Our Partners: Fundholders and Advisors

Our Trusted Partners

Thank you to our fundholders and advisors—they have helped create a more vibrant Vermont by opening a fund at the Foundation or by referring clients. To see the current lists of funds and referring attorneys and advisors, visit vermontcf.org/componentfunds and vermontcf.org/advisors.

The Sturman Family

Generations of Giving

Skip and Marilyn Sturman liken charitable giving to skipping stones into a lake and watching the ripples extend across the water. “We feel a strong obligation to support organizations here in Vermont, to be good citizens, and to alleviate suffering around the globe,” says Skip, “and we have tried to impress upon our children, Cara and Jed, the importance of paying it forward.”

Established 20 years ago, the Sturman Family Fund has been a catalyst for those conversations. Now adults with children of their own, Cara and Jed recall being asked to identify causes or organizations important to them. From an early age, they were part of how the family directed their charitable giving, a tradition they now are passing on to the next generation. “My parents instilled a deep understanding that it is not only important to care about others, but to take responsibility and action,” said Cara.

Jed agrees. “Our family fund gave us an opportunity to have conversations around who and what to support, and why it’s important to give,” he said. “While our one- and three-year olds are too young to understand philanthropy as a mechanism, we can show them how giving can make a difference.”

While each family member is encouraged to bring their own values and priorities to the table, Skip says it is “very satisfying” when the family is aligned, as was the case with the VT COVID-19 Response Fund. “The pandemic offered a reminder of how much we can accomplish quickly when we give together through the Vermont Community Foundation.”

Backstage but Still Directing

The founder and executive director of Burlington’s historic Flynn Theater for nearly thirty years, Andrea Rogers helped to shape Vermont’s cultural landscape, bringing world-class dance, music, and theater to the Green Mountain State. “The arts play a vital role in building community,” she said, “and also provide a deeply meaningful way for people to reflect on our environment and our world.”

Today, as a fundholder with the Vermont Community Foundation, Andrea is able to continue that legacy through charitable giving that supports the arts, the environment, and social needs in Vermont. “Practically speaking, my donor advised fund offers a way to direct my giving to charities I care about with appreciated stock I was fortunate to inherit,” she says. “I can essentially gift the stock at current value to the foundation, with the associated tax advantage, and then proceed over time to give it to the charities I care about.”

“Though I direct most of my giving independently,” says Andrea, “I appreciate and respect the role my philanthropic advisor at the Community Foundation plays in identifying organizations and programs aligned with my priorities.” “The Vermont Community Foundation makes it simple for people with charitable intent to invest in Vermont,” says Jeff Morin, a financial advisor and managing partner at JMM & Associates.

“It’s easy to recommend the Community Foundation because they do all the legwork. I had one client who was writing checks to 20 or 30 different organizations every year, but couldn’t keep up with how her contributions were making an impact. Now she has one fund with the Foundation and can sit down with a philanthropic advisor each year to direct her giving where it’s needed most.”