Best Capacity Building Grants for Nonprofits in Maine

Scholarships for High School Seniors

Mid-Shore Community Foundation awards scholarships to high school seniors in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties, who are planning to attend a college, university, or trade school. In general, scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate academic achievement, community service, financial need, and other criteria specified by the donor.

Weygand-Rotary Scholarship

Awarded to students graduating from Dorchester County Public High Schools

Mid Shore Community Foundation 

Mid-Shore Community Foundation awards scholarships to high school seniors in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties, who are planning to attend a college, university, or trade school. In general, scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate academic achievement, community service, financial need, and other criteria specified by the donor.

The Foundation awards scholarships to high school seniors through a pooled scholarship application - students complete one online application in consideration for all scholarships to which they meet eligibility. All applications are reviewed and considered by the Foundation’s Scholarship Committee. Madisyn Yiannakis "Let Your Light Shine" Scholarship

Awarded to students graduating from high schools in Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne’s Counties, who are planning to attend a vocational, trade, or career school

The NIH Director's Transformative Research Award encourages innovative research that challenges conventional ideas. This award supports bold scientists and teams aiming to create groundbreaking technologies and new clinical approaches, ultimately transforming scientific paradigms. As part of the NIH Common Fund's High-Risk, High-Reward Research Program, it seeks to fund high-impact projects that have the potential to significantly advance science and technology.

Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation

The Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation began in 1992 when a group of community champions came together around a vision to give back to our region then, now, and forever.

This vision lives on within our organization today as we support the people and places of Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau Counties and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians.

Together with our partners, we spark positive change for a variety of local causes, including youth, arts and culture, education, environment, and health and human services, across our region.

Regional Scholarships

We believe that post-secondary education is key to healthy, resilient, and thriving communities and are pleased to partner with generous community donors to create and offer a variety of scholarship opportunities for local students across the region.

LGBTQ Pride Scholarship Fund (Regional)

Available to LGBTQ+ students and students who see themselves as LGBTQ+ allies that are pursuing post-secondary education. Graduating seniors from a public high school within Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska and Leelanau Counties are eligible to apply.

Scholarships for High School Seniors

Mid-Shore Community Foundation awards scholarships to high school seniors in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties, who are planning to attend a college, university, or trade school. In general, scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate academic achievement, community service, financial need, and other criteria specified by the donor.

Woicke Family Scholarship

Awarded to Mid-Shore students, who are of Hispanic/Latino descent, who speak English as a second language AND/OR are first-generation college students.

Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation

The Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation began in 1992 when a group of community champions came together around a vision to give back to our region then, now, and forever.

This vision lives on within our organization today as we support the people and places of Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau Counties and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians.

Together with our partners, we spark positive change for a variety of local causes, including youth, arts and culture, education, environment, and health and human services, across our region.

Regional Scholarships

We believe that post-secondary education is key to healthy, resilient, and thriving communities and are pleased to partner with generous community donors to create and offer a variety of scholarship opportunities for local students across the region.

Katie Bigelow NP Memorial Scholarship (Regional)

Available to support single mothers who are enrolled in a post-secondary degree program and reside in Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, or Leelanau County. Preference is given to those pursuing programs in the medical or health care field.

Our Mission

Fighting Student Debt

The average student today will graduate more than $30,000 in debt and is far less likely to start small businesses, seek the highest impact careers, buy homes, or start families. At Bold.org®, we believe that’s a problem worth solving.

David Foster Memorial Scholarship

David Foster was a teacher who changed the lives of thousands of students.

David not only created a vibrant classroom environment, but made an impact on his students that often lasted for decades. This was the result of his willingness to go above and beyond, engaging students’ curiosity, opening their minds to new ideas, and challenging the status quo.

This scholarship aims to honor the legacy of David Foster by supporting students who have adopted new ways of thinking through a high school teacher’s boldness to transcend the standard curriculum, reframe stale ideas, apply radical teaching techniques, or motivate students in unique ways.

To apply, tell us about a teacher who significantly influenced you and how that influence shaped your approach to life.

Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation

The Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation began in 1992 when a group of community champions came together around a vision to give back to our region then, now, and forever.

