DFR Announces Recipients of 2026 Grant Opportunity for Vermont Organizations to Provide Financial Services and Fraud Prevention Education

Six organizations awarded funding to empower Vermonters and prevent financial exploitation

The Vermont Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) today announced the recipient organizations for the first round of its 2026 Financial Services and Fraud Prevention Education Grant program.

The following six organizations received a combined $210,000 grant from DFR this round:

• Boys and Girls Club of Burlington
• Capstone Community Action
• Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO)
• Fight 4 Kids
• Northeast Kingdom Community Action (NEKCA)
• Southeastern Vermont Community Action, Inc. (SEVCA)

These community organizations will use the grant funding to deliver targeted financial literacy programs and fraud prevention education to Vermonters across the state.

"Financial literacy and fraud awareness are essential tools for protecting Vermonters and helping our communities thrive," said DFR Commissioner Kaj Samsom. "We are proud to partner with these outstanding local organizations, which have the trust and reach necessary to best serve their communities."

"Money means something very different when you're the one making the decisions, and the choices someone makes at an early age can have a tremendous impact on the rest of their life," said Dave Agnew-Blais, Grants Manager of the Boys and Girls Club of Burlington. "This is especially true for kids growing up poor who do not have much of a margin for error. Our financial education program helps these young people, and whether we're building a monthly budget or working through an actual FAFSA form, this program helps kids learn practical tools that will help them throughout their lives."

"Capstone Community Action is excited to partner with Vermont's Department of Financial Regulation on this important funding opportunity. This support will strengthen our Financial Coaching and Education program, helping individuals and families in central Vermont build the knowledge and confidence they need to make informed financial decisions," Liz Scharf, Director of Community Economic Development and Food Security for Capstone Community Action. "This funding will enable us to continue to provide personalized coaching and workshops focused on saving money, reducing debt, building and improving credit, and recognizing and protecting against ever increasing and sophisticated financial scams. Thank you for this generous grant that will sustain and expand our program and make these valuable services available to more central Vermonters."

"Fight for Kids Foundation Inc. is very excited to have received this grant. We have a wealth of community partners who have a role to help us. Winooski is a diverse community," said Bruce Wilson, Fight for Kids Foundation Inc.'s Board of Directors and President. "There are over 23 languages spoken in Winooski. Without receiving this grant, we wouldn't be as successful to present financial literacy and learn new ways to get better."

"The 2026 Financial Services and Fraud Prevention Education Grant will allow NEKCA to bring trusted, practical financial education directly to individuals and families across Vermont's rural Northeast Kingdom. For many of the people we serve, financial stability is not simply about knowing how to budget, it is about having access to someone they trust who can help them understand credit, reduce debt, build savings, make informed financial decisions, and recognize and prevent increasingly sophisticated scams and fraud," said Heather Alger, Director of Economic Access, Northeast Kingdom Community Action. "This funding allows our certified financial coach to meet people where they are, through one-on-one coaching and community-based education, and give them the tools and confidence to protect what they have worked hard to build. Ultimately, this investment strengthens not only individual households, but the financial resilience of our entire Northeast Kingdom community."

The annual grant program is authorized under 9 V.S.A. § 5601 and § 5616 and is funded through the Vermont Financial Services Education and Victim Restitution Special Fund. The Fund is largely supported by a percentage of settlement amounts resulting from DFR enforcement actions.

For this first round of the 2026 funding cycle, DFR offered two grant pathways:

• Standard One-Year Grants : Up to $50,000 per applicant for comprehensive, ongoing educational programs.
• Micro-Grants : Up to $5,000 per application for targeted initiatives, innovative pilot projects, or short-duration community events.

In July, 2026, DFR announced a second round of 2026 grants for micro-grant applications of up to $10,000, and these applications are still being reviewed.

Learn more about DFR's 2026 Grant Opportunity here .