Our Mission:

The Samara Foundation's mission is to improve the quality of life of Vermont's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens. With our donors and other partners, we collaborate to build and protect the dynamic capital required to advance this mission now and in the future.

Our Name:

'Samara' are the distinctive winged fruit of the maple tree that gently spin their way to earth. They are the hallmark of the maple tree, just as acorns are the hallmark of the oak.

The Samara Foundation of Vermont adopted the name for the symbolism of seeds and growth, of new life and vitality, of the continuity of life, and of Vermont's native sugar maples. As the samara spread the maple tree's seed, the Foundation fosters and sustains Vermont's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities by providing funds for projects and establishing an endowment that ensures support into the future.

Our History:

From its beginning, the Foundation was inspired by the unmet need for charitable giving, bequests, and granting opportunities that benefit the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered communities of Vermont. Founded in 1992, the Samara Foundation of Vermont was established as a non-profit corporation and operated until 1998 as the Human Rights Foundation of Vermont.

Samara's co-founders Bill Lippert and David Curtis at the White House attending a meeting for openly gay elected officials .

The Foundation's initial resources consisted of two funds:

The general Foundation fund was established by bequests from two individuals. Robert Mundstock (1947 - 1992), Vermont artist and activist, became the Foundation's founding donor with a bequest that sustained the Foundation's initial development. Douglas C. Howe (1949 - 1996) of Hinesburg, Vermont, worked closely with the foundation to enlarge this general fund. The extraordinary vision and generosity of his bequest makes possible the Foundation's ability to support a variety of projects and organizations that benefit our communities.

The Foundation's second fund was the Douglas C. Howe and Frank E. Shivers Trust, an endowed fund memorializing Doug and his life partner, Frank Shivers. In creating this Trust, Doug asked that its income be distributed within Vermont "primarily to organizations that assist young gay and lesbian people to lead healthy, productive lives."

The interest yield from managed investment of these funds provides support for our communities today, while the funds' principal is sustained to ensure enduring support for our communities tomorrow.

samara

Strengthening Vermont's LGBT community today

Building an endowment for tomorrow