If your municipality needs more capacity, SerVermont can help you build it. SerVermont is seeking host sites for volunteers that will serve from August 2025 through August 2026.
What is SerVermont?
Established by Governor Howard Dean in 1993, SerVermont helps match people who volunteer with organizations that need capacity. It does this by administering certain federally funded programs aimed at volunteerism, managing volunteers in disasters, and working with partners to address pressing challenges in Vermont through service. AmeriCorps supports approximately 2,900 people of all ages and backgrounds serving in Vermont at over 500 locations.
What does this program fund?
This unique program co-funds a volunteer who serves with a host organization (a municipality, Regional Planning Commission, non-profit organization, etc.) to help the host organization build capacity. The volunteer can plan and/or implement projects, strengthen operating systems, write grant applications, increase community participation, and coordinate among programs and other organizations. The volunteer serves full time at the host organization for up to 12 months. Service can be continued with the same or a different volunteer for up to three years.
Priority Areas for volunteer service that may be of interest to municipalities include: housing, homelessness, energy efficiency, and building community resilience. SerVermont is especially interested in partnering with organizations who are focusing on flood remediation, long-term flood recovery, and climate resilience.
Sample activities from previous SerVermont volunteer service include assisting with:
- municipal or regional plan development,
- transportation activities such as increasing public transit ridership or improving community walkability, and
- housing projects or programs that address affordability or homelessness.
How does my community apply?
A Letter of Intent to serve as a host site must be submitted by February 5, 2025, at noon. (See page 11 of SerVermont Request for Information).
Full applications with all attachments are due by March 5, 2025, at noon. SerVermont provides technical assistance for the application.
What will make our application competitive?
- Proposing projects and activities for the volunteer that relate to SerVermont's areas of focus, poverty alleviation. Projects must engage residents of the low-income community in the project and be responsive to these residents' needs.
- Proposing projects and activities for the volunteer that relate to flood remediation, long-term flood recovery, and climate resilience.
- Having clear performance measures for the volunteer's service.
- Having a preliminary plan for how the project or program that is the focus of the volunteer's service will continue after the volunteer's service ends.
- Designating a supervisor for the volunteer who is experienced supervising people and can dedicate time weekly to coaching and supporting the volunteer.
How can my community learn more?
Communities can review SerVermont's Request for Information (RFI). The RFI provides information about requirements for serving as a volunteer host site.
Questions can be directed to Caitlin Perrier, VISTA Program Manager, by calling (802) 585-6835 or sending an email to Caitlin.perrier@vermont.gov.
Where can we find help?
Many municipalities lack capacity for grant writing and administration. VLCT published a resource, Increasing Municipal Capacity for Grants, that offers ideas for assistance.
Municipalities are welcome to use VLCT’s Meet with a Project Pro service to discuss potential funding sources for a project or to discuss project development. Through this service, VLCT narrows funding opportunities to those most pertinent to a project, saving municipalities time and resources. We also provide coaching for project development and grant management.