About Maine Community Foundation
The Maine Community Foundation prioritizes place-based philanthropy in Maine with a strong emphasis on land and coastal conservation, sustainable agriculture, and community well‑being. They fund a mix of conservation trusts, regional research and marine science organizations, food security providers, and tribal/Native-led organizations, often supporting capacity-building, land protection, and programmatic growth. Grants are largely directed to Maine institutions and statewide initiatives, with additional support for higher education, public media, and health/medical education that serve Maine communities.
Focus Areas
Farmland preservation and support for sustainable agriculture (e.g., Maine Farmland Trust, Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association)Coastal, marine and land conservation including trusts and habitat protection (e.g., Maine Coast Heritage Trust, The Nature Conservancy, Forest Society of Maine)Food security and hunger relief networks in Maine (e.g., Good Shepherd Food Bank, Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust)Wabanaki/Native community capacity, research and public health (e.g., First Nations Development Institute, Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness)Regional research, education and public service infrastructure (e.g., Gulf of Maine Research Institute, University of Maine System, Maine Public)
About Maine Community Foundation
Maine Community Foundation Inc’s largest recent grants center on farmland preservation, with multiple awards to Maine Farmland Trust across 2023, 2024, and 2025. That recurring support signals a funder that backs long-horizon land protection rather than one-off project funding. Alongside agriculture, the foundation has also made major grants to Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust, and The Nature Conservancy, showing sustained attention to conservation of land, wetlands, and coastal resources in Maine. The foundation’s grantmaking also reaches into public service and community infrastructure. Recent awards include support for the University of Maine System, Maine Medical Education Trust Association Dr, MaineHealth, and Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness NPC, indicating interest in education, health, and community well-being. The portfolio includes both large institutional grants and smaller programmatic awards, such as support for Ketcha Outdoors, Opera House Arts, and Friends of the St Lawrence Church, which points to a broad statewide role. The pattern is place-based: Maine organizations dominate the recent grants list, and the foundation’s work is tied to Maine communities, institutions, and regional capacity.
What Maine Community Foundation Funds
Farmland preservation is one of the clearest throughlines. The foundation gave $4,821,650 in 2023, $4,698,820 in 2024, and $2,487,900 in 2025 to Maine Farmland Trust for farmland preservation, a multi-year pattern that stands out in the recent grants list. Environmental and coastal work is another major area. In 2023, Maine Coast Heritage Trust received $3,395,925 for environment, while Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust received $578,202 in 2024 for water resources, wetlands conservation and management. The Nature Conservancy also appears with grants in 2024 and 2025 for environment support and environment. The foundation also funds research, education, and Native-led community work. First Nations Development Institute received $602,500 in 2023, $600,000 in 2024, and $600,000 in 2025 for research institutes and public policy analysis or research. Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness NPC received $554,000 in 2025 for human services, transportation, and building repairs.
How Maine Community Foundation Gives
Typical grant size clusters around a median of $16,223, with the 25th percentile at $10,000 and the 75th percentile at $41,225. The recent grants list also shows a wide upper range, with several awards above $500,000 and a few in the multi-million-dollar range. This looks like a recurring grantmaker rather than a one-time funder: the same organizations appear across multiple years, including Maine Farmland Trust, First Nations Development Institute, and The Nature Conservancy. The foundation is a mixed community foundation and makes program-related investments. It also runs several open grant programs, and some of those accept unsolicited applications through the foundation’s grants process.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$57.6M
Total Assets
$807.6M
Total Revenue
$138.8M
Total Expenses
$82.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $41K, with a median of $16K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$16K
75th Percentile
$41K
Geographic Reach
Regional46 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Deborah Ellwood
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