Search Through Financial Assistance Grants in Maine in the U.S.

About the Trust

For over 81 years, The Agnes M. Lindsay Trust has been providing financial assistance to nonprofit organizations that help those in need. The Trust's focus areas of giving include Health and Welfare, Dental/Oral Health, Recreational/Camperships (camp scholarships), Education and Homeless Shelters, our newest initiative. Our geographic giving areas include the states of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Our Priorties

Health and Welfare

Impacting health and welfare organizations with grants that support capital projects for those with special needs, including the blind, deaf, learning disabled, elderly, youth and family service organizations, homeless shelters, and food banks to name a few.  

Dental Health

Expanding our reach to nonprofits that provide free dental clinics, and dental care to low income , needy populations to include children, families and the elderly through capital grants for dental equipment needs and program support.CampershipEnhancing children's lives through camp scholarships that provide a child with an opportunity for a summer camping experience/summer enrichment who would otherwise be unable to attend without this scholarship support.EducationAdvancing education through scholarship support to community colleges and preselected four-year colleges and universities to needy students from rural areas. Grants are awarded directly to the institutions who select recipients based on the Trust's criteria.  The Trust is not accepting any unsolicited requests from community colleges, 4-year colleges or universities at this time. Homeless SheltersResponding to the needs and demands placed on homeless shelters due to socioeconomic factors that impact individuals due to unemployment, addiction, behavioral disorders and other circumstances. We strive to work together to end homelessness. Capital and operating support grants are available.Food Banks/ Food PantryRecognizing the escalating need placed on food pantries and food banks due to inflation and the increased costs of food and basic necessities, we are committed to working with organizations to eliminate food insecurity and are dedicated to making a lasting impact by providing support through capital and operating grants.

Charitable Contributions

Costco Wholesale’s primary charitable efforts specifically focus on programs supporting children, education, and health and human services in the communities where we do business. Throughout the year we receive a large number of requests from nonprofit organizations striving to make a positive impact, and we are thankful to be able to provide support to a variety of organizations and causes. While we would like to respond favorably to all requests, understandably, the needs are far greater than our allocated resources and we are unable to accommodate them all.

Warehouse Donations:

Warehouse donations are handled at the warehouse level - please consult your local warehouse for up-to-date information regarding their donations contacts and review process.

Grant Applications

If the request is under consideration, you may be contacted by staff for any additional information needed. Applications are reviewed within 4-6 weeks, and decisions are made based on several factors, including: type of program; identified community need not otherwise available; indication that evidenced based data will establish measurable results of intended outcomes; community collaboration; broad base of financial support; project budget and operating expenses.

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

How we decide who receives funds

To decide where funds should go, we consider the organization’s relevance to our Community Promise goals, how the service it offers impacts our community, other support the group receives in the private and public sector, and the community’s general need.

As many typical fundraising avenues disappeared during the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve been especially proactive in reaching out to partners as vital societal needs have only increased across communities.

We receive so many requests, and every category offers invaluable services and activities. Here’s a quick sample of the kinds of organizations that receive assistance.

Five categories of organizations

Our dedicated Social Responsibility team considers requests from five categories of organizations. We award grants and sponsorships on a rolling, year-round basis in support of the following causes:

Health and Wellness

Community organizations and programs that promote mind, body, and financial wellness align very strongly with our corporate and community values. We sponsor races, sports teams, and other wellness programs and initiatives.

Examples of groups who have received support from us include:

• Hospitals and Community Health Centers
• Nutrition Programs
• United Ways
• Community Action Agencies

Community & Economic Advancement

Community spaces that create access to resources for community members of all walks of life get our attention. We want to empower everyone in the community who has ideas that can help make it better.

Examples of groups who have received support from us include:

• Libraries
• Chambers of Commerce
• Affordable Housing
• Public Transportation

Arts & Culture

A vibrant art scene in our communities drives tourism and commerce and serves a higher purpose – fostering understanding, creating empathy, and moving a community forward. We want to support the arts whenever we can.

Examples of groups who have received support from us include:

• Visual and performing arts programs
• Museums
• Historical Societies
• Theaters

Education & Innovation

Investments in education and youth programs create the future of the community. As parents ourselves, we support youth programs that address food insecurity, technology, wellness, and trauma prevention to help children succeed beyond their dreams.

