Stratton Foundation

What Stratton Foundation does

Stratton Mountain & Valley Community Benefit Foundation (dba Stratton Foundation, Stratton Community Foundation, SCF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1996 and headquartered in Stratton, Vermont. The foundation addresses childhood poverty across 19 towns in southern Vermont through four interconnected programmatic pillars: hunger, basic necessities, health, and education. Its core programs include the Head-to-Toe initiative (providing winter gear, sneakers, dental kits, and school supplies at $250 per child), Feed the Community hunger relief, health programs spanning oral and mental wellness (including the Nathan M. Carreira Endowment Fund for youth mental health), and a cradle-to-career education pipeline comprising the Dolly Parton Imagination Library affiliate, college scholarships (up to $12,000 over four years), and trade scholarships (up to $6,000 over two years). Emergency Assistance Gifts provide acute crisis support, and Community Grants fund partner 501(c)(3) organizations serving children and families.

The foundation operates an extremely lean organizational model with 4 staff members led by Executive Director Meredith Morin, supported by a volunteer Board of Directors. Revenue is generated through individual donations, corporate sponsorships (including Alterra Mountain Company Community Foundation, Stratton Resort, Brown Family Foundation), strategic community grants, and signature fundraising events including the 24 Hours of Stratton ski-a-thon (raising $550,000+ in 2026 and over $4 million since 2012), Shred4Nate mental health race, Snowlight in Vermont tree lighting ($60,000 annually), and the Golf Outing. With 75-80% of the total budget going directly to community programming, the foundation served 5,580 children in its service area where 85% of families live at or below the poverty level. The organization holds Candid Seal, Charity Navigator rating, and GreatNonprofits Top-Rated recognition, and has invested over $3 million into southern Vermont communities since inception.

Name

Stratton Foundation

Legal name

Stratton Mountain & Valley Community Benefit Foundation

Website

https://strattonfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stratton Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1996 that addresses childhood poverty across 19 towns in southern Vermont through four pillars: hunger, basic necessities, health, and education, serving 5,580 children annually via school partnerships and signature fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children and Family Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Child and Youth Services (62411), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Child poverty programs
• Youth education support
• Food insecurity relief
• Basic necessities assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Westminster Station

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: General fund donations, monthly giving, and one-time contributions from individuals supporting the foundation's mission across four pillars: hunger, basic necessities, health, and education.
2. Event Revenue: Revenue generated through signature events including 24 Hours of Stratton (raised $550,000+), Snowlight in Vermont ($60,000 annually), and Golf Outing supporting Head-to-Toe program.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors supporting events and programs including Alterra Mountain Company Community Foundation, Brown Family Foundation, Stratton Resort, and other local businesses.
4. Grants to Nonprofits: Strategic grants awarded to local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving children and families in southern Vermont in areas of basic necessities, education, hunger, and health.
5. Scholarship Programs: Donor-funded college scholarships (up to $3,000/year for 4 years = $12,000 total) and trade scholarships (up to $3,000/year for 2 years = $6,000 total) funded by named donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Stratton Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports vulnerable children and families across 19 towns in southern Vermont through four program pillars: hunger relief, basic necessities, health, and education. The foundation delivers direct services such as the Head-to-Toe clothing and supplies program, Feed the Community hunger support, scholarships, and the Nathan M. Carreira Endowment Fund for youth mental health, while also awarding community grants to local nonprofit partners and operating signature fundraising events.

Product overview

The Stratton Foundation operates a unified suite of community benefit programs organized around four core pillars: health, hunger, basic necessities, and education. Its flagship offerings include the Head-to-Toe Program providing essential clothing, footwear, and hygiene items; the Feed the Community hunger relief initiative with grocery cards and food pantries; Health Programs spanning oral, physical, and mental health including the Nathan M. Carreira Endowment Fund (NMC) for youth mental health; and Education Programs forming a cradle-to-career pipeline with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, College Scholarships (up to $12,000 over four years), and Trade Scholarships (up to $6,000 over two years). Emergency Assistance Gifts provide acute crisis support, while Community Grants fund partner nonprofits. Signature fundraising events — 24 Hours of Stratton, #Shred4Nate, Snowlight in Vermont, and the Golf Outing — drive philanthropic revenue. The Teen Junior Ambassadors Program engages youth as volunteer leaders. Together these programs form an integrated ecosystem addressing the interconnected barriers of poverty for children and families in southern Vermont.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nathan M. Carreira Endowment Fund: A dedicated endowment fund supporting youth mental health and wellness programs across southern Vermont
• Head-to-Toe Program
• 24 Hours of Stratton
• #Shred4Nate
• Snowlight in Vermont
• Dolly Parton Imagination Library
• Feed the Community

