MaineCF announces 2024 Community Building Grants
The Maine Community Foundation is excited to share that a record $2.3 million in Community Building Grant Program awards will support local projects and nonprofit organizations in all 16 counties. See how MaineCF grant dollars will make a difference in your region at https://www.mainecf.org/apply-for-a-grant/recent-grants/community-building/.
Community Building uplifts local voices and strengthens communities by supporting a wide range of organizations including those focused on the arts, historic preservation, literacy, education, food security, mental health, and the environment.
MaineCF collaborates with over 125 volunteers across the state to identify the strongest proposals that give voice to the aspirations and challenges unique to each community. One way we learn from our nonprofit partners is through MaineCF’s Community Building Grant Program. It helps us gauge our impact and can reveal new opportunities to bring people and resources together. After publishing annual awards, we create Reporting Out: Community Building Grant Program, a report that summarizes our learnings from the recent grant cycle.
In Piscataquis County 11 applications were received and $57,000 in grants were awarded to six recipients awarded by committee and an additional two grants by donors totaling $9,235 (as of April).
2024 Grants from the Piscataquis County Committee:
Appalachian Mountain Club, project support, to develop an illustrated children’s book about fish habitat restoration and healthy river ecosystems: $10,000.
League of Women Voters of Maine Education Fund, general support, to expand the reach of non-partisan voter information in Piscataquis County and improve transparency and accessibility in local government: $10,000.
Little Schoolhouse Childcare, general support, to support operations of a licensed, affordable childcare center in the greater Greenville area: $10,000.
Maine Highlands Senior Center, general support, to bring people together through community programs, events and art: $10,000.
Moosehead Historical Society, general support, to collect, preserve, interpret and exhibit the history of the Moosehead Lake region: $10,000.
Pine Tree Hospice, general support, to provide critical non-medical support, education and resources through a trained volunteer network: $7,000.
2024 Grants from Donor-Advised Funds (as of April):
Dover Cove Farmers Market, project support, to increase healthy food access by improving awareness and utilization of the Maine Harvest Bucks program: $6,235.
Pine Tree Hospice, general support, to provide critical non-medical support, education and resources through a trained volunteer network: $3,000.
The Community Building Grant Program invests in local projects and organizations that work to build strong communities. It is a grassroots grant program focused on efforts to use, improve and/or increase access to community assets.
These community assets include natural and built resources, as well as community members, their views and voices, local leaders, and the relationships or connections among people and organizations across the community.
The Community Building Grant Program is one of the only grant programs in Maine that supports a broad range of projects and organizations across the entire state, including arts, education, environment, economic development, and human services. It is also MaineCF’s largest grant program and receives more than 400 applications annually.
Our volunteer county and regional committees make decisions on grant awards that are funded in all 16 counties — permanent grantmaking resources invested for growth through contributions from individuals, businesses, and foundations.