Libra Foundation is a Maine-focused funder that concentrates very large, targeted gifts to a small number of local institutions, chiefly supporting agricultural promotion and community health/early literacy initiatives in the state. Its giving is concentrated and strategic—multiple large grants to the same organizations indicate long-term commitments to a few core partners (notably Pineland Farms and MaineHealth).
Libra Foundation’s recent grantmaking is defined by two very large, repeated commitments: Pineland Farms in New Gloucester and the Raising Readers program at MaineHealth in Portland. Those awards show a funder that backs a small set of Maine institutions over time, not a broad scatter of one-off gifts. The foundation’s largest recent grant went to Pineland Farms Inc. for agricultural promotion, education and research in Maine, with a second grant to the same organization in the prior year. A parallel pattern appears in early childhood literacy, where MaineHealth received sizable support for Raising Readers in both 2023 and 2024. Beyond those anchors, the foundation also funds community health, local food and rural development, scholarships, arts organizations, and outdoor and historic assets across the state. The grant list includes support for operating costs, capital campaigns, endowment funding, and program-specific work, which points to a mix of flexible and earmarked funding. Its giving pattern suggests close relationships with Maine-based nonprofits that serve children, families, farmers, and local communities.
Agricultural promotion is a central theme. The foundation gave $4,165,000 in 2024 to Pineland Farms Inc. and $3,925,000 in 2023 to the same organization to develop, operate, and staff Pineland Farms for agricultural promotion, education and research in Maine. In early childhood literacy, it supported MaineHealth’s Raising Readers program with $1,137,959 in 2023 and $1,101,003 in 2024. Community health also appears in grants such as $50,000 to Mainehealth Dba Pen Bay Waldo Healthcare Foundation in both 2023 and 2024 to construct a new health center. The foundation also backs place-based community amenities: it gave $75,000 to Cross Insurance Arena for community use of civic center events and $25,000 to Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters for the Tekakpimek Contact Station.
Libra Foundation’s typical grant size is small relative to its largest awards: the 25th percentile is $5,000, the median is $5,000, and the 75th percentile is $10,000. The recent grant list also shows a repeated pattern of support to the same recipients across multiple years, including Pineland Farms, MaineHealth’s Raising Readers, Foxcroft Academy’s Piscataquis County Ice Arena, Mainehealth Dba Pen Bay Waldo Healthcare Foundation, Fort Kent Outdoor Center, and the Nordic Heritage Outdoor Center. It is a regular funder and a DAF classification is listed as Regular Funder. The active grant programs are Maine-focused and include unsolicited grantmaking in at least one program description.
$12.4M
$170M
-$339K
$9.1M
Most grants fall between $5K and $10K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$10K
About 99% of grants go to recipients in ME.
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Highly concentrated giving: very few grants but large dollar amounts, repeated multi-grant support to the same local institutions rather than broad, small-dollar distribution.
Notable grantees: Pineland Farms, Inc., MaineHealth
Libra Foundation’s giving is overwhelmingly concentrated in Maine: 99% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and the top state by grant count is also Maine. Recent grants reached organizations in Portland, New Gloucester, Dover-Foxcroft, Rockland, Fort Kent, Presque Isle, Winthrop, Topsham, Bangor, and Bath. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 145 grants in the United States and no non-U.S. countries shown.
Its stated grant programs emphasize economic development, entrepreneurship, job creation, child welfare, literacy and early childhood education, plus health, human services, education, environment, and arts, culture and humanities. The recent grants also show support for agriculture, healthcare infrastructure, outdoor centers, scholarships, and arts organizations.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution centers on smaller awards: the 25th percentile is $5,000, the median is $5,000, and the 75th percentile is $10,000. The recent list also includes much larger strategic grants, but most awards fall at the lower end of that range.
Yes. The recent grants list shows multiple organizations receiving support in consecutive years, including Pineland Farms Inc., MaineHealth’s Raising Readers program, Foxcroft Academy’s Piscataquis County Ice Arena, Mainehealth Dba Pen Bay Waldo Healthcare Foundation, Fort Kent Outdoor Center, and the Nordic Heritage Outdoor Center.
