Search Through Grants for Community Service Projects 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.

About Us

The Brutten Family Foundation funds groups and organizations that help expand access to the outdoors, high-quality education, and vital mental health services. We believe that our wellbeing exists at the intersection of these core pillars.

The Brutten Family Foundation, founded by Patricia and Marc Brutten in 1996, is a private U.S. foundation with a nearly 25-year record of philanthropy focused on benefiting San Diego County and global charities. 

Through our family business, Brutten Global, we have spent more than 40 years in the commercial real estate industry, working in the United States and Europe. Brutten Global emerged and flourished in San Diego, and we began the foundation to give back to local organizations and schools. Our work has expanded to nurture both local and global efforts. Now, our children are also involved in giving back to our communities, and as a family, we share a sense of responsibility to positively change people’s outcomes and give individuals the tools they need to create their own impact.

Inspiring a healthier planet and happier lives through environmental, educational, and mental health initiatives.

The Brutten Family Foundation supports organizations and projects that are making a positive difference for our planet, helping individuals find refuge in nature, and creating opportunities for learning and enlightenment. We're establishing equitable opportunities, nourishing minds, and futures, and helping inspire the next generation of our environment’s stewards. 

Our Core Focuses

We partner with driven groups and organizations committed to advancing our collective wellbeing through our core pillars:

Environment

Protecting our environment is the most critical issue we face as a human race, and investing in a sustainable planet is paramount to our future. We focus on efforts to revive ecosystems and expand access to the outdoors for all, especially underserved communities and those who face systemic barriers to spending time in nature.

Education

Through access to education and resources, underserved students have the chance to overcome obstacles and realize their goals. We support programs and institutions that equip and offer young people the resources, support, and financial aid necessary to succeed in and outside of classrooms.

Menatl Health

Millions of people worldwide suffer from mental health conditions, but many go untreated, partially due to stigmas, a lack of access to treatment, or a lack of awareness of solutions. We support projects relating to mental health resources and care to help individuals access what they need and build stronger, safer societies.

GRANTED supports ambitious ideas and innovative strategies to address challenges and inequalities within the research enterprise. The research enterprise is broadly defined and includes administrative support and service infrastructure such as, but not limited to, human capital, research development and administration, research analytics, technology transfer and commercialization, corporate relations/public-private partnerships, research integrity, compliance and security, research policy, administration of student research training, and research leadership. Strengthening this administrative infrastructure supporting research and STEM training is necessary to fully utilize the Nation's talent and capabilities and empower America's organizations that engage in or support research, to participate in a diverse, equitable, and internationally competitive research enterprise.

Program Description

A strong national research enterprise relies on more than funding for the research itself. It also requires robust administrative support and service infrastructure, which is often unseen, yet includes critical components of the research enterprise. This infrastructure enables the development of proposals and management of awards. It supports broader impacts activities through technology transfer, public-private partnerships and community engaged research. Policy and process guides research compliance and enables the security and integrity of the work. Research analytics and communication, managing the training of our scientific workforce, and harnessing the creativity and drive of research leadership, and more, are fundamental components of the infrastructure. Access to, and provisioning of, administrative infrastructure varies significantly among organizations in research, resulting in structural barriers that impede broad participation in the Nation's research and discovery opportunities. Securing global leadership demands we act together to transform the research enterprise to be more resilient, sustainable, equitable, and diverse. The GRANTED initiative provides unique opportunities to realize this vision for research enterprise infrastructure.

Proposals in response to this GRANTED program description should be broadly inclusive and engage the professional, administrative research support and service workforce in project leadership roles described within proposals.Proposed projects should look beyond individual and discipline-specific research needs and focus on activities that create institution/organization-wide impact. Projects that identify nationally scalable models to build and sustain research enterprise infrastructure are strongly encouraged. Competitive proposals will recognize structural challenges and include goals to implement interventions, solutions, and/or strategies that will mitigate the challenges and broaden participation. Proposals must be centered around one or more of the three main themes of GRANTED:

• Enhancing practices and processes within the research enterprise;
• Developing and strengthening human capital within the research enterprise;
• Translating effective practices related to the research enterprise into diverse institutional and organizational contexts through partnerships with professional societies and organizations.

Grant Guidelines and Focus AreasMission StatementThe Jewish Women's Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago seeks to expand and improve opportunities and choices in all aspects of Jewish women and girls' lives through strategic and effective grantmaking. The Jewish Women's Foundation endeavors to empower women as leaders, funders, and decision makers.Overall Considerations

• JWF Chicago funds with a "gender lens" and a "Jewish lens". We are interested in projects that recognize Jewish women and girls have unique needs both because of their gender, and their religious and cultural heritage.
• JWF Chicago is committed to improving the overall status of Jewish women and girls, and funds projects that promote social change by addressing at least one of the indicators described below:
• JWF Chicago considers an organization's holistic support of women and girls, as well as the specific project or program for which you are seeking a grant. This includes the extent to which Jewish women and girls are included among your leadership and in key staff positions.
• JWF Chicago supports organizations through general operating and project specific funding. General operating support will only be awarded to organizations focusing exclusively on promoting social change for Jewish women and girls.

Grantmaking Focus Areas

JWF Chicago funds in four main areas. Prospective grantees are invited to submit project and program proposals that relate to these targeted areas.

