Search Through Local Government Grants in Maine in the U.S.

The Environmental Engineering program is part of the Environmental Engineering and Sustainability cluster, which also includes

• The Nanoscale Interactions program; and
• The Environmental Sustainability program.

Environmental engineering is an interdisciplinary field that applies chemical, biological, and physical scientific principles to protect human and ecological health. The goal of the Environmental Engineering program is to support potentially transformative fundamental research that applies scientific and engineering principles to

• Prevent, minimize, or re-use solid, liquid, and gaseous discharges of pollution to soil, water, and air by closing resource loops or through other measures;
• Mitigate the ecological and human-health impacts of such releases by smart/adaptive/reactive amendments or manipulation of the environment, and
• Remediate polluted environments through engineered chemical, biological, and/or geo-physical processes.

Integral to achieving these goals is a fundamental understanding of the transport and biogeochemical reactivity of pollutants in the environment. Therefore, research on environmental micro/biology, environmental chemistry, and environmental geophysics may be relevant providing the research has a clear objective of protecting human and ecological health.

Major areas of interest include (but are not limited to):

• Building a future without pollution or waste: Investigation of innovative biogeochemical processes that prevent or minimize the production of waste; waste valorization and other research that will lead to new technologies to extract resources from waste streams to close the resource loop.
• Sustainable supply and protection of water: Investigation of innovative biogeochemical processes that remove, biologically or chemically transform, and/or prevent the release of contaminants in surface and groundwater; innovative processes for recovery of water, nutrients, and other resources from wastewater, saline water, or brines; innovative approaches to smart and adaptive management of surface water, groundwater, and urban watersheds and storm water to maintain/improve quality and prevent downstream impacts from nutrients and other water constituents.
• Environmental chemistry, fate, and transport of nutrients and contaminants of emerging concern in air, water, soils, and sediments:Investigation of transport and biogeochemical reactivity in the environment; environmental forensics to identify sources and reaction pathways; field- and laboratory scale experimental research that bridges gaps between data and predictions from molecular, continuum, and field-scale modeling.
• Environmental engineering of the built environment: Research to understand the biogeochemical reactivity of the built environment with the goal of enhancing and improving human and ecological health; research that will lead to new technologies to improve outdoor and indoor air quality; research to understand how drinking water and wastewater chemical characteristics and microbial community structure impact or are affected by water quality and human health.

Where to submit proposals with different areas of focus:

• Proposals with a scientific focus on chemical or physical separation processes (for example, materials or processes for reverse osmosis, membrane distillation, and hypo-filtration) should be submitted to the Interfacial Engineering program (CBET 1417).
• Proposals that seek to advance fundamental and quantitative understanding of the behaviors of nanomaterials and nanosystems should be submitted to the Nanoscale Interactions program (CBET 1179).
• Proposals focused on in vitro molecular-level environmental chemistry research should be submitted to Environmental Chemical Sciences program (CHE-ECS 6882).
• Proposals focusing on industrial ecology, green engineering, and ecological/earth systems engineering should be submitted to the Environmental Sustainability program (CBET 7643).
• Proposals whose main research focus is on materials development, sensors, or environmental monitoring that do not seek to understand biogeochemical reactivity mechanisms or treatment efficiency are not encouraged and may be returned without review.

Innovative proposals outside of these specific interest areas may be considered. However, prior to submission, it is recommended that the PI contact the program director to avoid the possibility of the proposal being returned without review.

INFORMATION COMMON TO MOST CBET PROGRAMS

Proposals should address the novelty and/orpotentially transformative natureof the proposed work compared to previous work in the field. Also, it is important to address why the proposed work is important in terms of engineering science, as well as to also project the potential impact on society and/or industry of success in the research. The novelty or potentially transformative nature of the research should be included, as a minimum, in the Project Summary of each proposal.

The duration of unsolicited proposal awards in CBET is generally up to three years. Single-investigator award budgets typically include support for one graduate student (or equivalent) and up to one month of PI time per year(awards for multiple investigator projects are typically larger). Proposal budgets that are much larger than typical should be discussed with the program director prior to submission. Proposers can view budget amounts and other information from recent awards made by this program via the “What Has Been Funded (Recent Awards Made Through This Program, with Abstracts)” link towards the bottom of this page.

Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER )program proposals are strongly encouraged. Award duration is five years. The submission deadline for Engineering CAREER proposals is in July every year. Learn more in the CAREER program description.

Proposals for Conferences, Workshops, and Supplements: PIs are strongly encouraged to discuss their requests with the program director before submission of the proposal.

Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID)and EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) are also considered when appropriate. Please note that proposals of these types must be discussed with the program director before submission.

Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) proposals that integrate fundamental research with translational results and are consistent with the application areas of interest to each program are also encouraged.

Please note that RAPID, EAGER, and GOALI proposals can be submitted anytime during the year. 

Welcome to the Maine DACF

Welcome to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF), the State of Maine's support center for our many land-based, natural resource interests. The Department balances for and develops the state's various land-based, natural-resources including Maine agriculture, forests, outdoor recreation and public-access.

The DACF helps guide Maine's 21st-century natural resource economy by supporting the creation of new jobs and businesses, improving and supporting existing land-based industries and streamlining regulations. We strive to provide excellent customer service and we facilitate a team approach to land-use planning, conservation efforts and economic activity. Our professionals work each day to strengthen the base of scientific research and information for effective decision-making.

Our agency has a wide range of duties from protecting the food we eat, stopping forest fires, mapping the ocean floor; keeping our parks and public lands pristine and accessible, planning wise land utilization, and helping beginning farmers.

We take a collective pride in providing excellent customer service through our hundreds of activities and programs.

Land for Maine's Future: Public Water Access to Maine Waters Fund

The Public Access to Maine Waters Fund is designed to 'get people to the water.' The board will accomplish this by acquiring fee simple of public access rights on small parcels of land to create or enhance access points to lakes, ponds, rivers, and coastal waters. Land for access could support a facility for trailered boats, or small, hand-launched craft (canoes, kayaks) and provide bank fishing, swimming, clamming, worming, or other water contact opportunities. Access is primarily intended for general public use.

