Our 2026/27 Priorities

Every year, Campaign for Vermont sets an agenda for the work ahead and the issues where we believe nonpartisan advocacy can actually move the needle for everyday Vermonters.

This year we made a deliberate choice: fewer, bigger fights. We lead where we are uniquely positioned to lead, and we support other credible organizations where they are already doing the work. We are a tiny organization, but we can have a big impact if we focus our attention and invite others to do the same.

Where We're Leading

1. Education Reform and Literacy Recovery

The goal: Vermont students are falling behind in reading and in math. We want Vermonters to see clearly how their schools are performing, understand why, and know what has actually worked in other states.

What we'll produce:

1. A statewide literacy and numeracy recovery plan, published this fall or winter, drawing on proven turnarounds in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee.

2. An education reform framework covering governance, education finance, spending transparency, and accountability for outcomes.

3. Plain-language briefs and graphics explaining what actually drives education spending and outcomes.

What success looks like: Vermonters understand the real causes of declining outcomes and rising costs, our recommendations are part of the 2027 legislative conversation, and both the state and school districts are held accountable for acting on what works.

2. Ethics, Oversight, and Public Trust

The goal: Campaign for Vermont led the coalition that secured Vermont's 2017 ethics law. That coalition has since dissolved, and the progress it won is being chipped away.

What we'll produce:

1. A rebuilt ethics coalition with partner organizations across the political spectrum.

2. Public analysis and testimony supporting the Ethics Commission's own requests for capacity and investigatory authority.

3. Rapid, visible response when oversight is weakened.

What success looks like: Vermont's ethics and oversight structures are stronger, not weaker, at the end of the legislative session and the public is made aware when officials resist independent oversight of themselves.

3. Stronger Capacity to Do This Work

The goal: None of the above happens without an organization built to deliver it.

What we'll produce:

1. A rebuilt and expanded board of directors.

2. A rebuilt legislative contact tool so Vermonters can reach their lawmakers quickly and easily.

3. Better ways for supporters and subject-matter experts to contribute towards positive outcomes.

What success looks like: More Vermonters connected to their government, and an organization with the focus and tools to follow through on what we promise to deliver.

Where We're Supporting Others

4. Housing Affordability and Supply

We're backing the organizations already leading on housing by adding communications support, public education, and policy analysis. Expect at least one accessible brief on what actually prevents housing from being built at scale in Vermont, plus summaries of key pieces of housing legislation.

5. Health Care Costs and Transparency

Health care costs continue to climb, and roughly $195 million in federal rural health funding is still largely unallocated. Campaign for Vermont has working relationships across every side of this debate: providers, insurers, regulators, and reform advocates. Our most valuable contribution isn't another voice in the argument; it's helping those parties find common ground on cost. Expect us to facilitate conversations and produce short-form content on where Vermont's health care costs are out of line and why transparency and good ideas matter.

How We Decide What Not To Do

We have more good ideas than we can execute. So every new project we consider needs to measured against the same criteria:

1. Does it advance a top priority?

2. Are we the right organization to do it, either as a leader or a genuinely useful partner?

3. Can we deliver it without dropping something we've already promised?

If the answer to any of those is no, it waits.

Here's Where You Come In

We take on this work with a small team and limited resources, and we're honest about what that means for our capacity. Your support directly determines how much of this agenda we can deliver before legislators return to Montpelier in January.

1. Support our work — financial support expands our research capacity.

2. Volunteer your time — we need help with legwork, data, and outreach.

3. Contact your legislators — the most direct action you can take.

4. Sign up for our newsletter — follow the work as it happens.