Multiyear Grants

Three-year funding open to current JWF Chicago grantees and/or organizations previously funded by JWF Chicago in any of the past three grant cycles (since 2021).

JWF Chicago can award up to three new three-year grants per grant cycle.

JWF Chicago will award:

• up to $20,000 per grant in Year 1
• up to $20,000 per grant in Year 2
• and $15,000 per grant in Year 3

Funding in Year 2 and Year 3 will be contingent on applicant’s progress towards stated benchmarks.

Our Mission 

The Murdock Trust invests in transformational ideas.

We build relationships for the common good. We work with purpose and enthusiasm, with creativity and grace. We believe in projects that teach, nurture, and develop; organizations that declare “what if” and ask “why not?”; and programs that bridge cultures, beliefs, and generations. We’re drawn to pursuits that rebuild and renew, innovate and transform, and strengthen and inspire in service of families and individuals. We dig in deep, shoulder to shoulder, helping nonprofits sharpen their approach and sustain their mission. Because when a powerful idea fulfills its promise, lives are changed, communities thrive, and our entire region prospers.

Research Universities & Biomedical Institutes

The Murdock Trust supports groundbreaking research by helping to facilitate lab discoveries and bring innovation to where it’s needed most. Grants support the purchase of scientific research instrumentation and the commercialization of bench discoveries at select major research universities, and biomedical institutes.

Restrictions

The Trust has an understanding with all research institutions in our funding region that only institutional priority requests are to be submitted, and no more than two proposals should be under consideration by the Trust from any institution at any given time. For major research universities, no more than three proposals for support of research projects in the natural sciences, engineering or medicine can be submitted in two calendar years, beginning in January 2014.

As of September 18, 2021, biomedical research institutes can submit one scientific research proposal to the Trust in each calendar year. All other eligible institutions may submit such a proposal to the Trust in roughly once every three years, and the institutions and PIs are welcome to contact Dr. Moses Lee if clarification is needed or unique opportunities arise.

About UFAW

The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) is an independent registered charity that works with the animal welfare science community worldwide to develop and promote improvements in the welfare of animals through scientific and educational activity.

UFAW has long promoted and supported a scientific approach aimed at finding ways to gain insight into what matters to animals, assessing their welfare and improving the quality of their lives through practical developments in all aspects of their care.

Purpose

UFAW’s purpose is to support science which is in the service of animal welfare. We fund research and other activities which help to understand and/or ameliorate challenges to the welfare of animals. We are interested in the welfare of all animal species where they are affected by humankind including farm, zoo, companion, laboratory and wild or feral animals.

UFAW is concerned with the welfare of animals when it is affected by humankind, so work which reduces animal suffering whilst also addressing conservation issues may be supported but a clear case for how the work benefits animal welfare must be made.  

Small Research Grants

UFAW is concerned with the welfare of farm, companion, laboratory, captive wild animals, and with free-living wild animals whose welfare is compromised by humans. 

Through our Small Research Grants, UFAW supports smaller research projects (up to £5,000) for the benefit of animal welfare.  Animal welfare must be the main focus.

The Mascoma Bank Foundation

At Mascoma Bank, our commitment to the community goes beyond offering a broad range of financial services, meeting the credit needs of our customers, and employing more than 400 people. In 1988, Mascoma Bank established the Mascoma Bank Foundation and funded it with $1,000,000 for the purpose of giving back an “ongoing dividend” in the form of grants to the communities responsible for Mascoma Bank’s prosperity. To date, the Foundation has awarded over $6 million in grants to local not-for-profit groups.

The Mascoma Bank Foundation provides capital funding to not-for-profit organizations within Mascoma Bank’s market area that will contribute to the long-term benefit of its communities. 

Typical projects may include facility and infrastructure improvements, new construction, capital campaigns, and capital items outside normal operating budgets. The Foundation is especially interested in requests or projects that:

• Significantly impact the organization’s long-term future, thereby contributing to our long-term commitment to create positive change in our communities.
• Substantially increase the capacity, long-term viability, and resilience of the organization.

We must matter more in our communities.

We contribute to the strength and health of our communities through the Bangor Savings Bank Foundation and Corporate Giving. Together the Bank and its Foundation invested more than $2 million into the community in the form of nonprofit sponsorships, grants and partnership initiatives last year.

Making a significant and meaningful difference:

The Bangor Savings Bank Foundation's role is to focus philanthropic efforts on initiatives that will make our communities more prosperous, more livable, and more vibrant. With a growing endowment and strong support from the Bank, the Foundation is poised to truly impact its focus areas in workforce and economic development.

Grant Guidelines

The Foundation considers applications for grants ranging from $2,000 up to $25,000. For all proposals received, we have a preference to support projects and initiatives that do the following:

• Include a strategy for leveraging other resources and support.
• Produce cost-effective results which can be measured and evaluated.
• Provide incentive for the private and public sectors to work together in community problem solving.
• Encourage coordination with other efforts and do not duplicate programs in the community.
• Advance innovative and long-term strategies that will address recognized needs.
• Demonstrate an ability to obtain future funding if it will be needed.

Areas of Giving

Priority Giving

The Foundation focuses its philanthropic efforts on improving the vitality of Northern New England's regional and statewide economies through economic and workforce development in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.