An application to LMF requires sponsorship from a suitable state agency. An application must include full knowledge and agreement from the landowner that their project is up for consideration for LMF funding.

Funds often assist land trusts, municipal conservation commissions, local governments, private nonprofit charitable organizations, state agencies, and private foundations.

What does this program do?

Provides grants to qualified organizations to help them carry out local self-help housing construction projects. Grant recipients supervise groups of very-low- and low-income individuals and families as they construct their own homes in rural areas. The group members provide most of the construction labor on each other’s homes, with technical assistance from the organization overseeing the project.

What is an eligible area?

Utilizing the USDA Eligibility Site you can enter a specific address for determination or just search the map to review general eligible areas.

How may funds be used?

• Give technical and supervisory assistance to participating families
• Help other organizations provide self-help technical and supervisory assistance
• Recruit families, help them complete loan applications and carry out other related activities that enable them to participate

The Global Commons Alliance’s Accountability Accelerator

The Accountability Accelerator is currently funding early-stage projects and organizations that contribute to building an accountability architecture across the four clusters with significant grant making through a regional lens across Africa, South America and Southeast Asia.

We support the development of a robust accountability ecosystem for corporate action on nature by making small to mid-sized grants (~USD 50,000-100,000) to specific projects that fit with our areas of work: Data & Standards, Finance, Legal, and Campaigns. We specifically focus on closing gaps in the accountability landscape and on projects that are early-stage and require higher-risk seed funding that might be deemed too risky by larger funders.

We work with applicants to co-develop proposals and accept proposals on a rolling basis. We pride ourselves in our ability to be reactive and nimble to catch and support urgent and time-sensitive projects, including lesser-known or early-stage ideas and organizations, with a keen attention to local organizations at the front-line of where devastation of nature is happening.

Across our clusters, we support projects which align with the following elements of the accountability ecosystem:

• Frameworks and tools, including standards, frameworks and targets based on credible data to enable business and financial institution commitment, disclosure, planning and action.
• Incentives and capacity building for companies to act by enabling service providers,  NGOs & business networks share knowledge, guidance & tools for business & FIs to identify, address and act on the harm to nature.
• Assurance and pressures, including third party validation of science based targets for natures, verification of transition planning and progress, and enabling a broad set of stakeholders advocate for action while driving corporate accountability
• Policy and regulation through influencing governments and regulators to embed nature and society into policies, finance rules, and legal framework & create economic incentives for business and FIs to act.
• Community mobilization by which citizens are mobilized, IPLC rights are recognized and people everywhere are supported in their efforts to hold corporations accountable, especially their supply chains and impacts on the ground.

Finally, the Accountability Accelerator recognises and supports the rights and leadership roles of Indigenous Peoples and local communities as stewards of nature and the vast majority of the world’s biodiversity regions. We endeavor to have at least half our grants going to regional and local organizations, where the impacts of global agricultural, manufacturing, and commodity supply chains are most deeply felt on the ground.

Land for Maine's Future: Conservation & Recreation Funds

Funds often assist land trusts, municipal conservation commissions, local governments, private nonprofit charitable organizations, state agencies, and private foundations. An application to LMF requires sponsorship from a suitable state agency. An application must include full knowledge and agreement from the landowner that their project is up for consideration for LMF funding.

LMF funds assist with the acquisition of land or interest in land to:

• Provide outdoor recreation opportunities
• Provide access to Maine waters
• Support vital ecological or conservation functions and values
• Conserve rare, threatened, or endangered natural communities, plants, or wildlife habitat
• Conserve areas of scenic interest and prime physical features
• Protect sustainable working forests
• Protect deer wintering areas

About the V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation

Founded in 1991, the V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation’s work is based on the premise that human activities lie at the core of most environmental problems, and human creativity and collaboration are at the heart of solving the problems these activities create. The environmental mission of the V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation is to support the transition to a more environmentally resilient, stable, and sustainable planet. We believe best practices for promoting sustainability will be most effectively developed through an integrated systems approach and one that furthers the involvement of an informed public in environmental decision making.

Nature-Centrism as a Lens for Organizational Behavior and Decision-Making

Over the course of 30 years the V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation has funded critical but low- attention areas, knowledge gaps, and cross-cutting environmental strategies that attract little or no investment from other funders. Looking back, almost all the environmental issues that VKRF has engaged in have led back to humanity’s disregard for nature’s inherent value and for the limits of our planet’s natural resources. VKRF supported conservation issues in its early years, and has addressed water pollution, toxicity, soil depletion, and climate change in its later years. Most recently, the foundation has worked on a toolbox for exploring and working with the complex and dynamic processes involved in many societal and natural systems simultaneously reaching irreversible tipping points. Through the lens of a systems perspective, it becomes even clearer how humans have damaged their own life support systems at all planetary levels. A recalibration of our relationship to nature is needed. A relationship where all life forms co-exist in balanced, rather than hierarchical, systems. Only a shift away from the separation from, and domination of, nature to an understanding of our deep connection to, and embeddedness in, nature can provide us with the solutions and blueprints for tackling the challenges we face today.

In its next rounds of grantmaking, the foundation will continue its recent work at the systems level, further exploring the consequences of, and solutions to, humanity’s anthropocentric departure from value structures based on our kinship with nature. We recognize that we stand on the shoulders of nature-centric thinking of previous generations, cultures, and knowledge systems. We also recognize the significant work of different schools of regenerative and nature-centric practices that is already being applied in many sectors and geographies.

The foundation believes that many of these already-existing frameworks for nature-centric worldviews have the potential to lead to new ethical paradigms, models for cooperation, co- existence, and resilience that will overcome humans’ alienation from nature and foster well- being of all life on our shared planet.

As an entry point for its upcoming grantmaking round, the foundation will explore whether a more mainstream adoption of a nature-centric worldview is possible, either within our current structures or in the future, when the escalating polycrisis prepares the ground for a broader re-examination of our current paradigm.