Examples of groups who have received support from us include:

• Education Foundations
• Literacy Programs
• Leadership Development
• Social Entrepreneurship

Environment & Animal Welfare

We all deserve a healthy environment to live in and enjoy, our furry friends included. We work with land trusts, animal shelters, animal agencies and more to make that happen.

Examples of groups who have received support from us include:

• Land Trusts
• Marine Resource Conservation
• Animal Welfare and Rescue

The Labcorp Charitable Foundation

We believe every person deserves equitable care and education.

In 2020 Labcorp established a private charitable 501(c)(3) foundation to advance our desire to bring quality healthcare access to all by supporting education and our local communities. 

Common grant opportunities include:

• Supporting food pantries and meal programs
• Providing healthcare and patient services for underserved populations
• Encouraging STEM programming
• Advocating for healthy lifestyles through ongoing medical research and screening

Donations, Pledges, Sponsorships, and Capital Requests

At Machias Savings Bank, we look for opportunities where moderate funding can affect significant results within the state of Maine. These contributions are used to provide assistance in support of a specific program or service. Our primary areas of giving are financial wellness education, workforce development, affordable housing, economic development, and youth and education, but we can give outside of these focused areas depending on the project. Your organization needs to have 501(c)3 status, but know we can support municipalities and schools with our donation dollars. If you are a chamber, you will need to work with your local branch on other sources of funding.  

• Donations - We look for opportunities where moderate funding can have significant results within the community. These contributions are used to aid in support of a specific program, service, and capital projects.
• Sponsorships - Sponsorships are payments made to any for-profit or not-for-profit organization for which Machias Savings Bank will receive marketing, public relations, and community relations value.
• Examples of sponsorships include:
  • Road race
  • Arts festival or event
  • School sports team
  • Golf tournament
  • Fundraising dinner
  • Walk fundraiser

Priorities

Funding priority is given to those projects which, but are not limited to:

• Support an established customer relationship between Machias Savings Bank and the requesting organization or individual.
• Positively impact low and moderate income populations or support Machias Savings Bank Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) initiative.
• Show evidence of employee interest and involvement that is more than just fundraising, but may include hands-on volunteerism.
• Assist in promoting financial education and credit service information to the community.

Funding

Requests for donations of $100 or greater.

Maine Workforce Development Compact

The Maine Workforce Development Compact is comprised of Maine businesses, associations, nonprofits, and municipalities who are committed to working together to solve Maine’s workforce challenges.

The Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce has access to $60 million in grant funding.  Members have streamlined access to The Center’s services, which include:

• Financial support of up to a $1,200 match per frontline worker.
• Community college scholarships for staff to continue acquiring skills in pursuit of a degree or credential of value.
• An advisor to assist employees with course selection, textbooks, tutoring services, and other resources to ensure their continued success.
• Maintenance of your employees’ training records.

Training for Compact Members can occur at one of Maine’s community colleges, by a third-party training vendor, or through your own company-based training. All Maine companies qualify and there are additional resources available to small- and mid-sized companies.

What We Support

The Rauch Foundation takes an entrepreneurial approach to promoting change by investing in areas where we can have a fundamental impact.

Our mission has two main priorities:

• To promote a healthy planet through research into global food systems.
• To promote the financial preparedness of rising generations of students by supporting schools in the delivery of financial literacy programs

Building on the Rauch Foundation’s long history of providing evidence-based research and data to inform policy, our work in food systems is centered on exploring the nexus between the food we consume and the systems involved in its financing, sourcing, production and delivery. Using the island of Poros, Greece and its efforts to stop the expansion of open net pen industrial fish farming as a case study, we have been laying out a case for how global, national, and regional actions can impact the health of a community, its economy, and the local environment.

Our school-based work in financial literacy acknowledges growing national support for a curriculum that helps young people develop the skills to navigate a successful future for themselves and their families.

Working for systemic change.

The Rauch Foundation invests in ideas and organizations that spark positive systemic change.

We are not afraid of controversial ideas, original approaches, or new ways to tackle old problems. However, we do look for sound data, leadership, other grant partners, strong management skills, and a focus on evidence-based outcomes. Once we invest in the work of an organization, our involvement may include a long-term partnership or assistance with capacity building and leadership.

