From Bennington to Beecher Falls, the Vermont Community Loan Fund ensures that ALL Vermonters have access to the capital, assistance and opportunity they deserve. An affordable home, a better job, quality care for our kids: VCLF’s work transforms lives in every corner of the state, one by one.

But when our efforts come together in a single community, the impact grows exponentially. Since our hometown of Montpelier was devastated by flooding last year, we’ve been collaborating on a new vision for our brave little capital. We’re not just rebuilding businesses; we’re ensuring that recovery efforts are equitable, serving the people and communities often left behind. Today, you can see the Loan Fund’s values at work in the cluster of former Vermont College of Fine Arts buildings on top of (flood-resistant!) College Hill.

Take the New School of Montpelier, where children with complex needs find the tailored education theydeserve. VCLF financing helped them purchase Alumni Hall and Bishop Hatch Hall, which they’d been renting, growing into new classroom and gymnasium space. Thanks to this expansion, they’re able to serve even more students, offering new programs in a safe, supportive environment where they can thrive.

Then there’s the Montpelier Performing Arts Hub, which is transforming the former Gary Library into a vibrant cultural center, theatre and artspace. At a time when arts education can feel out of reach for many families, the Hub provides programming that’s affordable for all. From performers to playwrights, from songwriters to song-lovers: this project will ensure that the arts remain an accessible, vital part of Montpelier’s future.

VCLF’s financing for the Greenway Institute is addressing two vital community concerns: housing and sustainability. This four-year engineering degree program and tech hub is developing Dewey Hall into affordable housing, meeting immediate needs (Cabot Creamery workforce housing is currently at 100% occupancy!) and providing a home for future students as Greenway equips them to lead the way towards tomorrow’s sustainable technologies.

Montpelier is just the latest example of the Loan Fund’s ability to transform Vermont communities, one project at a time. Next door in Barre, VCLF partners like Vermont Salumi, Downstreet Housing & Community Development, Tasty Bites Diner, Studio Place Arts & Butterfly Bakery of Vermont are reinvigorating their community. Over in St. Johnsbury, our financing for New Avenue, Catamount Arts, Little Dippers Doodle Children’s Center, Whirligig Brewing, Caledonia Food Co-op & RuralEdge is helping to put this jewel of the Northeast Kingdom on the path towards a brighter future.

Together, the VCLF community is transforming how money works in Vermont, creating a better way to borrow, invest and give: personal, local and effective. Together, we’re doing more than ever before! The $11.5 million we loaned in 2023 was an all-time annual record, and we just passed $15 million loaned in 2024, making this our NEW all-time record year already!

What’s more, later this fall we’ll be relaunching the Justice Forward Fund, making VCLF capital available to Black, Indigenous and Vermonters of Color (BIPOC Vermonters) at our most accessible and affordable rates and terms. VCLF is committed to financial products and services that dismantle systemic racism and lead us toward a Vermont that’s equitable for ALL Vermonters.

But we can’t do it without you! You, the VCLF donor, make our work possible: mission-first, borrower-centered financing through our core programs supporting affordable housing, economic justice, our downtowns & working lands and Vermonters’ recovery & resilience.

Please make a gift today to create opportunities
and foster financial stability for all Vermonters.

If you’ve supported our work with a gift in the past, THANK YOU! If not, or if it’s been a while, we hope you’ll consider supporting the Vermont Community Loan Fund today.

Sincerely,
Will Belongia
Executive Director

PS Some of the partners named i are nonprofit organizations doing critical work throughout Vermont. Please consider the Montpelier Performing Arts Hub, Greenway Institute, Downstreet Housing & Community Development, Studio Place Arts, Catamount Arts, Caledonia Food Co-op & RuralEdge in your year-end giving. Thank you!

PPS Similarly, please follow VCLF social media – Instagram, Facebook & LinkedIn – for updates on how you can support VCLF borrowers with your holiday shopping!

PPPS 100% of your gift to support our work today will be matched by a grant from Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. Double your impact with a gift today!