Additional Areas of Giving

While our primary outreach and resources will be dedicated to the priority areas listed above, in recognition of the many needs in our communities, the Foundation will continue to lend support to applications in the following areas:

• Education
• Initiatives that raise student readiness, academic success, achievement and aspirations at the primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels, including but not limited to STEM education initiatives.  
• Social and Civic Services
• Activities directed at improving quality of life in the communities we serve.
• Culture and Arts
• Initiatives supporting organizations that meet community needs, expand arts and cultural programming, or provide education.
• Health and Wellness
• Programs essential to the underlying medical care of a community, including initiatives focusing on physical and mental health and wellness for people of all ages. 

H.S. Lopez Family Foundation Grant

Mission

The H.S. Lopez Family Foundation seeks and funds traditional and innovative projects and programs which exist to improve the quality of life. Our main areas of interest are health, education, and welfare programs.

Our Vision

The vision of The H.S. Lopez Family Foundation is to significantly change the lives of those in need. Our heart-filled desire is to help individuals who are in their most desperate hour with little or no resources to help themselves.

The H.S. Lopez Family Foundation provides grants in three main focus areas—education, health, and welfare—with the goal to significantly change and hopefully improve the lives of those in need. Grants are primarily intended to serve those in Arizona.

Areas of Focus

• Education -
• The H.S. Lopez Family Foundation believes that education is the key to individuals reaching their full potential. We support a variety of programs that provide educational opportunities for all ages, from infancy through adulthood, including pre-school, K-12, college, specialty trades, and community interest programs.
• Health -
• The H.S. Lopez Family Foundation recognizes that the state of one’s health impacts all aspects of life. We fund many different health related activities, including programs to assist individuals deal with illness, both physical and mental, and to learn healthy lifestyles.
• Welfare -
• The H.S. Lopez Family Foundation understands that there are times when extra help is needed to face life’s challenges. We support programs that offer assistance to tackle many issues, such as food insecurity, homelessness, and the lack of essential resources for daily life.

Grant approval is based on funding capacity and prioritization against our areas of focus, according to the criteria established by the Board of Directors of The H.S. Lopez Foundation.

Program Areas

The Sam L. Cohen Foundation is a private, grantmaking foundation based in South Portland, Maine.  The Foundation funds in five program areas:

Arts and Culture

Enriching community life with music, dance, theater, visual arts, and creative writing.

We invest in organizations and programs that stimulate imagination, provide access to the arts and arts education, and foster community through the arts. We are especially interested in educational programming for low-income and underserved youth audiences that celebrates creativity and provides meaningful experiences with the arts. We support organizations that create and present performances and programs in southern Maine.

Civic and Community

Strengthening the social and economic fabric of underserved communities.

We are committed to supporting and improving the quality of life in southern Maine by ensuring individuals have access to opportunities to engage in civic life. To promote economic security and well-being, the Foundation invests in organizations that are working toward systemic change through public policy for social benefit. We are currently involved in and support the Immigrant and Refugee Funders Collaborative.

Education

Because education is the single most important investment a community can make.

We believe that access to educational opportunities is the key to a successful life. Our grantmaking spans the entire continuum of pre-K through college and adulthood, as we focus on providing opportunities for underserved populations in the areas of youth development, leadership, and enrichment. We collaborate with other funders, advocates, and experts in efforts that address school readiness and attendance, grade-level proficiency, high school graduation rates, and post-secondary enrollment and completion. We participate in or support several collaborative initiatives including: Portland ConnectED, The Campaign for Grade Level Reading, Count ME In, Maine Early Childhood Funders Group, Summer Learning Initiative, Right from the Start, and the Maine Resilience Building Network.Health and Human Services

Helping organizations expand access to help vulnerable and low-income people.

We believe providing support to historically and systemically disadvantaged individuals and communities is a compelling focus. Today’s social, economic, and political challenges require it. Our goal is to assist in increasing the number of people who are self-sufficient and lead healthy, productive lives. Our giving consistently targets access to healthcare, including prevention services, health support services, and ensuring food security. We currently are involved in and support the Maine Oral Health Funders Group.

Jewish Culture and Traditions

"Tzedekah"- the act of giving help to others

We participate in the Jewish community in southern Maine through support of institutions and programs that provide and preserve Jewish education, tradition, and culture. We partner with organizations that celebrate and promote Jewish art and creativity as well as agencies and synagogues who serve the vulnerable members of the Jewish community.

Funding

The Sam L. Cohen Foundation will consider responsive grant requests for amounts up to $50,000; however, the average grants size awarded is less than $15,000.

Project Apis m.'s mission Is to fund and direct research to enhance the health and vitality of honey bee colonies while improving crop production.

FAQ's & Research Proposal Guidelines for Applicants

Since its inception in 2006, Project Apis m. has infused over $10 million into bee research and programs in the USA and Canada, including more than 160 projects involving research institutions throughout North America. We have brought new technologies to honey bee health research, discovered new pathogens, developed Best Management Practices programs, and are supporting long-term stock improvement. We are recipients of grants from the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), and USDA-APHIS. Project Apis m. is the largest non-governmental, non-profit bee research funding organization in North America.

