The foundation focuses its philanthropy on Maine higher education, providing unrestricted/general operating support primarily to the state's flagship public university and its major liberal arts colleges. Grants are directed at a small set of institutions rather than broad programmatic initiatives, suggesting a donor interest in sustaining institutional capacity and campus life across Maine's principal colleges.
Concentrated, mid-sized grants to a small number of repeat grantees; funding is predominantly unrestricted/general operating support with multiple grants to the same institutions rather than one-off or varied nonprofit types.
Al Bird Est University of Maine Etal centers its philanthropy on Maine higher education, with unrestricted support concentrated on a small group of institutions rather than a broad program portfolio. The largest recent grants went to the University of Maine in Orono, including $132,605 in 2023 and $128,834 in 2024 for general operating support, signaling an emphasis on sustaining core institutional functions. The pattern extends across Maine’s principal liberal arts colleges. Colby College in Waterville, Bates College in Lewiston, and Bowdoin College in Brunswick each received general operating grants in the recent record, with grants at the same $42,945 and $44,202 levels appearing across multiple years. That mix of awards points to a donor interest in keeping campus operations stable at a few established higher-education institutions. The foundation’s grantmaking is tightly focused on nonprofit educational institutions in Maine, especially those with statewide importance. Its support is not framed around short-term projects; instead, the grants are structured as core support that can help underwrite day-to-day institutional needs.
A defining theme is institutional sustainability in Maine higher education. The University of Maine received general operating support of $132,605 in 2023 and $128,834 in 2024, showing repeated backing for the state’s flagship public university. The same operating-support approach appears at Maine’s private liberal arts colleges. Colby College, Bates College, and Bowdoin College each received general operating grants in the recent record, with awards at $44,202 and $42,945. This points to a funder that favors core funding over restricted project grants. The structure of the gifts suggests attention to administrative and management expenses, as well as broader organizational resilience, rather than a narrow program line.
The reported grant-size distribution is clustered around mid-five-figure awards: p25 is $42,945, median is $44,202, and p75 is $65,360. The recent record also includes larger outliers to the University of Maine, which sits above that central band. The foundation’s recent grants recur across years and across the same institutions, including repeated support for the University of Maine, Bowdoin College, Bates College, and Colby College. That pattern indicates a stable, continuing grant relationship rather than one-off giving. It is a grantmaking foundation, not a vehicle for individual giving, and it does not make program-related investments. The recent grants are all listed as general operating support.
$258K
$3.6M
$254K
$308K
Most grants fall between $43K and $65K, with a median of $44K.
25th Percentile
$43K
Median
$44K
75th Percentile
$65K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in ME.
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Notable grantees: University of Maine, Colby College, Bates College, Bowdoin College
Grantmaking is concentrated in Maine, which accounts for the top share of recipient locations by count. In the recent grants listed, the recipient cities include Orono, Waterville, Lewiston, and Brunswick, all in Maine. The country distribution is entirely domestic: 8 grants, or 100.0%, went to recipients in the United States. No non-U.S. recipient countries appear in the recent record, and no grants were made to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state of New York.
The recent record shows support for Maine higher-education institutions, especially the University of Maine and three private liberal arts colleges: Colby College, Bates College, and Bowdoin College. The grants are listed as general operating support, indicating core institutional funding rather than project-only awards.
Typical grants are in the mid-five-figure range. The distribution provided is p25 at $42,945, median at $44,202, and p75 at $65,360. The recent record also includes two larger grants to the University of Maine above that band.
Yes. The same institutions appear across multiple years in the recent grants list. The University of Maine appears in both 2023 and 2024, and Colby College, Bates College, and Bowdoin College each appear in the recent record with repeated general operating grants.
It gives most often in Maine. The recent grants list recipient cities in Maine only, including Orono, Waterville, Lewiston, and Brunswick. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 8 grants going to U.S. organizations.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF MAINE | ORONO, ME | $128,834 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| COLBY COLLEGE | WATERVILEE, ME | $42,945 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| BOWDOIN COLLEGE | BRUNSWICK, ME | $42,945 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| BATES COLLEGE | LEWISTON, ME | $42,945 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| UNIVERSITY OF MAINE | ORONO, ME | $132,605 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| COLBY COLLEGE | WATERVILLE, ME | $44,202 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| BOWDOIN COLLEGE | BRUNSWICK, ME | $44,202 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| BATES COLLEGE | LEWISTON, ME | $44,202 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE
$128,834GENERAL OPERATING
COLBY COLLEGE
$42,945GENERAL OPERATING
BOWDOIN COLLEGE
$42,945GENERAL OPERATING
BATES COLLEGE
$42,945GENERAL OPERATING
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE
$132,605GENERAL OPERATING
COLBY COLLEGE
$44,202GENERAL OPERATING
BOWDOIN COLLEGE
GENERAL OPERATING
BATES COLLEGE
$44,202GENERAL OPERATING