This vision lives on within our organization today as we support the people and places of Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau Counties and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians.

Together with our partners, we spark positive change for a variety of local causes, including youth, arts and culture, education, environment, and health and human services, across our region.

Regional Scholarships

We believe that post-secondary education is key to healthy, resilient, and thriving communities and are pleased to partner with generous community donors to create and offer a variety of scholarship opportunities for local students across the region.

Kalee Bruce Memorial Scholarship Endowment (Benzie County)

Available to graduating seniors from Benzie or Frankfort High Schools who are planning to pursue post-secondary education.

The ACVO Vision for Animals Foundation provides research grants of up to $7,500 annually to residents in ABVO-approved veterinary ophthalmology programs. Funding covers research supplies, publication costs, and limited travel expenses. Eligibility requires mentorship by an ABVO-approved faculty member and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approval for animal-related experiments. Funded research results must be presented at the Annual ACVO Conference. Note that salaries and major equipment costs are not supported.

Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation

The Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation began in 1992 when a group of community champions came together around a vision to give back to our region then, now, and forever.

This vision lives on within our organization today as we support the people and places of Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau Counties and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians.

Together with our partners, we spark positive change for a variety of local causes, including youth, arts and culture, education, environment, and health and human services, across our region.

Regional Scholarships

We believe that post-secondary education is key to healthy, resilient, and thriving communities and are pleased to partner with generous community donors to create and offer a variety of scholarship opportunities for local students across the region.

John S.E. Dieckman Husky Scholarship Endowment (Benzie County)

Available to graduating seniors from Benzie County Central Schools planning to pursue postsecondary education including a certificate or degree program at an accredited school. Emphasis is placed on character, citizenship, and service to the school and community. Financial need is also a consideration.

The Jane C. Waldbaum Archaeological Field School Scholarship, established by the Archaeological Institute of America, supports students participating in archaeological fieldwork for the first time. With a funding amount of $1000, this scholarship is aimed at junior and senior undergraduates and first-year graduate students who are studying archaeology or related disciplines. Eligible applicants must be at least 18 years old and demonstrate academic achievement and financial need.

Mid Shore Community Foundation Mid-Shore Community Foundation awards scholarships to high school seniors in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties, who are planning to attend a college, university, or trade school. In general, scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate academic achievement, community service, financial need, and other criteria specified by the donor.

The Foundation awards scholarships to high school seniors through a pooled scholarship application - students complete one online application in consideration for all scholarships to which they meet eligibility. All applications are reviewed and considered by the Foundation’s Scholarship Committee. Harwood Foundation ScholarshipAwarded to students graduating from Dorchester County Public Schools. 

Mid Shore Community FoundationMid-Shore Community Foundation awards scholarships to high school seniors in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties, who are planning to attend a college, university, or trade school. In general, scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate academic achievement, community service, financial need, and other criteria specified by the donor.

The Foundation awards scholarships to high school seniors through a pooled scholarship application - students complete one online application in consideration for all scholarships to which they meet eligibility. All applications are reviewed and considered by the Foundation’s Scholarship Committee. Frederick Douglass Scholarship (2026-07-27)Awarded to students graduating from high schools in Talbot County. 

Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation

The Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation began in 1992 when a group of community champions came together around a vision to give back to our region then, now, and forever.

This vision lives on within our organization today as we support the people and places of Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau Counties and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians.

Together with our partners, we spark positive change for a variety of local causes, including youth, arts and culture, education, environment, and health and human services, across our region.

Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) Scholarships

The Community Foundation is home to a variety of scholarships designated to benefit a graduating senior from Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS). 

Jim Ooley Scholarship Fund (Central, West)

When Jim Ooley retired in 1993 after 39 years of teaching and coaching, it was his desire to establish a scholarship fund to recognize an outstanding senior student athlete whose dedication and leadership exemplifies the ideals for which Jim Ooley stood.

One scholarship is awarded annually at each Central and West.

The Teiger Foundation Single Project Grant supports innovative visual arts projects at non-profit exhibition spaces with annual budgets exceeding $3 million. Focused on curatorial practices, the grant encourages experimentation and creativity, aiming to drive positive structural change in contemporary art. Eligible expenses include artist fees, publication costs, and coalition-building efforts. The next Call for Proposals opens in Fall 2026, with funding of up to $150,000 available for selected projects.

Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation

The Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation began in 1992 when a group of community champions came together around a vision to give back to our region then, now, and forever.

This vision lives on within our organization today as we support the people and places of Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau Counties and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians.

Together with our partners, we spark positive change for a variety of local causes, including youth, arts and culture, education, environment, and health and human services, across our region.

Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) Scholarships

The Community Foundation is home to a variety of scholarships designated to benefit a graduating senior from Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS). 

Achievement of Excellence Award (Central, West)

Available to a graduating senior who has distinguished him/herself through academic achievement, leadership, and proven skills in the adult roles of: Citizen, Healthy & Fit Individual, Family Life Member, Life-Long Learner, and Worker.

U.S. Writers Aid Initiative

PEN America is an organization of writers and their allies, and that solidarity is never more important than when members of our literary community face crises. PEN America’s U.S. Writers Aid Initiative, part of the PEN America Writers Emergency Fund, offers grants for writers in the United States facing acute financial need following an emergency situation.

The U.S. Writers Aid Initiative is intended to assist fiction and nonfiction authors, poets, playwrights, translators, and journalists in addressing short-term financial emergencies. To be eligible, applicants must be professional writers based in the United States, and be able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in helping address a short-term emergency situation. The fund is limited, and not every application can be supported.

Grant decisions are made on a quarterly basis by a volunteer committee of literary peers in consultation with PEN America staff, using the following guidelines to evaluate professional credentials:

• Publication of one or more books. (Writers who are only self-published or published by a press that charges for publication are not eligible.)
• Multiple essays, short stories, or poems appearing in literary anthologies or literary journals (either online or in print) in the last two years.
• A full-length play, performed in a theater by a professional theater company. Productions in academic settings qualify if the author is not a student at the time of the production.
• Employment as a full-time professional journalist, columnist, or critic, or a record of consistent publication on a freelance basis in a range of outlets during the last two years.
• Contracted forthcoming books, essays, short stories, poems, or articles for which the name of the publisher can be provided.
• Other qualifications that support the applicant’s professional identity as a writer.

The Learning & Leadership Grants support educators in enhancing their professional development and leadership skills. With funding up to $5,000, these grants are available for individual educators or groups pursuing high-quality learning experiences such as conferences and seminars. Eligible applicants must be current members of the National Education Association. These grants aim to empower educators to implement innovative practices in their classrooms, ultimately benefiting students and the educational community.

Our Mission

Fighting Student Debt

The average student today will graduate more than $30,000 in debt and is far less likely to start small businesses, seek the highest impact careers, buy homes, or start families. At Bold.org®, we believe that’s a problem worth solving.

Elizabeth Schalk Memorial Scholarship

Mental health issues are among the most common health issues affecting individuals and families today. 

Mental illness can make it a challenge for families by not only affecting those who suffer directly but also those suffering indirectly. The Elizabeth Schalk Memorial Scholarship will not only help fund a student's education, but will also memorialize Elizabeth Schalk, who suffered from mental illness throughout her life.

To apply, write about how mental illness has had an effect on you and/or the people you are close to.

Our Mission

Fighting Student Debt

The average student today will graduate more than $30,000 in debt and is far less likely to start small businesses, seek the highest impact careers, buy homes, or start families. At Bold.org®, we believe that’s a problem worth solving.

Rebecca Lynn Seto Memorial Scholarship

Rebecca Lynn Seto was an amazing young lady with a huge heart and a wacky sense of humor. Despite being non-verbal and having a very rare syndrome that no one, including education and medical staff, had ever encountered before, she touched the lives of many. Family was most important to Becky. She was happiest at family gatherings, where singing "Happy Birthday" would excite her immensely. She was an active, lifelong member of St. John’s Lutheran Church, where she loved attending services and socializing with her church family, classmates, friends, and even strangers. Her contagious smile and laughter lit up rooms and stadiums, and she was ecstatic at her first live game watching her beloved NY Giants. Her smile and laughter were present during many of the activities she loved, such as riding roller coasters, dancing, kayaking, drumming, swimming, and bike riding.

