How the Lintilhac Foundation Prioritizes the Local Environment in Vermont
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Lake Champlain. Photo: Meagan Marchant/shutterstock
For over 50 years, the Lintilhac Foundation has been working to build a stronger and healthier Vermont by partnering with local nonprofits. The Shelburne, Vermont-based funder has been on the scene since 1975 and was initially rooted in the nurse-midwife program at Vermont’s largest medical center. Today, the foundation awards over $1 million annually and is run by a new generation of the founder’s family members.
Here's what Vermont nonprofits should know about the Lintilhac Foundation and how it supports local organizations throughout the state.
Topics of interest
Although the foundation’s roots are in nursing and medicine, its focus has expanded to include topics like sustainable outdoor recreation and healthy local food systems. Grantmaking is generally centered on environmental initiatives but touches on democracy and equity, too.
These are the Lintilhac Foundation’s current grantmaking focus areas:
Clean energy and climate change
Water quality
Forest health and biodiversity
Conservation and sustainable outdoor recreation
Securing healthy food systems
Preserving democracy
Environmental science
Within these categories, Lintilhac prioritizes projects that provide access to backcountry lands and focus on regenerative and organic agriculture. Other priorities include environmental advocacy, university-level science research and renewable energy policies.
Aside from these topics, there are two legacy giving areas that Lintilhac continues to support today. The funder supports women’s reproductive health through midwifery and lactation support, and women’s mental and emotional health before and after childbirth. It also supports media and civic engagement causes related to current events and public policy.
Typical foundation giving
The Lintilhac Foundation limits its grantmaking to organizations that serve the state of Vermont. It provides one-year grants between $5,000 and $30,000, offering project support as well as funding for general operating expenses. Generally, the funder does not support unsolicited capital campaign projects, multi-year funding, churches or individuals.
Recent civic and community grantees include the Catamount Trail Association, Hunger Free Vermont and the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Vermont. Conservation and research grantees include the Berlin Pond Watershed Association, 350Vermont and the Lake Champlain Committee. Lintilhac has supported the Green Mountain Club, the Governor’s Institute of Vermont and Shelburne Farms to fund education.
Applying for a grant
Nonprofit organizations in Vermont can apply for one grant per calendar year by submitting an application through Lintilhac’s online system. Lintilhac only accepts applications electronically and not by mail. The application dates are the first of March, June, September and December. The foundation reviews applications submitted by those dates and notifies applicants of its decisions by April, July, October and January.
Read more about this funder in IP’s full profile of the Lintilhac Foundation, which is part of our Vermont grantmaking guide.