We are committed to partnering with nonprofits and NGOs, the private sector, labor, research institutions, universities, the media, and other funders to help achieve shared goals and work through common issues.

Mission

Driven by a philanthropic calling to support marginalized communities throughout the world, the Semnani Family Foundation partners with on-the-ground organizations and leverages its resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner that delivers the maximum benefit.

History

Guided by his grandmother Maliheh’s example and teachings, Khosrow Semnani and his wife Ghazaleh established the Semnani Family Foundation in 1993. The foundation’s first grant was issued through CARE International to an orphanage in Romania that cared for newborns affected by HIV. Over the last few decades, the foundation has continued to build upon its mission to empower the disaffected, partnering with a variety of organizations in different countries who can make the greatest impact.

In addition to its global influence, the Semnani Family Foundation established roots within the state of Utah with the founding of Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005 to provide free healthcare to thousands of uninsured people in the Salt Lake City area.

Where We Work

The Semnani Family Foundation focuses primarily on promoting health, education, and disaster relief for marginalized communities all around the world. Driven by a clear mission to adapt and serve at the global level, we have leveraged our resources to make a meaningful impact in the following countries so far:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia
• Colombia
• England
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Romania
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Uganda
• United States
• Yemen

At the heart of the Foundation lies a fervent commitment to human welfare, always prioritizing health and the needs of society’s most vulnerable.

The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust is devoted solely to the funding of charitable, scientific, medical and educational organizations.

The Board endeavors to support soundly-managed charitable organizations that give service with a broad scope, have a substantial effect on their target populations, and contribute materially to the general welfare. The Board does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

Helping Build Better Futures

Our mission is to deliver great value to our customers every day. For over four decades, our deep commitment to the principles of providing value and caring for others has helped define our culture. It extends beyond the walls of our stores, distribution centers, and offices, and into our local communities around the world. The intersection of these principles defines our global community mission:

Deliver great value to our communities by helping vulnerable families and children access the resources and opportunities they need to build a better future.

Our Social Impact Areas

We bring our community relations mission to life around the world by focusing our giving on four social impact areas where we believe we can have the most impact and are critical to helping families and children succeed and thrive.

Basic Needs

We are passionate about supporting nonprofit organizations that help fill critical basic needs such as a warm meal, clean clothing, and a safe place to sleep for vulnerable families.

Education & Training

Our efforts have focused on quality enrichment and extracurricular programs that provide skills, resources, and opportunities to support school and career success for children, teens, and young adults.

Patient Care & Research

We support organizations that deliver services to families and children facing health challenges and life-threatening illnesses.

Empowering Women

We support programs that provide services ranging from help for those fleeing domestic violence, to others that offer education, training, and job placement resources.

Our Mission

The Tony Robbins Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of people often forgotten.

We’re dedicated to creating positive changes in the lives of youth, seniors, the hungry, homeless and the imprisoned population, all who need a boost envisioning a happier and deeply satisfying way of life. Our passionate staff, generous donors and caring group of international volunteers provide the vision, inspiration, and resources needed to empower these important members of our society.

Grants

Dedicated to meeting challenges within the global community, creating solutions and taking action, The Tony Robbins Foundation provides monetary donations to various organizations around the world. Funding requests are evaluated on an ongoing basis. We look for organizations that align with our mission to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of those often forgotten.

DAR Historic Preservation Grants

Since our founding in 1890, the National Society of the DAR has supported historic preservation as one of our three main mission areas (along with patriotism and education). In tens of thousands of locations around the world, we have saved historic properties, erected historic markers, digitized documents and helped to preserve the American story in thousands of meaningful ways.

We’re proud to also provide $250,000 in grants annually to support historic preservation efforts in local communities. The DAR Historic Preservation Grants provide financial assistance for projects that preserve historic resources, sites and other history-related projects. Examples include restoration of historic buildings; digitization or preservation of documents/records; preservation of historical items/artifacts; erection of new or rededication/relocation of existing historical markers; cemetery headstone and monument conservation, etc. 

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

Our Beginnings

SeedMoney is a Maine-based 501c nonprofit helping US and global food garden projects to thrive through grants, crowdfunding assistance and free garden planning software.

