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 nearly $11 million!
Green Mountain United Way works with a committee of State employees and United Ways around the state to organize this fundraising campaign each year. The campaign offers employees with the State of Vermont the opportunity to designate payroll deduction donations to nonprofit organizations serving Vermonters, including United Ways around the state and their partners.
How to Apply
The 2026 VtSHARES nonprofit application is now open. See below for important dates and instructions to apply. Every nonprofit who wishes to participate must apply.
Applications will be due by the end of the day on Friday, July 31, 2026.
Application Dates
Nonprofit organizations must apply each year to participate in the program. The nonprofit application will follow this schedule in 2026:
June 29, 2026: Application is open for nonprofits to apply. The application is an online form.
July 31, 2026: Nonprofits applications are due to Green Mountain United Way.
September: Nonprofits are notified of their approval.
Late October / early November: The campaign runs in the last week of October and first week of November, every year.
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: https://forms.gle/S5XKNtwLiSh11PvF9
Compliance form. This form needs to be downloaded (MS Word), filled out, and emailed to Sarah Galbraith at sgalbraith@gmunitedway.org.
For nonprofits that did not participate in the previous year, please email your letter from the IRS showing federal tax-exempt status to Sarah Galbraith at sgalbraith@gmunitedway.org.
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 by emailing one to Sarah Galbraith at sgalbraith@gmunitedway.org.
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.
An important change has been made: For pledges and payments that are collected during 2027, all correspondence will come from and should be directed to Green Mountain United Way. This is the only United Way overseeing the statewide program, going forward.
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.