Thank you for your interest in submitting a research proposal to Project Apis m. We are funded largely by beekeepers and farmers, and dedicated to enhancing the health of honey bees, thereby improving crop production. Proposals are expected to clearly state how they fulfill our mission. Proposals and the review process are kept confidential. We offer the following frequently asked questions to help you submit a research proposal to Project Apis m. for project funding. 

Proposals are reviewed by the executive director, scientific advisory board, ad-hoc reviewers, and a board of directors. Projects must clearly meet the criteria outlined in the Request for Proposals or address PAm’s mission. Please note proposals must be scientifically sound (i.e., short format USDA or NSF grants without all the extra forms). Funding decisions are primarily based on an overall evaluation, which includes the following review criteria:

• Focus on solving problems facing the beekeeping industry in either the short or long term.
• Relevance to bee health, nutrition, productivity, crop pollination                                        
• Likelihood of obtaining practical/usable results for the beekeeping industry
• Project strengths and weaknesses    
• Inclusion of unique strategies, sustainable solutions, or establishment of knowledge that will lead to sustainable solutions in the long-term                                       
• Use of adequate experimental approaches, inclusion of logically linked experiments and project feasibility
• Identification of risks and adequate solutions (e.g., potential pitfalls and solutions)
• Likelihood of success (PIs credibility, record of success, experience with techniques, etc.)
• Adequate indication that PI(s) will communicate their findings to commercial beekeepers.
• Economical and adequate budget for proposed research

What type of research projects does Project Apis m. fund?

Project Apis m. seeks projects that will ultimately improve honey bee health. Our main areas of focus include:

• pests and disease prevention and control,
• honey bee nutrition,
• impacts of pesticides on bees, and
• long-term honey bee stock improvement.

We are looking for projects that fill the gaps in honey bee research, and benefit honey bees and agriculture in the USA and Canada. The reviewers will ask questions that ensure the commercial beekeeping community will benefit from the research and its application. For example, PAm seeks research projects that will:

• Enhance the economic viability of pollination businesses.
• Provide practical solutions for managed colonies.
• Yield results that can be efficiently transferred into field practice.
• Provide an excellent rate of return for beekeepers and farmers.

How much does PAm fund?

PAm funding is dependent on the project and the goals. We have funded from $5,000 – $200,000. Typically, proposals are in the range from $20,000 to $40,000. As you might imagine, the higher the funding request, the more scrutiny administered in the proposal review. We offer several initiative RFPs, in addition to accepting proposals outside those periods, and do our best to coordinate funding with other industry sources to partner and avoid duplication.  

RFP: Project Apis m. and the National Honey Board ​are requesting research proposals to support ​and enhance honey bee health. 

Background

U.S. Honey yield per colony is decreasing while colony losses are increasing, as many crops dependent on pollination services continue to expand. Winter honey bee colony losses in the United States were reported at 37.7% during 2019. Colony losses are often attributed to pathogens, parasites, pesticides, hive management (queen mating, genetics, maintenance), climate, and available nutrition. United States honey yield per colony averaged 54.4 pounds in 2018, down 2% from 55.5 pounds in 2017. (www.nass.usda.gov) Sustainable beekeeping is dependent on maximizing outputs (colony health, colony numbers, pollination contracts, honey production, profitability) while minimizing the inputs (time, money, personnel). A sustainable beekeeping industry contributes to a more sustainable agricultural landscape through a stable supply of bees for crop pollination. Therefore, PAm is requesting research proposals that focus on enhancing the health, survival and productivity of honey bee colonies, which provide practical and tangible solutions to the beekeeping industry.

The funding sponsor for these proposals is the National Honey Board (NHB), with Project Apis m. (PAm) administering the proposal, accountability and funding process. The NHB funds, collected by a federal research and promotion program ($0.015/lb), for Production Research, were approximately $347,000 in 2019. PAm administers several other initiatives with funding from many sources, including corporate sponsors, private donations and grants. Past proposals received and funded by PAm and NHB reflect a similar focus on supporting the industry.

The National Honey Board is an industry-funded agriculture promotion group that works to educate consumers about the benefits and uses for honey and honey products through research, marketing and promotional programs. Project Apis m. is the largest nongovernmental, non-profit honey bee research organization in the USA. Established by beekeepers and almond growers in 2006, PAm has infused over $8 million into bee research to provide growers with healthier bees resulting in better pollination and increased crop yields.

Priority Areas for Funding

With this call for research proposals, PAm is requesting proposals for research addressing honey bee health, nutrition and productivity. Priority will be given to proposals which aim to produce solutions to industry problems. Current specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Addressing practices for sustainable profitability of beekeeping and the provision of pollination services to agriculture
• Innovations to control and manage AFB, EFB, nosema, varroa and viruses
• Studying and developing innovative management techniques including: indoor overwintering; supplemental forage impacts on pollinators, resource management, and landscape carrying capacity; cropping system management.
• addressing gaps in honey bee complete nutrition
• pollination and colony density economics, including stocking rates, land use and landscape level comparisons, transportation and inspection impacts
• cover crop efficacy and management studies including seed composition, implementation, establishment, termination, soil benefits, pest/pathogen/beneficial insect use, frost, irrigation, etc.

Other projects will be considered, and research outside the U.S. is possible (all application materials must be in English). The goal of this research is to help producers maintain colony health and honey production. Most proposals will likely be of one-year duration. If multi-year projects are considered, it is with the understanding that funding for subsequent years would be contingent on performance and National Honey Board budget availability beyond 2020. The amount of funds available for a particular proposal will depend on the number and merit of successful proposals. 