One of the listed general grantmaking programs accepts unsolicited applications, while another general grantmaking description says it does not. The program descriptions also differ slightly in emphasis, but both are Maine-focused and capped at $0–$25,000.
The recipient list includes Portland, New Gloucester, Dover-Foxcroft, Rockland, Fort Kent, Presque Isle, Winthrop, Topsham, Bangor, and Bath. That pattern shows statewide coverage within Maine rather than a single-city focus.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PINELAND FARMS INC | NEW GLOUCESTER, ME | $4,165,000 | 2024 | DEVELOP, OPERATE AND STAFF PINELAND FARMS, INC. FOR AGRICULTURAL PROMOTION, EDUCATION AND RESEARCH IN MAINE |
| MAINEHEALTH | PORTLAND, ME | $1,101,003 | 2024 | RAISING READERS PROGRAM |
| FOXCROFT ACADEMY | DOVERFOXCROFT, ME | $172,792 | 2024 | PISCATAQUIS COUNTY ICE ARENA OPERATING EXPENSES |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SOUTHERN MAINE | PORTLAND, ME | $50,000 | 2024 | A PLACE FOR GROWTH CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| FORT KENT OUTDOOR CENTER | FORT KENT, ME | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CITY OF PRESQUE ISLE FBO NORDIC HERITAGE OUTDOOR CENTER | PRESQUE ISLE, ME | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MAINEHEALTH DBA PEN BAY WALDO HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION | ROCKLAND, ME | $50,000 | 2024 | CONSTRUCT NEW HEALTH CENTER |
| STATE YMCA OF MAINE DBA YMCA CAMP OF MAINE | WINTHROP, ME | $25,000 | 2024 | ENDOWMENT FUND |
| FRIENDS OF KATAHDIN WOODS & WATERS | PORTLAND, ME | $25,000 | 2024 | TEKAKAPIMEK CONTACT STATION |
| PORTLAND STAGE COMPANY | PORTLAND, ME | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| PORTLAND MUSEUM OF ART | PORTLAND, ME | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| PORTLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | PORTLAND, ME | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| FARNSWORTH ART MUSEUM | ROCKLAND, ME | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| SALVATION ARMY - NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND DIVISION | PORTLAND, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MAINE HISTORICAL SOCIETY | PORTLAND, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MAINE MARITIME MUSEUM | BATH, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| GOOD SHEPHERD FOOD BANK | AUBURN, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | CAMPAIGN TO END HUNGER |
| ISLAND INSTITUTE | ROCKLAND, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| PEREGRINE CORPORATION DBA STRIVE | SOUTH PORTLAND, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MAINE PUBLIC BROADCASTING NETWORK | LEWISTON, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| COASTAL MAINE BOTANICAL GARDENS | BOOTHBAY, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| PENOBSCOT THEATRE COMPANY | BANGOR, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| PENQUIS COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM INC | BANGOR, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| PORTLAND OVATIONS | PORTLAND, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| BIGELOW LABORATORY FOR OCEAN SCIENCES | EAST BOOTHBAY, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MAINE ASSOCIATION OF NONPROFITS | PORTLAND, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | CULTURAL ALLIANCE OF MAINE (CAM) |
| GULF OF MAINE RESEARCH INSTITUTE | PORTLAND, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MAINE STATE MUSIC THEATRE | BRUNSWICK, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CENTER FOR MAINE CONTEMPORARY ART | ROCKLAND, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| BANGOR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | BANGOR, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| IRIS NETWORK | PORTLAND, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| PORTLAND CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC | PORTLAND, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| PORTLAND BALLET | PORTLAND, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| AUTISM SOCIETY OF MAINE | WINTHROP, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MAINE STATE BALLET | FALMOUTH, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MAINE ORGANIC FARMERS AND GARDENERS ASSOCIATION | UNITY, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MAINE ADAPTIVE SPORTS & RECREATION | NEWRY, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MAINE DISCOVERY MUSEUM | BANGOR, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MAINE ASSOCIATION OF NONPROFITS | PORTLAND, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| PENOBSCOT MARINE MUSEUM | SEARSPORT, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| OGUNQUIT PLAYHOUSE | OGUNQUIT, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CENTER FOR GRIEVING CHILDREN | PORTLAND, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MAINE FARMLAND