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Foundations that fund nonprofits in Maine
In the IRS filings in CivicVane's data (tax years 2021–2025), 3,951 grantmakers listed 33,583 grants totaling $1.1 billion to 8,348 organizations in Maine. 3,687 of them are private foundations reporting on Form 990-PF and 264 are grantmaking public charities, such as community foundations, reporting on Form 990 Schedule I. 379 are based in Maine; the rest give in from other states.
The median grant to a Maine organization was $5,000. Cumberland County received the most grants (8,938, from 1,516 funders), followed by Hancock County (3,680) and Kennebec County (2,735). Matching grant purposes and recipient names to cause areas, the most common were education & literacy (4,378 grants), arts & culture (2,333 grants) and environment & conservation (2,186 grants).
Maine Community Foundation Inc (Ellsworth, ME) funded the most different Maine organizations: 874, through 874 grants with a typical size of $15,000.
The 15 grantmakers that funded the most Maine organizations
Ranked by the number of different Maine organizations each funded in its filings for tax years 2021–2025. Typical grant = median of those grants. Donor-advised fund sponsors, workplace-giving and matching-gift programs are left out.
| # | Funder | Grants to ME organizations | Organizations funded | Typical grant | Most recent tax year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine Community Foundation Inc Ellsworth, ME · EIN 01-0391479 | 874 | 874 | $15,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
| 2 | Stephen & Tabitha King Foundation Inc New York, NY · EIN 13-3364647 Gives only to preselected organizations, per its 990-PF | 430 | 422 | $20,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 3 | Onion Foundation Auburn, ME · EIN 47-1289795 | 429 | 310 | $12,500 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 4 | Elmina B Sewall Foundation Freeport, ME · EIN 01-0387404 | 506 | 293 | $30,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 5 | Bangor Savings Bank Foundation Bangor, ME · EIN 04-3353896 | 355 | 284 | $5,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 6 | Franklin Savings Bank Community Development Foundation Farmington, ME · EIN 31-1719226 | 448 | 271 | $2,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 7 | Melmac Education Foundation Augusta, ME · EIN 01-0390854 Gives only to preselected organizations, per its 990-PF | 523 | 259 | $2,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 8 | Saco & Biddeford Savings Charitable Foundation Saco, ME · EIN 01-0516587 | 482 | 244 | $1,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 9 | Sam L Cohen Foundation Portland, ME · EIN 20-2262822 | 321 | 218 | $15,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 10 | John T Gorman Foundation Portland, ME · EIN 01-0498551 | 296 | 212 | $20,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 11 | Maine Health Access Foundation Inc Augusta, ME · EIN 01-0535144 | 241 | 174 | $30,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 12 | Fisher Charitable Foundation Portland, ME · EIN 01-0512082 | 295 | 171 | $5,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 13 | Atlantic Federal Credit Union Foundation South Portland, ME · EIN 86-2316892 | 232 | 161 | $500 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 14 | Reny Charitable Foundation Newcastle, ME · EIN 02-6095307 Gives only to preselected organizations, per its 990-PF | 230 | 156 | $1,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 15 | Kennebec Savings Bank Foundation Augusta, ME · EIN 22-2624600 Gives only to preselected organizations, per its 990-PF | 285 | 154 | $3,050 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
Counties with the most grants
| County | Grants | Funders | Total listed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County | 8,938 | 1,516 | $256.4 million | Top 5 funders |
| Hancock County | 3,680 | 601 | $117.2 million | Top 5 funders |
| Kennebec County | 2,735 | 633 | $158.3 million | Top 5 funders |
| Knox County | 2,293 | 498 | $49.6 million | Top 5 funders |
| York County | 2,182 | 525 | $39.5 million | Top 5 funders |
| Penobscot County | 2,134 | 510 | $138.1 million | Top 5 funders |
| Lincoln County | 1,568 | 397 | $41.5 million | Top 5 funders |
| Androscoggin County | 1,331 | 439 | $43.8 million | Top 5 funders |
| Washington County | 1,106 | 444 | $22.8 million | Top 5 funders |
| Waldo County | 921 | 246 | $21.9 million | Top 5 funders |
County = where the recipient's ZIP code is.
Cause areas
Grants whose purpose or recipient name, as filed, contains keywords for each cause area. A grant can match more than one, and many grants (such as "general support") match none.
| Cause area | Grants matched | |
|---|---|---|
| Education & literacy | 4,378 | Top 5 funders |
| Arts & culture | 2,333 | Top 5 funders |
| Environment & conservation | 2,186 | Top 5 funders |
| Health & mental health | 2,137 | Top 5 funders |
| Children & youth | 2,132 | Top 5 funders |
| Food & hunger | 1,458 | Top 5 funders |
| Housing & homelessness | 713 | Top 5 funders |
| Animal welfare | 673 | Top 5 funders |
| Basic needs & anti-poverty | 464 | Top 5 funders |
| Older adults | 270 | Top 5 funders |
| Immigrants & refugees | 217 | Top 5 funders |
| Jobs & workforce | 120 | Top 5 funders |
| Disability | 95 | Top 5 funders |
Want the funders that fit your organization? Grant Prospect Report, $149
Tell us your mission, county and budget. You get at least 20 ranked funders that give in your service area, ranked by fit with your mission and budget, with each one's contact, deadlines and application rules as filed with the IRS, plus matching federal opportunities from Grants.gov. PDF by email within 2 business days of payment and a complete order form.
Order a Prospect Report for Maine ($149) See a full sampleSource: grant lists on IRS Form 990-PF (private foundations) and Form 990 Schedule I (grantmaking public charities) from the IRS e-file releases of 2024 to 2026, tax years 2021–2025, one filing per funder and tax year. Filings are often one to two years old, and a past grant doesn't mean a funder will accept your application or fund you. CivicVane is not affiliated with any funder listed.