About the NBRC

The Northern Border Regional Commission is a Federal-State partnership for economic and community development in northern Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. Each year, the NBRC provides Federal funds for critical economic and community development projects throughout the northeast. These investments lead to new jobs being created and leverages substantial private sector investments.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Northern Border Regional Commission is to catalyze regional, collaborative, and transformative community economic development approaches that alleviate economic distress and position the region for economic growth.

Program Priorities

The Catalyst Program is designed to stimulate economic growth and inspire partnerships that improve rural economic vitality across the four-state NBRC region. NBRC encourages projects that take a creative approach to addressing an economic need or opportunity in the region, alleviate economic distress, and contribute to economic growth.

Successful projects support a broad range of economic development initiatives such as, but not limited to, projects that modernize and expand access to public water and wastewater services, revitalize transportation infrastructure, establish workforce development programs and facilities, grow the outdoor recreation economy, and provide access to new childcare and healthcare facilities.

What We Do: Our Mission

Our goal is to improve the lives of our neighbors by partnering with local 501(c)(3) organizations to fund grants for three purposes: education, healthcare, and housing. As a private foundation we enjoy the flexibility of working with all kinds of organizations, especially local nonprofits in the early stages of development. Grants are awarded for a one year period and require a follow-up process to measure results. Multi-year grants are considered on a case-by-case basis and are subject to ongoing evaluation.

Where We Work: Our Neighbors

We have board members located in each of the four geographic areas we serve. Not only does this make our grant process more efficient, we love seeing first hand the impact that each grant recipient has on our own communities. We fund projects in the Raleigh metro and north-eastern areas of North Carolina; Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, New York; and, the communities surrounding central Maine.

What We’ve Done: Our Legacy

Since our founding, we have had the privilege to fund over 300 grants totaling over 3 million dollars. We typically award 15 grants per year, ranging from $500 – $15,000 each. We have partnered with over 100 nonprofits to fund projects such as school-readiness classes for children from non-English speaking families; a free dental clinic for rural communities with little access to dental care; and, remodeling a shelter that provides services to help transition homeless men to find gainful employment and traditional living arrangements.

Mission

The mission of the Doree Taylor Charitable Foundation is to support charitable organizations that:

• Provide relief to people in need of basic provisions (including food, housing, shelter) 
• Promote the humane care of animals
• Provide health care services for the underserved
• Conduct Public radio or television

People in Need

Applicants in this area should demonstrate that the program or service they offer clearly meets a basic need of an underserved population, which may include low-income people, youth who are court-involved, homeless families, or homebound seniors. These examples are for illustration purposes only.  For organizations with annual (cash) revenues of $5 million or less, we encourage general operating support requests.

Humane Care of Animals

The Taylor Foundation has a partnership with the Maine Community Foundation’s Belvedere Fund in the area of animal welfare. Within the animal welfare priority, we will consider capital requests.

Health Care

Within the area of health care, the Foundation will entertain requests for oral health services, mental health services, or physical health care services. There is a priority for programs that can demonstrate they are effectively serving underserved populations. Small, one-time capital or equipment requests may be included within project budgets.

Public radio or television

There is a strong priority for larger public television or radio organizations. From time to time, the Foundation may make grants to smaller, community-based public access radio or television stations.

Environment

The Foundation’s priority is for programs that have both an environmental impact as well as a demonstrably positive impact in one of the Foundation’s other priority areas. For example, a river-bed restoration project that also preserves a species and/or improves the quality of water to a low-income area.

Colleges and universities

Support for colleges and universities will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but must include a focus on at least one of the Foundation’s other priority areas. Special consideration will also be granted to colleges or universities in the geographic priority areas. Colleges or universities interested in applying are strongly encouraged to contact the Foundation’s listed Bank contact before submitting an application.

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.

Consumer Financial Education Fund

The Consumer Financial Education Fund supports projects that relate to consumer financial education, with an emphasis on issues related to just and equitable banking, basic banking, financial literacy, access to financial services, retail banking accounts, and underbanked and/or vulnerable populations. 

Funding

It is expected that most proposals will be for 12-month grant periods; however, multi-year proposals are encouraged where appropriate. The maximum grant amount is $100,000, even for multi-year proposals.

About Us

Since its founding in 1997, Horizon Foundation has funded non-profit organizations that meet the mission goals in places where our trustees live and work. Grant funding concentrates on building organizational and community-wide effectiveness, developing opportunities, raising aspirations, and generally making a positive and lasting difference.

Our Mission

Horizon Foundation supports non-profit organizations that aspire to create and maintain sustainable, vibrant and resilient communities by:

• Enabling children and adults to lead their communities in creative, healthy and thoughtful ways;
• Educating citizens to be good stewards of the environment;
• Conserving land and water resources;
• Encouraging service to others;
• Promoting visual arts and music, and;
• Teaching appreciation of and preserving historic assets.

Maine Grant

In Maine, in addition to our climate and conservation work, we will continue to support organizations that serve children, provide arts, enrichment, educational, and leadership development opportunities, and those that aim to assure food security and assistance for those most vulnerable.

