Six Vermont community organizations will share $210,000 for financial education and fraud-prevention programs, the Department of Financial Regulation announced Oct. 15.
Recipients are the Boys and Girls Club of Burlington, Capstone Community Action, Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, Fight 4 Kids, Northeast Kingdom Community Action and Southeastern Vermont Community Action.
The organizations plan programs that include financial coaching, budgeting, credit and debt education, and ways to recognize scams. The department's announcement describes awards to the organizations, rather than cash grants available directly to individual residents.
Capstone said the funding will sustain and expand personalized coaching and workshops in central Vermont. Northeast Kingdom Community Action described one-on-one coaching and community education for rural residents.
The grant fund is supported largely by a portion of settlements from the department's enforcement actions. This round offered standard one-year grants of up to $50,000 and smaller grants of up to $5,000.
The department said in its Oct. 15 announcement that applications for a separate micro-grant round, offering up to $10,000, were still under review. Residents seeking a class or coaching should contact a recipient about current availability.