More than 20 Vermont organizations host Changemakers Summit on April 11

A broad coalition of Vermont nonprofit organizations representing public health, food security, social justice, environmental and other interests is hosting the 2026 Vermont Changemakers Summit from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 11. The free, all-day event will take place at Harwood Union Middle & High School, 458 Vermont Rte 100 in Moretown.

For the last year, organizations have been looking for ways to build solidarity and community in response to harmful impacts on the state coming down from federal decision makers. That effort is the focus at this summit, which aims to bring together Vermonters interested in strategies – and solidarity – to collectively help meet the magnitude of these recent federal actions. The event aims to be a new model of collaboration and community-building moving forward around a host of critical issues in an unprecedented era of inequality, uncertainty, climate denial and disinformation.

The summit is designed for Vermonters at every level of experience. Whether someone has never attended a town meeting or is a seasoned advocate for issues in the State House, this summit offers concrete skills, connections and confidence to take the next steps to build our coalitions, step up, and speak out,

Goals of the summit:

• Equip 200 to 300 Vermonters with practical organizing, advocacy and communications skills that they can deploy immediately in their communities — from testifying at the State House to running a local volunteer program.
• Bridge the gap between established nonprofits and decentralized grassroots networks, creating shared language and lasting cross-organizational relationships.
• Lower the barrier to civic participation for first-time activists, new volunteers and community members who want to act but do not know where to start.
• Seed a statewide coordination infrastructure that outlasts this single event, connecting people across issue areas who might otherwise never meet.