Our conservation funding in Maine will continue to support organizations and programs that implement the strategies of Maine Won’t Wait – A Four Year Plan for Climate Action.

Grant Size

Horizon generally will make grants in the $5,000 to $20,000 range, with an average grant size of about $12,500. While many grants will be for onetime projects, multi-year support will be considered. The Foundation will consider proposals for both challenge or matching grants, and encourages collaborative efforts with other grant makers.

Background

David and Frances Brain established the Frances Hollis Brain Foundation in 1993 as a tangible expression of their values. Through their foundation, they sought with their family to address their social concerns and encourage future generations of the family to contribute to the well-being of their communities in Maine, Georgia, and Kentucky. In 2017 they turned to the Maine Community Foundation to manage their grantmaking in Maine.

Purpose

The Frances Hollis Brain Foundation Fund supports nonprofit organizations and projects that serve disadvantaged, underserved, and/or vulnerable communities in Auburn, Bath, Biddeford, Brunswick, Greater Portland, Lewiston, Saco, and/or Sanford.

Issue Areas

Consideration will be given to organizations or projects that focus on one of the following:

• Education
• Early childhood care and education (defined as ages 0-8)
• Extended day learning (after-school and summer learning programs)
• Health care
• Community clinics and safety net providers
• Oral health initiatives
• Hunger prevention and food security
• Homelessness alleviation
• Legal services connected with the above areas

Welcome To the Stephen & Tabitha King Foundation

The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation is a private non-profit organization that promotes strengthening and supporting communities and draws upon the values and spirituality of the founders. The Foundation has a special interest in organizations and people who have less recourse to usual channels of resources, focusing on community-based initiatives in the State of Maine only.

Our Mission

The Stephen & Tabitha King Foundation was created because its founders wanted to give back to their communities. The foundation will strive to fulfill its mission with respect, integrity, and consideration. Persons working for the foundation may not sit on the board of organizations applying for funding, nor may they receive gifts or services from organizations applying for funding. Grant decisions are made by the foundation in its sole discretion and are not subject to review or appeal. The foundation has absolutely no obligation whatsoever to any particular applicant.

Guidelines

The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation was created in 1986 to provide support for Maine communities. As a family foundation, we are interested in projects that address the underlying causes of social and environmental problems, as well as those that address the consequences. We have a strong interest in literacy, community services and the arts. As community builders, we are particularly interested in organizations and projects that will affect or serve the most members of a community.

Grant Guidelines and Focus AreasMission StatementThe Jewish Women's Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago seeks to expand and improve opportunities and choices in all aspects of Jewish women and girls' lives through strategic and effective grantmaking. The Jewish Women's Foundation endeavors to empower women as leaders, funders, and decision makers.Overall Considerations

• JWF Chicago funds with a "gender lens" and a "Jewish lens". We are interested in projects that recognize Jewish women and girls have unique needs both because of their gender, and their religious and cultural heritage.
• JWF Chicago is committed to improving the overall status of Jewish women and girls, and funds projects that promote social change by addressing at least one of the indicators described below:
• JWF Chicago considers an organization's holistic support of women and girls, as well as the specific project or program for which you are seeking a grant. This includes the extent to which Jewish women and girls are included among your leadership and in key staff positions.
• JWF Chicago supports organizations through general operating and project specific funding. General operating support will only be awarded to organizations focusing exclusively on promoting social change for Jewish women and girls.

Grantmaking Focus Areas

JWF Chicago funds in four main areas. Prospective grantees are invited to submit project and program proposals that relate to these targeted areas.

Annual Grants

One-year funding open to all applicants that meet JWF Chicago’s overall eligibility requirements as described below.

• There is no predetermined number of Annual Grants.
• JWF Chicago considers organizations for funding on a year-to-year basis.
• Previous funding does not guarantee continued funding.
• The minimum Annual Grant award is $15,000. There is no maximum grant amount.
• The average Annual Grant ranges between $20,000-$25,000.

About MainStreet Foundation

The MainStreet Foundation awards grants for projects that impact the essentials, like food, security, shelter and education. We strive to positively impact the lives of the most vulnerable members of our community so they may have a supportive and safe environment.

Who We Are

The MainStreet Foundation’s board is comprised of Androscoggin Bank employees, members of the Bank’s Board of Directors, Bank Corporators and community members. The MainStreet Board is made up of individuals who care about our community and who understand the importance of creating a stable childhood in the development of Maine as a place to live and work.

History of Giving

The MainStreet Foundation was started by an investment from Androscoggin Bank in 1997, and issued its first grants in 1998. The Foundation works separately from Androscoggin Bank, but uses resources and in-kind support provided by the Bank.

25K for Kids Grant

Once a year we collect applications for the $25K for Kids grant. After applications are submitted, the Board meets and selects three finalists to make a presentation. From the finalists, one organization receives the special $25,000 award.

What is Zendesk Tech for Good?

At Zendesk, we believe that technology can change lives — especially for our most vulnerable populations. That’s why the Zendesk Tech for Good program partners with over 110 nonprofits across the globe to give them free Zendesk software, grants, and pro bono support, empowering more organizations to leverage technology and serve more people. 

