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

The Vermont Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) is pleased to announce that it is resuming its grant program to support Vermont organizations providing financial services education. This grant program is authorized in 9 V.S.A. § 5601 and § 5616, using funds available in the Vermont Financial Services Education and Victim Restitution Special Fund ("Fund"). Grant applications will be accepted by email until 5 PM on Friday, January 30, 2026 at the address listed below. The Fund was established in 2019, and allows a portion of settlements arising out of DFR enforcement matters to be retained for the purposes of education and restitution.

"Consumer education around the products and services we regulate is a priority for DFR. Our outreach and education efforts enable Vermonters to better navigate financial decisions and protect themselves from scams and fraud," said DFR Commissioner Kaj Samsom. "By partnering with community organizations that can reach Vermonters where they are, this program helps us expand our impact throughout the state."

For the 2026 grant year, two types of awards are available:

• Standard one-year grants of up to $50,000 per applicant
• Micro-grants for targeted initiatives (e.g., innovative pilot efforts or one-time or short-duration events) of up to $5,000 per application.

Potential applicants must meet the application criteria below to be eligible for a grant. Grants will be awarded at the discretion of the Commissioner based on funds availability and their alignment with the priority criteria listed in the full application. Grant applications are available online.

Direct any questions about the application or granting process to Mary Richter at [email protected] .

Grant Awards and Timelines

• Grant Application Released: December 30, 2025
• Grant Deadline: January 30, 2026, no later than 5:00 PM EST
• Grant Awards: Spring 2026

Eligibility of Grantees

Applications for both standard grants and micro-grants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for a grant:

1. Applicant is a governmental or nonprofit organization, including public schools and public institutions of higher education.
2. Applicant is not licensed or otherwise regulated by the Department.
3. Applicant is determined by the grant management team to be eligible to receive grants pursuant to the Agency of Administration's Pre-Award Eligibility Determination.
4. Applicant is determined by the grant management team to be low or moderate risk pursuant to the Agency of Administration's Grantee Risk-Based Assessment; alternatively, applicant is determined to be high risk and the Commissioner concludes that it is nonetheless in the State's best interest to award a grant to the applicant.
5. Proposed initiative is focused on increasing the financial awareness and knowledge of Vermonters, which may include informing the public about responsible use of financial products and services, as well as the prevention of scams and fraud.
6. Proposed initiative will be available to the broader Vermont public in the state, to the broader public in a specific geographic area of the state, or to a particular subset of the population that the applicant successfully demonstrates is historically disadvantaged or underserved in financial services education or access.
7. Application identifies performance targets for its initiative that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based and identifies how it will determine whether the performance targets are achieved.