Becky and her family benefited greatly from the help of special educators, physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and social workers. The staff who got the most from Rebecca and whom she enjoyed working with the most were those who took the time to understand her quirky personality, her likes, and dislikes. Most importantly, they figured out how to communicate with her even though she couldn’t talk. They used this understanding to build successful programming and goals for her. Over her lifetime, from early intervention through high school, teams who worked with Becky were innovative and engaged her, making her excited to go to school and work with them.

Sadly, Rebecca passed away on May 3, 2024, at the age of just thirty-one. Becky’s impact on people will continue through the Rebecca Lynn Seto Memorial Scholarship, benefiting those studying special education, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, or social work.

The Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest, co-hosted by Inside Edge Safety Surfaces, offers two all-expenses-paid awards for Life Floor safety surfaces, aimed at enhancing community splash pads. The Need-Based Award targets municipalities and non-profits demonstrating financial need, with design options including planks, bubbles, and geometric shapes. Grant values range from $50,000 to $65,000, depending on project size, ensuring safety and accessibility for all users.

The Find Your Light Foundation is committed to providing every child with access to quality arts education. By focusing on direct support for exceptional programs, along with education, advocacy, and outreach, they aim to highlight the importance of arts in youth development. Grants are awarded to arts education initiatives in low-income areas across North America, typically ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, with awards issued in the Summer and Winter each year.

The Teiger Foundation Programming Grant supports innovative visual arts projects led by curators at smaller non-profit organizations with budgets under $3.5 million. Grants of up to $150,000 are available for three years, funding development, realization, and documentation of exhibitions and related programs. The foundation emphasizes community engagement, racial justice, and artistic experimentation while encouraging collaboration with other cultural institutions. Note: The next Call for Proposals opens in Fall 2026.

About Disabled Veterans National FoundationThe Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) was established in 2007 to support veterans facing challenges that traditional systems could not fully address. From its earliest days, DVNF has been focused on closing critical gaps in care and providing resources that help veterans rebuild their lives with dignity and stability. The Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) provides critically needed support to disabled and at-risk veterans who leave the military wounded—physically or psychologically—after defending our safety and freedom.

About Grants to Provide Stability (GPS) ProgramThe Disabled Veterans National Foundation’s GPS (Grants to Provide Stability) Program is a grant program for veterans who find themselves in temporary financial setback. DVNF will provide up to $1,000 (not guaranteed) to help eligible veterans pay for rent or mortgage and essential utilities such as water or electricity. Applications are open on a monthly basis. Please note that each veteran can only be approved once per fiscal year (October – September).

Mid Shore Community Foundation Mid-Shore Community Foundation awards scholarships to high school seniors in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties, who are planning to attend a college, university, or trade school. In general, scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate academic achievement, community service, financial need, and other criteria specified by the donor.

The Foundation awards scholarships to high school seniors through a pooled scholarship application - students complete one online application in consideration for all scholarships to which they meet eligibility. All applications are reviewed and considered by the Foundation’s Scholarship Committee. Donald D. Casson Character Counts ScholarshipAwarded to students graduating from Talbot County Public Schools, who have participated in a character education program, such as Character Counts. 

About Disabled Veterans National FoundationThe Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) was established in 2007 to support veterans facing challenges that traditional systems could not fully address. From its earliest days, DVNF has been focused on closing critical gaps in care and providing resources that help veterans rebuild their lives with dignity and stability. The Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) provides critically needed support to disabled and at-risk veterans who leave the military wounded—physically or psychologically—after defending our safety and freedom.About Comfort Kits and Grab N' Go ProgramIn addition to our direct outreach, the DVNF also supports like-minded organizations that share our commitment to serving veterans. Approved organizations can apply to receive Comfort Kits for distribution to veterans in their communities. These kits are designed to meet the unique needs of veterans and offer critical support where they are needed most.

The Teiger Foundation's Hosting Grant provides up to $75,000 for US-based curators or artistic directors to present contemporary visual art exhibitions that originated in different contexts. This grant encourages resource-sharing and collective learning, allowing institutions to expand their programming sustainably. It prioritizes projects affiliated with established non-profits, fostering community-building and positive change in the field of visual art while addressing issues of racial justice and climate crisis.