PORTLAND & ELLSWORTH—Grants to nonprofit organizations that serve disadvantaged, underserved, and/or vulnerable communities in Maine are available from the Frances Hollis Brain Foundation Fund of the Maine Community Foundation.
The Brain Foundation Fund awards grants to nonprofits that focus on individuals who live in Greater Portland, Lewiston/Auburn, Bath/Brunswick, and Biddeford/Saco/Sanford, or to organizations with a statewide mission in the fund’s focus areas. Grants support early childhood care and education; extended-day learning; community clinics and oral health initiatives; hunger prevention and food security; homelessness alleviation; and legal services connected to these areas.
The application deadline is April 9, 2020. Online applications, guidelines and a complete list of 2019 grants are available at www.mainecf.org.
In 2019, the committee awarded grants totaling $141,500 to 21 nonprofit organizations, including:
• Community Dental, to support Low-Income Oral Health Access Program to provide oral healthcare services for low-income people living in the Lewiston area
• Count ME In, to reduce chronic/at-risk absenteeism in Sanford linked to academic proficiency in early years
• MaineHealth, to improve access to healthcare and health outcomes for patients experiencing homelessness in greater Portland.
David and Frances Brain established the Frances Hollis Brain Foundation in 1993 to address social issues and encourage the family’s future generations to contribute to the well-being of communities in Maine, Georgia, and Kentucky where they live.
If you would like more information about the fund, please contact Director of Grantmaking Laura Lee at 1-877-700-6800 or llee@mainecf.org.
Headquartered in Ellsworth, with additional personnel in Portland, Dover-Foxcroft, and Mars Hill, the Maine Community Foundation works with donors and other partners to provide strong investments, personalized service, local expertise, and strategic giving to improve the quality of life for all Maine people. To learn more about the foundation, visit www.mainecf.org.