By Emma Paradis & Lisa Grefe, Common Good Vermont Co-Directors

 

When most people hear the word “infrastructure,” they think of roads, bridges, broadband networks, and electric grids. These systems make our communities function, and we invest in them because we understand that without them, daily life becomes harder, less safe, and less connected.

But there is another form of infrastructure that Vermont relies on every day that is often overlooked: our nonprofit sector. Across Vermont, nonprofit organizations provide essential services, strengthen local economies, steward natural resources, support arts and culture, care for our neighbors, and help communities navigate challenges large and small. They show up as libraries, hospitals, churches, trail systems, and museums. When a family needs childcare, a senior needs meals and companionship, a young person needs mentoring, a community faces flooding, or a neighbor experiences homelessness, nonprofits are often among the first to respond and the last to leave. Their work touches nearly every Vermonter, whether we realize it or not.

Yet, nonprofits are frequently viewed as “do-gooders” rather than what they truly are: critical community infrastructure.

Just as roads connect people to opportunities, nonprofits connect people to the resources and support they need to thrive. Just as we invest in maintaining bridges and public buildings, we should recognize the importance of investing in the organizations that strengthen the social fabric holding our communities together. What makes Vermont’s nonprofit sector especially powerful is that it powered by people: skilled professionals, dedicated volunteers, committed board members, and countless community partners working together to address some of Vermont’s most pressing challenges and building a better future. These are our neighbors: they are employers, educators, service providers, advocates, innovators, and community problem-solvers who live in the communities they serve, understand local needs, and develop local solutions.

Much of this work happens quietly. The programs, partnerships, technical assistance, advocacy, and relationship-building that strengthen communities often occur behind the scenes. The work may be invisible, but the impact is not.

We see it in stronger local economies. We see it in healthier families and more resilient communities. We see it in the cultural institutions that bring people together, the trails and natural areas that enhance quality of life, the childcare centers that support working parents, and the organizations that ensure help is available when people need it most. The benefits extend far beyond any single nonprofit’s mission. Nonprofits collaborate with businesses, municipalities, schools, healthcare providers, and state agencies to create solutions that no one sector could achieve alone. They leverage public and private resources, engage thousands of volunteers, and generate lasting returns for communities across Vermont.

At Common Good Vermont, we have the privilege of seeing this impact every day. As the statewide association for nonprofits, we work to strengthen the sector through professional development, shared resources, advocacy, and connections that help organizations build capacity and increase their impact. Our role is to support the people and organizations that are doing the essential work of serving Vermonters, but we can’t do it alone.

Strong nonprofits require the same thing that all critical infrastructure requires: sustained public investment. Funding that supports not only programs but also the people, technology, facilities, and operational capacity needed to deliver lasting impact. Policies that recognize nonprofits as essential partners. And a broader understanding that nonprofit organizations are not extras or luxuries. They are necessities.

As we mark National Nonprofit Day on August 17, let’s celebrate the organizations and individuals working every day to make Vermont stronger. More importantly, let’s recognize nonprofits for what they are: a vital part of the infrastructure that makes our state work. And let’s commit to supporting them accordingly, because when Vermont needs them, nonprofits get it done.

To learn more about Vermont’s nonprofit sector, visit commongoodvt.org. We also invite nonprofit leaders, staff, board members, volunteers, funders, and community partners to join us at the 2026 Vermont Nonprofit Summit on November 10th, where we will come together to learn, collaborate, and build an even stronger future for Vermont’s nonprofit community.