VtSHARES
Vermont State Employees Workplace Giving Campaign
Every year, Vermont’s State Employees give hundreds of thousands of dollars to Vermont’s nonprofits. Since 1978, these donations have totaled more than $11.5 million to hundreds of nonprofits!
Green Mountain United Way works with a committee of State employees to organize this fundraising campaign each year. The campaign offers employees with the State of Vermont the opportunity to designate one-time or payroll deduction donations to nonprofit organizations serving Vermonters. The campaign runs during the final week of October and the first week of November, each year.
How to Apply
Nonprofits must apply each year to be included in the fundraising campaign. See the sections below for more details on the application process and timing.
Application Dates
The 2026 nonprofit application is now closed. The 2027 nonprofit application will open on May 1, 2027, and will close on June 15, 2027.
Eligibility Criteria
A committee reviews each application. To be eligible to participate, nonprofits must:
be a registered 501c3 nonprofit,
have been in operation for at least two years,
serve Vermont, and
be in good standing with the Secretary of State.
Application Process
Every year, each nonprofit must apply by completing the following:
The VtSHARES online application form. (A link is posted when the application is open.)
A compliance form. (Available for download here when the application is open.)
For nonprofits that did not participate in the previous year, please email your letter from the IRS showing federal tax-exempt status.
Good standing with the Secretary of State. Make sure your listing is current and in good standing before applying.
Submit a story and photo (optional). The online form invites nonprofits to submit a story about that demonstrates the impact of your organization’s work. A photo may also be submitted.
Results and Payouts
The VtSHARES campaign starts in the fall, when state employees make a pledge to the nonprofit of their choice. Those funds are then collected through payroll deductions during the following calendar year.
For pledges and payments being collected during 2026, nonprofits will continue to receive their results and payments from their Umbrella United Way, which is the United Way that serves their region. These payments are from the campaign that ran in fall of 2025, which is when employees make their pledges to be collected during the 2026 calendar year.
If you have a question regarding a payment amount for 2026, please contact your umbrella United Way:
Green Mountain United Way: Bennington, Caledonia, Essex, Orange, Orleans, and Washington counties
United Way of Northwest Vermont: Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle Counties
United Way of Addison County
United Way of Lamoille County
United Way of Rutland County
United Way of Windham County
Administrative Fees
For payments made on the funds collected during 2026, a small administrative fee of 0.76% deducted from each payment to each nonprofit. No administrative fee will be deducted in 2027.
Retirement and Termination
In the event that a State Employee retires or leaves their job, Green Mountain United Way will fulfill their pledged donation amount. This is a significant liability, and is why we collected funds in full before we begin making payments.