Tech for Good has two main goals: 

• Provide nonprofits with Zendesk software and grants to help them serve more people and create more impact among vulnerable populations;
• Partner with nonprofits that provide workforce development training for careers in customer experience (CX) to historically marginalized and underrepresented groups

We’re looking for organizations or projects that seek to make a tangible difference in one of the Zendesk Foundation’s impact areas:

• Foster community - enable connections that offer support and allow people to thrive;
• Promote resilience in a time of crisis - safeguard against disaster and reduce human suffering;
• Create career pathways into tech - close the economic opportunity gap and reduce unemployment.

The Zendesk Impact Awards are open to nonprofit organizations that would like to use Zendesk software to directly serve beneficiary communities. 

Applicants may also provide workforce development programming and display an interest in Zendesk’s Career Pathways Program. Applicants are invited to describe how their organization or project fits into these areas within the application. 

Organizations should display some ability to adopt new technology in order to receive Zendesk software, meaning your organization previously has or is currently willing to invest in technology platform solutions to improve services to beneficiary communities. Most organizations will need to be prepared to self-install and configure their free software using our online help which typically requires a dedicated IT staff member. 

Please refer to how applications will be evaluated here.

Adelard A. and Valeda Lea Roy Foundation Grant

The AV Roy Foundation has historically supported a broad range of organizations working in the areas of arts and culture, churches, education, environmental education, food access, health, land trusts, museums, and social services. The Trustees prioritize grants serving greater Boston and underserved rural and urban communities in Massachusetts, with some additional grantmaking in other areas of Northern New England.

In an effort to ensure that applications to the Foundation closely match current giving priorities, the Trustees will give priority to Massachusetts and Northern New England applicants focused on the following:

• Environment: requests focused on land conservation, in particular projects close to completion and projects resulting in easements held by accredited land trusts; environmental education; and climate change
• Health and Welfare: basic human needs (with priority given to food security and housing); hospice and home health care
• Arts and Culture: in particular, arts access and education for disadvantaged, elderly, or youth populations, and historic preservation
• Education: schools serving youth from low income backgrounds, including independent schools
• Churches providing basic needs support and other social services programming, as well as capital needs for facilities or historic preservation

Funding

Grants typically range from $2,500 to $10,000. In 2023, the average grant was $3,800. The Trustees anticipate a slightly higher average grant size this year, and fewer grants in total.

Background

The Morton-Kelly Charitable Trust was established in 1988 by Joan Morton Kelly and her mother, Mildred Duncan Morton, to facilitate their philanthropic activities.

Foundation Program Areas

The overarching interest of the Morton-Kelly Charitable Trust is to connect people and place through the arts, culture and the natural environment in Maine. Program Areas reflect how communities, organizations and individuals can cultivate creative expression and a sense of responsibility towards one another and to the lands and waters around us. Proposals may be for operating support or specific projects and may be of local or statewide benefit. Across all programs, community connection is paramount.

Program Areas of interest to the Trust are Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation and Environmental Initiatives.

Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation

The Trust is interested in community arts and cultural programs, cultural facility improvements, historic preservation projects and celebration of the diverse cultural heritage of Maine.

Arts and culture programs and organizations help foster vibrant communities, creative expression, inspiration and build community connections. Community cultural centers and preservation of historic sites and resources can enhance downtown and community revitalization efforts and be a cornerstone of community arts and cultural life. The Trust is also interested in programs that expand cross-cultural understanding of the unique and layered histories of Maine and contemporary expressions of culture and heritage.

The Trust’s Arts and Culture Program Area welcomes operating support or project proposals that meet any of the following goals:

• Access to the arts, creative expression and community cultural programs
  • Priorities include:
    • Access to arts experiences of all kinds, arts education for all ages, and performances and programs that serve Maine communities and residents.
    • Visual and performing arts programs in Maine museums, public libraries, historical societies and other cultural organizations.
    • Both urban and rural programs that reflect local needs and bring community members together, including lectures, exhibits and special events.
    • Projects and programs that serve diverse populations and cultural experiences including Black, Indigenous and people of color in Maine.
• Facility improvements for community cultural centers and historic preservation projects that contribute to community vitality
  • Cultural facility improvement priorities include:
    • Structural, health, safety, public access or energy efficiency improvements.
    • Technology upgrades and other renovation needs.
    • Small venues in rural or underserved areas where few other resources are available, and which contribute to community revitalization.
• Historic preservation projects that contribute to community vitality
  • Priorities include:
    • The restoration and conservation of significant historic structures such as those listed on the National Register, or have documented importance through Tribal Historic Preservation Departments or are a known community landmark.
      • The Trust will support structural improvements and building systems (such as electrical service) rather than maintenance, painting or short-term repairs.
    • Preservation projects may also include restoration of significant material cultural resources.
    • Applicants are strongly encouraged to provide a letter indicating that the Maine Historic Preservation Commission or appropriate Tribal Historic Preservation Office is aware of the project, and that work is being conducted to appropriate preservation standards.
• Celebrate the diverse cultural heritage and multiple histories of Maine
  • Priorities include:
    • Programs that build community connection, celebrate the diverse cultural heritage of Maine communities and elevate the unique experiences of Black, Indigenous and other under-represented groups.
    • Efforts that build bridges within communities to elevate cultural histories of place, expand awareness, cultural connection and share learning.

