[Montpelier, VT] — On Wednesday, October 23, 2024, Common Good Vermont convened the first annual Vermont Nonprofit Summit in Montpelier. The Summit brought together over 200 nonprofit leaders from across the state to share innovative ideas and best practices. The event offered valuable insights into topics including fundraising, organizational development, and communication, equipping participants with tools to enhance their impact. Recently released data from the federal government reports that 20 percent of Vermont’s workforce is employed at a
nonprofit organization, the second highest percent of workforce in the country.

“The work of the people in this room is holding this state together, you are keeping people fed and housed and safe while also trying to hold together your own mental health. And that’s incredibly
hard to do,” said Vermont Public’s Mikaela Lefrak, who moderated a panel about the next generation of leadership in Vermont’s nonprofit sector.

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The Summit cultivated a greater sense of connection and collaboration amongst the sector as
evidenced by participant feedback:

• “My biggest takeaway is the nonprofit sector in Vermont is incredible, comprised of smart, compassionate and wonderful folks”.”
• “This is a much-needed event for an important and growing sector in Vermont. We need affinity groups for further peer learning and networking.”
• ”The nonprofit sector of Vermont is active and hungry for learning, support and connection.”

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Building on this success, Common Good plans to grow the event in 2025. The 2025 Vermont Nonprofit Summit will be held on November 5, 2025. Sign up to be notified when registration opens at bit.ly/vtnonprofitsummit.

At the Summit, Common Good Vermont announced the launch of its new Membership Program. As the only statewide program dedicated to uniting, strengthening, and advocating for Vermont’s nonprofit sector, membership will allow Common Good to enhance and expand services, invest in innovative programs, advocate for policies that strengthen the nonprofit sector, build a stronger,
more engaged community, and amplify nonprofit voices in the public sphere.

Membership benefits include access to external tools such as GrantStation, Little Green Light, online learning platforms, and BoardSource. In addition, members receive discounts to Common
Good’s programming and promoted job posts, benefit from free sessions with nonprofit consultants, directly inform sector advocacy, and are invited to join roundtables and forums to
network and connect with fellow membership organizations.

Nonprofits, as well as for profit organizations who support the nonprofit sector, can join Common Good’s Membership Program. Together, member organizations unite to tackle Vermont’s challenges and drive positive change, both now and in the future.

Learn more about Common Good Vermont’s Membership Program and join today at commongoodvt.org/membership.