The Vermont village is often recognized as an iconic hub of general stores, churches, and community gathering spaces where residents come together. These villages have no shortage of people who want their communities to thrive and the Vermont village continues to be the stage of vibrant social life.
The Village Trust Initiative (VTI), made possible with a $10 million Congressionally Directed Spending award from Senator Patrick Leahy’s office, fosters community driven revitalization of both the physical and social infrastructure at the foundation of the historical success of Vermont’s small villages. VTI launched in 2024, bringing seven communities into the program and supporting them with technical assistance and funding to create a Community Trust and take on a transformational revitalization project. Now in its second year, VTI is pleased to announce that a new application round will open July 7th to towns with fewer than 2,500 people as per the 2020 Census. An informational webinar on the program and the application process will be held on Monday, June 9th at noon.
The Village Trust Initiative, a partnership of Preservation Trust of Vermont, Vermont Council on Rural Development and Vermont Community Foundation came together as the result of a shared goal: to help Vermonters revitalize a historic asset in their village that strengthens the sense of community. This multi-year program will support a total of 20 small towns in creating or bolstering a local non-profit organization with a mission focused on the vitality of the community. Each community will receive financial and technical support to support their initial project and ensure it successfully meets a community identified need, contributes to a thriving village, and acts as a catalyst for future projects within the village. All community minded ideas that meet a critical community need are welcome to apply.
“One of the goals of this initiative is to build community,” said Ben Doyle, President of Preservation Trust of Vermont. “We are thrilled with the results from the first cohort: village trusts have identified transformational projects, formed strong working groups, and strengthened community capacity and confidence. All of us are excited to support the next round of projects—whether that involves saving a general store, adaptively reusing a church to start a child care facility, or restoring village-scale multifamily housing.”
To register for the webinar, click here or visit vtrural.org/village-trust. The webinar will be recorded and available to all who registered. Applications for the 2025 Village Trust Initiative Community Cohort will open July 7th and are due September 5th at 5pm, 2025. To learn more and apply, visit: ptvermont.org/village-trust-initiative or contact Kaziah Haviland at [email protected].