SeedMoney is the new name for what was formerly called Kitchen Gardeners International (KGI), a nonprofit founded in 2003. Over the past three years, our emphasis has gradually shifted from helping home gardeners towards offering financial and technical support to a wide variety of public food garden projects. These include community gardens, school gardens, food bank gardens, homeless shelter gardens and senior gardens, to name just a few.

Mission

SeedMoney improves the health of people, local communities and the planet by empowering public food gardens and farms to start up and thrive. We work with a variety of local partners including school gardens, community gardens, food bank gardens, community farms, as well as other nonprofits. We offer our partners training in online outreach, access to custom-built user-friendly online crowdfunding technology, cutting-edge garden planning software and grants ranging from $100 to $1000. In doing so, we enable communities and projects in need to become more self-reliant in terms of their food and their funding.

SeedMoney Challenge

The SeedMoney Challenge is a group crowdfunding competition open to any public food garden project located anywhere in the world.  Each year, we offer challenge grants to diverse food garden projects through a 30-day crowdfunding challenge.  Participating projects include youth gardens, community gardens, community farms and food bank gardens. Participants keep 100% of what they raise and compete for challenge grants of $100 to $1000. The more funds a project raises, the larger the grant it qualifies to receive. 

The grants we offer are on a sliding scale. The size of a grant a project can receive depends on how much it is able to raise over the 30-day period compared to other projects participating in the challenge. This year, we will be offering a total of 432 grants ranging from $100 to $1000.

Centene Charitable Foundation

Successful corporate citizenship happens when companies invest in the local organizations that know their communities best. The Centene Foundation works with our local partners on initiatives that focus on inclusion, the whole person and community development.

Vision

Centene’s purpose is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. The Centene Foundation is an essential part of how we pursue this purpose. We achieve measurable impact for the communities we serve through partnerships and philanthropy efforts that invest in initiatives with holistic approaches to dismantling barriers to health.

Areas of Focus

Reflecting Centene’s commitment to the needs of those who rely on government-sponsored health care and to addressing social determinants of health and health equity, preference will be given to initiatives in three distinct areas of focus.

• Healthcare Access
• Social Services
• Education

What is an AgEnhancement Grant?

Each year, Farm Credit East and CoBank award grants ranging from $500 to $10,000 to help organizations promote awareness and strengthen agriculture, commercial fishing and forest products in the six New England states, New York and New Jersey. Since its inception in 1996, the Farm Credit AgEnhancement Program has awarded more than 3.5 million dollars in grants to organizations across the Northeast.

Program Goals

We support programs intended to assist all-size farms, promote diversity and create opportunities for new entrants into agriculture. Applicants that clearly demonstrate how a program, project, activity or event will have a long-term positive effect on the agriculture, forest products or the commercial fishing industries in the eight-state Northeast region are encouraged to seek funding. Statewide and regional projects are also eligible.

Program areas in which financial support may be provided include but are not limited to:

• Leadership Development Programs that develop leadership skills among young farmers and youth. This has included grants to the Future Farmers of America, 4-H, the Holstein Association’s Young Dairy Leaders Institute, Lead New York, the New Jersey Leadership Program, Beef Expo and the Cornell Dairy Fellows Program.
• Economic Viability and Enhancement Projects to promote economic development have included those by the New York Farmers Market Federation, New Hampshire Farm Link, Maine Association of Conservation Districts, the New York AgriDevelopment Corporation and the Center of Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship.
• Programs to Promote Northeast Agriculture and Recognize Accomplishments of Ag Leaders Grants to create greater awareness and develop markets for Northeast farm products have included projects of New England Green Pastures, New York Apple Association, the New England Departments of Agriculture – US Food Export Showcase and Long Island Farm Bureau.
• Build a Better Understanding of Agriculture, Forestry and Commercial Fishing Agriculture in the Classroom programs of Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, along with Ocean Adventure (commercial fishing) and Witter Museum at the New York State Fair have been awarded grants to create a greater awareness and understanding of agriculture in the Northeast.
• Economic Analysis to Foster Agriculture Economic studies, including a special report on the need for the Northeast Dairy Compact, a research effort with the State Departments of Agriculture to develop a cost of production crop insurance program, and a special survey of farm worker wages, benefits and performance standards have received grants.

