Communities Caring for Canopy grants provide seed funding to help communities develop and sustain programs for the advancement of urban and community trees and forests. These grants allow for multiple program components to be merged into one grant application.
VT UCF staff will host two Grants Office Hours as a chance for potential applicants to ask specific questions about application development, submission, and grant administration. These Office Hours will be held virtually using Microsoft Teams and pre-registration is not required. Meeting dates, times, and links are as follows:
- Wednesday, November 12th, 12-1pm, meeting link
- Tuesday, December 16th, 12-1pm, meeting link
Communities Caring for Canopy
- $40,000 available
- $5,000 minimum award, $10,000 maximum
- 1:1 cost-share requirement
- Applications due Friday January 30th, 2026
- Projects must be completed by October 27th, 2027
- Eligibility: statewide
Eligibility
Municipal governments and public educational institutions may apply. Projects may occur anywhere in Vermont.
Eligible Project Components
Projects must relate to urban and community forestry in public ways and places as defined in 24 V.S.A. § 2501a or at public educational institutions, take place in Vermont, and may consist of one or more of the following program components:
- Tree planting
- Tree nursery establishment
- Tree maintenance
- Removal of trees in public ways and places that pose a risk to public safety (replanting required)
- Tree inventory activities
- Plan development
- Pest and disease preparedness efforts
- Public outreach
- Staff or tree warden training
- Program development
Grant Category Information
This document contains all relevant information to support applications for this category.
2026 Communities Caring for Canopy Grant Guidance
Application
Applicants must use the 2026 Communities Caring for Canopy Grant Application Form to submit an application.
We recommend using the grant application worksheet below to develop your application and transfer your answers into the online application form.
Applications cannot be saved or restarted once in the form application. Use the grant application worksheet to develop, edit, and save your work.
2026 Grant Application Worksheet (Word doc)
2026 Grant Application Worksheet (Fillable PDF) - download and save to your computer before editing
When your application ready to be submitted, transfer your answers in the grant application form.
Additional Documents & Guidance
- Grant Budget Form (Word doc)
- Grant Budget Form (fillable PDF) - download and save to your computer before editing
- Risk Assessment Questionnaire (fillable PDF) - download and save to your computer before editing
- Act 154 Certificate of Good Standing (fillable PDF) - download and save to your computer before editing
- Grantee Insurance guidance
- Volunteer Match Guidance
- FPR W-9 Guidance
- UCF Grants Frequently Asked Questions
Questions
For more information or assistance, contact the VT UCF staff listed below.
- Grant Application Questions: Elise Schadler, (802) 522-6015, elise.schadler@vermont.gov
- Project Development Questions:
- Joanne Garton, (802) 249-4217, joanne.garton@vermont.gov
- Adam McCullough, (802) 522-5104, adam.mccullough@vermont.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider. To file a discrimination complaint, for questions, free language services, or requests for reasonable accommodations, please contact ANR’s Nondiscrimination Coordinator at ANR.CivilRights@vermont.gov or visit ANR’s online Notice of Nondiscrimination.
