The Roots & Blossoms Fund

Cultivating Creativity for Vermont’s Youth

Introducing the Roots & Blossoms Fund – Cultivate’s initiative to support artistic and cultural programs for Vermont youth. Aimed at ensuring the arts are accessible for all, our fund offers vital support to nonprofits that provide opportunities for young artists and storytellers from underrepresented communities to share their voices and grow their talents. Cultivate dedicates 1% of its total revenue to supporting this grant program.

Our Mission

At Cultivate, we’re passionate about the power of storytelling. The Roots & Blossoms Fund is dedicated to supporting organizations that provide young people in Vermont with the freedom to explore their creativity and grow as individuals. We contribute to organizations that foster artistic and cultural expression for youth to help ensure that the upcoming generation of artists and storytellers has what they need to thrive and make their voices heard. 

As a communications firm, we are excited to also offer in-kind services as part of the grant award. We’re excited to collaborate with recipients to determine how our services can help share the stories of the incredible work they do to enrich the cultural and artistic lives of Vermont’s youth. 

Our Areas of Support

Access to Arts

Providing youth in underserved or rural communities with affordable access to artistic experiences.

Arts Education & Literacy

Supporting educational curricula designed to enhance youth literacy, or art paired with reading and literacy programs.

Cultural Community Building

Opportunities for youth to explore the cultural experiences of historically marginalized populations, focusing on community building & education – with or without an art component.

Creative Expression

Empowering youth as creators by fostering their talents and self-expression, and providing resources for the art-making process.

For Applicants

  • The Roots & Blossoms Fund centers on four key areas of support:

    • Access to Arts: Organizations that provide opportunities for youth in underserved and/or rural communities to experience and participate in various forms of art, making art accessible and affordable for all young people.

    • Arts Education & Literacy: Organizations that integrate art into educational curricula for youth to enhance students’ literacy in the arts, and/or that use art and creative expression alongside English literacy or reading-centered programs for youth.

    • Cultural Community Building: Organizations that support youth in exploring the cultural experiences of underrepresented or historically marginalized populations, including educational opportunities and the fostering of meaningful communities. Art may be a component of these organizations’ educational programs, but it is not a requirement. 

    • Creative Expression: Organizations that empower youth as creators, encouraging their artistic talents and self-expression, and providing the resources and platforms necessary for them to engage in the art-making process.

    • Must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

    • Must focus on arts or culture (excluding solely historical/preservation organizations or trusts).

    • Serves youth ages 0-18.

    • Aligns with at least one of the four Areas of Support.

    Roots & Blossoms does not fund:

    • Individuals

    • Religious organizations

    • Higher education institutions

    • Organizations that solely operate outside Vermont

    • Organizations that serve exclusively adults 

    • Organizations that discriminate based on race, religion, gender, age, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation

  • The deadline to be considered for our 2025 grants is February 21st, 2025.

 FAQs

  • Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status with an artistic or cultural programming focus that serve youth ages 0-18 in Vermont.

  • Organizations can request up to $1,000 in funding, with the option to also request in-kind services in collaboration with Cultivate’s team.

  • Applications are evaluated by Cultivate’s core team, and are considered through the lenses of general eligibility criteria, alignment with our areas of support, and considerations of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

  • The deadline to have your application considered for our 2025 grant cycle is February 21st, 2025. We expect to announce awardees in early April.

  • The Roots & Blossoms Fund is intended for nonprofit organizations, not individual artists.

  • Yes, as long as a significant portion of your programming directly serves youth ages 0-18, you are welcome to apply! 

  • For the time being, the Roots & Blossoms Fund is exclusively for nonprofit organizations based in Vermont that directly serve youth in the state.

Have a different question? Want to know more about Roots & Blossoms?

Reach out to anna@cultivatepr.co for more information!