This call for proposals focuses on nature-centric decision-making, in which nature’s inherent value becomes a central principle and informs institutions’ practices across their activities. VKRF is looking to identify grantees who are ready to make the recognition of interbeing, interdependence, and interconnectedness central to their strategy development, decision making, and day-to-day operations.

With this effort, VKRF hopes to prepare the ground for a significant scaling-up of nature-centric policies and practices that can lead to long-term resilience and integrity of the entire biosphere.

Types of Projects

Projects could include, but are not limited to:

• participatory research on governance frameworks for nature-centric decision making
• participatory social research on nature-centric cultural shifts, design principles, and management practices
• planning and learning processes that will facilitate an organization’s application of a nature- centric lens to its strategy and planning processes, day-to-day operations, and relationships with external partners and stakeholders
• building organizational capacity for buy-in of nature-centric strategies at the highest levels of organizational decision-making and governance
• peer learning in the form of workshops, convenings and conferences that will allow multiple organizations to co-create and share methodologies, approaches, tool-building, and practices that make a nature-centric lens prominent in behaviors and decision-making
• related visionary work exploring scenarios moving us toward a mainstream nature-centric future.

Objectives and Criteria

All proposals will need to be science-based and should meet the following criteria:

• Scope:
  • be visionary, experimental, and action-oriented when it comes to research and the changing of minds; and
  • consider life as relational.
    • The foundation is only interested in projects in which both human and non-human life are taken into consideration.
• Approach:
  • build on cross-cutting and/or transdisciplinary knowledge domains;
  • ambitious in the effort to scale and mainstream a nature-centric worldview; and
  • come to this topic with a nonjudgemental, curious, and collaborative mindset.
• Field-building:
  • advance the field beyond the results of the individual project
• Output and information resulting from funding:
  • must be open-source, accessible and available to be used free of charge by anyone in civil society and within the government sector, though the grantee will retain ownership of the copyright for any material produced.

Funding

The foundation will entertain projects with a one- to two-year timeline. Results and outcomes should be achievable within the grant period and the budget requested.

The foundation’s total grantmaking budget for this funding round is six million USD. We anticipate funding 12-15 projects.

The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive.

Our Mission

To conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund

To make the highest possible impact on the climate and biodiversity crises, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is committed to advancing solutions and supporting partners throughout the Appalachians to connect and conserve vital wildlife habitat, build resilience to the impacts of climate change, and generate new job and recreation opportunities for communities.

Approximately one-third of the U.S. population lives in or within 100 miles of the Appalachians, including an estimated 36 million people that rely on the region for sources of drinking water. The landscape contains the world's largest remaining expanses of temperate broadleaf mixed forest and provides habitat to a wide diversity of plants of animals, many of which are listed as rare, threatened, or endangered. Conserving this landscape is critical for nature and for the people that live and work there.

However as climate change drives ecosystem instability, plants and animals are shifting their ranges northward, and people are having to find ways to adapt to complex and intertwined challenges. TNC and many others have been working to conserve vital Appalachian habitats for decades. Now we must ramp up our efforts and coordinate with partners across the Appalachians for maximum impact.

To succeed in these efforts, TNC’s Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund offers two grant programs for conservation and community organizations, municipalities, Federally Recognized Tribal Nations, and local and state agencies in the Appalachians who are working to protect and conserve this region:

• The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program
• The New York Climate Resilience Grant Program

Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program

The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program provides grants of up to $100,000 for fee and easement acquisition projects throughout the Appalachians.

Equitable Conservation and Community Benefits

Conservation organizations are increasingly acknowledging the importance of incorporating social equity in their missions, partnerships, and projects and evolving how they work to have better outcomes for people and nature.

TNC defines community benefits as the positive outcomes that directly result from or are included within conservation projects as experienced by local communities and people. This is particularly important for historically marginalized communities, communities with limited access to nature, communities experiencing heightened impacts of climate change due to systemic underinvestment and poor infrastructure, and Indigenous communities. 

RCA program funding will support projects that demonstrate meaningful community engagement, work with those historically excluded from conservation, and lead to a fairer distribution of benefits for people and communities.

Some examples of community benefits include improved and greater access to nature, protection of drinking water sources, recreational and resource-based economic opportunities, flood mitigation, engagement in cross-cultural initiatives, or protection of lands that will meet community-defined conservation needs. We encourage projects with meaningful community benefits that are integrated with the land protection goals.

Project Evaluation

Projects will be evaluated  according to their capacity to deliver land protection outcomes aligned with the program goals, including:

• Location:
  • the project is located within TNC’s Appalachians Program boundary and is in or near a mapped focal area.  Projects outside of focal areas will also be considered.
• Resilience:
  • the percentage of the total project area that is part of the Resilient and Connected Network.
• Connectivity:
  • adjacency to protected lands or other attributes that will lead to landscape connectivity over time (e.g., the project is a necessary acquisition for advancing a local or regional plan that aims to protect a critical conservation corridor).
• Collaboration:
  • evidence of engagement with other organizations, community groups, or local governments (including, but not limited to, shared funding).
• Community:
  • project elements that directly engage and or benefit people, especially vulnerable or marginalized communities.
• Timeline:
  • the project will close within 12 months from the start of the grant agreement term.
• Feasibility:
  • likelihood that the project will close and the costs seem reasonable.

What We Do

Founded in 1983, the Maine Community Foundation works with donors and other partners to improve the quality of life for all Maine people. MaineCF’s investment expertise supports our donors’ effective and strategic giving. We offer a range of giving options tailored to fit each donor’s financial means and charitable objectives. Our staff provides personalized service, community leadership, and a deep understanding of local issues.

Background

For over 30 years, Hospice of Maine provided hospice volunteers and bereavement services to clinical hospice programs in southern Maine. Based on the changing environment and in an effort to strengthen and unify hospice services, in January 2006, the Board of Directors transferred Hospice of Maine’s direct service programs to VNA Home Health Care and Hospice of Southern Maine, which allowed these organizations to create and expand their full-service hospice programs. As part of this transition, Hospice of Maine decided to use its remaining assets to create this Hospice Fund in a manner consistent with the mission and philosophy of Hospice of Maine and the intention of its supporters.

