About Maine Coast Heritage Trust
To keep the Maine coast open, healthy, working, and beautiful through land protection, stewardship, and public access.
Focus Areas
coastal land conservationpreserve stewardshippublic access and recreationcommunity resilienceenvironmental protection
Who They Fund
land trusts and conservation organizationsprotected natural habitats/ecosystemspublic or private conserved lands
Funding Style
direct project grants for land conservationfunding for land stewardship/managementsupport for land acquisition/conservation easements
About Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Maine Coast Heritage Trust is a public charity based in Topsham, ME. It reported $14,930,928 in annual grants and $312,200,748 in total assets on its latest 990 year on file, 2025. Its stated focus is to keep the Maine coast open, healthy, working, and beautiful through land protection, stewardship, and public access. The foundation’s funded work centers on coastal land conservation, preserve stewardship, public access and recreation, community resilience, and environmental protection. The recent grant record shows that Maine Coast Heritage Trust gives mainly to land trusts, conservation organizations, and other entities involved in protected lands and stewardship. Among the largest recent grants are $8,166,754 to Biddeford Pool Land Trust in 2024 for conservation of land and stewardship for conservation purposes, $1,205,465 to Biddeford Pool Land Trust in 2025 for land conservation, and $750,000 to York Land Trust in 2023 for conservation of land and stewardship for conservation purposes. Other sizable grants include $750,000 to The Nature Conservancy in 2025 for land conservation and $349,184 to Downeast Salmon Federation in 2025 for land conservation. Its typical grant size is $27,558 at the 25th percentile, $81,918 at the median, and $157,625 at the 75th percentile.
What Maine Coast Heritage Trust Funds
Recent grantmaking spans land conservation, habitat protection, conservation easements, protected-area stewardship and management, and long-term land stewardship. The recorded grant purposes also include public access improvements, trail and accessibility improvements, and habitat protection through the L.L.Bean Maine Land Trust Grant Program. Notable grants include $8,166,754 to Biddeford Pool Land Trust for conservation of land and stewardship for conservation purposes, $1,205,465 to Biddeford Pool Land Trust for land conservation, and $750,000 to York Land Trust for conservation of land and stewardship for conservation purposes. Additional grants include $349,184 to Downeast Salmon Federation for land conservation and $254,486 to Kennebec Estuary Land Trust for land conservation.
How Maine Coast Heritage Trust Gives
Maine Coast Heritage Trust’s recent grants show a pattern of project-based support for land trusts, conservation organizations, and other recipients tied to conserved lands and stewardship. Its philosophy tags indicate direct project grants for land conservation, funding for land stewardship and management, support for land acquisition and conservation easements, and restricted purpose contributions. Typical grant size is $27,558 at the 25th percentile, $81,918 at the median, and $157,625 at the 75th percentile. It also operates several Maine-focused programs that accept unsolicited applications, including the L.L.Bean Maine Land Trust Grant Program, the Richard G. Rockefeller Conservation Internship Program, and the Espy Land Heritage Award.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.7M
Total Assets
$312.2M
Total Revenue
$22M
Total Expenses
$17M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $28K and $158K, with a median of $82K.
25th Percentile
$28K
Median
$82K
75th Percentile
$158K
Geographic Reach
Local5 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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