Environmental Initiatives

The Trust is interested in environmental initiatives that protect ecological values, water quality and ecosystem health through land conservation, stewardship, education and research programs. The Trust is interested in supporting organizations that promote positive relationships with nature including scientific, ecological and cultural perspectives. The Trust is also interested in expanded efforts to conserve culturally significant lands for Wabanaki communities.

The Trust’s Environmental Initiatives Program Area welcomes proposals for operating support or projects that meet any of the following goals or related priorities:

• Provide equitable access to outdoor experiences and nature-based education
  •  Priorities include:
    • Programs that offer outdoor experiences and nature-based education for youth and community members to inspire care and responsibility for the environment.
    • Programs that provide safe, inclusive spaces for youth and others to develop appreciation for nature, science and the social and cultural dimensions of land and place.
    • Programs that benefit BIPOC and underserved communities.
• Enhance environmental stewardship.
  • Priorities include:
    • Support of the growing stewardship responsibilities of conservation groups in light of development pressures, climate change and greater public use of conserved lands and waters.
    • Support of staffing, programs and partnerships for stewardship, education and community engagement.
• Advance new approaches for land conservation
  • Priorities include:
    • Partnerships, tools and relationships for conservation that emphasize equity and inclusion.
    • Land conservation that protects biodiversity or provides access to lands and waters for recreation, education and restoration.
      • Organizations requesting funding for land acquisitions should include a funding plan for the project.
    • Building capacity for the protection, stewardship and management of culturally significant lands for Wabanaki lifeways and culture.
• Promote restoration and improvement of water quality in coastal and inlandwatersheds
  • Priorities include:
    • Applied science and research for the restoration and management of ecosystems, especially the coastal and inland waters of Maine.
    • Relevant research and education for water quality and habitat improvement.
    • Addressing climate change impacts on coastal and aquatic resources.
    • Initiatives that use science, policy and community engagement to improve and restore natural resources and ecosystems.

Funding

Up to $20,000 in grant funding may be requested.

Autism Community Impact Grant

The Flutie Foundation recognizes not-for-profit organizations who share our mission to help individuals and families with autism live life to the fullest. For our 2023 Autism Community Impact Grant, we will continue granting these organizations with a particular emphasis on supporting traditionally under-served, under-funded, culturally diverse communities.

Our Autism Community Impact Grant cycle will consider requests that will help fund programs and projects showing potential to make an IMMEDIATE impact in the community and align with the Flutie Foundation priorities as stated in our Seven Key Dimensions described below. We especially encourage organizations with programs serving those most profoundly affected by autism to apply and share their stories.

Grant Funding Priorities

Work/School

Providing a path for educational opportunities, vocational skills programs, employment, housing, transportation and healthcare delivery for individuals on the autism spectrum.   

Active/Social

Support for recreational and sports programs, aquatic programs, social skills training, family events and summer camps for all individuals on the autism spectrum.

Safe/Supported/Informed

Funding for community organizations and schools who are providing vital resources and actively assisting individuals with autism spectrum disorder and their families through advocacy programs, diagnostic and clinical services, direct family support, safety equipment, emergency care, respite services and other opportunities that will enhance the quality of life for those affected.

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.

What We Do

The International Trans Fund (ITF) is a participatory grantmaking fund made up of trans activists and donors. The mission of the ITF is to mobilize sustainable resources for strong, trans-led movements and collective action, and to address and eliminate funding gaps impacting trans groups across the globe.

The ITF aims to increase the capacity of the trans movement to self-organize and advocate for trans people’s rights, self-determination and wellbeing. Our purpose is to:

• Build and sustain a mechanism to support trans-led groups of different sizes working on a range of issues at the international, regional, country, and local levels, with an emphasis on groups with access to fewer resources.
• Increase resources and enhance access to resources to support trans movements:
  • Increasing financial resources dedicated to trans-led organizations and groups through grantmaking.
  • Increasing access to non-financial resources for trans organizations, such as skills building, organizational strengthening, leadership development and activist support.
  • Increasing access to other and new donors.
• Educate our peers in the philanthropic community on trans issues and influence other funders and strategic allies in trans-related commitments and strategies.

Priorities

The ITF priorities in this funding cycle are to:

• Fund a diverse collection of groups, inclusive of various identities, strategies and issues, languages and regions.
• Reach trans communities facing greater levels of marginalization (e.g. racism, classism, ageism, ableism, misogyny and so on).
• Support trans-led organizations who work intersectionally and whose work contributes to social and economic justice, trans movement building and the liberation of trans people.

Activities

The ITF supports a wide range of movement building activities, which can include awareness raising events, direct action, educational seminars, trainings, support groups, media projects, political advocacy, resource development, art and activism collaborations, community-based research, community spaces, skills sharing courses, leadership or personal development programs, educational campaigns, demonstrations, mobilizing communities and many other activities. We are happy to support creative and innovative activities not listed above.

The ITF has Two Grant Types

SEED Grant (1-year)

The SEED grant is a 1-year general support and/or project grant for trans-led organizations that have never been funded by the ITF, or that prefer to apply for this grant instead of the THRIVE Grant. Grants range from $10,000 to $25,000 USD/year.

THRIVE Grant (1-year)

The THRIVE grant is a 1-year general support grant ONLY for trans-led organizations that have been previously funded by the ITF and are in good standing. Grants range from $25,000 to $50,000 USD/year.