alongside others.

“We didn’t need a huge amount to start, and working with VCF has made it possible to be both intentional and nimble—so when something urgent happens, like the flooding we experienced in Burke, we can step in and help.”

- Elise and Phil Lawson, VCF Donor Advised Fundholders

Nearly 20 years ago, an anonymous donor established a permanent fund at VCF to preserve Peacham’s agricultural heritage and help keep farming alive for future generations. Administered at the VCF in partnership with a three-person volunteer committee, the Peacham Farm Support Fund awards small grants each year to local farmers for capital projects that make their work more viable.

In 2025, grants supported a dairy farm rebuilding roads washed away in the July 2024 floods, a sheep farm installing new fencing, and the completion of a delayed barn window restoration project. Agriculture remains central to Peacham’s identity, and this fund ensures local farmers have a place to turn.

One barn, 100 farms Mission Investing in the Kingdom

Walk into the Yellow Barn in Hardwick, and the Northeast Kingdom’s food economy comes to life. Cheese, honey, and fresh vegetables line the shelves, and just steps away, farmers are unloading crops destined for institutions and grocery stores across the Northeast. Home to the Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE) Food Hub, Jasper Hill Creamery, and Cabot Cooperative Creamery, the Yellow Barn moves products from over 100 local farms to regional markets weekly, and provides space for area food and farm businesses to expand and develop products. To date, the Yellow Barn project is credited with creating or saving 150 farm jobs in the region.

VCF support included grants from donor advised fundholders and discretionary funds, plus over $1 million in mission investment loans over five years. “The VCF was a pivotal partner in bringing the seven-year Yellow Barn Project over the finish line,” says Jon Ramsay, executive director of CAE, who anticipates the loan will be repaid by next year.

Revitalizing Vermont’s Villages Village Trust Initiative

In Lunenburg, the future of the Gilman village once felt uncertain. The 2007 closure of the Gilman Paper Company mill dealt a blow to the community, but it was the loss of the middle school a decade later that forced residents to confront what came next.

“People in town were saying that Gilman was too far gone, that it could not be revitalized,” says Gary Briggs, president of the Lunenburg-Gilman Community Trust. Instead, community members imagined something new.

The community applied to the Village Trust Initiative, a collaboration between the VCF, the Vermont Council on Rural Development, and the Preservation Trust of

Vermont that provides expertise and funding to help small, rural towns take on downtown revitalization projects. Early support from VCF, including a preconstruction and construction grant, helped them develop the plan to transform their empty school into a community hub. The project expects to create apartments, a gymnasium, and a Head Start preschool, along with space for community events and Town Meeting.

“We can have vibrant communities and hold on to everything we love about rural life,” says Gary. “It’s the partnerships that created momentum. There is possibility now.”

To learn more or speak with a philanthropic advisor, please visit vermontcf.org or contact us at philanthropy@vermontcf.org or 802 388-3355 opt. 5.