The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the M&T Charitable Foundation to provide business coaching services for companies in the Flexible Capital Fund, L3C’s portfolio.
“The M&T Charitable Foundation is proud to support the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund and the Flexible Capital Fund, L3C, helping to expand access to flexible, mission-driven capital for Vermont businesses,” said Kathleen Schirling, vice president and senior regional program officer at the M&T Charitable Foundation. “By investing in both financing and critical technical assistance, this initiative creates meaningful opportunities for entrepreneurs, particularly those underserved by traditional funding, while strengthening local economies and advancing sustainable growth.”
The Flexible Capital Fund, L3C provides patient, flexible growth capital to innovative companies in New England’s food systems, forest products, and clean technology sectors. The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund is a nonprofit organization that supports business growth, innovation and collaboration across these same sectors through technical assistance, network development and strategic initiatives.
This shared focus creates a strong alignment between the two organizations. Through this partnership, the Flexible Capital Fund provides flexible, non-extractive financing, primarily using revenue based financing, while VSJF provides business coaching and technical assistance to help companies strengthen operations, scale effectively and increase their impact.
“These types of partnerships and funding are essential to sustaining our work,” said Casey Johnson, fund manager at the Flexible Capital Fund. “While flexible capital is central to our approach, it is the coaching and strategic support that enables our portfolio companies to grow successfully and deliver lasting impact in their communities.”
Grant funding for technical assistance remains critical as demand for these services grows, and access to traditional funding sources remains limited. The award from the M&T Charitable Foundation will help expand coaching support for the portfolio companies and strengthen their ability to create quality jobs and contribute to a more resilient economy.
About Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) is a nonprofit organization committed to nurturing sustainable economic development to benefit Vermont’s people, communities, and environment. Through business assistance, network development, strategic planning, and supply chain coordination, VSJF supports innovation and resilience in agriculture and food systems, forest and fiber products, renewable energy, environmental technology, and waste management sectors. VSJF was created by the Vermont Legislature in 1995 to partner with state government, private sector businesses, and nonprofits to catalyze systems-level change and build a thriving, equitable, and ecologically sound future for Vermont.
About The Flexible Capital Fund
The Flexible Capital Fund, L3C (Flex Fund) provides patient, flexible growth capital to innovative companies in food systems, forest products, and clean technology sectors. As a women-led Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), the Flex Fund specializes in innovative debt structures, like revenue-based financing and other non-extractive capital, that support entrepreneurs without diluting ownership. We invest in New England businesses that align with our mission of creating healthy food systems, preserving working lands, building resilient communities and addressing climate change through regenerative solutions and equitable workplaces.