Vermont Interfaith Action

What Vermont Interfaith Action does

Vermont Interfaith Action (VIA), legally Vermont Interfaith Action Inc., is a multifaith grassroots community organizing network founded in 2004 and headquartered in Burlington, Vermont. The organization develops leaders, strengthens congregations, and unites communities to advance justice, equity, and human dignity through collective advocacy on climate, housing, and constitutional rights issues. Its core "products" are membership-based organizing services — the Partners in Ministry program for faith communities, the Changemakers Circle monthly giving program for individual donors, and statewide social service programs including the Extreme Cold Weather Shelter Program (ECWSP) and Municipal Support Grant Program (MSGP), both administered through the Vermont Department for Children & Families (OEO).

VIA operates with a lean team of approximately five staff (Executive Director, Lead Organizer, Program Manager, and supporting roles) governed by a Board of Directors of up to nine members elected annually. The business model is non-commercial: revenue derives from individual donations (monthly giving and stock donations via Donatestock) and government grants flowing through state-level contracts. Member congregations serve as both the organizing base and the primary customer segment, supplemented by engagement with immigrant communities, unhoused Vermonters, and municipalities.

VIA is affiliated with the national Faith in Action network (Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Regional Network) and works in coalition with peer affiliates such as Massachusetts Communities Action Network (MCAN). It co-sponsors the annual Faith Climate Action Day at the Statehouse with Vermont Interfaith Power and Light, VPIRG, and VNRC, and runs three primary advocacy campaigns: Affordable Housing & Ending Chronic Homelessness, Vermont Community Resilience, and Faith Climate Declaration.

Name

Vermont Interfaith Action

Legal name

Vermont Interfaith Action Inc.

Website

https://viavt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vermont Interfaith Action is a Burlington-based multifaith grassroots organizing network that develops leaders across 30+ member congregations and administers statewide emergency shelter and municipal grant programs through Vermont DCF/OEO funding and individual donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Organizing and Social Justice Advocacy Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Advocacy & Public Policy Organizations (BPAGAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interfaith & Ecumenical Councils and Dialogue Organizations (BPAGAJAJ), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Community organizing
• Faith-based advocacy
• Social justice organizing
• Emergency shelter services
• Grassroots mobilization

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations through monthly giving, stock donations via Donatestock, and general fundraising events. The organization has a Changemakers Circle monthly giving program.
2. Government Grants: VIA receives government funding through the Vermont Department for Children & Families, Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) for administering the Extreme Cold Weather Shelter Program (ECWSP) and Municipal Support Grant Program (MSGP).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Vermont Interfaith Action is a multifaith grassroots community organizing network that develops leaders, strengthens congregations, and unites communities to advance social justice and equity. It operates member-driven organizing, leadership training, and advocacy campaigns on housing, climate, and constitutional rights, and administers state-funded programs including the Extreme Cold Weather Shelter Program (ECWSP) and Municipal Support Grant Program (MSGP) through the Vermont Office of Economic Opportunity.

Product overview

Vermont Interfaith Action is a multifaith, grassroots community organizing network that operates as a membership-based organization with programs focused on social justice advocacy and emergency shelter services. The core offerings include Partner in Ministry membership for faith communities and Changemakers Circle for individual donors. Major programs include the Extreme Cold Weather Shelter Program and Municipal Support Grant Program (both funded by Vermont DCF/OEO), and the Community Resilience Hub Initiative. The organization conducts three primary advocacy campaigns: Affordable Housing & Ending Chronic Homelessness, Vermont Community Resilience, and Faith Climate Declaration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Partners in Ministry (Congregation Membership) Membership program for faith communities and congregations providing leadership training, organizing support, multifaith collaboration opportunities, and collective power to influence statewide policy and defend constitutional rights.
• Changemakers Circle (Individual Monthly Giving) Recurring monthly donation program for individual supporters that funds VIA's organizing, advocacy, and statewide programs.
• Extreme Cold Weather Shelter Program (ECWSP) Statewide emergency shelter program funded through the Vermont Department for Children & Families Office of Economic Opportunity, delivering bed-nights of emergency shelter across six priority regions in Vermont in coordination with Green Mountain Justice, municipalities, Vermont 2-1-1, and state partners.
• Municipal Support Grant Program (MSGP) Statewide grant program funded through the Vermont Department for Children & Families Office of Economic Opportunity, administered by VIA to support municipalities in housing and shelter initiatives for unhoused populations.
• Community Resilience Hub Initiative Program focused on building relationships with faith communities, immigrant communities, and grassroots leaders to develop local leadership and strengthen community-based organizing through Mutual Aid & Safety Hubs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,390 bed-nights of emergency shelter delivered across six priority regions in SFY26
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting, peer network and campaign ally.