Products and services

• Head-to-Toe Program Provides children with winter coats, boots, snow pants, socks, sneakers, backpacks, school supplies, and dental kits to remove visible barriers of poverty and restore dignity and readiness to learn. Targets low-income children identified through schools, social workers, doctors, and community partners in southern Vermont.
• Education Programs A cradle-to-career pipeline investing 60% of annual support into early literacy, after-school and summer programs, youth empowerment, college and trade scholarships, experiential learning, and career exploration for children in southern Vermont.
• Feed the Community Program Hunger relief program providing grocery cards, community food pantries, weekend backpack programs, summer and holiday meal programs, farm-to-school education, and community garden support to food-insecure families in southern Vermont.
• Health Programs Holistic health programming spanning oral, physical, and mental health, including annual distribution of dental kits, in-school dental services, mental health first aid trainings, peer-to-peer mentorship, Nate's Corner on-campus sanctuary at Burr & Burton Academy, and alcohol and drug prevention initiatives.
• Nathan M. Carreira Endowment Fund Dedicated endowment fund established in 2018 in honor of 15-year-old Nathan Carreira to support youth mental health and wellness across southern Vermont through innovative programs, critical services, and value-driven collaborations including Nate's Corner and the Shred4Nate race.
• Emergency Assistance Gifts Responsive safety-net program providing acute crisis support to families facing sudden events such as house fires, natural disasters, loss of heat, or other emergencies that put a child's safety or basic needs at risk, coordinated with social service partners.
• Dolly Parton Imagination Library (Southern Vermont Affiliate) Early literacy affiliate program for Windham County providing free monthly books to children aged 0-5, currently supporting 155 children in southern Vermont across 12 towns to foster a love of reading and increase childhood literacy rates.
• College Scholarship Program Four-year scholarship program supporting local high school graduates with academic promise, leadership, and financial need, awarding up to $12,000 total at $3,000 per year for tuition, housing, food, or other academic expenses.
• Trade Scholarship Program Scholarship program supporting local high school graduates pursuing careers in skilled trades with up to $3,000 per year for up to two years (total $6,000) for tuition, tools, equipment, certifications, or transportation related to trade education.
• Community Grants Granting program supporting local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving children and families in southern Vermont, with funding cycles in April, September, and December for programs addressing food/hunger, health/dental access, basic necessities, and education.
• 24 Hours of Stratton Annual 24-hour ski-a-thon fundraising event held in March, having raised over $4 million since 2012 to support the Foundation's four pillars of health, hunger, basic necessities, and education. The 2026 edition raised over $550,000 with 894 participants.
• #Shred4Nate Race for Mental Health Annual dual panel alpine ski race held in March to honor Nathan Carreira, raise awareness for youth mental health and suicide prevention, and fund the Nathan M. Carreira Endowment Fund.
• Snowlight in Vermont Seasonal event featuring lighted evergreen trees lined along Stratton Village from November through spring, with tree dedications raising approximately $60,000 annually for the Foundation's programs.
• Golf Outing Annual golf scramble held on the Friday of Labor Day weekend at Stratton Mountain Golf Course, dedicated to supporting the Head-to-Toe program and basic necessities for children in southern Vermont.
• Teen Junior Ambassadors Program Youth leadership and volunteer program for students in grades 7-12 from local and out-of-state schools supporting Foundation events, fundraising, volunteerism, and youth-driven community initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,580 children helped annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stratton ResortcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for signature events (24 Hours of Stratton, Shred4Nate, Golf Outing); major supporter and sponsor of foundation activities.
• Burr & Burton AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts Nate's Corner mental health sanctuary on campus; partnership for student mental health programs and support.
• Dolly Parton Imagination LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCF serves as Windham County affiliate; distributes free books monthly to 155 children ages 0-5 in southern Vermont.
• Local Schools NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchools including Arlington High School, Burr & Burton Academy, L/G schools, LTS schools serve as boots on the ground to identify children in need and execute programs.
• Community Food PantriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Winhall Stratton Community Food Shelf and other pantries to distribute food assistance to families in need.
• Social Services OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with social workers, local doctors, and state organizations to identify families in crisis and coordinate assistance.
• Grace Cottage Family Health & HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Reach Out & Read early literacy program supporting young families.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• New Hampshire Charitable Foundation: New England's largest statewide community foundation managing over $1B in charitable assets. Closely comparable community-foundation model operating in an adjacent New England state with similar rural/small-town demographics and donor profile.
• Vermont Community Foundation: Statewide community foundation in Vermont making grants to nonprofits and providing donor-advised fund services. Direct peer: same state, same community-foundation model, overlapping geographic and donor networks (Stratton Foundation has received funding from VCF).
• Maine Community Foundation: Statewide community foundation serving Maine with grantmaking, scholarship, and donor-advised fund programs. Directly comparable operating model — rural state, multi-county service area, strong scholarship program — to Stratton Foundation.
• Turrell Fund: Vermont-and-New-Jersey-based private foundation exclusively funding programs for young children and youth. Direct peer in mission (children and youth in poverty), scale (small staff, focused grantmaking), and grantmaking approach.
• United Way of Windham County: Community benefit organization serving Windham County, Vermont — the same southern Vermont region as Stratton Foundation. Comparable funding model (corporate sponsorships, individual giving, grantmaking to local health/human-service nonprofits) and overlapping donor base.

Emerging players

• Points of Light Foundation: Global nonprofit focused on volunteer engagement and community service. Comparable to Stratton Foundation in its emphasis on volunteer-led community benefit (Teen Junior Ambassadors, event-driven volunteerism), though operating at broader scale across civic engagement.

Regional players

• Shelburne Farms: Vermont-based nonprofit education organization combining farm-based education, sustainability programming, and school partnerships. Comparable in geographic focus (Vermont), education mission, and small-staff operating model serving children and youth in the region.

Broad incumbents

• Boston Foundation: One of the oldest and largest community foundations in the U.S. with multi-billion-dollar assets. Larger-scale analog of Stratton Foundation's community-foundation model, demonstrating the trajectory a successful regional community foundation can follow.
• Bernard van Leer Foundation: International private foundation focused exclusively on early childhood development. Comparable mission overlap with Stratton's Dolly Parton Imagination Library and cradle-to-career pipeline, though operating globally and at significantly larger scale.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: One of the largest U.S. health-focused philanthropies, with significant investments in child and family wellbeing, rural health, and mental health. Overlaps with Stratton Foundation's health and mental-health pillars at a much larger scale and endowment base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/p/Stratton-Foundation-100064374802128
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/strattonvt
• Instagraminstagram.com/strattonfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Stratton Foundation