BHW Receives Grant from VT Community Foundation to Rebuild Web Site with Help from Young Hackers

Big Heavy World was just awarded a $1,500.00 grant from the Vermont Community Foundation's Small and Inspiring grant program, to help us involve young programmers in rebuilding our web site, bigheavyworld.com, dedicated to Vermont-made music. Big Heavy World is a volunteer-staffed nonprofit dedicated to preserving and promoting Vermont-made music. Big Heavy World recently joined up with Found Line to create a local Code for America Brigade of volunteer programmers, launching the brigade at a June 1 & 2 hackathon in Burlington. The brigade, called 'Code for BTV,' is an inclusive effort to rebuild Big Heavy World's independent music office web site where information serving Vermont's music community is gathered. "We're dedicated to involving people of all backgrounds and skill levels in our work to support original music in Vermont and this grant helps us open the door to high school and college students. They'll play an important role in building a cultural and economic resource for all music-loving Vermonters," says Big Heavy World Executive Director James Lockridge. Information about Code for BTV is at codeforbtv.org

The grant will also support an effort to expand a teen-programmed web-based attendance-keeping application for use by Vermont's teen centers, a tool that will help aggregate data that reflects how teen centers across the state serve Vermont's youth. With funding for the Vermont Coalition for Teenagers cut by the legislature, community-driven, volunteer efforts like this become even more critical to the success of Vermont's young adults - and demonstrate the skill, dedication and value that teenagers contribute to their communities.

Through its Small and Inspiring grants program, the Community Foundation hopes to help foster the spark and hope that keeps Vermonters healthy and happy by finding and supporting projects in every town in Vermont where a small grant can make a big difference.

The Vermont Community Foundation is a family of hundreds of funds and foundations established by Vermonters to serve their charitable goals. It provides the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise to make giving easy and inspiring. The Foundation also provides leadership in giving by responding to community needs and keeping Vermont's nonprofit sector vital. Together, its funds and programs provide more than $12 million a year in grants and other investments in Vermont. Visit vermontcf.org or call (802) 388-3355 for more information.