The Vermont Unity Project, a partnership of the Vermont Community Foundation and the Samara Foundation, awarded grants in September. The grants, awarded in three categories to 18 projects and organizations, totaled $77,053.
     Small grants ranged from $500 to support Champlain Valley Union high School's GSA to $1,000 to send students from People's Academy in Morrisville to diversity training. Also included among the 7 small grants was $937 to South Burlington High School to support the "Love Makes a Family" exhibit, $750 for the Amelia Earhart Underground Flying Society's 25th anniversary gala, $500 to Lamoille Union High School to support a GSA start-up, $700 to the Glover Public Library for lgbt-related books and materials, and $900 to the Unitarian Universalist Society for printed and video library resources.
      The Unity Project awarded $59,966 in Program Grants to nine organizations and projects: Middlebury Community Television ($10,000) for a video project involving students and faculty from Mount Abraham Union High School and Middlebury College; Mountain Pride Media ($10,000) for technology upgrades and training; Outright ($7500) for education and outreach programs for youth; R.U.1.2? ($7500) for work with youth; P.R.I.D.E. Vermont ($2500) for the celebration in 2005; SafeSpace ($2000) for training service providers in rural counties; Spectrum ($7500) to add a half-time outreach worker for LGBT homeless youth; AIDS Project of Southern Vermont ($9,966) for a Southern Vermont LGBT Organizing Conference; and the Turning Point Club of Bennington ($3,000) for LGBT organizing and resources in Bennington.
     The sole Strategic Partnership grant ($12,000) was awarded to a collaboration among R.U.1.2?, Outright, SafeSpace, and Mountain Pride Media (publisher of OITM) to support an exploratory process looking at closer working relationships and potential sharing of resources.