Hospice Fund

The Hospice Fund supports hospice services, especially programs that support volunteer and bereavement services, in Cumberland and York counties.

Food Systems Grant Program

The Sewall Foundation is committed to working with our grantee and philanthropic partners to co-create a thriving, healthy, and just food system where local communities are guiding decisions about, and have abundant access to, the resources needed for collective well-being and the foods that remind us we belong.

Priorities

The Food Systems program will support efforts that are working in one or more of the follow areas in Maine:

• Food justice
• Food sovereignty
• Land and water sovereignty and access
• Nutrition equity 
• Food networks
• Food policy

Funding will be prioritized for efforts that: 

• Are led by, and/or serving, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, rural Mainers, and women that strengthen Maine’s local food system
• Are equity-driven, grassroots efforts guided by the expertise of those closest to the injustices of our current food system
• Contribute to the viability of healthy and just food systems (this may be through resourcing, technical assistance, capacity building, partnerships, etc.)
• Resource communities most affected by racial and socioeconomic inequity to build collective power and wealth
• Support both the immediate material conditions of those in need and the emergence of sovereign and just food systems 
• Are smaller and have barriers to accessing resources (e.g., historically marginalized groups, fiscally sponsored work, etc.)

Funding

• Available Funding: $1,870,000
• Generally, grant funding levels in this program area are:
  • Individual organizations/efforts: $10,000 to $60,000 (per year)
    • Increased funding amounts may be available to organizations that meet multiple program priority areas.
    • 1-5 year proposals will be considered.
  • Collaborations/efforts involving multiple organizations/groups: up to $200,000 (per year)
    • Occasionally, organizations may apply for both organizational and collaborative funds.
    • 1-5 year proposals will be considered.
  • Transformational opportunities: variable funding levels
    • The purpose of transformational opportunities is to address critical community priorities and create sustainable, systemic changes. These efforts should advance processes and approaches that heal, correct unjust conditions and structures, and create conditions for fair access to power, resources, and opportunities.
    • Generally, 1-2 year proposals will be considered.

Background

Launched in January 2006 for off-road and snow clubs, associations and grassroots groups, this industry-first program supports you—our riders—in keeping people riding.

The Polaris TRAILS GRANTS program makes funds available to organizations in the United States and Canada to promote safe and responsible riding, support trail preservation and help protect the environment and natural resources that are a part of the off-road trail systems. Funds can be used by organizations for off-road trail development and maintenance projects, safety and education initiatives, and other projects to increase and maintain land trail access.

The first of its kind in the ATV industry, the T.R.A.I.L.S. grant program was launched in January 2006 for ATV clubs, associations and grassroots groups. ATV riders and the trails they use are the lifeblood of the sport and Polaris Industries Inc. aimed to create a program to help.

The grant program encompasses two main objectives

• promoting safe and responsible riding and
• preserving access.

Funds can be used by organizations for:

• Trail development and maintenance projects
• Responsible riding
• Access
• Initiatives
• Lobbying
• Safety

SafetyGrant funding is limited to a maximum of $10,000 per request. Organizations can apply for either monetary or products as long as it does not exceed $10,000 and may apply for two grants per year. 

The Maine Education Association is a diverse group of professional educators, standing together to ensure that our voices, values, and priorities are heard and respected and that every Maine student has the opportunity for an outstanding education. MEA advocates for better pay, benefits, and working conditions for members. We stand up for, support, and empower members in and out of the classroom. And MEA works to ensure equity, prevent discrimination and prejudice, and advance great public schools for all educators and students across the state.

MEA offers awards and grants to members to both honor and support colleagues and your work.

Anne Sheehan Political Action Award recognizes an MEA member or governance affiliate which has demonstrated a strong commitment to political action for public education issues.

New England States Touring (NEST) funds performances, readings, and screenings of work by regional, national, and international artists presented by New England-based nonprofit organizations.

Program Goals

• Expand direct access to high quality artists and aesthetic diversity for all New England communities by artists from New England, the nation, and across the globe.
• Stimulate opportunities for collaboration and partnerships among New England cultural organizations and between artists and organizations.
• Encourage projects that provide meaningful interaction between artists and communities, extending beyond the stage.

NEST Artists

NEST artists are professional artists from New England who meet the NEST artist requirements. They represent a wide range of disciplines, including dance, folk art, interdisciplinary work, media, music, musical theater, opera, poetry, storytelling, and theater. NEST artists must be available for public performances and must maintain a permanent residence in New England.

About the New England States Touring Grant Program

There are three distinct grant opportunities for New England nonprofit organizations: NEST 1, NEST 2, and NEST 3. Organizations serving rural communities and/or deeply engaging Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities are encouraged to apply.

NEST 1

Funds the public presentation and engagement of a New England artist presented by a New England nonprofit organization based in a different New England state from the artist’s home state. 

NEST 2

Funds the public presentation and community engagement activities of a New England artist presented by two New England nonprofit organizations. Tours must include one presenting organization based inside of the artist’s home state and one other organization from outside of the artist’s home state.

NEST 3

Funds tours, including public presentation and community engagement activities, of regional, national, or international artists presented by New England nonprofit organizations. Tours must include a minimum of three New England organizations in different communities presenting the same artist. The organizations applying must be from at least two different New England states. 

• Each organization is responsible for reviewing the program goals and criteria, negotiating the terms of the engagement with the artist, and completing a NEST 3 application.
• Organizations may submit up to three NEST 3 applications.
• The annual deadline is the first business day of March.
• Grants provide up to 60% of the artist fee to a maximum of $10,000.
  • Applications with artist fees under $2,000 may request the full artist fee.
• New England artists must be listed as NEST-eligible on CreativeGround.
• For non-New England artists, an artist work sample must be submitted by one of the touring partners.
• Grant period: Touring projects must occur between June 1, 2025 - August 31, 2026.

Deadlines

NEST 1 & 2 grant deadlines occur three times a year, as follows:

• First business day of August, for projects beginning on or after November 1.
• First business day of December, for projects beginning on or after March 1.
• First business day of March, for projects beginning on or after June 1.