TRUST | BELFAST, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NORTHERN FOREST CENTER - MAINE | CONCORD, NH | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| DOWNEAST COMMUNITY PARTNERS | ELLSWORTH, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MONHEGAN HISTORICAL & CULTURAL MUSEUM ASSOCIATION | MONHEGAN, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MAINE STATE SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANIMALS | SOUTH WINDHAM, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| BAY CHAMBER CONCERTS | ROCKPORT, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CROMWELL CENTER FOR DISABILITIES AWARENESS | PORTLAND, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| HOME INC | ORLAND, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
PINELAND FARMS INC
$4,165,000DEVELOP, OPERATE AND STAFF PINELAND FARMS, INC. FOR AGRICULTURAL PROMOTION, EDUCATION AND RESEARCH IN MAINE
MAINEHEALTH
$1,101,003RAISING READERS PROGRAM
FOXCROFT ACADEMY
$172,792PISCATAQUIS COUNTY ICE ARENA OPERATING EXPENSES
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SOUTHERN MAINE
$50,000A PLACE FOR GROWTH CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
FORT KENT OUTDOOR CENTER
$50,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
CITY OF PRESQUE ISLE FBO NORDIC HERITAGE OUTDOOR CENTER
$50,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MAINEHEALTH DBA PEN BAY WALDO HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION
$50,000CONSTRUCT NEW HEALTH CENTER
STATE YMCA OF MAINE DBA YMCA CAMP OF MAINE
$25,000ENDOWMENT FUND
FRIENDS OF KATAHDIN WOODS & WATERS
$25,000TEKAKAPIMEK CONTACT STATION
PORTLAND STAGE COMPANY
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
PORTLAND MUSEUM OF ART
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
PORTLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
FARNSWORTH ART MUSEUM
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
SALVATION ARMY - NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND DIVISION
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MAINE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MAINE MARITIME MUSEUM
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
GOOD SHEPHERD FOOD BANK
$10,000CAMPAIGN TO END HUNGER
ISLAND INSTITUTE
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
PEREGRINE CORPORATION DBA STRIVE
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MAINE PUBLIC BROADCASTING NETWORK
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
COASTAL MAINE BOTANICAL GARDENS
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
PENOBSCOT THEATRE COMPANY
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
PENQUIS COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM INC
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
PORTLAND OVATIONS
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
BIGELOW LABORATORY FOR OCEAN SCIENCES
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MAINE ASSOCIATION OF NONPROFITS
$5,000CULTURAL ALLIANCE OF MAINE (CAM)
GULF OF MAINE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MAINE STATE MUSIC THEATRE
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
CENTER FOR MAINE CONTEMPORARY ART
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
BANGOR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
IRIS NETWORK
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
PORTLAND CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
PORTLAND BALLET
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
AUTISM SOCIETY OF MAINE
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MAINE STATE BALLET
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MAINE ORGANIC FARMERS AND GARDENERS ASSOCIATION
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MAINE ADAPTIVE SPORTS & RECREATION
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MAINE DISCOVERY MUSEUM
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MAINE ASSOCIATION OF NONPROFITS
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
PENOBSCOT MARINE MUSEUM
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
OGUNQUIT PLAYHOUSE
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
CENTER FOR GRIEVING CHILDREN
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MAINE FARMLAND TRUST
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
NORTHERN FOREST CENTER - MAINE
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
DOWNEAST COMMUNITY PARTNERS
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MONHEGAN HISTORICAL & CULTURAL MUSEUM ASSOCIATION
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MAINE STATE SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANIMALS
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
BAY CHAMBER CONCERTS
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
CROMWELL CENTER FOR DISABILITIES AWARENESS
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
HOME INC
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT