MaineCF’s Statewide Fund advisors award $206,000 in grants to 22 nonprofits

The Maine Community Foundation has awarded $206,540 in grants to 22 nonprofit organizations across Maine through its Community Building Grant Program.
Grant recipients include:

• Black Owned Maine, Portland, to develop a more user-friendly and cohesive Black Owned Maine business website so businesses and consumers can easily support Maine’s Black business community
• EqualityMaine Foundation, Portland, to maintain and expand its SAGE programming and outreach efforts to keep LGBTQ+ older adults socially connected during a time of physical distancing
• Family and Community Mediation, Scarborough, to improve the accessibility, efficiency, and effectiveness of virtual mediations through website expansion and improvements and the purchase of remote technology and equipment.

MaineCF donors made an additional 13 grants totaling $103,874 from donor-advised funds.

MaineCF’s Statewide Fund is a permanent endowment that supports organizations that apply for multi-county projects. Proposals are submitted through MaineCF’s Community Building Grant Program and are reviewed by a committee of leaders. The next proposal deadline is February 15, 2022. The application, guidelines and a complete list of 2021 grants can be found at www.mainecf.org.

The Statewide Fund is built through donations from the community. If you would like more information about the fund, please contact Director of Strategic Learning Cherie Galyean at cgalyean@mainecf.org or (207) 412-2017.

2021 Grants from MaineCF’s Statewide Committee

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine, Camden, to provide critical social and emotional development needed to help build resilience and promote the mental health and well-being of Maine children: $10,000
• Black Owned Maine, Portland, to develop a more user-friendly and cohesive Black Owned Maine business website so businesses and consumers can easily support Maine’s Black business community: $10,000
• Eastern Area Agency on Aging, Brewer, to support Grocery Shopping Program, which delivers groceries to older adults, caregivers, and disabled adults through community partnerships: $10,000
• Elder Abuse Institute of Maine, Brunswick, to expand services to include coaching and support for caregivers who recognize the heightened risk for elder abuse due to COVID-19: $10,000
• EqualityMaine Foundation, Portland, to maintain and expand SAGE programming and outreach efforts to keep LGBTQ+ older adults socially connected during a time of physical distancing: $10,000
• Family & Community Mediation, Scarborough, to improve the accessibility, efficiency, and effectiveness of virtual mediations through website expansion and improvements and the purchase of remote technology and equipment: $9,780
• Family Focus, Brunswick, to support an effective integration of technology to improve the student assessment process and the successful communication with families since the pandemic: $10,000
• Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, Portland, to provide virtual community legal education and outreach on changes to U.S. immigration law and policy: $10,000
• Independence Association, Brunswick, to develop and implement online training programs for direct support professionals and case managers who serve vulnerable adults with disabilities: $10,000
• Legal Services for the Elderly, Augusta, to help older adults solve legal problems that put their ability to meet their basic human needs at risk: $10,000
• Maine Boys to Men, Falmouth, to expand access to the Reducing Sexism & Violence Program (RSVP) in Maine’s tribal communities: $7,500
• Maine Children’s Alliance, Portland, to strengthen relationships with communities impacted by COVID-19 to advance child advocacy: $8,760
• Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers, Waterville, to provide parents and caregivers the support and resources to build resilience in themselves and their children in the face of challenging times: $10,000
• Maine Equal Justice Partners, Inc., Augusta, to advance racial equity in Maine by establishing and cultivating equitable and inclusive relationships, policies, and practices inside and outside the organization: $10,000
• Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, Portland, to grow the coalition and organizational capacity to financially and administratively support Maine’s ethnic-based community organizations, empowering them to build organizational and financial reporting capacity: $10,000
• Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition, Lisbon, to train community members to advocate for improved conditions for incarcerated individuals in Maine in relation to COVID-19: $10,000
• Maine Transgender Network Inc., Portland, to create a violence prevention training program for families and educators of transgender youth: $7,500
• New Hope for Women, Belfast, to provide immediate shelter and supports to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking: $10,000
• OUT Maine, Rockland, to create best practices for schools to provide improved resiliency, mental health, and safety for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ+) youth: $3,000
• Pine Tree Legal Assistance, Portland, to increase its capacity to ensure that state and federal laws designed to support individuals through the pandemic are enforced: $10,000
• Sexual Assault Support Services of Midcoast Maine, Brunswick, to sustain the Community Outreach Advocate's position, which has significantly heightened SASSMM's social media presence and increased online awareness materials and client accessibility during COVID-19: $10,000
• Western Maine Transportation Services, Inc., Auburn, to provide low-cost public transit for older Mainers and disabled and vulnerable populations throughout Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford counties and in Brunswick: $10,000

2021 Grants from MaineCF Donor-Advised Funds

• Acadia Healthcare, Inc. (NLAH), Waterville, to increase the capacity of adults to identify and respond to school-aged youth mental health needs, provide appropriate resources, and facilitate referrals to care: $10,000
• Androscoggin Home Health Services Inc., Lewiston, to purchase iPads for a volunteer-operated, virtual companionship program for homebound patients in nine counties across Maine to address social isolation and loneliness: $6,874
• ArtVan, Bath, to support accessible, no-cost Art Therapy resources and social engagement opportunities for under-resourced youth, promoting individual and community resilience in response to COVID-19: $10,000
• Environmental Health Strategy Center, Portland, to support reducing exposure to arsenic in drinking water to help protect immune response among rural Mainers: $10,000
• Ladder to the Moon Network, Portland, to create a Health Equity feature with articles and videos that engage immigrant communities with content focused on disease prevention, wellness, health care, and equity: $10,000
• Maine Coast Fishermen's Association, Brunswick, to provide outreach and create training programs to support fishermen and communities with mental health and wellness during and after the pandemic: $10,000
• Maine Recovery Fund, Portland, to respond to the challenge of providing single occupancy transportation to work and increased access to sober housing for Maine Recovery Fund clients during COVID-19: $10,000
• Medical Care Development, Inc., Augusta, to help more Mainers become Community Health Workers: $10,000
• NAMI Maine, Hallowell, for Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training to provide a foundation for Emergency Medical Service workers treatment of young people: $10,000
• Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness, Bangor, to increase access to recovery homes for indigenous people in Maine: $10,000