Diversity and Inclusion

Farm Credit AgEnhancement welcomes submission of proposals from all parts of our society. We encourage proposals from organizations that promote or facilitate minority involvement in agriculture and agriculture related businesses. To facilitate our diversity objective, Farm Credit AgEnhancement will accept and consider one-county proposals that would otherwise not be eligible.

Our Mission

Our mission is to continue and further the philanthropic legacy of Gardner Cowles, Jr. and the Cowles family, which includes promotion of education, social justice, health, and the arts.

The Founder

The Cowles Charitable Trust was first established in 1948 by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr. (1903-1985). Born into the Cowles publishing family of Des Moines, Iowa, Mike was the youngest of Gardner Cowles and Florence Call Cowles’ six children. A newspaper editor and publisher by trade, he was committed to his family’s traditions of responsible, public-spirited, and innovative journalism as well as philanthropy. 

The Cowles Charitable Trust supports the arts, education, the advancement of ethical journalism, medical and climate research.

About the Island Foundation

The Island Foundation was founded in 1979 by W. Van Alan Clark, Jr. and Mary H. Clark. They envisioned a family foundation that was capable not only of reacting to the needs of the community, but also providing leadership grants and taking chances other foundations might be unwilling to consider. Van Clark believed in solutions. He believed that the world could be managed for the better. He believed that bright people, dedicated to a common goal would inevitably achieve that goal. He was an activist who was willing to, in his own words, “Step up to the plate and make a good cut at the ball.” A restless and imaginative man, he fought for better outcomes in all of his endeavors. Over the years, the Island Foundation has alternately talked and listened, but always with the goal of motivating action and creative solutions. There is a challenge embedded in every opportunity.

Grantmaking Priorities

The Foundation supports projects in coastal areas of Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island and selected international locations.

For the last two decades, the Foundation has focused a significant portion of its financial resources on Southeastern Massachusetts, where its office is located. Here the Board seeks to understand how communities grow sustainably and equitably, how to increase educational opportunities, how rural and urban economies are intertwined, and how to best protect working landscapes and the people who rely upon these areas for their livelihoods. In funding in a few specific areas, the Board believes it will have the most impact. 

Womxn and Girls Grant

The Island Foundation works with organizations addressing root causes of inequality for womxn and girls in the United States. The Foundation works to strengthen and support the work of womxn- and girls-led and focused organizations across sectors and funding interests, particularly for womxn and girls of color. The Foundation supports intergenerational collaborations and organizations at the forefront of innovation and systems change for gender equity and inclusion.

The Foundation is dedicated to providing financial assistance to organizations committed to improving our world. Solutions to the problems of today's world still lie in the values of innovation, practicality, hard work, and compassion.

The Foundation considers applications for grants in the following areas:

• Education
• Social Service
• Health care
• Civic and cultural
• Environmental

The categories above are not intended to limit the interest of the Foundation from considering other worthwhile projects. In general, the Foundation guidelines are broad to give us flexibility in providing grants.

The majority of our grants are made in the U.S. However, like Dr. Scholl, we recognize the need for a global outlook. Non-U.S. grants are given to organizations where directors have knowledge of the grantee.

About the Allison Keller Education Technology Program

Realizing the gains that many people with autism have achieved using the iPad, the Allison Keller Education Technology Program was created in honor of Flutie Foundation Board Member Kevin Lane Keller's daughter Allison. The goal of the program is to help fill the financial and technological gap for schools and organizations that assist individuals with autism. Since 2012, the Flutie Foundation has granted over $820,000 to 177 schools and organizations for programs specifically serving individuals with autism that have an established technology program in place or have expressed an interest in starting a program using the iPad or other technology tools.

Applications will be considered for any technology tools and/or training that improve learning outcomes or performance. Examples include but are not limited to:

• Tablets & Accessories
• Apps
• Smartboards
• Laptops
• Technology Training
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) educational activities & access to STEM studies

The Flutie Foundation is seeking innovative partners who are using technology to address real needs facing the autism community. One program per public school district is eligible to be awarded an Allison Keller Education Technology grant annually. Think outside the box!

What is the Recreational Trails Program?