• Faith in ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network affiliation providing VIA with access to regional and national training, organizing resources, and coalition building opportunities. VIA is part of the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Regional Network.
• Green Mountain Justice (GMJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContracted operational partner for the Extreme Cold Weather Shelter Program (ECWSP). GMJ serves as the operational partner while VIA handles grant administration and program coordination.
• Vermont Department for Children & Families, Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO)coreOthersPrimary government funder for ECWSP and MSGP programs. VIA serves as primary administrative lead for both statewide programs funded through OEO.
• Vermont 2-1-1supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey state partner for the Extreme Cold Weather Shelter Program, providing coordination for shelter operations and community referrals.
• Department of Mental HealthsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner coordinating with VIA on the ECWSP program to address mental health support needs for shelter clients.
• Medical Reserve CorpssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for ECWSP providing medical reserve support for shelter operations and emergency response.
• VDARTssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for ECWSP coordinating emergency management and shelter operations.
• Department of Fire SafetysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerState partner working with VIA to update ECWSP parameters and ensure safety compliance for shelter operations.
• Massachusetts Communities Action Network (MCAN)peer networkStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellow member of the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Regional Network of Faith in Action. VIA collaborates with MCAN and other regional interfaith organizing groups.
• Vermont Interfaith Power and Lightcampaign allyGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsor of annual Faith Climate Action Day at the Statehouse along with VPIRG and VNRC.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Massachusetts Communities Action Network (MCAN): Fellow Faith in Action affiliate in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Regional Network with a virtually identical multifaith grassroots organizing model targeting state-level policy change. MCAN is explicitly named as a peer network partner of VIA.
• Vermont Interfaith Power and Light: Faith-based climate advocacy organization in Vermont that co-sponsors the annual Faith Climate Action Day at the Statehouse with VIA. Operates with a similar multifaith framing but focuses specifically on climate and clean-energy policy.
• Green Mountain Justice Foundation: Operational partner of VIA on the ECWSP program, providing shelter operations support across Vermont. Directly intertwined with VIA in the statewide cold-weather shelter delivery model.

Regional players

• Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG): Vermont-based advocacy organization that co-sponsors Faith Climate Action Day with VIA and works on overlapping state-level policy campaigns. Different organizational form (advocacy nonprofit vs. faith-rooted organizer) but comparable statewide reach and policy targets.
• Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC): Vermont statewide environmental policy and advocacy organization that co-sponsors Faith Climate Action Day. Operates in the same state-level advocacy arena as VIA on climate-related legislative campaigns.
• Maine People's Alliance: Community organizing nonprofit in Maine running grassroots state-level advocacy campaigns on housing, climate, and equity. Closely comparable in operational model (small staff, statewide policy focus) and geography-adjacent to VIA.

Broad incumbents

• Faith in Action: National umbrella network of faith-based community organizing affiliates; VIA is a member of its Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Regional Network. Faith in Action provides the shared organizing methodology, training infrastructure, and coalition that defines VIA's model.
• Gamaliel Network: National network of interfaith community organizations using congregation-based organizing for state and local policy change. Operates a closely comparable methodology to VIA's and serves as a structural peer in the broader interfaith organizing field.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VermontInterfaithAction
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vermont-interfaith-action-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Vermont Interfaith Action