# The Vermont Community Foundation

The Vermont Community Foundation is an Endowment / Foundation based in Middlebury, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Middlebury, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** 3 Court Street, Middlebury, VT 05753, United States
- **Founded:** 1986
- **Assets under management:** 342 (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** vermontcf.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-vermont-community-foundation

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The Vermont Community Foundation was founded in 1986 to aggregate and steward charitable assets for Vermont causes. Dan Smith serves as president and CEO. No single family wealth source is disclosed; the capital originates from multiple donors who establish permanent funds. The foundation deploys capital across grants, direct holdings, and limited partnership positions. Asset classes include venture capital through FreshTracks Capital and the HULA Fund, agriculture via High Mowing Organic Seeds and Farmers to You, manufacturing through Glavel, and consumer products via Mamava. It also holds real estate interests such as the Putnam Block mixed-use renovation in Bennington and the Yellow Barn food hub in Hardwick. Geographic focus remains Vermont with limited exposure outside the state. The Vermont Mission Investment Pool represents the dedicated 5 percent allocation to these in-state opportunities. The organization employs 60 professionals and maintains its headquarters at 3 Court Street in Middlebury. It participates in the Council on Foundations and Mission Investors Exchange. In January 2024 it sponsored the event Leave No Talent on the Table focused on gender gaps in education. Adjacent vehicles include named donor-advised funds such as the Curtis Fund and the David R. Coates Fund for Vermont Disaster Relief. A structural feature is the permanent 5 percent mission investment pool that sits alongside traditional grantmaking. This pool operates through co-ownership vehicles such as the 50 percent stake in Taproot Capital L3C alongside the Castanea Foundation, creating a hybrid grant-and-ownership model uncommon among standard community foundations.

## Sectors

- Diversified

## People

- Dan Smith — CEO
- Mark Foley, Jr. — Board Chair
- Tim Briglin — Board Member

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at The Vermont Community Foundation?

Dan Smith serves as CEO. Investment oversight includes the board chaired by Mark Foley, Jr. Crewcial Partners acts as external investment advisor since 2010.

### How does The Vermont Community Foundation source proprietary deal flow?

Deal flow originates through the Vermont Mission Investment Pool and relationships with local operators. Positions such as Glavel and Mamava were accessed via the pool and the VCF at Hula Fund vehicle.

### Does The Vermont Community Foundation participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

It commits to funds including FreshTracks Capital I, II, III and the Flexible Capital Fund. It also holds direct ownership in operating companies and real estate through the mission investment pool.

### What investment stages does The Vermont Community Foundation typically target?

Targets span early-stage venture through the HULA Fund and FreshTracks vehicles as well as expansion and operating businesses in agriculture and manufacturing.

### Where does the underlying capital come from?

Capital arrives from multiple Vermont donors who establish permanent charitable funds. No single family or corporate source is disclosed.

### What is The Vermont Community Foundation's known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?

It co-invests through the Vermont Mission Investment Pool and joint vehicles such as the 50 percent ownership in Taproot Capital L3C with the Castanea Foundation.

## Related profiles

- [Thomas & Dorothy Leavey Foundation](https://altss.com/profile/thomas-dorothy-leavey-foundation)
- [Washington College Endowment](https://altss.com/profile/washington-college-endowment)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/the-vermont-community-foundation-vcf

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