The annual NEST 3 grant deadline is the first business day of March.   

Maine Community Foundation

Founded in 1983, the Maine Community Foundation brings people and resources together to build a better Maine through strategic giving, community leadership, personalized service, local expertise and strong investments.

The Maine Community Foundation established its first scholarship fund in 1984. Now, through the generosity of individuals, community organizations, and businesses that believe in the importance of education, the community foundation awards more than $3 million each year from nearly 700 scholarship funds.

MaineCF scholarships provide financial assistance for Maine residents attending accredited colleges, universities, technical and career schools. The funds also support students attending private high schools, camps, and experiential learning programs.

Chet Jordan Leadership Award

This scholarship was established in 1995 in memory of Joseph “Chet” Jordan who grew up in Portland, Maine, and spent his leisure time in Patten and Aroostook County, hunting, fishing and snowmobiling. His family and friends established this scholarship to celebrate the rich legacy of his leadership in business and civic affairs in his beloved state of Maine. Chet was a visionary thinker who was actively involved with his family, friends, employees and community. A native of Portland, Chet Jordan attended public schools in South Portland and graduated from South Portland High School in 1945. During his school years, starting at about age 12, Chet worked part time at the family business “Jordan’s Ready-To-Eat Meats.” After graduation from high school, Chet entered the service, just prior to the end of World War II. After the war ended, he entered the United States Merchant Marine Academy in King’s Point, New York, and graduated in 1948 with a degree in marine engineering. Soon after, Chet went to sea, only to be called back to Portland to reenter the meat business. This time, to take over the company on the untimely death of his father in 1949. Chet was 21 at the time. In 1949, the business was a small meat processor, among many on Commercial Street in Portland. Over the years Chet led the company to become one of the largest independent meat processors and distributors in the country.

The Chet Jordan Leadership Award is presented to leaders. Being a great leader means having the ability to turn a vision into reality and to engage others in making a lasting impact on the community.

Recipients will demonstrate leadership, independent thinking, initiative, hard work, and the ability to rally others to the cause in their communities.

While being a sports team captain or a student government officer are commendable accomplishments, this alone is not the type of leadership the fund seeks to support. However, if you’ve done something truly extraordinary in your leadership role, we’d like to hear from you.

Mission

The Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation was established in 1973. The Foundation's 3 primary focus areas reflect Mr. Balfour's strong affinity for the employees of the Balfour Company, his commitment to the city of Attleboro, Massachusetts, and his lifelong interest in education. Specifically, the Balfour Foundation supports:

• Educational scholarships to employees of the Balfour Company, as well as to their children and grandchildren
• Organizations serving the people of Attleboro, with special consideration given to those organizations that provide educational, human services and health care programming for underserved populations
• Educational organizations that serve New England

Focus Area

Educational Organizations

The Foundation's educational funding is generally focused on organizations or programs that provide support for underserved or under-represented populations to prepare for, access and succeed in higher education, including 2-year and 4-year institutions.

It is clear that Mr. Balfour was interested in supporting students for successful completion of college. As such, the Foundation focuses its grantmaking in the New England area on programs that support college readiness, access, and success. The Foundation is most interested in programs that support students all the way into and through post-secondary credential attainment (2- or 4-year credentials). Programs within institutions of higher education aimed at attracting, supporting, and retaining (through successful completion) under-served and under-represented populations are also of interest. In this area, we will consider applications that request scholarship funds, if those scholarships are part of a broader set of services and supports.

Beyond Pediatrics: Advancing Early Detection in Adult-Onset Type 1 Diabetes

Summary

• The main goal of this funding opportunity is to improve adult diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (T1D), with special emphasis on the early stages of the disease.
• This request for application (RFA) will award grants to non-profit and for-profit entities such as academic institutions and industry partners of up to $900,000.00 each and up to 3 years.

Background

During a past Breakthrough T1D-hosted workshop, experts identified key knowledge gaps in adult-onset T1D 7, including the need to reduce ethnic disparities, extend longitudinal screening studies (of genetically high-risk and autoantibody-positive individuals) into adulthood, evaluate disease-modifying therapies given their greater efficacy in children, address challenges in misdiagnosis, assess the benefit and risks of adjunctive therapies, and strengthen post-diagnosis education, psychosocial support and long-term care. 

We encourage research proposals that address one or more of the following areas, including but not limited to:

• Immune Activation and Autoimmunity: The autoimmune process in adult-onset T1D appears to exhibit distinct patterns of immune activation compared to pediatric cases, including differences in immune cell subsets, cytokine profiles, and the timing and magnitude of the immune response. Proposed studies should aim to characterize these adult-specific immune signatures and investigate their relationship to clinical progression, treatment requirements, and therapeutic responsiveness. Research should leverage established datasets and biobanks with adult-onset T1D cohorts to validate findings across diverse populations. These efforts will be critical to informing the design and timing of disease-modifying therapies targeted at the early stages of T1D in adults.
• Islet Pathology and Beta Cell Function: Adults diagnosed with T1D often retain greater residual beta cell function at onset than children, suggesting slower disease progression and potential differences in islet pathology. Research should explore the mechanisms underlying these differences, including the pace of beta cell destruction and the regenerative capacity of the adult human pancreas, with implications for therapeutic timing and response.
• Autoantibodies and Biomarker Validation: In early-stage T1D, adults are more likely to test positive for GADA, while children more commonly exhibit IAA, IA-2A, or ZnT8A. We are seeking proposals that aim to better characterize and validate alternative autoantibodies and other established biomarkers of disease progression through Stages 1 to 3 in adults, with the goal of improving diagnostic accuracy and stratification of progression, including adults with slow disease progression.
• Accuracy in Misdiagnosis and Diagnostic Tools: We support proposals that aim to address the misdiagnosis of adult-onset T1D, including efforts to distinguish it from T2D through the integration of autoantibodies, C-peptide, and clinical features. Proposals may also include the analysis of existing electronic health record (EHR) data to identify diagnostic patterns and improve classification strategies.
• Epidemiology Studies: Evidence suggests that while a family history of T1D increases risk at all ages, the strength of this association appears to be greater in childhood-onset cases. This RFA welcomes studies that aim to advance our understanding of the epidemiology of adult-onset T1D using existing databases, as this area remains poorly defined. Projects examining incidence, prevalence, and age-related trends are encouraged to help clarify population-level risk factors

About

MeHAF works with a wide variety of partners, nonprofits, advocacy organizations, health care organizations, and more to carry out our mission of promoting access to quality health care and improving the health of everyone in Maine.