The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is an assistance program of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The RTP provides funds to the States to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for motorized and nonmotorized recreational trail uses.

The Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act reauthorized the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) for Federal fiscal years 2016 through 2020 as a set-aside of funds from the Transportation Alternatives (TA) Set-Aside under Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBG).

The State of Maine has agreed to take part in the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) under the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the federal agency that administers the program at the national level. 

The Bureau of Parks and Lands has been designated the state agency to administer the program in Maine. Within the Bureau, the Grants and Community Recreation Program provides day-to-day supervision of RTP matters.

Recreational Trails Program Financial Policies

RTP can fund up to 80% of eligible project costs. The balance must come from the project sponsor and can include cash and or in-kind / donated services and materials. RTP funding must be allocated to projects according to the trail types below.

• 30% of RTP funds allocated to the state shall be reserved for uses related to motorized trail recreation
• 30% of RTP funds allocated to the state shall be reserved for uses related to non-motorized trail recreation.
• The remaining 40% of funds shall be used for recreational projects that facilitate diverse trail use.

Eligible Projects

Permissible uses of RTP grant funds include:

Development and Acquisition Grants

• Maintenance and restoration of existing trails: may be interpreted to include any kind of trail maintenance (except routine maintenance), such as restoration, rehabilitation, or relocation. This category includes maintenance and restoration of trail bridges, or providing appropriate signage along a trail
• Development and rehabilitation of trailside and trailhead facilities and linkages for recreational trails: may include development or rehabilitation of any trailside or trailhead facility, provided the facility has a direct relationship with a recreational trail. The definition of “rehabilitation” means extensive repair needed to bring a facility up to standards suitable for public use or to protect resources (not routine maintenance)
• Construction of new recreation trails: may include construction of new trail bridges, or providing appropriate signage along a trail.
• Acquisition of easements and fee simple title to property for trail purposes: may include acquisition of old road or railroad bridges to be used as recreational trail bridges. Acquisition of any kind of interest in property must be from a willing landowner/seller – cannot have a signed agreement in place, only a letter stating that landowner is willing to sell.
• Improvements to trail access and use for persons with disabilities and/or special needs.
• Creation, expansion, or improvement of water trails may include construction/restoration of boat landing infrastructure, kiosks/signage, outhouses and portage trails.
• Construction of new trails on federal land provided the project has been approved by the agency(ies) charged with the management of the impacted land.
• Purchase of trail building/grooming machinery* and equipment (grooming equipment may be eligible depending on funding levels of program.)
• *Maine Trails Advisory Committee specifically excludes mechanized equipment from eligibility in Maine.
• Hand tools are eligible expenses.

Development, Acquisition and or Combined grant awards will be funded at two levels:

• Regular grants not to exceed $50,000.00 *Subject to funding level
• Large Scale Projects – one award up to $120,000.00 per funding stream (Diverse, Non-Motorized, Motorized) will be considered

Safety/Environmental Education Grants

• The Recreational Trails Program allows for SEP funds to be used, but any SEP funds allocated come out of available funds for on the ground trail construction, rehabilitation, and or maintenance.
• MRTPAC may still allocate SEP funds but intends to do so only for trail training initiatives related to trail related safety and environmental protection that will benefit the greater trail community as a whole.

Safety and Environmental Education grant awards will not exceed $5,000.00.

Maine Goals for the Recreational Trails Program

• Trails that provide linkages with existing or planned networks.
• Trails that serve a wide spectrum of users.
• Proposals that address landowners concerns.
• Trails that provide relatively high use levels.
• Proposals that provide "close-to-home" trails.
• Proposals that enhance tourism and economic development.
• Proposals that facilitate trail use for youngsters, seniors, and persons with disabilities.
• Projects that are well planned.
• Trails that are destination oriented.
• Trails that further SCORP or other established planning goals.
• Multiple use trail projects that address conflicts between user groups.
• Proposals that have adequate matching resources.
• Proposals that consider operation and maintenance needs.
• Projects that leverage other private and public funding sources.
• Projects that rehabilitate existing, well-used trails.
• Projects that preserve rights-of-way for public recreation purposes.
• Trails that provide high levels of user safety.
• Trails that provide aesthetic or cultural benefits to users.
• Projects that provide for reasonable longevity.

