The Francis T & Louis T Nichols Foundation appears to be a place-based funder focused on supporting Maine’s nonprofit ecosystem through intermediaries. Its known activity is a single, large donation to the Maine Community Foundation, suggesting a preference for channeling resources to local philanthropic infrastructure or endowments rather than directly to multiple service providers. The grant indicates flexibility (unrestricted/supportive donation) and an interest in statewide impact via community foundation mechanisms.
A $491,000 donation to the Maine Community Foundation is the clearest marker of how Francis T & Louis T Nichols Foundation operates: it uses large, concentrated gifts to support local philanthropic infrastructure as well as service organizations across Maine and Vermont. In 2025, the foundation’s giving included community foundation support, housing, health, education, family services, and basic needs, with grants ranging from mid-sized awards to six-figure donations. The pattern suggests a regional funder that works through both intermediaries and direct nonprofit support. Among the larger 2025 gifts, Vermont Student Assistance Corp received $100,000, while George Stevens Academy received $90,000. Other major awards went to Hancock County Habitat for Humanity, Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity, Maine Children’s Home, and Lund Family Center. The recipient list also includes organizations in Bangor, Blue Hill, Ellsworth, Burlington, and Portland, showing a mix of local Maine beneficiaries and neighboring Vermont grantees. The foundation’s recent activity is centered on organizations serving communities, families, and essential services rather than a single program niche.
Housing and community stability appear repeatedly in the foundation’s grants. Hancock County Habitat for Humanity received $85,000, and Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity received $85,000, pointing to support for housing-related work in both Maine and Vermont. The foundation also gave $35,000 to Homeshare Vermont, a separate housing-related award in South Burlington. Education and youth support show up through gifts to Vermont Student Assistance Corp for $100,000 and George Stevens Academy for $90,000. Family and youth services also appear in the $80,000 grant to Maine Children’s Home and the $38,650 grant to Spectrum Youth & Family Services. In health and human services, grants included $55,000 to Community Health Centers and $45,000 to Community Health & Counseling, alongside $40,000 to Hunger Free Vermont for food access work.
Typical grant size is moderate: the 25th percentile is $6,250, the median is $17,000, and the 75th percentile is $35,000. That spread fits a funder that makes many smaller awards while also placing a few large gifts at the top of the list. The 2025 record shows a concentrated set of donations rather than broad, multi-year microgranting. The foundation is classified as a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The available grants list is limited to donation-style grants, with no application process described in the data.
$2.6M
$20.8M
$1.3M
$2.9M
Most grants fall between $6K and $35K, with a median of $17K.
25th Percentile
$6K
Median
$17K
75th Percentile
$35K
About 37% of grants go to recipients in VT.
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Highly concentrated giving — a single large gift routed through an intermediary (Maine Community Foundation). No evidence of multiple or recurring direct grantee relationships; prefers one-time, substantial donations that can be deployed regionally.
Notable grantees: Maine Community Foundation
Giving is regional and centered in Maine, which also accounts for 37% of grants by recipient location. Bangor, Blue Hill, Ellsworth, and Portland each appear among the Maine recipients, while Vermont cities including Burlington, South Burlington, Winooski, Montpelier, Barre, Colchester, and Williston also receive funding. The recent grants list shows all grants going to US recipients. Maine Community Foundation in Ellsworth anchors the largest gift, while the broader pattern reaches across eastern Maine and adjacent Vermont communities.
The foundation supports community foundations, housing organizations, health and counseling providers, schools, food-access groups, family services, and local safety-net nonprofits. Recent grants include a donation to Maine Community Foundation, as well as awards to Vermont Student Assistance Corp, George Stevens Academy, Hancock County Habitat for Humanity, and Community Health Centers.
The grant-size profile is centered in the middle range: the 25th percentile is $6,250, the median grant is $17,000, and the 75th percentile is $35,000. The recent list also includes larger outliers such as $491,000 and $100,000.
Maine is the top state by grant count, and 37% of grants go to recipients in Maine. Recent Maine recipients include organizations in Ellsworth, Bangor, Blue Hill, Waterville, Portland, and other in-state locations.
Its giving is regional rather than national. The recent grants list is split between Maine and Vermont recipients, with additional US recipients in Massachusetts and Virginia. The recipient country distribution is entirely US-based.
No single cause area dominates the list. Recent grants support housing, education, health care, family services, domestic violence response, food access, and philanthropic infrastructure. That mix includes funding for both intermediaries and direct-service nonprofits.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAINE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | ELLSWORTH, ME | $491,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| VERMONT STUDENT ASSISTANCE CORP | WINOOSKI, VT | $100,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| GEORGE STEVENS ACADEMY | BLUE HILL, ME | $90,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| HANCOCK COUNTY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY | ELLSWORTH, ME | $85,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| GREEN MOUNTAIN HABITAT FOR HUMANITY | WILISTON, VT | $85,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| MAINE CHILDREN'S HOME | WATERVILLE, ME | $80,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| LUND FAMILY CENTER | BURLINGTON, VT | $67,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| PARTNERS FOR PEACESPRUCE RUN | BANGOR, ME | $65,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| STEPS TO END DOMESTIC VIOLENCE | BURLINGTON, VT | $60,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS | BURLINGTON, VT | $55,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| NORTHERN LIGHT HOMECARE & HOSPICE | BANGOR, ME | $55,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| VERMONT CHILDREN'S TRUST FOUNDATION | BURLINGTON, VT | $50,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| VERMONT COMMUNITY LOAN FUND | MONTPELIER, VT | $50,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD NEW ENGLAND | COLCHESTER, VT | $49,500 | 2025 | DONATION |
| JOHN GRAHAM SHELTER | VERGEENES, VT | $49,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| COMMUNITY HEALTH & COUNSELING | BANGOR, ME | $45,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| UNITED WAY OF EASTERN MAINE | BANGOR, ME | $40,850 | 2025 | DONATION |
| HUNGER FREE VERMONT | SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT | $40,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| SPECTRUM YOUTH & FAMILY SERVICES | BURLINGTON, VT | $38,650 | 2025 | DONATION |
| BLUE HILL HERITAGE TRUST | BLUE HILL, ME | $38,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| NORTHERN LIGHT | BLUE HILL, ME | $38,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| VERMONT FOOD BANK | BARRE, VT | $38,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | PORTLAND, ME | $35,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| HOMESHARE VERMONT | SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT | $35,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| IMMIGRAN LEGAL ADVOCACY PROJECT | PORTLAND, ME | $30,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| PENINSULA AMBULANCE CORPS | BLUE HILL, ME | $30,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| DOWN EAST FAMILY YMCA | ELLSWORTH, ME | $28,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| KIDSAFE | BURLINGTON, VT | $27,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| HORATIO ALGER ASSOCIATION | ALEXANDRIA, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| SEABEE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP ASSN | SPRINGFIELD, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| ELLSWORTH FREE MEDICAL CLINIC | ELLSWORTH, ME | $25,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| AMERICAN FOUNDATION | WESTFIELD, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| CAMP TA-KUM-TA | SOUTH HERO, VT | $24,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| PATHWAYS - VERMONT | SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT | $24,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| MENTOR VERMONT | BURLINGTON, VT | $23,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| WILLIAMS COLLEGE | WILLIAMSTOWN, MA | $22,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| POLARIS PROJECT | PITTSBURGH, PA | $20,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF BURLINGTON | BURLINGTON, VT | $20,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| PREVENT CHILD ABUSE VERMONT | MONTPELIER, VT | $20,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| FEEDING CHITTENDEN | BURLINGTON, VT | $20,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| HOPE WORKS INC | BURLINGTON, VT | $19,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| VERMONT WORKS FOR WOMEN | WINOOSKI, VT | $19,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| KING STREET CENTER | BURLINGTON, VT | $18,800 | 2025 | DONATION |
| VERMONT MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION | SHELBURNE, VT | $18,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| VERMONT CHILDREN'S MIRACLE | BURLINGTON, VT | $18,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| VERMONT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | MIDDLEBURY, VT | $16,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| BROOKLIN VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY | BROOKLIN, ME | $15,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| UNITED WAY OF ADDISON COUNTY | MIDDLEBURY, VT | $15,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| COTS | BURLINGTON, VT | $15,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| WOMENSAFE ATRIA COLLECTIVE | MIDDLEBURY, VT | $15,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
VERMONT STUDENT ASSISTANCE CORP
$100,000DONATION
GEORGE STEVENS ACADEMY
$90,000DONATION
HANCOCK COUNTY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
$85,000DONATION
GREEN MOUNTAIN HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
$85,000DONATION
MAINE CHILDREN'S HOME
$80,000DONATION
PARTNERS FOR PEACESPRUCE RUN
$65,000DONATION
COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS
$55,000DONATION
NORTHERN LIGHT HOMECARE & HOSPICE
$55,000DONATION
VERMONT CHILDREN'S TRUST FOUNDATION
$50,000DONATION
VERMONT COMMUNITY LOAN FUND
$50,000DONATION
PLANNED PARENTHOOD NEW ENGLAND
$49,500DONATION
JOHN GRAHAM SHELTER
$49,000DONATION
COMMUNITY HEALTH & COUNSELING
$45,000DONATION
UNITED WAY OF EASTERN MAINE
$40,850DONATION
HUNGER FREE VERMONT
$40,000DONATION
NORTHERN LIGHT
$38,000DONATION
AMERICAN RED CROSS
$35,000DONATION
HOMESHARE VERMONT
$35,000DONATION
IMMIGRAN LEGAL ADVOCACY PROJECT
$30,000DONATION
PENINSULA AMBULANCE CORPS
$30,000DONATION
DOWN EAST FAMILY YMCA
$28,000DONATION
KIDSAFE
$27,000DONATION
HORATIO ALGER ASSOCIATION
$25,000DONATION
SEABEE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP ASSN
$25,000DONATION
AMERICAN FOUNDATION
$25,000DONATION
CAMP TA-KUM-TA
$24,000DONATION
MENTOR VERMONT
$23,000DONATION
PREVENT CHILD ABUSE VERMONT
$20,000DONATION
HOPE WORKS INC
$19,000DONATION
VERMONT MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION
$18,000DONATION
VERMONT CHILDREN'S MIRACLE
$18,000DONATION
BROOKLIN VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY
$15,000DONATION
UNITED WAY OF ADDISON COUNTY
$15,000DONATION
COTS
$15,000DONATION
WOMENSAFE ATRIA COLLECTIVE
$15,000DONATION