We offer responsive grant opportunities, a Discretionary Grants program for small, discrete, projects, and Meeting Support grants for local and statewide meetings.

Annual Responsive Grant Programs

The Maine Health Access Foundation offers two responsive grant programs: Systems Improvement and Innovation Grants (SIIRG) and Community Responsive Grants (CRG). These programs are offered annually and provide project-based funding for initiatives that are responsive to needs identified by people in communities across the state.

Community Responsive Grants Program

The Community Responsive Grants (CRG) program is based on the idea that those closest to a problem often have the best ideas about potential barriers and solutions. The purpose of this program is to use those community-led solutions to respond to community needs. These may be to address emerging opportunities, or to test new, or creative ideas. They may also be solutions that are based on the community’s experience and what it sees as the best ways to overcome the barriers to health equity it experiences.

CRG projects focus on changing policies, practices, and perceptions that create barriers to health care and good health and respond to community needs, address emerging opportunities, test innovative approaches or new ideas, or implement programs informed by the experiences of communities on how to address barriers to achieving health equity.

Projects funded through this program have leadership from the communities facing inequities in health access or outcomes and community members play a central role in developing and implementing the solutions proposed.

The Heising-Simons Foundation’s Science program solicits proposals for support of meetings, workshops, conferences, summer schools, research collaboration gatherings, and other events related to astronomy, cosmology, fundamental physics, and climate change science.

Through its funding, the Science program has three main goals:

• Enable basic scientific research,
• Connect key stakeholders, and
• Communicate scientific results.

Events facilitate connections between attendees; allow for the communication of progress and findings; and push science forward through discussion, collaboration, and shared learning. Communities are built through interaction, and events can provide a vital space to network and encounter diverse perspectives. For those early in their careers or that have identities that are underrepresented in their field, certain events can offer the opportunity to find a mentor or a sense of belonging and scientific identity. 

What We Do

Founded in 1983, the Maine Community Foundation works with donors and other partners to improve the quality of life for all Maine people. MaineCF’s investment expertise supports our donors’ effective and strategic giving. We offer a range of giving options tailored to fit each donor’s financial means and charitable objectives. Our staff provides personalized service, community leadership, and a deep understanding of local issues.

Background

The Equity Fund was established in 1996. Originally funded with a two-year matching grant to the Maine Community Foundation from the National Lesbian and Gay Community Funding Partnership, the Equity Fund became a permanent fund of the foundation in December 2000. A community assessment and forum were conducted in 2003 to clarify the criteria and priorities of the Equity Fund.

Purpose

The Equity Fund's mission is to strengthen lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) organizations in Maine and support community-based initiatives.

Types of Funding

This program provides:

• General support grants for LGBTQ+ organizations for ongoing programming, operational needs, and capacity-building.
• To apply for a general support grant, an organization must have previously received a project grant.
• Project grants for new or expanded projects.
  • Projects are activities with a clear start and end date, with goals and objectives related to but not the same as the organization’s mission.
  • Project grants will support staff time dedicated to supporting proposed activities.
  • They may also include administrative or indirect costs in their request as a line item in their budget.
  • These funds may be used at the discretion of the organization to cover overhead or indirect costs but must be limited to 20% of the total amount requested.

Grant funds can be used to support:

• Staff time dedicated to the proposed project
• New equipment or materials that are necessary to achieve the goals or outcomes of the proposed activities
• Training for staff, volunteers, or board members
• Administrative overhead (up to 20% of the requested funding).

Interest Areas

• Civil Rights
• Social Action
• Advocacy;
• Health Care

What We Do

Founded in 1983, the Maine Community Foundation works with donors and other partners to improve the quality of life for all Maine people. MaineCF’s investment expertise supports our donors’ effective and strategic giving. We offer a range of giving options tailored to fit each donor’s financial means and charitable objectives. Our staff provides personalized service, community leadership, and a deep understanding of local issues.

Background

The Maine Expansion Arts Fund, a permanent endowed fund held by the Maine Community Foundation, is the result of a collaborative effort of the National Endowment for the Arts, Lillian M. Berliawsky Charitable Trust, Maine Community Foundation, and Maine Arts Commission to strengthen and ensure the future of artistic traditions in Maine. Additional funding has been provided through the Elizabeth Laughlin Anderson Memorial Fund at the Maine Community Foundation and a significant gift in 2021 from MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett.

Maine Expansion Arts - BIPOC

Maine Expansion Arts supports arts organizations and arts-based programs in Maine serving rural communities and/or Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, particularly in areas with limited access to the arts.

What We Do

Founded in 1983, the Maine Community Foundation works with donors and other partners to improve the quality of life for all Maine people. MaineCF’s investment expertise supports our donors’ effective and strategic giving. We offer a range of giving options tailored to fit each donor’s financial means and charitable objectives. Our staff provides personalized service, community leadership, and a deep understanding of local issues.

Background

The Maine Expansion Arts Fund, a permanent endowed fund held by the Maine Community Foundation, is the result of a collaborative effort of the National Endowment for the Arts, Lillian M. Berliawsky Charitable Trust, Maine Community Foundation, and Maine Arts Commission to strengthen and ensure the future of artistic traditions in Maine. Additional funding has been provided through the Elizabeth Laughlin Anderson Memorial Fund at the Maine Community Foundation and a significant gift in 2021 from MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett.

Purpose

Maine Expansion Arts supports arts organizations and arts-based programs in Maine serving rural communities and/or Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, particularly in areas with limited access to the arts.