Calling to Serve

Since its inception in 2016, the Robinson Foundation has sought to demonstrate God’s love through sharing the gifts we have received. We understand the often unspoken hardships and struggles that people in and outside of our community face everyday. As such, our contributions are focused on relieving these hardships for the betterment of our world.

As a family-operated foundation, we pray that our small efforts will not only create immediate change in the lives of our neighbors, but will help set those lives on a course for success in the future. We are thankful for each and every day we have on this earth to use what God has granted us to make a difference.

Areas of Interest

• Animal Welfare
• Children & Families
• Disaster Relief
• Education
• Medical Assistance
• Nature & Wildlife Conservation
• Poverty Relief
• Religious & Spiritual Endeavors
• Veterans' Issues

Grant Considerations

We take many different aspects of applications into account when making grant issuing decisions, however these are some of the high-level questions we ask ourselves during the process:

• How does the organization serve their key audience goals?
• Is the organization fiscally responsible?
• Will a grant have a tangible, meaningful impact?
• Will we see direct results from this grant?
• Does the organization have other financial contributors?

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.

EQIP

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is NRCS’ flagship conservation program that helps farmers, ranchers and forest landowners integrate conservation into working lands.

EQIP provides technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers and forest landowners to address natural resource concerns, such as:

• Improved water and air quality;
• Conserved ground and surface water;
• Increased soil health;
• Reduced soil erosion and sedimentation;
• Improved or created wildlife habitat; and
• Mitigation against drought and increasing weather volatility.

How It Works

NRCS works one-on-one with producers to develop a conservation plan that outlines conservation practices and activities to help solve on-farm resource issues. Producers implement practices and activities in their conservation plan that can lead to cleaner water and air, healthier soil and better wildlife habitat, all while improving their agricultural operations. EQIP helps producers make conservation work for them. Financial assistance for practices may be available through EQIP.  Some producers may also qualify for advance payment.

Benefits

Some of these benefits include:

• Reduced contamination from agricultural sources, such as animal feeding operations.
• Efficient use of nutrients, reducing input costs and reduction in nonpoint source pollution.
• Improved soil health, which mitigates against increasing weather volatility, improves drought resiliency and can positively affect climate change.
• Implementation of climate-smart practices that improve carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while building resilient landscapes.

Maine Initiatives

• Conservation Planning Activities (CPAs), Design and Implementation Activities (DIAs), and Conservation Evaluation and Monitoring Activities (CEMAs)
  • Technical service providers (TSP) or other third-party service providers (Providers) for NRCS can carry out planning, design, implementation, and monitoring tasks for NRCS conservation program purposes (previously known as Conservation Activity Plans (CAPs)). NRCS has reorganized and renamed CAPs into three new categories—Conservation Planning Activities (CPAs), Design and Implementation Activities (DIAs), and Conservation Evaluation and Monitoring Activities (CEMAs). NRCS broke these activities out to clarify which phase of the NRCS conservation planning process the TSP/Provider will be supporting.
• Climate Smart Agriculture
  • Agricultural producers play a critical role in fostering a healthy environment through climate-smart management practices that conserve natural resources, build healthier soils, sequester carbon, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). When row crop producers adopt conservation practices such as no-till or plant diverse cover crops, for instance, they’re building healthier soils while also sequestering carbon from the atmosphere.
• Irrigation Assistance
  • Under the 2008 Farm Bill, priority will be given to water conservation or irrigation efficiency applications that will reduce water sue or where the producer agrees not to use any associated water savings to bring new land under irrigation production.
  • Maine NRCS will set aside at least $1,000,000 each year in financial assistance funding for eligible applicants across the state.  These dollars will be used to fund projects that address irrigation efficiency and assist producers to comply with Maine Department of Environmental Protection Chapter 587 In-Stream Flows and Lake and Pond Water Levels regulations.
• On-Farm Energy Initiative
  • The EQIP On-Farm Energy Initiative enables the producer to identify ways to conserve energy on the farm through an Agricultural Energy Management Plan (AgEMP), also known as an on-farm energy audit; and by providing financial and technical assistance to help the producer implement various measures and practices recommended in an on-farm energy audit.
• Organic Agriculture Initiative
  • Maine has received funds for an organic initiative to encourage more organic agriculture production.
  • Successful applicants will receive funding to implement conservation practices that have been identified as needed to improve natural resource conditions.
• National Water Quality Initiative
  • The National Water Quality Initiative will work in priority watersheds to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners improve water quality and aquatic habitats in impaired streams. 
  • NRCS will help eligible producers implement conservation and management practices through a systems approach to control and trap nutrient and manure runoff. 
  • Qualified producers will receive assistance for installing conservation practices such as cover crops, filter strips and terraces.
  • In Maine, two watersheds were selected to participate in this initiative:  The Cross Lake Watershed in northern Aroostook County and the Sheepscot River Watershed in Lincoln County.
    • The Cross Lake Watershed includes Daigle Brook, Dickey Brook and Cross Lake subwatersheds.
    • The Sheepscot Watershed includes Sheepscot River and Dyer River subwatersheds.
• Pollinators
  • Whether you are a farmer who relies on native bees for pollination, or a forestry producer interested in conservation, consider applying for funding through an NRCS cost-share program today.
• EQIP State Aquatic Restoration Pool
  • The state aquatic restoration pool provides the opportunity for stream connectivity and or instream habitat projects.
  • This pool is available statewide and focuses on perennial streams lacking appropriate base conditions.
  • The state pool is focused on implementing solutions to two core resource concern practices, with select other supporting practices that may be executed in conjunction with the core practices.

Gupta Family Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, USA. Our mission is to support organizations that provide focused intervention in the lives of people who have been disadvantaged in some way to help them become self-reliant. We take a very broad view of “disadvantage” to include anything that holds a person back from realizing their potential, such as poverty, physical or mental disability, social alienation, etc. The foundation also supports relief agencies that serve people affected by emergencies such as natural disasters.

The foundation evaluates and awards annual and multi-year grants ranging from $5,000 to over $250,000 (USD). Our focus is on funding smaller organizations all around the world that are led by individuals with a deep personal commitment to their missions. 

Our selection criteria include:

• Mission alignment
• The organization is run by the founder or, if not, by a successor who embodies the original inspiration, passion and commitment of the founder.
• At least 90% of grant monies reaches the intended beneficiaries.
• The organization is non-sectarian, i.e.,
  • It does not, directly or indirectly, support or condone the proselytization of any religion,
  • It is not supported by or affiliated to a religious organization.

About Us

Old places are where our lives, memories, and stories began. They connect us to the past, anchor us to the present, and lead us into the future. These places inspire us to create a stronger nation, because they belong to all of us.

For more than 70 years, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has led the movement to save America’s historic places. A privately funded nonprofit organization, we work to save America's historic sites; tell the full American story; build stronger communities; and invest in preservation's future.

Moe Family Fund for Statewide and Local Partners

The Moe Family Fund for Statewide and Local Partners supports current dues-paying members of the National Preservation Partners Network (NPPN) with grants focused on strengthening preservation organizations and addressing pressing issues in the preservation field. This year, grant-funded projects will fall in one of three categories:

• Advocacy
• Capacity Building
• Climate Change

While recognizing there are interconnections between these categories, applicants must select one main category for the project. Applicants can describe overlapping aspects with a second category in the application.

Applicants are encouraged to embark on projects and activities outside the existing scope of their work, but the Fund also will support initiatives that take existing programs to a new level. Projects may stand alone or be part of a larger initiative.

Selection Criteria

The selection committee will select grant recipients by considering, among other factors, the following criteria:

• Degree to which the proposed project will address one of the three identified categories
• Creativity and innovation above and beyond the organization’s existing programs, or the extent to which an existing program is being taken to a new level
• Evidence that the activity or project would probably not be undertaken without this seed money
• The projected outcome of the project and the potential for catalytic effect
• Potential for demonstrable short-term and long-term impact
• Replicability and transferability, i.e., potential for the project or activity to be a model for other Partner organizations
• The project’s budget and the applicant’s proven ability to secure a match
• Potential to leverage additional funds for the project
• Realistic timeline for the project
• Qualifications of the key personnel, including consultants
• Demonstrated ability of the applicant to complete preservation projects

Funding

Through the Fund, a maximum of $50,000 will be awarded with a limit of $10,000 per grant award.