Maine Expansion Arts-Rural

To receive a grant, an organization or project must provide access to the arts in rural communities in Maine.

Volunteer Maine (The Maine Commission for Community Service)

Volunteer Maine is the state government partner for the federal AmeriCorps agency. It builds capacity and sustainability in Maine’s volunteer and service communities by funding programs, developing volunteer managers, fostering adoption of high-quality volunteer management practices, raising awareness of sector issues, and promoting service as a strategy.

Established in 1994, the agency was known as the Maine Commission for Community Service, the statutory name. In 2002, the Commission launched Volunteer Maine as its outreach to volunteer programs that were not part of National Service. In 2019, the two identities were merged, and Volunteer Maine became the Commission’s primary identity. The mission has not changed. Volunteer Maine fosters and inspires community service and volunteerism to address critical needs in the State of Maine.

As the State of Maine partner for the federal agency, AmeriCorps, Volunteer Maine has several very specific legal responsibilities related to AmeriCorps and National Service. These include:

• providing training and technical assistance to local nonprofit organizations and other entities that want to plan and apply for funding to implement national service programs;
• selecting programs to be funded under the National and Community Service Act;
• pre-selecting programs to compete for funding under AmeriCorps State Competitive;
• providing training and technical assistance to National Service programs in Maine;
• evaluating, monitoring, and administering grant programs.

All Commission activities -- those related to the wider volunteer sector as well as National Service -- and its funding priorities flow from its Strategic Plan. To learn more about the Commission, visit VolunteerMaine.gov

AmeriCorps, the federal agency

In 2020, the federal agency rebranded itself from the Corporation for National and Community Service to AmeriCorps. The federal agency was established in 1994 and among the grant programs it manages are

• Foster Grandparents, RSVP, and Senior Companion Program; and
• AmeriCorps VISTA, the National Civilian Community Corps programs, and AmeriCorps State/National (the crew program).

The federal agency mission is to improve lives, strengthen communities and fortify the civic health of the United States.

To accomplish these goals, AmeriCorps provides grants as well as training and technical assistance to volunteer organizations. It explores, develops, and models effective approaches for using volunteers to meet the nation's human needs and conducts and disseminates research that helps develop and cultivate knowledge that will enhance the overall effectiveness of national and community service programs.

Grant funding provided by The NRA Foundation must meet all NRA Foundation requirements and be used to further a charitable purpose as defined by the Internal Revenue Code under section 501(c)(3) and accompanying rules, regulations, and other IRS law and materials. Eligibility and funding amount are determined solely by the Foundation.

Grant requests must conform to, and foster the purposes in, The NRA Foundation’s mission statement, such as:

• Promote, advance, and encourage firearms, the shooting sports, and hunting safety.
• Educate individuals, including the youth of the United States, with respect to firearms, firearms history, participation in the shooting sports, hunting safety, and marksmanship, as well as with respect to other subjects that are of importance to the well-being of the general public.
• Conduct research in furtherance of improved firearms safety and marksmanship facilities and techniques.
• Support activities of the National Rifle Association of America, to the extent that such activities are in furtherance of charitable, educational, or scientific purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code which includes activities that are charitable, educational, or foster National or International sports competition.

About

MeHAF works with a wide variety of partners, nonprofits, advocacy organizations, health care organizations, and more to carry out our mission of promoting access to quality health care and improving the health of everyone in Maine.

We offer responsive grant opportunities, a Discretionary Grants program for small, discrete, projects, and Meeting Support grants for local and statewide meetings.

Discretionary Grants Program

The Discretionary Grants program provides small scale project-based funding for organizations to explore new or different approaches to their current work that strongly align with the goals of the Discretionary Grants program and MeHAF’s overall mission and goal areas.

Applicants must propose a specific project, either expanding upon work already being done or to more deeply explore a specific aspect of and organization's work, and it must be completed with tangible outcomes within one year. Projects must also be closely tied to MeHAF's mission of expanding health access and improving health. 

Funding

Awards for local or regional projects are typically no more than $5,000 and statewide activities that highly align with our mission may be awarded grants up to $10,000.

About

MeHAF works with a wide variety of partners, nonprofits, advocacy organizations, health care organizations, and more to carry out our mission of promoting access to quality health care and improving the health of everyone in Maine.

We offer responsive grant opportunities, a Discretionary Grants program for small, discrete, projects, and Meeting Support grants for local and statewide meetings.

Meeting Support Program

MeHAF’s Meeting Support program provides grants for meetings that have a focus or objectives relevant to MeHAF’s mission and that are related to groups or populations that face disproportionate barriers to accessing health services and achieving their best possible health.

We generally award grants of up to $1,000 for community or regional meetings and grants of up to $2,000 for statewide meetings. Grants should support meetings that address barriers to health and health care for Maine’s most vulnerable populations and have a broad base of community support or include community collaboration.

MeHAF grants may be used to fund costs such as, but not limited to:

• Meeting Facilitator/Presenters
• Guest speakers and related travel expenses
• Stipends and travel costs for members of the community to attend

Project Canopy

Project Canopy is about people. It educates people about the benefits trees provide, and how trees make people's lives better. It connects people who have a particular expertise to people who need that expertise. It helps build bridges with town and city governments, and it knows how to communicate in a local, political environment. And just as important, Project Canopy helps people talk about success stories, so that they can find the motivation --- and inspiration --- that is crucial for developing creative, long-term community forestry programs.

The Maine Forest Service has an incredible reservoir of knowledge and expertise. The challenge for us is to get that knowledge to the people who can use it. Any long-term community forestry program needs commitment and understanding from many different corners. Project Canopy's role is to get people in different corners talking to each other, so that awareness about trees can grow by leaps and bounds. We do that by using down-to-earth strategies, and deploying technical experts into the field to lend hands-on assistance.

Project Canopy Planning and Education Grants

The goal of this grant program is to support community efforts to develop and maintain longterm community forestry programs. Planting trees and caring for existing trees is an integral part of sustainable community forestry management. These grants provide an excellent opportunity for communities to increase tree cover, tree health, engage citizen volunteers, and build support for their community forestry program. Applicants are encouraged to contact Project Canopy staff to discuss project ideas. Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to:

• Improved community health and quality of life – Plant trees in visible, contiguous locations where they make a direct, positive impact on the community. Tree planting projects improve air and water quality, reduce noise pollution, increase climate resilience, and beautify neighborhoods and travel corridors.
• Buffer plantings – Trees naturally filter air and water, limit storm runoff, and stabilize soil. Proper tree planting in urban areas can have a positive impact on water quality, climate resilience, aesthetics, and wildlife habitat.
• Business district enhancement – Trees planted in business districts can have a positive impact on the economy. Consumers are more willing to patronize business districts that have tree lined streets, shaded parking, and green spaces.
• Replacement tree programs – as existing street trees age and present risks or suffer from the ravages of invasive pests and diseases, trees can be replaced with grant program funding.
• Community tree nursery/gravel bed tree nursery - establishment of community tree nurseries allow for purchase and growth of seedlings before planting into streets and parks. Benefits include lower costs and greater diversity of planting stock, stronger and larger root systems, ease of transplanting bare-root trees and increased survivability of trees planted out in urban environments.
• Low Impact Development/green infrastructure - bioswales, raingardens and other forms of green infrastructure retain, reduce, and filter stormwater overflow resulting in reduced erosion, less flooding, and cleaner water. May reduce stormwater fees in certain where applicable.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Housing Assistance Council (HAC), with To Be Done Studio, are excited to announce the Request for Applications to the Citizens' Institute on Rural Design (CIRD). Rural communities are invited to submit applications to receive design support and technical assistance to host a virtual and on-site local Design Workshop (if local public health guidelines allow) or participate in the Design Learning Cohort.

About CIRD

The Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) is a leadership initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Housing Assistance Council. Focusing on communities with populations of 50,000 or less, CIRD’s goal is to enhance the quality of life and economic viability of rural America through planning, design, and creative placemaking.

CIRD is intended to empower local citizens to capitalize on unique local and regional assets in order to guide the civic development and future design of their own communities. The CIRD program goals include:

• Building design capacity in rural communities to plan comprehensive revitalization strategies;
• Introducing creative placemaking, arts, culture, and design strategies as drivers of economic development in rural America;
• Facilitating a network of rural communities for design idea exchanges and peer learning; and
• Preparing communities to be ready and competitive for arts- and design-related state and federal funding opportunities.

Since 1991, the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) has provided design assistance to more than 100 rural communities in all regions of the United States, empowering residents to leverage local and regional assets in order to guide the civic development and future design of their own communities. 

The CIRD program consists of two different opportunities via a single application:

Opportunity 1) Local Design Workshops

Up to four (4) communities will be selected to participate in an on-site rural Design Workshop. (Based on timing and in accordance with local health guidance, this workshop may be a hybrid virtual and in-person program.) With support from a wide range of design, planning, and creative placemaking professionals, the workshops bring together local residents and local leaders from non-profits, community organizations, and government to develop actionable solutions to a specific design challenge. Examples of potential design challenges include but are not limited to:

• Historic preservation and adaptive reuse of community buildings
• Designing quality affordable housing that supports livable and equitable communities; including housing and other amenities that support young people, families, and/or the elderly and aging in place
• Creating public or civic spaces that support and integrate cultural expression and local identity and/or play and active recreation
• Developing recreational trails for mobility, active transportation, and economic development
• Redesigning Main Street as a local street versus state highway/thruway
• Designing spaces and places that improve access to healthy food and local food systems
• Leveraging Main Street or local businesses for economic development, including branding, wayfinding, façade improvements, and streetscape design
• Integrating cultural identity into the built environment to drive heritage tourism.

Selected communities will receive additional support including customized follow-up support leading up to and after the workshop as well as access to and web-based resources, webinars, and peer learning through the Design Learning Cohort.

Opportunity 2) Design Learning Cohort

Up to fifteen (15) rural communities will be selected to participate in a Design Learning Cohort. Rural community leaders from government, non-profits, local business, and civic organizations are invited to:

• Participate in virtual trainings and sessions on design, planning, community engagement, facilitation and fundraising techniques;
• Connect and exchange design ideas with peers from other rural communities in the cohort
• Receive technical assistance and coaching from experienced design professionals tailored to their particular community design challenge; and
• Receive support in navigating funding opportunities to make their community’s vision a reality;
• Applicant organizations can indicate on their application if they only want to participate in the Design Learning Cohort (and not be considered for the hybrid local Design Workshop opportunity).

Both opportunities within the CIRD program connect rural residents and community leaders with resources and ideas for developing locally driven solutions to community design challenges.

PARTICIPATION BENEFITS 

Local Design Workshop Communities

• Four(4) communities will be selected to do a deep dive into a pressing design challenge that is impacting their community. Each workshop includes:
  • $6,000 stipend to the host community for workshop staff time and related expenses
  • A tailored virtual design process working with a dedicated resource team, including goal setting, and online sessions with design experts to assist with project visioning and advancement toward implementation
  • Potential site visit from a local/regional designer, if local public health guidelines allow.
  • A Design Book and action plan following the workshop, with project-specific design and planning recommendations, created by the CIRD resource team
  • Ongoing technical assistance related to project 
  • Design Workshop communities will have access to all events and opportunities offered to the Design Learning Cohort.

Design Learning Cohort

Up to 15 communities from the applicant pool will be invited to participate in the Design Learning Cohort. The opportunity allows up to four (4) leaders from each selected community to participate in virtual training in design, planning, community engagement, and facilitation techniques; engage with peers from rural communities; and receive support in navigating funding opportunities to make their vision a reality. The Design Learning Cohort opportunity includes roughly a dozen engagements, specifically:

• A series of online learning sessions led by nationally recognized field experts, tailored to engage cohort members and activate peer learning
• A series of public webinars and private breakout sessions that connect cohort members to design experts
• Technical assistance through office hours, one-on-one coaching, optional in-person convenings, and online resources
• Additional opportunities to socialize and share best practices and experiences with rural peers from around the country.